Aim Low, It’s the Way To Go!

Aim Low, It’s the Way To Go!

by Zane Graham

If you’re an avid bow hunter or have seen bow hunting on t.v. then you’ve probably heard of whitetail deer “jumping the string.” For those of you who may not have heard of this, “jumping the string” is when a deer makes a downward motion before it runs off. The deer will drop down and get its chest very close to the ground as part of its motion to bolt out of the area. Deer will do this when something suddenly scares them and makes them feel in danger such as the sound of a bow going off after the release of an arrow. Some will drop at least 6″ which could cause your arrow to sail over their back or end up hitting them high. I have had multiple experiences of deer jumping the string in my bow hunting career and it became even more clear after I started videoing my own hunts.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH75WW-cQM8&w=420&h=315]

After putting the video in slow motion it is easy to see just how much a deer can really drop and how it can affect shot placement. In the video there is a dark spot on the deer a good 4″+ below where the arrow hit which is where I was aiming.

 

From my experiences I’ve learned to aim low behind the elbow of the deer where the heart is. This will be the safest shot to ensure that you make a fatal hit on the deer. If the deer jumps the string it will drop down into the path of the arrow and you will still hit in the middle of the body which will be a good double lung shot. If the deer somehow doesn’t jump the string then you will have a good heart shot and a short trailing job. If you want to be safe and ensure yourself that your trophy buck won’t get away then aim low, it’s the way to go!