treestand shot placement question

[jnevs23]

I have my stand set up at the bottom of a gradual hill.  There is a nice intersection of a trail going up hill and one that crosses the hill about 15 yards infront of my stand.  The distance and the slope of the hill give me a pretty good angle for my shot.  This year it seems there is a new trail about 5 yards in front of my stand that they are using rather than the old trail when crossing the hill.  This completely screws up my shot angle.  How do you guys feel about shots where you are shooting almost straight down from a treestand?  Im guessing you aim just inside the spine, behind the shoulder and hope to catch a vital? 

[RadSav]

On steep angled shots you always want to concentrate on where the arrow is going to exit.  Sounds like just under the spine is a good idea, but only if you are coming out the heart or the opposite pit of the leg.  Ideally you want both lungs or one lung and heart.  If you have enough angle to get both lungs with the arrow crossing hemispheres right at the aortic arch that puppy is not going anywhere.

If you are just hoping to catch a vital it is not a good shot.  You want to wait until you know you are going to hit those vitals.  It's called the "optimal threshold".  That's when you go from saying, "I think I can kill him" to "I know I can kill him!"  Only then take the shot.  If that can not be done from your location I would put up a new stand.  Too late to trim many branches without drawing attention to your spot.  But, it just might be your only option if the above arrow path can not be achieved.

Wishing you the very best of luck.  Let us know how it turns out.

[ribka]

I have been hunting out of treestands for almost 30 years now. For me 20 yds was about the optimal distance for a shot from a treestand. Any shot under 15 yds I would pass. Straight down shots are not to be taken in my opinion. If you cannot move the stand do something like creating a mock scrape a bit farther from your stand to improve the shot angle. Yes mock scrapes do work in Sept. Or put bait or salt farther away form you stand to draw the deer away from your stand. Or you can wait for the deer to pass your stand and take a quartering away shot if the angle is not too great.

Or as Radsav mentioned look for a new place to move your stand. If you can minimize scent while placing stand up in new location and not disturb area will probably not push the deer out of the area. Looking forward to a successful report from you!!

[jnevs23]

I'm very picky about my shots, that's why I asked.  I'll likely just pass a shot if it uses the lower trail.  I've already thought about ditching this stand location anyway.  I've got two grout blinds up and a handfull of trees IVe  hung stands on before.  I'll probably hunt it a couple days and see how it goes....that's assuming I ever get the time to get out

[PA BEN]

Put some cob out to stop them where you have the best shot.

[Greg Mullins]

Aim where you want the arrow to exit the deer not where you think it needs to go in. Keep that in mind and all will be great,good luck.

[Snapshot]

I was told by a treestand whitetail guru (in my opinion) that from that angle there is nothing there but vitals. So if you can get to full draw without being detected then visualize the exit hole and loose the arrow! For him, at the point he is at in his hunting career, that is the whole challenge; to get to anchor on a mature whitetail that is 'slam-dunk' distance away. I've tried it and it isn't easy. Good luck.

[buck man]

Shot my 2010 buck ( the one in my avatar) at a straight down angle. Would I pass this shot....? Heck no. This shot is very lethal and my buck didn't go 20 yards. One lung and heart destroyed by my G 5. No tracking there.

[jnevs23]

Buck man, thats a heck of a buck.  Did you get him in the Spokane area?  How do youvloke those g5 broadheads?  Now that I'm shooting a g5 bow I've been thinking of switching to them.