Taking Your Shot

Ethical Shot Placement

To harvest an animal with a single shot is the goal of every ethical hunter. It is important to study deer anatomy and to know where the vital organs are located relative to the body. Any slight change in orientation can alter a hunter’s perception as to where the organs are positioned.

When placing a shot, we want to hit the heart and/or lungs of a deer. For all methods of take, but especially when using archery equipment, your most effective aiming spot for deer is the center of the lungs, as it gives the most leeway in any direction to still be efficient and highly lethal. The vitals also include the heart, which overlaps with the lungs from most shot angles, but is too low to be the point at which you want your arrow/bolt to impact. That being said, if you are firing from an elevated stand and anticipating a bit of string jump, the heart may be your ideal aiming point on close shots, with the idea that your actual hit will be several inches higher on the body.

Hitting the vitals will ensure a quick harvest and a minimal, quick recovery and tracking process. We never recommend aiming for the head, neck or any other location other than the center of the lungs.

Practicing with all types of equipment, especially archery equipment, is imperative to ensure you are comfortable with it and can place accurate shots where they need to be. Far too many hunters set off into the woods without adequate practice.

Recommended Reading

• Where to Shoot a Deer—Best Deer Shot Placement From Every Angle by Ryan Newhouse
• Where to Shoot a Deer by Alex Robinson and Brian McCombie
• Shot Opportunity Ethics vs. Shot Placement Ethics by Josh Honeycutt

After the Shot

Immediately after you fire your shot, whether with a bow or a gun, it is time to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes and notice as many details as you can.

First, if your shot was less than ideal and you have the opportunity, you should immediately try to get another shot in the vitals (lungs).

If all goes to plan and you see your shot strike the deer in the center of the lungs, take a deep breath and listen. Watch where the animal goes and what it does. Listen for a crash and make a mental note of about where this occurs. Note where the deer was when you shot and where you last saw it without moving. Mark these spots mentally with all your brain power, as the woods have a tendency to morph when climbing down from a stand or even taking a few steps.

After at least 30 minutes to an hour (especially if daylight is still, no rush), go try to find your arrow and the point of contact. Observe the blood on the arrow and on the ground. What do you see? Slowly start working your way down the blood trail, making sure that the clues match what you observed – a good vital hit. The blood should be bright to dark red, often with bubbles, and will often be more pinkish right at the start. The blood trail is often fairly easy to follow, but sometimes it can take them a while before they start dripping blood (especially with crossbows and sometimes deer shot from ground level with higher entry and exit openings). Sometimes you will get a temporary “clot” or a stop in what was a good blood trail. Always clearly mark the last blood so that you keep your trail if this happens. Often, a few steps further up the trail will cause blood to start flowing again.

Once you spot the deer, approach carefully in case it’s only wounded. If you see any movement from the deer, try to get to a safe place to get another shot into the lungs. If no movement occurs, check the corneal reflex (poke a small twig in its eye) to make sure it’s 100% expired. If all clues point to a perfect shot, one hour of wait time is often sufficient.

If any clues make you unsure, which could be that you saw the hit or find blood and hair that doesn’t match where you thought you hit, patience is your best bet. Especially if the weather is not an issue (not too hot), you will likely be waiting 4-6 hours before you can go beyond the last place you saw the animal. If you jump a bedded deer as it’s about to expire, it may run several hundred more yards to the thickest brush around and be much more difficult to recover.

What to Do if Your Shot Goes Wrong

If you practice with your firearm or bow, do your research, and take your time lining up a shot, you are unlikely to make a bad shot. We’ve noticed that new hunters tend to worry about this topic, though, and wanted to provide you with guidance on what to do so that not only will you be prepared, you will hopefully be less worried about it happening.

Although you should always prioritize taking a shot that swiftly and cleanly kills the deer, things sometimes happen — examples that we’ve personally experienced include the deer taking a step just as you fire, or you misjudged the angle or distance of the shot. It’s best to be prepared to know what to do in this situation before it happens. Not only is recovering your animal after such a shot a matter of ethics, but there is also a law in Illinois that relates to retrieving killed or crippled wildlife (often referred to as a Wanton Waste law):

This rule means that if you injure your deer, you must make a reasonable effort to retrieve your deer and harvest its meat, even if it runs off. If this happens, there are a few steps you should take.

First, notice the direction the deer went and think about what sounds you heard and what you saw when your shot made contact. Next, inspect the area where the deer was standing when it was hit. What do you see? If you made contact, it is likely there is a least some blood. Use the chart below to figure out where you likely hit the deer, which will then determine your next steps.

Want to Learn More About Deer Recovery?

Watch our interview with Gary Blessing from the Illinois Deer Trackers’ Network to learn more about what to do if a shot goes wrong. Remember: When in doubt, back out.