Deer "Jumping the String"

[Lorne]

I was just watching a video the other day and was amazed at how many deer jumped the string and droped after hearing the arrow being released. every deer droped to some extent. I guess it depends on how nervious it is. Has anyone had any experice with this? It is probably wise to aim for the heart that way when or if it ducks you have a good shot. I have heard lots of stories about people shooting inbetween the lungs and spine and the dear gets away or someone shoots them later and finds scars.

[bigshooter]

Traded the old bow in for a new hoyt maxxis 31 for this reason. Deer will feel it before the hear it.

[houndogger]

Ya I had that problem when I used trainin wheels on my bow! Switched to longbow and never had a problem since

[Kirby]

Do the math on jumping the string it doesn't work out if you've got a "modern" bow.

Kirby

[Slinky Pickle]

Do the math on jumping the string it doesn't work out if you've got a "modern" bow.

Kirby

The speed of sound is 1125 fps. Even with a "modern" bow, the sound will get there well before your arrow does.

If you assume a 40 yard shot and 300 fps arrow speed....

Time for sound to reach animal
(40 X 3) / 1125 = .107 seconds

Time for arrow to reach animal
(40 X 3) / 320 = .400 seconds

.400 - .107 = .293 seconds (animals time to respond)

At a little over a quarter of a second that's plenty of time for a wiley critter to flinch. He won't always get out of the way but doing what you can to reduce noise still sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

If you base it on the animal actually seeing the arrow release then in this example he has a full .400 seconds to "get outa Dodge". (I didn't do the math on the speed of light because I figured 982 million fps might work out pretty close to zero seconds.)

Wow, how the hell do deer ever die??????

I don't have enough experience to know whether it is or isn't an issue.... I just thought I'd do the math.

[huntwriter]

Lorne - It is very common for deer to jump the string. As Slinky Pickle pointed out, no matter how fast the bow is, sound will always arrive before the arrow even at short distances.

This is the reason why I always aim for the heart, if the deer drops I still get a good double lung shot. There is a space of about three inches between lung and spine with nothing but air. Hit a deer there and it will survive.

A relaxed deer jumps less than an alert deer, but they still jump the string. The best chances to lessen the risk is to take close shots, my preference is around 15 yards and never more than 25 yards. Make your bow as quiet as possible. A good start is to use heavier arrows, all my arrows are over 450 grain. A heavier arrow absorbs a lot of the vibrations that cause noise.

Install Limb-Savers dampeners on the bow limbs and the strings or any other product that absorbs vibrations. The lighter the bow setup is and the faster the bow the more noise becomes an issue. Any additional gadget you add to the bow, like a arrow quiver is a potential noise maker. I take my arrow quiver off the bow as soon I am in the stand. If you leave the quiver on the bow only load it with three arrows. You do not need more, even two arrows will do.

[Jetboater]

Lorne - It is very common for deer to jump the string. As Slinky Pickle pointed out, no matter how fast the bow is, sound will always arrive before the arrow even at short distances.

This is the reason why I always aim for the heart, if the deer drops I still get a good double lung shot. There is a space of about three inches between lung and spine with nothing but air. Hit a deer there and it will survive.

A relaxed deer jumps less than an alert deer, but they still jump the string. The best chances to lessen the risk is to take close shots, my preference is around 15 yards and never more than 25 yards. Make your bow as quiet as possible. A good start is to use heavier arrows, all my arrows are over 450 grain. A heavier arrow absorbs a lot of the vibrations that cause noise.

Install Limb-Savers dampeners on the bow limbs and the strings or any other product that absorbs vibrations. The lighter the bow setup is and the faster the bow the more noise becomes an issue. Any additional gadget you add to the bow, like a arrow quiver is a potential noise maker. I take my arrow quiver off the bow as soon I am in the stand. If you leave the quiver on the bow only load it with three arrows. You do not need more, even two arrows will do.

No offense Huntwriter but I call BS... dont shoot for the heart... aim for the lungs... to far forward and you hit the front leg.... as for the gap between the lungs and the spine... tell yourself that space is there all you want but in reality its a good excuse for a poor shot....
I have shot 29 deer with the bow and have yet to see one visibly jump the string... aim for where you want the arrow to go... not where you expect the animal to move...
guys you are over worrying little things... get out and shoot as many good shots a day practicing and that is all you can do...as for taking longer shots dont worry about the deer dropping....just put it where you want it... pick the smallest spot on the deer side and hit it....

[jessbennett]

i would really recommend taking more than 2 arrows out into the field with you at any given time, and thats just personally.

if you have a quiver that holds 4or 5 arrows, fill it up, make sure it is silent when you shoot it. all it takes is some time and tinkering to get it quiet if it is noisy. theres lots of ideas out there to make them quiet. but really dont shortchange yourself on arrows in the field as it has been previously suggested.
ALSO, if you do stand hunt, or plan on "still" hunting, and you do want to remove your quiver from your bow, be sure to sight your bow in with the quiver OFF of the bow. if you sight it in when the quiver is on, then remove it for hunting, your point of impact will be off.

practice shooting your bow with your hunting gear on it. your favorite jacket and gloves for the particular time of year in which your hunting. shoot your outfitted bow lots. find all your little "buzzes" and rattles before the season. then you have nothing to worry about and will enjoy your time in the field more.

with todays bows on the market, you can get the best of both worlds, with speed, and quietness without sacrificing accuracy. you dont need a 500 grain arrow to keep your bow quiet, and practice out to 30 or 40 yards. its good to be confident out there.

and lastly, even though it does "occasionally" happen, mule deer are far less likely to jump the string as opposed to whitetail deer. whitetails can be craftly lil buggers. thats for sure. they can duck an arrow, they can jump OVER an arrow. dont worry about shooting low, or shooting high, just be confident and put it in the boiler room and it will go down.

enjoy the "archery obsession", and good luck

[Bow Walker]

Lorne - I'd be willing to bet that those videos you were watching were of hunts in the States, and they'd be after Whitetail down there. Very skittish animal, super wary and very prone to "jumping the string". The hunting pressure on the WT deer is enormous in the "Excited States".

When you have your bow all outfitted for the hunt - quiver full of arrows and all - hold it by the grip and take your other hand and make a fist. Now take the fist and bring it down on the bow like a gavel or hammer, using the soft pad on the little finger part of the fist.

Give the bow a good 'sock' and if there are any vibrating or loose parts you should be able to hear them rattle. Hunt the noisy parts down and tighten them up.

I've shot a few deer here on the Island, both early and late season, and if they were standing still, they haven't flinched or jumped the string at all. The only thing that happened was that a walking deer took a half-step after I stopped it with a grunt - just as I released the arrow. I hit one lung and part of the liver. The deer took off like a scared rabbit and went about 150 yards before going down for good.

Other than that, all the others went down within 30 yards - without any noticeable string jump at all.

A good point of aim is fight in the "crook" of the front leg bone - as illustrated below
. That way you're sure to hit the vitals and get a quick kill.


Front 1/3 of the body, and 1/3 the way up from the bottom - inline with the front leg (if he's standing properly). A good rule of thumb to remember. After that, get tight and right behind the shoulder.

See the way the front leg bone is sharply angled towards the head? Creates quite the sweet spot for a quick kill.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Most animals "Jump the string" while they are looking at the the shooter ... Remenber a Deers anotomy is not like Humans ... we can only look in the direction of our nose ... while Deer etc are not like a Lizard with independant eyes ... they have more of the side ways vision than Humans do ... dont rely upon where his nose is pointed ... most are "jumping the string" when they see a visual cue ... like the arrow with super brite fletching leave the bow (or nowadays Lite nocks)

Now that said even when the deer is looking 180 degrees away ... check his ears before you shoot ... if they are pointed anywhere than directly at you ... you are good to go ...even so at 40 yards ... the animal wont hear your bow go off .... most will "Jump the string" at around 25 yards mostly due to visual cues rather than sound.
I make these claimed based upon what I have seen in the feild Hunting, scouting and just being outside .... I have seen deer "jump the string" at several birds that they didnt expect to be there ....

the Term "Jumping the string" in my eyes was made up by some American that put a bad shot on a critter on a Vid or story that he was tellin ... and now its an excuse for a poor shot