Deer "Jumping the String"

[jessbennett]

25 years bowhunting and 382 deer, non of them lost, all aimed for the heart right behind the elbow. It seems the "BS" worked just fine for me. When I guided and outfitted I told all my clients. "In my camp you aim low 2 inch over the brisket, right behind the elbow." the "BS" has worked. Of the 168 that had a shot opportunity 167 killed the deer, one missed completely shooting over the back because he wasn't compensating for threestand height. Having said that I might add that I hunt only from treestands which is a bit different then hunting from the ground with straight on shots.

But it's no problem you do what works for you I do what works for me.

As for the gab between the spine and lungs. have a look at this picture. (I do not post pictures on forums to which I do not outright own the copyright.)

BowWalker is right about whitetails, they are very jumpy, especially where they are subjected to heavy hunting pressure, which almost anywhere in the U.S.A.

just a little while ago you posted that you have bowhunted for"almost 20 years"......... now in 30 days or so, its 25 years???382 deer huh?you averaged around 16 deer a year, yourself?wow!!!! thats some amazing and unbelievable statistics. and seriously........ out of 168 hunters only 1 of your clients didnt harvest an animal????? thats some amazing statistics for a guide. especially bowhunters.were you the outfitter and had your own territory?

[Slinky Pickle]

not to start trouble.....but what happens when the deer jumps.....which would mean pushing in the opposite direction of gravity so that the "a" for acceleration in kirbys equation changes and I am assuming iV is for initial velocity.

In order to jump you have to push off. As humans we have to bend at the knees so that we are able to spring up using our leg muscles. Unless you have uber toes, it's pretty much impossible to jump from a standing position without crouching and pushing upward. Deer are no different. They have to crouch before they can push off and jump. To make a long story short.... they have to go down before they can go up.

[jessbennett]

In order to jump you have to push off. As humans we have to bend at the knees so that we are able to spring up using our leg muscles. Unless you have uber toes, it's pretty much impossible to jump from a standing position without crouching and pushing upward. Deer are no different. They have to crouch before they can push off and jump. To make a long story short.... they have to go down before they can go up.

well....... it has happened to me before...... can i explain it? no..... but that deer went straight up. i tried the whole" aim low" idea and it cost me a 150 class whitetail..... i wasnt happy. ... the bow was basically silent, and pushing 330 fps at 30 yds.... that bugger went 6 feet straight up........

[Hydrojet]

In order to jump you have to push off. As humans we have to bend at the knees so that we are able to spring up using our leg muscles. Unless you have uber toes, it's pretty much impossible to jump from a standing position without crouching and pushing upward. Deer are no different. They have to crouch before they can push off and jump. To make a long story short.... they have to go down before they can go up.

The biggest 32 point buck you have ever seen (please sense the sarcasm) is feeding....front is hunched to feed so....locked and loaded!?...deer don't have toes and the jumping power comes from the front shoulders more so than the leg joint (ie straight legged jump)...just watch a deer bound or hop....legs are mostly straight!

[huntwriter]

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

No it's not a made up story, but it has to do with the hunters. Deer are survival experts, that means they learn fast. Deer in most American states east of the Mississippi are very heavily hunted and in most of these states almost everybody is a bowhunter because they have a much longer bow season then here, some states have a four month bow season with a 3 or 5 day break for guns. Over generations deer have learned to identify the sound of a bow and learned to duck. Most anywhere else deer react to spooking noises by jumping straight up in the air and, or to the side but not where they are hunted almost exclusively with bows.

Here is something else deer have learned from hunters east of the Mississippi that you will not readily observe anywhere else. Looking up to the treetops for danger. When they are spooked the first thing they do is look up into the treetops. Over 90% of the hunters east of the Mississippi hunt from treestands. I never observed that behaviour in the western region of America or here. Because treestands are not that widely used here.

[Slinky Pickle]

Huh... I guess since they walk on already bent legs, they can just push off at pretty much any point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjD3WHofbsw

[huntwriter]

Huh... I guess since they walk on already bent legs, they can just push off at pretty much any point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjD3WHofbsw

You got that right. The "bent legs" are like springs under tension. This way a deer can jump apparently effortless from a standing position. Whereas a human with "straight legs" has to bend the legs first to put tension onto the muscles and then put the weight onto his toes to do the same. Deer already walk on the toes and the bend in their hind legs is the actual heel.

Here is a skeletal comparison chart of human and animal hind legs.

It's a pigs leg but deer have the same bone structure.

[Eagle1]

WOW, you guys way over analyse everything, just go shoot the dam animal and eat it, I do.
If you stand down range and off to one side, behind a tree so you can't see your buddy shoot, guess what, with all the parallel limb bows, string dampners and such you won't hear the bow, what you will hear is the arrow, wind over the fletching, it's loud, give it a try , you'll be surprised. Just be careful.
my $0.2

[Lorne]

I havn't shot many deer with my bow, but i wonder if you stop them with a grunt or whistle would they jump more? I have wread someplace that usually when they hear the first sound they will stop and then if the hear another they will bolt. I think Bow walker and others definatly have the right idea for aiming for the heart. It may verywell be different in the states from up here and from whitetails to Muley's but it definatly happens to some extent. But literally every deer in the video when you looked at the slow mo droped to some extent. It would be hard to tell out in the feild though when you are shooting if they drop. These animals are pretty amazing there is way more that goes into making a perfect shot than what you would expect. has anyone had any trouble with Muleys ducking?

[Big Lew]

Gotta agree with "Bowzone Mikey", if the deer is fairly close, and is not only looking at you, but has his ears pointed toward you, there's a chance he might jump at the noise or flash of your shot. Nor so much if he's further away. I make it a practice not to shoot when they're close, keyed to go, and have their ears and eyes honed in on me.....I will wait until they turn their head. I have shot many deer at 30 to 47 yards while still hunting, both mulies and whitetail, and not one of them have jumped before the arrow hit them. My bow is pushing 285 fps. at 20 yards, so it is not ultra fast. I also hunt with 4 extra arrows on a 2-piece quiver which doesn't make any appreciable noise. I used to use a one-piece and it vibrated. I've had people stand by to listen and they say all they hear is the slight thump of the release.