If you are planning on going bow hunting for deer, then finding the best place to shoot a deer is very important. To get that deer kill shot, to make sure that it is quick and ethical, you need to shoot it in the right place.
Therefore, where to shoot the deer is exactly what we are going to cover today. Specifically, where to shoot a deer with a bow is what we will talk about.
There are various good places where you can shoot a deer with a bow to allow for a quick, ethical, and relatively painless kill.
Today, we will talk about some of the vital zones of the deer, where to aim, and how to shoot a deer. Let’s take a closer look at the best place to shoot a deer for the best results.
Why Finding the Best Spot to Shoot a Deer is Important
Something you might be wondering here is why finding the best place to shoot a deer is important. Well, there are a few different reasons why shooting a deer in the best possible location is vital. First and foremost, we always want to be ethical hunters.
This means that we want to cause animals the least possible pain and distress. This therefore means that we want to shoot them to allow for a very quick and relatively painless death.
The faster the animal dies, the less pain they suffer through. Just because we kill animals doesn’t mean that we can’t be ethical about it. Therefore, getting the right shot is very important. You don’t want that animal to suffer.
Also important to consider is that the better your shot is, the better your chances of recovering the kill. If your shot is off-point, the animal might live for too long.
This gives the animal, the deer, the opportunity to run away and escape. Some deer can live for hours or even days with an arrow embedded inside of them.
If a deer has an arrow in it and runs away, your chances of finding it become very small. If this happens, you have to track the deer through the woods, possibly for very long distances.
The better your shot is, the faster the animal dies, and the lower the chances of it running away.
Of course, being able to actually find your kill is a pretty big deal. This also relates to ethics. You don’t want a deer running around in pain. The bottom line here is that shooting the deer in the right place is very important. Find more information in this deer hunting guide.
The Deer Kill Shot – The Vital Zones
Perhaps the most important thing for you to know here is that the vital zones make for the best shots. If you are wondering where to aim on a deer, the best spot to shoot a deer is in the deer’s vital areas. First and foremost, knowing the deer heart location is very important.
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This means that knowing what whitetail deer anatomy looks like is also important. Below, we have included a deer vital diagram, so you know what you’re getting into.
As you can see from the diagram below, just like humans, deer have organs. Those organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, and more, all make for great shots.
If you can get a broadside deer shot, any of those locations make for prime shots. Take a quick look at the deer vital diagram below for all of the information you need.
The Best Places To Shoot a Deer – Top 4 Deer Kill Shots
As you are about to see, there are four prime locations to shoot a deer. Let’s take a closer look at each of these four best shots to take on a deer with your bow.
The High Shoulder Shot
One of the best places for any bow hunter to shoot a deer is up on the shoulder. The aim here is to put an arrow right through one of the shoulder blades, by way of the chest.
This should allow for a quick and ethical kill. It should paralyse the central nervous system and break the spine.
This is, however, a relatively difficult shot, as it takes some skill to hit. Also beware, it takes a lot of power to be successful when taking this shot. You will need a bow with a whole lot of draw weight, at least 50 pounds. Here’s a really cool video on the best ways to shoot a deer.
The Neck Shot
Another great spot to shoot a deer is in the neck. This should sever the spinal cord and cause the animal to bleed out. The issue here however is that achieving a good neck shot is very difficult.
It is very easy to hit the deer either too low or too high. If you aim too high, you might just miss the deer. If you aim too low, you’ll probably injure the deer, but it could still run away.
The other issue here is that the neck shot often results in a slow death that requires another follow-up shot. If you are bow hunting a deer and aiming for the neck, always aim a bit lower. When a deer hears your bowstring, it’s likely to duck.
The Head Shot
Perhaps the best place to shoot a deer is in the head. A headshot results in an instant death. If the air penetrates the brain, death will be fast and ethical. This is perhaps the fastest and most ethical shot you can take. Furthermore, it’s also a good shot because it doesn’t damage any of the meat.
That said, it’s not the kind of shot you want to take if you plan on mounting the head of the deer above your fireplace.
All of that said, a deer’s head is not overly large, and its brain is even smaller. A deer’s skull is also very thick, so you’ll need a lot of power. We recommend a bow that has a draw weight of at least 55 pounds, if not 60 pounds.
The biggest issue here, however, is that making a solid head shot is difficult. Most hunters don’t go for a headshot. If you miss just a little bit, chances are the deer will be injured, but not dead.
It might take several days for the deer to die, which is certainly not ethical. Therefore, unless you are very close and certain of your shot, you might want to go for any of the other shots.
The Lung or Heart Shot
Perhaps one of the easiest shots to make is the heart shot or lung shot. The reason for this is quite simple, because it’s the biggest target.
If you hit the lungs and heart, the deer will quickly die and bleed out. It is a very ethical death. Even if the deer doesn’t die right away, it should die within a few minutes.
It should allow for easy recovery even if the deer begins to run away. With this kind of shot, the deer should not get very far. In most cases, even if your shot isn’t bang on, the chest cavity is still a great location to hit.
The Best Angle to Shoot a Deer From
You also need to know what angle is best to shoot a deer from. The right location to shoot a deer is vital. However, finding the right location can be difficult if you don’t have the right angle. One of the best possible shots you can take is a broadside shot.
This means that you are looking at the deer from its side. This exposes the deer’s chest for a very easy heart and lung shot. The broadside shot allows for the biggest possible target for you to hit.
Now, two shots you should never take are when a deer is walking towards you straight on or walking away from you.
The target is too small and the chances of you making an ethical kill are very little. However, behind the broadside shot, when a deer is quartering away from you or quartering towards you, these are also good opportunities.
Deer Shot Placement Chart
Now that we have talked about all of the best places to shoot a deer, let’s take a quick look at this chart. Deer shot placement charts like these are convenient for people who learn better by visual stimulation.
Our explanations above are very comprehensive, but this visual might make things a bit easier for you. As you can see, exactly where to shoot a deer can be quite complicated.
It really depends on the angle you are shooting from, what organ you are shooting for, and more. As you can see from the chart, any of the red locations make for ideal shots. These will allow for quick and ethical kills. This should also allow you to recover your kill with ease.
Many people ask “how big is the kill zone on a deer?” . Well, as you can see from the chart, while there are many kill zones, the individual zones are not huge. This means that learning how to properly aim and shoot your bow is just that much more important.
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Using the Right Equipment is Essential
Yes, the location of the shot is very important. However, the equipment you use is also very important. Now, here we are not necessarily referring to the type of hunting bow that you use. Instead, we are talking about the power behind it.
To shoot a deer with a bow, you need a unit that has at least a 40-pound draw. If you want the best possible results, a 50-pound draw is even better. A 50-pound draw is what you would usually use for even larger animals. This includes moose, elk, and bears. This Bear Archery Compound Bow might be right for you.
On that note, using the right kind of arrowhead is very important as well. Generally speaking, a broadhead arrowhead is the best way to go.
Broadheads easily slice through various tissues. They should allow for the most possible damage and a quick kill. Just make sure that your broadheads are very sharp. Broadheads like these from Dead Ringer are ideal.
The Best Place to Shoot a Deer – Final Thoughts
The head shot, high shoulder shot, neck shot, and heart shot, are the four best places to shoot a deer. If you shoot a deer in any one of those locations, the kill should be fast and effective. The deer should not suffer and it also shouldn’t be able to run away.
Furthermore, remember that having the right equipment helps too. You want to use a broadhead with plenty of velocity behind it. Deer are big creatures, and you need a lot of power behind your arrow to punch through their outer skin.