I've shot a good dozen deer in the center of the chest facing me. I killed every one of them. Then, 3 seasons ago, I had a nice 8pt, which happened to be the biggest buck I'd ever seen come in to my rattling. He was in a briar thicket 35 yds away. I froze and sat in my tree forever until he finally started walking. He stopped in between 2 trees giving me a head on shot at 25 yards. There was brush and branches, but nothing in the way. If I put the arrow in the center of the chest, there would be no problem. The buck raised his head and pointed his nose straight up in the air. I drew and shot. The deer turned and started to run into the briars. It got it's antlers stuck and did a forward roll. I could see the blood running down his belly. He got up and took a bound and fell flat on his knees. He got up and disappeared into the briars. I saw him pop out about 50 yards away and he stood there and shook his coat like a wet dog and walked off.
I waited 3 hours for my friend to come and we looked for him. On the ground where I shot him was a line of cut fur about a foot long and lots of blood. My arrow was in the bushes. It had fur on 1 blade and the back of the arrow was covered with blood. Nothing up front. We followed splotches of blood about 200 yards and the buck went in a stream. We followed drops in the water, on a leaf, a rock... He came out and we followed another 300 yards and the trail stopped. I went back the next day and searched the whole wood lot. I never saw the deer again.
Now, I have this problem. Do I stop taking the shot because it's a risky shot or do I keep taking it because I poorly shot the arrow. I didn't hit the center of the chest I was aiming at. The other dozen times worked out fine. My friend, who has killed hundreds of deer on damage permits says "on the ground, definitely." "Up a tree, it's a bit more risky." In the last 2 seasons, I haven't taken the shot. I did shoot a big 200 pound 8pt at 46 yards quartering away that gave me a 30 yard shot facing me. I let him walk thinking I'd never see him again but he didn't like something and started walking away. I hit him where I was aiming and he went about 50 yards and cashed it in.
I shoot a lot and a day or two before, I was having my way with the club's button buck target at 50 and 60 yards. I knew my pins were on and I was shooting well. He's my confidence booster. I had him at 40 yards between two trees for practice one morning, and shot a little doe at 40 yards between two trees that night. 46 yards is the farthest I've ever shot at a deer but I felt good about it at the time, and was missing very small in practice. I'm spending $3,000 to go to Kansas this year and I'm probably not going to shoot the buck of my lifetime "in the bow tie" either. They're talking about 50 yard shots though, and I've been practicing. I took the 60 pin off the bow though. If I'm not shooting gangbusters when I'm leaving, the 50 yd pin is coming off too!
