shot placement on t.v.

[Huntress13]

Okay, so I'm getting so deer crazy I'm watching t.v. hunting shows just so I can see the deer. I know, bad idea but I can't help it. In the majority of these shots, they are hitting the deer high and back and many fall down in sight. I hit a deer there and never recovered it Yes, I know perception can be different than reality on shots, and angle of shot etc. but why are so many on tv hitting there? Are they aiming there in a lower percentage area? It's just so annoying, they don't talk about the shot or the track, they just say yeah look at the hole that doodad broadhead made.

*sigh* back to youtube I guess....

[Bowhunting Brian]

Entertainment value only.

[Marshbuster89]

When I used to watch those sponsorship advertisement shows, I would regularly be confused/disappointed in some of the shots.

I’ve always aimed for the vitals when possible, and always will. Gun or bow. Tho I have taken multiple head on or neck shots with the bow.

1) I don’t like ruining meat

2) and well placed arrow/bullet in the vitals is as ethical as it gets because if you hit one of the vital pieces of their anatomy, they’re dead before they even blackout and likely don’t quite know what’s going on and meet their demise in short order.

[Thesouthpaw]

I used to wonder the same back when I watched the outdoor channel. I don't think I've watched a hunting show on tv in 4-5 years now.

[Iabow]

Have not watched them in many years but back a few years heard some guy say he aims basically where you said to stay away from the shoulder, something about a big mechanical and nothing else matters. Of corse same group of shows I watched shot a deer with green leaves on the tree and magically recover the deer that “went down quick” when the leaves were fall colors and falling. Still think it looked like a different deer but eh.
Then you got the guy who hits the broadside deer in the rump and looks at the camera and says “wow made the perfect shot”, so I am thinking these guys shoot for the mid body with big mechanicals on purpose?
I do watch Eastman’s hunting journeys on occasion but stick to the YouTube guys, The Beast, THP, Shane Simpson and couple others. TV hunting just frustrates me.

[VaBowKill5]

I’m not sure which shows you’re watching but shot angle definitely makes a big difference if the deers at 10 yards quartering away then the sweet spot is far back and high. But in all reality a lot of the stuff on tv is bs.

[Whitetailaddict]

IMO many of the TV shows have sponsorships with mechanical broadhead companies. From what I've researched there are some big name mechanical heads that are not very durable so I think the tendency is to aim back further to avoid any possible shoulder hit. Mechanicals can be great for deer and some seem to be much more durable on the testing I've seen done but usually a fixed head is going to be more durable and penetrate further. You likely don't need to shy away from the shoulder with a quality fixed head and a properly tuned bow with a sufficient arrow weight. If you look a deers anatomy there is a triangle formed right above the front leg where the leg/shoulder goes forward and then backward to the shoulder blade. This looks to be the sweet spot but again if you're worried about a blade breaking you would tend to aim further back out of fear of striking the shoulder blade or the leg bone. That's my guess on what happens or the people making these shots aren't much better than the average Joe who gets excited and falls apart with the adrenaline rush we experience. What I dislike most on any of those shows (which I don't watch anymore) is when they make a bad hit and say "smoked him" when I would have been disgusted with the shot placement. Some of the shots I don't even know how they recover the deer. Makes me wonder how many they don't recover but never show because they are professionals.

[Rich M]

I agree - most of the shots on TV are too far back.

My tendency is to shoot tight to the shoulder, often taking the shoulder shot w rifle.

[Boogieman1]

I can’t help but watch the shows sometimes. Some of them are pretty dang comical. I mean when u get a host who knows absolutely nothing about hunting good things are gonna happen. I make a big bowl of popcorn and just laugh and laugh. I try to count how many hidden commercials are in each episode. Then I like playing where’s Waldo in regards to the corn hidden in the leafs behind the ole log. Just watching them pull the bow back I can tell this is about to be good! From trigger punching, target panic, or just good ole buck fever it quite the display of top knot notch archery!

But there is things u can learn from the tv guys. For instance.... Which outfitters offer a guarantee, how to sit over a bait pile, high quality fist pumping, the art of celebration, how to properly thank the manufacturers of every piece of gear u own, how to hunt for 2 days and look into a camera to say u hunted “hard” and really earned this buck. There’s many more tips as well from advanced velvet rattling techniques to which color make up best matches your camo.

I learn something knew all the time just by tuning in. Just the other day I learnEd the liver was in the hindquarter....

[HeadHunting]

IMO many of the TV shows have sponsorships with mechanical broadhead companies. From what I've researched there are some big name mechanical heads that are not very durable so I think the tendency is to aim back further to avoid any possible shoulder hit. Mechanicals can be great for deer and some seem to be much more durable on the testing I've seen done but usually a fixed head is going to be more durable and penetrate further. You likely don't need to shy away from the shoulder with a quality fixed head and a properly tuned bow with a sufficient arrow weight. If you look a deers anatomy there is a triangle formed right above the front leg where the leg/shoulder goes forward and then backward to the shoulder blade. This looks to be the sweet spot but again if you're worried about a blade breaking you would tend to aim further back out of fear of striking the shoulder blade or the leg bone. That's my guess on what happens or the people making these shots aren't much better than the average Joe who gets excited and falls apart with the adrenaline rush we experience. What I dislike most on any of those shows (which I don't watch anymore) is when they make a bad hit and say "smoked him" when I would have been disgusted with the shot placement. Some of the shots I don't even know how they recover the deer. Makes me wonder how many they don't recover but never show because they are professionals.

Think you nailed it on this reply

[A5BLASTER]

I can’t help but watch the shows sometimes. Some of them are pretty dang comical. I mean when u get a host who knows absolutely nothing about hunting good things are gonna happen. I make a big bowl of popcorn and just laugh and laugh. I try to count how many hidden commercials are in each episode. Then I like playing where’s Waldo in regards to the corn hidden in the leafs behind the ole log. Just watching them pull the bow back I can tell this is about to be good! From trigger punching, target panic, or just good ole buck fever it quite the display of top knot notch archery!

But there is things u can learn from the tv guys. For instance.... Which outfitters offer a guarantee, how to sit over a bait pile, high quality fist pumping, the art of celebration, how to properly thank the manufacturers of every piece of gear u own, how to hunt for 2 days and look into a camera to say u hunted “hard” and really earned this buck. There’s many more tips as well from advanced velvet rattling techniques to which color make up best matches your camo.

I learn something knew all the time just by tuning in. Just the other day I learnEd the liver was in the hindquarter....

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[hcooper84]

I also stopped watching TV hunting since discovering all the youtube channels. I did see a clip on youtube though from one of Michael Waddell's Bone Collector hunts. He has an awesome buck at like 20 yards quartering away. The shot looks nearly perfect, but he must of clipped the back of the shoulder blade. The broadhead and arrow bounced completely off the deer. It was hard to tell if it even cut the skin...Now this isn't the frustrating part. Things happen.

What was frustrating was reading through the comments and multiple people saying that he shouldn't use an expandable. Bone Collector defended multiple times that this shot was not a broadhead issue.. I don't know what else it would be. A light arrow would still penetrate, maybe only an inch but there would still be some penetration. So it has to be the broadhead. It was just disappointing to watch them try to defend something that clearly failed. Besides that I do like Michael Waddell, he seems like a genuine guy on the show.

[Dewey]

I learn something knew all the time just by tuning in. Just the other day I learnEd the liver was in the hindquarter....

My favorite was “right behind the shoulder!”

Yeah right.......more like the REAR shoulder.

[Bowhunting Brian]

I used to wonder the same back when I watched the outdoor channel. I don't think I've watched a hunting show on tv in 4-5 years now.

The only hunting shows I watch now are Steve Rinella and Randy Newberg. All the others I abandoned years ago like you did.

[Boogieman1]

I learn something knew all the time just by tuning in. Just the other day I learnEd the liver was in the hindquarter....

My favorite was “right behind the shoulder!”

Yeah right.......more like the REAR shoulder.

Yes! Or another favorite is when the buck out in front of em in the cabbage patch and they say he is straight downwind. Yet they have leafs blowing in there face. I get a good laugh out of the ones sponsored by Ozonics and when deer start blowing I’m so thankful they take the time to say how it’s not because of them. Must be a poacher behind em in the brush lol. How come I’ve never seen a show where they didn’t see squat? Think we must all be behind the 8ball