Aim Low, It’s the Way To Go!
by Zane Graham
If you’re an avid bow hunter or have seen bow hunting on t.v. then you’ve probably heard of whitetail deer “jumping the string.” For those of you who may not have heard of this, “jumping the string” is when a deer makes a downward motion before it runs off. The deer will drop down and get its chest very close to the ground as part of its motion to bolt out of the area. Deer will do this when something suddenly scares them and makes them feel in danger such as the sound of a bow going off after the release of an arrow. Some will drop at least 6″ which could cause your arrow to sail over their back or end up hitting them high. I have had multiple experiences of deer jumping the string in my bow hunting career and it became even more clear after I started videoing my own hunts.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH75WW-cQM8&w=420&h=315]
After putting the video in slow motion it is easy to see just how much a deer can really drop and how it can affect shot placement. In the video there is a dark spot on the deer a good 4″+ below where the arrow hit which is where I was aiming.