Frontal shot on whitetails

[manitou1]

Would you shoot a frontal shot on a whitetail?

I've successfully taken the shot 1 time
The deer was 18 yards facing me with the head turned to the deers left slightly. The arrow entered on the deers right side of the neck, followed the neck into the chest cavity and, hit the top of the heart and stuck in the back half of the brisket.

After taking the shot and not getting an exit in this case, I was shocked. However, the amount of blood on the ground at the impact site was absolutely astounding. The deer only went 40 yards and crashed in site. It was with a sevr, and the heart was cut darn near in half. No exit made me nervous but with that short of a track job it wasn't as if it ended up mattering. The blood trail was also really really good, so the exit didn't really matter.

I'm not sure I'd take it again. I feel the margin of error is small, but having successfully taken the shot I would have to be in the moment and see it at that time. On an alert deer I'd be too worried about the deer reacting.

Has anybody else done it?

Is this taboo shot one of those things we all want to try and just don't talk about?

Would you consider shooting front quartering and splitting the shoulder and the neck rather than a full frontal?

Have done it several times... so yes, I suppose I would.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Wouldn’t take this shot. I’d wait until they turn as they will 99% of the time. I’m a ok with not killing the animal the 1% of the time they never end up presenting a broadside shot.

 

[Huntmaster]

I've taken elk with a frontal, but whitetails are super wired. It would have to be close and not sure I'd do it if they knew something was up. I had a doe jump the string a couple weeks ago and the only reason I killed her was I held at the bottom of the kill zone. She had heard me use my binos when I double checked her head and was semi-alert at 25 yards from the ground. I aimed bottom of kill, at release she dropped and I got top of both lungs, just below the spine. She was dead in 50 yards, but it could've been ugly. I barely got her and she wasn't super wired. They are quick!

 

[Erussell01]

Wouldn’t take this shot. I’d wait until they turn as they will 99% of the time. I’m a ok with not killing the animal the 1% of the time they never end up presenting a broadside shot.

Totally respect that. Do you pass quartering to, or quartering away shots?

 

[Erussell01]

I've taken elk with a frontal, but whitetails are super wired. It would have to be close and not sure I'd do it if they knew something was up. I had a doe jump the string a couple weeks ago and the only reason I killed her was I held at the bottom of the kill zone. She had heard me use my binos when I double checked her head and was semi-alert at 25 yards from the ground. I aimed bottom of kill, at release she dropped and I got top of both lungs, just below the spine. She was dead in 50 yards, but it could've been ugly. I barely got her and she wasn't super wired. They are quick!

What state? I'm glad the deer here don't react to the shot much because I can't aim off the body and that would be tough for me

 

[Huntmaster]

What state? I'm glad the deer here don't react to the shot much because I can't aim off the body and that would be tough for me

Michigan and it was during our gun season which doesn't help matters any!

I didn't aim off body, just right at bottom of lungs. If I would've held center of lungs, I'd just hit her in the back straps.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Killed my second best archery whitetail from the ground with frontal shot. Here's the situation as I recall.

• I was on a sidehill and saw him in the river bottom 200 yards below me in a wide open pasture. I had my back to a tree with the only small clump of grass in the pasture in front
• I rattled, grunted, and snort wheezed at him, and he immediately starting coming uphill on a string
• I immediately grabbed my bow, and when I sat back I couldn't see him anymore, so I drew the second I saw his antler tips coming up the hill (many failed stalks from the ground impressed this point on me)
• As soon as his chest was in view I locked my pin just above the white edge of his brisket/armpit and waited for him to stop
• He stopped at around 15 yards, looked around, turned slightly and took a quarter step to the right, opening up his chest
• I released the arrow, saw my fletchings disappear above the white brisket/armpit line, and he whirled and headed downhill
• I quickly jumped up in time to see him cartwheeling and log rolling down to the bottom

At that time I was using Rage 2 blade 100s, and the arrow skewered the front of his left lung, heart, liver, and paunch, penetrating the entire length of his body and sticking about 3" out his right rear ham. Immediately aftewards I remember regretting taking the shot, but after it was all over I'd definitely take it again in similar circumstances.

Edit: couple pics of the deer. In the close up, you can see where taxi had to fold over and sew the hide where the Rage opened up a gaping hole. In the other pic, I shaded the approximate aiming point. Sorry it’s not darker, phone editor sux. His head/body was turned slightly more to the right, opening up the arm pit and chest.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Totally respect that. Do you pass quartering to, or quartering away shots?

Quartering to yes, Quartering away no.

 

[menhaden_man]

I’ve shot a couple face on - just made the neck shot right below the chin. They were dead before they hit the ground. Gotta be close enough we’re you’re good with that shot tho.

 

[HoytHntr4]

I have taken one whitetail frontal. Like others have said, the shot is risky and things need to be perfect. This buck was on the uphill side of my stand so he wasn’t too far below me elevation wise. The wind had died and I think he had caught a bit of my wind. He has his head cranked so far back sticking his nose in the air, his tines were hitting his back which completely opened up the frontal shot. Took out all of the goods and it’s the fastest I’ve personally seen a deer die from an arrow. If I never take another whitetail frontal I’m totally fine with that too though

 

[Beendare]

Whitetail move to fast for this shot , I would pass

It depends on the distance and other factors.

I shot a coyote many years ago that was hunting through the aspens, no clue I was there. On the shot the coyote spun na took off the way he came. The funny thing about that one is I drilled him dead center...EXCEPT it was on the opposite side of his body by the time the arrow got there. Good for me he spun in the same spot.

 

[Erussell01]

ETA: I apologize. Just realized this was the archery forum. No way I would take a frontal shot on a deer with a bow.

I'd be way more nervous with a rifle lol

That's because I'm an archery guy and I shoot damn near every day of the year with my bow but I'm only practicing on a rifle 20 or so days a year at most, and with my bow I know the shot distance since I carry a range finder and with my rifle I don't generally because I'm really not a great rifle hunter and I'm just basically bow hunting with my grandpas 30-06 for nostalgia lol

 

[Erussell01]

Oklahoma
Our deer are just a hair less jumpy than Texas deer.

And I've heard that's jumpy. Do you aim low or do you change aim on situation?

 

[Erussell01]

Whitetail move to fast for this shot , I would pass

I respect that!

 

[Erussell01]

Mike I don't think the discussion here (Archery Forum) involves a rifle or bullets but a 300 Wby should be a safe bet

That should do the trick lol

 

[Erussell01]

View attachment 641809
I have taken one whitetail frontal. Like others have said, the shot is risky and things need to be perfect. This buck was on the uphill side of my stand so he wasn’t too far below me elevation wise. The wind had died and I think he had caught a bit of my wind. He has his head cranked so far back sticking his nose in the air, his tines were hitting his back which completely opened up the frontal shot. Took out all of the goods and it’s the fastest I’ve personally seen a deer die from an arrow. If I never take another whitetail frontal I’m totally fine with that too though

I can agree with that. I've taken it now, and I'd do it again but I'm not actively looking to take it.

The one I did was down so so fast it was nuts

 

[Erussell01]

It depends on the distance and other factors.

I shot a coyote many years ago that was hunting through the aspens, no clue I was there. On the shot the coyote spun na took off the way he came. The funny thing about that one is I drilled him dead center...EXCEPT it was on the opposite side of his body by the time the arrow got there. Good for me he spun in the same spot.

I've personally never had a coyote duck my arrow but I will say with absolute certainty that I've sent some arrows at coyotes on shots I'd never take on a deer ever.

 

[LostArra]

And I've heard that's jumpy. Do you aim low or do you change aim on situation?

Ideally I like the arrow to enter the lower one third of the chest for bloodtrail purposes but if the deer hits the old crouch and spin move I'm still in the center of mass

 

[Erussell01]

Ideally I like the arrow to enter the lower one third of the chest for bloodtrail purposes but if the deer hits the old crouch and spin move I'm still in the center of mass

Serious question since I don't experience this.... do you find that you hit back more often because of the whirl? I'd picture a deer turning away so the exit would be farther back.

 

[LostArra]

Serious question since I don't experience this.... do you find that you hit back more often because of the whirl? I'd picture a deer turning away so the exit would be farther back.

No, even with my pedestrian speed bows I would hit high but hopefully still center mass. That could just be me missing my intended target and not the deer movement. I also don't take long shots on deer because of their reaction and thick cover. 30 yards would be the limit but usually 18-25.

I think guys and gals who regularly hunt wired deer know which situations are likely to result in high speed evasive action. The prime suspect is the old nanny doe. To get her you better be ready to shoot as soon as she is in range because within seconds she will have the area surveyed for danger and place every deer on high alert, ready to fold in half to Bruce Lee herself away from an arrow. Kind of like the matriarch cow elk who exits a sketchy situation and the whole herd follows.