Straight down. It’s the one shot bow hunters in a tree stand dread. You must thread your arrow between three major skeletal members in an animal: spine, ribs, and shoulder blades. There is no room for error. Too far forward, you’ll bonk against the humerus (upper fore leg bone) or scapula (shoulder blade). Too far back and it’s a gut shot. Right down the back’s center? Forget it, the spine and rig junctions will either deflect or stop your arrow.
Watch the hunter in this video get it right. The arrow enters just behind the scapula at a slight angle. It drives in clean to rip open the lungs and perhaps the heart’s major blood vessels. It’s so devastating, watch for the blood plume below the animal as the arrow exits. Odds are, this whitetail went just a few yards before it died a quick, humane death. It’s not a shot for the novice, and you’d better know your equipment and your skills. If you’re not positive you can make it, best to wait for a better angle.
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