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Understanding the anatomy of a whitetail deer is important to making a quick and clean harvest. The most ethical placements have a large room for error and target the lungs and heart.
One of the most difficult aspects of placement is locating the vitals on a deer and avoiding the shoulder especially when bowhunting. Angles from tree stands and the body position of the deer need to be considered.
BroadsideChest ShotQuartering AwayQuartering AwayQuartering On
On every opportunity, a deer hunter must make a choice; is this placement and range ethical? It is ethical if it is within a hunter's ability, properly placed and with sufficient power. All hunters should strive to make ethical decisions even when a buck of a lifetime is in range. Experienced hunters must also pass on their knowledge to new hunters and all hunters must show the respect he or she has for the animal that is being hunted. Good luck on your hunt.

Recent Comments:

Thanks for the awesome diagram for placements. This was sent to me by a friend to asssit me with my first deer hunt!! I am a turkey hunter, so this will help me with a larger target!! thanks
Nice site, thanks for information!
Is it possible to have a lung shot, high in the lung area just behind the shoulder, and track 200 yards only to find no deer? Do you think it would have died in the vicinity and we overlooked it. Wh
shot a deer in the neck waited a day and their was only bones
I have a field that I hunt and it has three ponds. It appears that all of the deer in the area travel to these ponds. Is the story true about the squirrels eating the antlers? It is odd that I cann
I shot my first buck, he was a great 6 point from what i could see. The buck was maybe 20 yards from me, i got a great shot and found the blood trail for 300 yards.There was at the least 3 pints of bl
charlie - October 03, 2008
thanks for the picks these should help me take a better, more ethical shot in the feild. I am going bow hunting for my first time this year and i am stolked.
wrinklebrow1 - October 21, 2008
this saturday is my daughters first deer hunt these photos and graph are exactly what she needs to see. Its far better than me showing her a picture of a deer and trying to explain the way it is inside.THANKS.
Terese - November 10, 2008
Is it possible to have a lung shot, high in the lung area just behind the shoulder, and track 200 yards only to find no deer? Do you think it would have died in the vicinity and we overlooked it. When air bubbles are evident in the blood, with large amounts of blood, is it possible that the deer will live?
janice P - November 14, 2008
Thanks for the awesome diagram for placements. This was sent to me by a friend to asssit me with my first deer hunt!! I am a turkey hunter, so this will help me with a larger target!! thanks
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