I think that sitting too high up can substantially reduce the target zone on the deer and probably leads to a large number of arrows getting lodged in the shoulder. Perhaps bowhunters should sit lower to get a better pass through angle that is more horizontal than vertical?

I typically hunt from approximately 15ft.

i like to get up a min. 15 ft for two reasons first to have your scent path to be high enough that deer do not detect you also deer tend to look mostly at eye level.i do feel that you can be too high and not get both lungs with what might apeer to to a good shot and a deer can go quit a ways and in a hurry with a shot like. that it always good practice to try hit so you get pass through

I definitely agree that being too high reduces your vitals target on a whitetail, but I don't prescribe to any minimum stand height either. We rely too heavily upon today's many different camo patterns and some element of height to avoid being spotted by approaching deer. For me I look for a suitable tree anywhere from 10-18 yards off the trail. A suitable tree is not simply on that is easily climbed. I want a tree that offers some sort of background to help breakup my outline and allow me to blend in. This may be a cluster of leavy branches, bows from a nearby pine or even a group of heavy crossing branches. If I cannot find a suitable tree that offers sufficient cover, I will look for another spot where a good tree is available for stand placement. Much better to find a "good" stand site at some other point along a promising trail than to spook deer by trying to force a poor stand location to work. By letting the available trees and cover guide my stand location and height I have successfully hunted from stands as low as 9' and as high as 20', but most of my stands are placed around 15'.

I have to agree that there is such a thing as "too high up." If you are shooting from the ground, your ideal target area of the vitals is about 6-8 inches in circumference. From a higher elevation, the vitial shrink to 4-7 inches. Of course, that depends on your height that you are shooting from and it also depends on the distance there is between you and your target. Especially to actually hit both lungs.

I have two stands that are 15 feet to the shooting rail and thus far, I'm doing well.

My suggestion to anyone that has any question or doubt is to go to your local pro shop and find a 3D target or a stuffed deer. Use your index finger (or even your whole arm) as an arrow. Go stand directly next to the deer or target and point where you would like to hit. Then, pick a spot behind you that is about 20 yards behind you, then go up from that point 15 feet. Make an imaginary straight line from that point to where your finger (or arm) is pointing and you should see how an arrow will penetrate. Then, using that same point on the deer or target as before and instead of 15 feet up, move up to 20 feet. You will see that your ideal target gets smaller.

I hope that what I have said isn't too confusing. It's always hard to understand visual instructions by reading them.

Good luck and God Bless!!!

so if you are twenty feet up and you are shooting thirty yards how high do you shoot to hit a vital my bow is set to 280fps and thirty yards i am on I have an older rangefinder by Lieca and I won't buy a new one please help me out