This is similar to measure twice, cut once for carpentry....
I have a tree stand approximately 30' feet high.
The trail that I'm overlooking is 18 yds away, on flat ground from the base of the tree.
My rangefinder, from the treestand, puts the trail 20 yards away.
If I had an 18yd pin, I should put it where I want the arrow to hit.

Correct?

I wish the tree was 10 yd. farther back for a flatter shot, but I don't have that option. At least with the 30 ft. height I am above the noses and eyes.
Thanks,
Ken

You are correct that it would be an 18 yard shot from the base of the tree and that is what you should hold. The height of the shooting position is a factor in shot placement though: theoretically you would want to hold high to angle down through the center of the vital area. I would recommend this for elk and bear, but on deer, I would hold center of the chest or even slightly low because the are notorious for jumping the string and the initial moment is down.

I would practice- at least shoot a pine cone with a blunt or field point once from the stand. One arrow will answer many questions that otherwise are discovered in the heat of the moment. (such as limb clearance)


Good luck!

Thanks JTD,
Heading out there tomorrow to swap out memory cards in trail cams, will shoot a few while I'm at it.

Exciting stuff.

I am with the kids in Cle Ellum this weekend and we have been alternating between fly fishing and stump shooting.

Trail cam pics? Post them or it didn't happen!

I would use what the rangefinder says and practice that way. If the 'finder says 20 and you put your pin there, then it really doesn't matter what the actual distance is as the bow and 'finder are in synch. This works best, of course, if the 'finder has the ballistic compensation feature.

I actually went out to the stand and shot several arrows, which my wife retrieved for me. Moved my 20 yd. pin up a hair, now my arrows hit where I want them to without compensating while drawing on an animal. When the crucial shot needs to be made, the less thought, the better the odds. Might post trail cam pics after season, but in my mind, posting pics before season is like posting snapshots of my favorite fishing hole. Good Luck, and thanks for the feedback.