JeffHoskins

Come on guys...stab it in the heart, shoot it at point blank? Jesus. The best thing to do is use your knife and cut the throat. If you have never had to finish a deer off you havn't killed that many. Once when shooting 3 does in a row I got a little ahead of myself and hit one right behind the rib cage, it ran off with guts hanging out its side. Luckily I found it about 500 yds in a direct line the way it ran off(death run). This was 30 minutes after the shot, I had to climb down. All you do is take the knife and cut the throat. Hold down the head with one foot and cut in deep. If you knife is sharply pointed cut from behind the esophagus out then saw in another inch. If you are unsure, saw inwards but push hard and saw quickly, the fur will stop the initial cutting. It takes some force, more with an older animal. Keep your knife sharp.

The carotid artery is a little behind the esophagus. This will bleed any mammal out in less than a minute no matter what. If it tries to get up when you approach this is when you shoot it again, right in the ribs behind the shoulders so you dont destroy the meat, but from about 10 yards. Keep in mind the bullet trajectory and avoid the spine. It will not ricochet off anything at that speed other than water, the bullet will shrapnel when hitting the dirt or sink in deep.

That being said, never take a shot you have not practiced repeatedly and grouped under 3 inches at said distance. It is very rare you will have to finish one off but it is good you are thinking about every possibility and concerned about a suffering animal.