RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
Thanks everyone for the input. As I see it, a couple of very good points have been made:
1) Don't give the anti-gun groups any more ammo (excuse the pun) than they already have by taking ill-advised shots that might horribly wound an animal such that it dies a slow, agonizing death.
2) If you're really concerned about the potential loss of meat, but still want to assure a clean kill, a shot placed through the lungs will accomplish both goals. You might have to be attentive to the path the deer takes after the shot, especially one taken right at dark, but the animal will be dead within a few seconds in the great majority of cases.
El Gringo