Paul L Mohr

I wouldn't do it with a bow, just doesn't sound like a safe bet. I'm pretty picky about my shot placement because of my low power set up. I want a relaxed deer with a broadside or slightly quarting away shot. If I don't get it the deer gets a lucky day pass.

Now with a rifle or my muzzle loader I would probably do it. I haven't yet, I usually go for the lungs even with a rifle. However if it was a situation where I wanted the deer to drop right where it was and I was fairly close and it seemed like an easy shot I would do it. From what I have seen it is pretty effective with a rifle. They transfer enough energy that it normally drops them right where they stand. If your hunting a small chunk of private land this is desirable sometimes. Or if there is a fence near by.

If I was trophy hunting I don't think I would do it with either. Especially if you were thinking about a shoulder mount. I wouldn't want to damage that area any more than I had to.


Video hunts are not as much fun or as easy as they look would be my guess. I am sure they are under a fair amount of pressure. They have money on the line, not just their time. Not to mention it is not just them by themselves. It is a whole production sort of thing with one or more camera and someone to operate them. Plus they can't just shoot when they want. They have to make sure the camera has gotten enough footage of the animal and that the deer is in the right position to get it on film as well as make a good shot. And that there is adequate light to film. Also remember, the view you see usually isn't the same view the hunter has.

I agree though, I still see some stuff I don't like. I mostly watch the Real Tree videos. I like them but see stuff I wouldn't do from time to time. Like cracking off rounds from a rifle at a running deer. I have seen that more than a few times and I don't think it looks good. But that is just me I guess.

Paul

bamabandit

Mastevt, the problem with neck shots with a bow is as stated after your post that the vital zone is very small compared to the heart lung area. Granted if you hit either of the veins or the spine the deer isn't going far, but the catch is you have to hit them first. The odds are greater that you will punch through without much damage. If you go through teh wind pipe the deer will die but it will take a long time. If you go through the muscle odds are it wont die at all and that is what will most likely happen. with a rifle its a whole other story. There is so much shock that its gonna kill the deer cleanly even if it does't hit anythign vital. I personally have shot 2 deer with neck shots 1 was with a muzzleloader and she dropped like a rock, It was the only shot i had and i knew if i hit her she was mine and if i missed oh well she will live another day. The other deer was with my bow but it wasn't intentional. I pulled the shot alittle and my arrow hit her mid way up the neck, thank God for a 2" cutting diameter hammerhead from rocket as it allowed me to take her cleanly cuz the outside edge of the blade cut her vein dropping her a short distance away. But its a shot I wont take with a bow.

DaveH

In just the past few years, I have had to pass up a shot on my own property at a huge 9 point (at 17 yards) because he was quartering sharply towards me. The season before last, I held at full draw for over 2 minutes while an absolute BRUTE of a buck stood 20 yards away, unobstructed by brush, directly facing me. I could have taken a neck shot on either of these two and been absolutely sure of my ability to hit there, but with bowhunting, the chance for something to go wrong is just too great.

The neck does have a couple areas that will put a deer down quickly, but there is much more area that will simply inflict a big wound on a deer that may or may not kill it . . . but probably not where you'll find it. I have killed one or two deer with neck shots, but I didn't aim for the neck and hit it by accident. I have also lost a magnificent buck years ago because of an errant arrow that hit the neck instead of the chest lung shot I was aiming for. That same year, my brother-in-law had the same thing happen to him--he never found his buck either.

Don't ever aim for the neck.

Mastevt

thanks for the input Bandit, as was my shot, a mistake that turned lucky. I would rather shoot the typical broadside too, however others out there who are alot more advanced and better shooters than I certainly am, may consider a neck if were the only shot available, and they were confident of doing it, I guess it would depend on the person and his own ability to make the shot in confidence.

MasterBlaster

I wouldNEVER shoot one in the neck with a bow. However, If I have under a 100 yard and standing still shot I willALWAYS shoot one in the neck with a rifle.

davidmil

You didn't miss anything Justin. These idiots making film forget they might be making an impression on the unschooled. We teach ethical, good, reponsible shots selection in hunter safety and Bowhunter Ed until we're blue in the face. It's all undone by one ill advised shot from one of these "EXPERTS". You would think they'd act responsible and just not publish it, but nope, in their effort to prove what great white hunters they are they print anything. Sometime they work and a lot of times they don't. We NEVER see the ones that got away. They never show us taking a bad shot will more often than not lead to a long chase and usually a lost animal. If they take the shot 3 times and get one down on film, well heck... "Let's print that one".[:'(] And in their efforts to be PC and have every other show a kid show or a woman show... well I tell you, I've seen some bizzarre stuff. I remember one(this gal that's now a TV hunt show host with her husband. She tried about 4 times to pull the bow back and someone helped her pull it back to make the shot. What in the heck is up with that. Some of these people have to go through more contortions just to come to full draw. Good thing they're hunting tame, penned or nearly domestic stock over feeders as the deer in my woods wouldn't sit still for such folly. OK, I've had enough. You didn't miss a thing Justin. They're just whackos.

MOTOWNHONKEY

Justin said the neck shots were all effective, game recovered. All these others that said they missed aiming at the lungs ( and that,s a huge miss ) and hit the neck said the deer fell right there or didn,t go far at all. So is the neck shot effective? If I get a once in a life time shot at a monster and all that is exposed is his fat neck, he,s going to get a Beman ICS 400 thru it. You guys all no how hard it is to get a trophy buck. Is it the best shot? NO. But it sure sounds like it is effective.

rybohunter

It can be effective IF and that if one giant IF, it hits the right spot. Theres a lot of guys out there who hit the neck and NEVER found thier deer.

The size of the buck should NOT determine the quality of shot you take.

You should pay more attention to your own signature.

Allseasonhunter7

i dk when it started but ik people who do shoot them in the neck i personally like the femoral artery in the hind legsjust kidding i aim for the chest..

MOTOWNHONKEY

Rybo, Many guys shoot for the lungs and miss to. Just like the guys mentioned in the previous post. If you don,t know where you arrows are going than you need more practice. I could shoot a tick off the end of your nose and would love to try it. I didn,t say I would wing one at his neck and hope that it hit the right spot. I know where my arrows are going. Sure the wind could blow or I could hit a twig, it doesn,t matter where you are aiming that can happen. FYI. I have never shot a deer in the neck, but I practice the shot on my buck target often. You might need a 12 inch circle for a shot, I dont!