Head Shots...?
 

Some idiot was bragging at the bar how he was out gun hunting and shot a doe in the head.

I interupt his story and basically telling him he's an idiot taking an unethical shot.

He argues he was saving meat.



Gun or bow, do you think head shots are appropriate?

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Only this kind ->

RE: Head Shots...?
 

With a bow, this is a no brainer. With that being said, I will say that I have not and will not ever take a head shot with any weapon. However, it is hard to argue with the results of a well placed head shot with a firearm. I know many will jump on this and said that a slight miss will/can/could result in a crippled animial, but that can be said be said for a lot of shot placements. For instance, a quarting away shot on a deer is by far my favorite, but if the deer is facing your left and you shoot just a few inches right, you are deal with a liver shot at best, or a gut shot. Neither or ideal and both can result in a lost animial. Again, not a shot I would take, but I can see where some firearm hunters (in the right situation) would and could pull it off.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

With a bow NEVER!!!!!!!!

Although with a gun is better than with a bow but still there is no reason to do that. If you have a shot at his head you probobly have a shot at his vitals in one form or another.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I would never take one with my gun or bow.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Amen.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I said some situations because I would take a head shot with a firearm for a finishing shot on a deer that was down but not dead yet or had the vitals covered and the was the only shot I had. It would be a last resort type thing, but I've learned to never say never.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I do Not Gun hunt, Never have, but that shot with a Bow would be downright......................................... .









Stupid!!

Dan

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Head shot, with my .270, inside 100 yards, with a GOOD rest. I could do it..... but why?

I know guys that shoot in the neck, thats a little bigger target.

With a Bow?
Never, I suck way to bad to try that.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I would not take that shot with my bow. And we are talking about normal hunting conditions and not survival conditions. If it werea survival situationand I had a 12 gauge I would blow a deer's head off to eat.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Imight take a head shot on a deer with my rifle, as long as it was within 25 yards. Most likely I'd still aim for the lungs/heart, but I'm not gonna lie and say that I wouldn't shoot one in the head. With a bow there's no way I'm doing it.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

No i wouldn't, dosent matter what the weapon is.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

With a bow NEVER.With a gun yes.If the situation came to be that way. I shot 1 this year that someone else wounded and the only shot I had was the head. She went down hard. Head shot with a gun is not high percentage shot but it is leathal if you connect.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Never with a bow or a firearm. I like neck shots and if I have to finish off a deer.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Not with a bow but it's a perfectly acceptable shot with a rifle given the right circumstances. And for those that ask why? So you can control exactly where the animal is going to drop. Mountainous terrain with heavy brush and big hungry critters make you want to keep tracking jobs to a minimum. Then there's the lack of meat damage too.

That being said, I'll personally never do it for two reasons: I don't hunt with a rifle (except for one case this year) and I trophy hunt and headshots aren't the best for trophy preservation.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

This season my buddy's dad sat in the "meat stand" and shot a broken spike in the head at about 75 yds. He was in heavy cover in thick hardwoods and it never gave him a shotanywhere else. The 300 Win Mag put a hurting on him and not a bit of meat was disturbed.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I don't take shots like that with a bow or a gun . I'll wait for a better shot

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Brad,
With an accurate gun, it's a slam dunk shot if the shooter is good. I've done it many times over, and it's a VERY QUICK and humane kill. All but one of those shots were using scoped rifles and muzzleloaders (75-150yds), the other shot was with a very accurate slug gun (40yds). In one instance, I took the brain to such an extent that I left the stem intact, and the heart was still fibrillating when I opened the deer. Call it morbid or whatever, but it IS a very effective shot when taken "appropriately."

I accidentally hit one in the head with an arrow this year, she moved a LOT in the less than .4 seconds it should have taken that arrow to get there, but the arrow sank to the Blazers that were on it, and rendered her DEAD almost instantly. I did put a finisher on her to stop the breathing and help bleed her out a bit, but it was also a very effective, though incidental shot.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

that's how i killed my buck this year(30.06). not on purpose though. deer was on a full out sprint, i lead him a little bit and fired. dropped about five feet from where i shot him. he was dead within (i'd say) 30-60 seconds. entry hole was his left ear, and the exit was his right jaw joint area.i am by no means bragging about it. i was pretty pissed (about placement)when i walked up to him. i have a pic of it, but wont post it unless it is requested.

can someone delete my double post...slow connection tonight for some reason.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

that's how i killed my buck this year(30.06). not on purpose though. deer was on a full out sprint, i lead him a little bit and fired. dropped about five feet from where i shot him. he was dead within (i'd say) 30-60 seconds.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Bow never. Gun never.

If you think this is okay, here's what you need to picture. You need to picture a shot that blows off the deer's lower jaw and that poor deer has to starve to death. There is too much room for error (or not enough area to hit to allow for error).

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Dan,
That's precisely WHY I won't shoot a moving deer. Too many things can go awful wrong. Not bashing you, because I know you realize you made a mistake, but that's a good example to use for others who are willing to risk that shot when they very much shouldn't.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

If it's a close gun shot, and you have the skill and practice to do it, there's nothing wrong with taking a shot that guarantees an instant painless kill and no tracking. I've seen a hell of a lot more bucks with festering arrow wounds than misplaced head shots.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Shoot last year in Illinois at the deer show there was a video being played of there team members shooting for head shots with bows!!! Makes you sick and heck these guys filmed it and were trying to sell them!!Walt

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Your kidding me Walt!!?? Who were these Intelligent beings??[>:]

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Was it those guy's from Relentless Pursuit. That guy seems to like head shot with the bow.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Yep! That was pretty Sad!![:@]

Dan

RE: Head Shots...?
 

MORONS. Who were they Walt?

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Nope, not for me. I have never taken a head shot at any game animal with a weapon that fires a single projectile. Too risky for me. I'm a sorry shot with a rifle, and I'd never attempt it with a bow.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

But who is the judge of being a good shooter. Oneself? I've seen does with lower jaws missing. I'm betting those shooters thought they were good shooters too. I find it unacceptable.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I've never had a deer hold its head still long enough to even consider it with a gun.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I agree with you also Rob for the most part. Look at the size of the killing zone (vitals- lungs, liver, heart, guts) behind the shoulder on a deer. Compare that to the size of the killing zone on the head of a deer. Huge difference! At least If a hunter misses the lungs on a deer (shoots to far back) he's got the liver and the guts that will take this deer down and kill It. You miss on a head shot, you've got a deer running around with his lower jaw dangling around. Odds favor the lung shot with more room for error.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

NO!

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I am not going to name names because I don't do that but it was there trust me.. Walt

RE: Head Shots...?
 

The only headshot that I have gotten was when I first started hunting and failed to account for a down hill shot on a doe lying on the ground. I put it on her chest and magically her head disappeared... Amazing what a .50 will do at 50 yards to a deer skull, made nice for cleaning and a good cape, but I dont think I would ever purposefully shoot at ones head.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Why is it OK to head shoot a squirrel with a 22 but not a deer?
Just a little devil's advocate.

I'm obviously not going to take any bow head shots.
With a gun, I'm not going to say never as there are a few cases where I know taking a head shot would be done with just as much confidence as any other shot. HOWEVER, I really don't see me taking a head shot on a deer even if presented with a "best case scenario" that would allow it. I've seen a starving deer from a head shot gone arwy and don't see the need for me to put myself in a place to cause that situation.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Seriously, how much meat do you waste if you shoot a deer broadside thru the rib cage? Not much IMHO.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

Same thing I wondered![8D]

Dan

RE: Head Shots...?
 

You obviously don't hunt with high velocity rifles. I've seen Ballistic Tips bloodshot the entire chest including most of both shoulders.

RE: Head Shots...?
 

I wouldn't do it, but alot of guys around here aim forthe ear hole, of course they're poaching with a .22 mag but that's another story ...