Neck shots?
#1
Neck shots?
i have never shot at a deers necks but i have heard of people who do. i hunt till its dark dark and as it gets dark, i make it a point that anytime after that if a deer comes walking up i will shoot it in the neck. does anyone shoot for the deers neck? success or failure? i am curious. i might try it this year. i figure i either hit the spine and it drops, it hits the jugular and bleeds out really quick.
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SE North Dakota
Posts: 456
RE: Neck shots?
I shot my first deer in the neck, not on purpose. It was a doe, walking at about 32 yards. I was following her with my draw, and shot as she stopped. My arrow hit right in front of her shoulders, and dropped her. It is not a shot to try for, too much can go wrong. I hope I never hit a deer in the neck again, but it is fatal.
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,994
RE: Neck shots?
If I can' t get a broadside double lung type angle, I generally am not shooting. In my opinion, the neck is a poor, poor target, as the two things you mention you " might hit" are small targets. Miss them, and the animal is in a miserable state.
If I' m not sure of my target spot, I pass. Plain and simple. I would never just fling an arrow and hope it hits something important, especially at dark.
If I' m not sure of my target spot, I pass. Plain and simple. I would never just fling an arrow and hope it hits something important, especially at dark.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma USA
Posts: 254
RE: Neck shots?
Ditto, Ditto, Ditto. The necks kill zone is much to small for an ethical shot.
Several years ago, I watched a hunting video where the archer was shooting a bedded buck. The buck angle was quartering away. The hunter hit the deer in the hindquarter. The guide turned to the hunter and said " great shot, you hit that deer right in the femoral artery" I about came out of my chair. To this day I still believe he was aiming at the heart/lung region and missed, and the guide for the sake of the video made that statement to cover up the miss. They did recover the deer.
IMO the heart lung region is the only ethical shot on a deer. Especially with archery equipment.
Several years ago, I watched a hunting video where the archer was shooting a bedded buck. The buck angle was quartering away. The hunter hit the deer in the hindquarter. The guide turned to the hunter and said " great shot, you hit that deer right in the femoral artery" I about came out of my chair. To this day I still believe he was aiming at the heart/lung region and missed, and the guide for the sake of the video made that statement to cover up the miss. They did recover the deer.
IMO the heart lung region is the only ethical shot on a deer. Especially with archery equipment.
#9
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: Neck shots?
Poor percentage shot. Not worth it. I suspect you' ll have more misses and wounds than actual dead deer. We know they can move fast and in fact jump fast enough to make a good shot bad. They don' t have to move the neck far to be safe or wounded. I don' t care if it' s ethical or not.... it just isn' t worth it.
#10
RE: Neck shots?
I have shot two deer in the neck with a bow, both in the same year, both got away.
2 neck shots = 2 wounded deer
Both shots were on purpose. The first was at last light, all I could see was her head and neck, I took the neck shot at 20 yds and she ran off. She left a trememdous blood trail for a few hundred yds then very little. We saw her three days later with a bloody spot on her neck, otherwise she looked very healthy.
2 neck shots = 2 wounded deer
Both shots were on purpose. The first was at last light, all I could see was her head and neck, I took the neck shot at 20 yds and she ran off. She left a trememdous blood trail for a few hundred yds then very little. We saw her three days later with a bloody spot on her neck, otherwise she looked very healthy.