Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

Last weekend my brother took a doe with a neck shot. I gave him a hard time about it but was wondering about ya' lls opinions.
the neck shot was all he had and was going to get. Distance was right at 27 yards. I will say this much - the 100 grain Muzzys he was using left an exit hole almost like a bullet would. The doe walked about 15 feet and fell over dead.
He was excited as this was his first bow kill or he probably would have let it walk.
I gave him a hard time but was I justified or maybe jealous? (no bow kills for me yet).

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

no...if that was the only shot he had, then he didn' t have a SHOT!

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

I would have to agree that he should not have taken the shot, too much room for error and only wounding a deer, that you might never find. Yes as you have seen you can kill a deer with a neck shot but, I believe some luck was involved with your brothers shot, dropping her that quick.

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

Only if its a critter with long teeth climbing up the the tree to eat you!:D

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

The neck shot is not a responsible shot.

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

He got lucky, the neck shot is NOT a good shot to take EVER.
The worst words a bowhunter can utter are " it was the only shot I had so I took it" . That ALWAYS means it was a shot that should never have been taken.

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

I' m printing these responses and showing him. Maybe I can guilt him into giving me back my $50 Bass Pro certificate that I lost on our bet of who would get one first!:D
I agree with all of you but I do understand that he was very excited as this was his first real chance in 2 years of bowhunting. He' s not a slob hunter and has passed on many deer while gun hunting. He used bad judgement from being over excited. If he were to ever do it again I will give little brother a shot in the neck of his own!!

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

Definately NOT a good shot.

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

I can state from personal experience that it is NOT always a lethal shot, and is not an ethical shot and should not be taken. I learned once as a neophyte bowhunter, and will never take a shot unless the vitals are presented.

Your buddy is fortunate, I know of others who have also killed deer with a bow with a neck shot, and they were fortunate also.

RE: Neck Shot - Ethical?
 

That' s how I killed my first bow deer. Fact was that I was aiming for the chest and got so twisted with buck fever that my 1.5" cut rocky mountain ultra hit the deer in the throat and cut it' s jugular. LUCKY shot. I would NEVER try that on purpose at any range on any deer no matter what. Tell your buddy to cut it out and have some respect for the animal. There is a 75% chance that he will send some poor animal running off with an arrow sticking through it' s neck next time. Ask him if he' d be happy if that happened to his dog. A deer is no different. Kill them but don' t torture them!