Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

Whenever a bullet strikes your intended target - like deer - if carefully observed, (9 times out of 10) its reaction will tell you if you hit your mark or not.

Heart or Lung Shot
Upon being hit in the heart or lung area, most deer will usually jump or bound forward - kicking out with their hind legs. This shot produces a bright red frothy blood trail with pink or white flecks of lung tissue in it.

Liver Shot
No deer can survive a shot to the liver. Reactions include running a short distance with its head high or well forward before dying within 100 yards. Blood trails tends to be very dark red / thick and glutinous.

Stomach or Gut Shot
Gut-shot deer usually hunch-up and stagger away into nearby cover with their head held low. This poor shot usually produces a lot of green-like splashes of rumen from the stomach - content that sometimes has a lot of pines, acorns, or hair, but with very little blood.

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

Found the following links that hopefully will be helpful to everyone:
Deer / Elk Anatomy Overview:http://www.bowhunting.net/NAspecies/elk2.html

In looking at a deer or elk's circulatory system and bone structure, there appears to be two good spots to shoot for:



1. Heart and Lung area slightly behind the front leg / near the top of the shoulder.



2. Spine / Base of Neck Area. Following the forward portion of the front leg 1/2 to 2/3'rds up to where the neck meets the spine. There are a lot of major support bones in this area that when broken, should anchor the animal very quickly.

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

interesting post. Thanks

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

yeah it'll definately help new hunters on here.

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

IMHO only 1 shot to take that is the vital region. Coupling your first post with the pictures in the second, this shot allows the target area to grow (effectively opening up that margin of error factor that just happens in the real world) when you include the largest organ the lungs &heart in the front portionplus the liver in the rear portion to me their really is no other shot. Look at the size of the target in the 2nd shot example (neck/spine), it does not lend itself to much room for margin of error. Couple that with where you should place the cross hairs onthe hide or compenstating for elements (wind,etc) & bullet trajectory, it shrinks even more. Not to be forgotten what part of a deer or elks anatomy moves the most, quickest and often without notice?

I think your post has good intentions and very useful, don't get me wrong. I just don't consider the 2nd example a real good option...exprience has proven otherwise!

This has been debated numerous times a year and will always continue, just my 2 cents worth.

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

that's true skeeter. but with a gun shot to the neck of a whitetail the neck is small enough that the impact of the bullet transfers enough energy to break the neck of the animal even if you don't hit the spinal column. but that could be a different story with an elk.

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

Hunter06, that maybe true in some cases but not 100% gauranteed in all. Like I said my experience suggests otherwise and this is only on deer! If the shot is made, I will not agrue it is highly effective but 1 case where an error or something just happens is enough for me. Unfortunately I have been part of more botched head or neck shot tracks then this, so thus I stand on this side of the fence.Yeah most of them thought they were good shots as well...some are but things happen! A great shot can miss his intended target, but at least with the boiler room he is looking at 8" vs 2" dot, is all I am saying.

I can't control anybody judgement or decisions but my own when it comes to the field, so I am just stated my opinion/belief based on experience. I know I won't change yours or others opinions, so go ahead take the shot and I wish you the best in making it everytime.

BTW, the guys I elk hunt withwon't take a shot on a elk unless the bullet path is got the vitals included, so thankfully it has never been an issue in this regard.

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

yeah i completely agree that it may work on deer. i wouldn't imagine taking a neck shot on elk. all my experience is with deer and i know people who swear by a neck shot. but i'm not trying to start an argument. to each his own's judgement in this case ehh??

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

thats pretty cool

RE: Deer's Reaction to Being Shot and Where to Shoot
 

That is all very interesting, yet two years ago i hit a buck real far back in the upper region, and he ran only twenty yards and bled out. why was that.