RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

Head shots are by far more unethical than neck shots.
Totally ridiculous to even mention it.

There are two things on a deer that are almost always moving. Their head and their tail. Neither can be predicted. The neck is connected to the head, so it is generally moving allot too.

If you miss by 2 or 3 inches with a behind the shoulder, double lung/top of the heart shot, you still get a double lung and maybe part of the heart. Maybe a bit of liver. You still have a dead deer, a quick ethical kill.

Miss by 2 or 3 inches with a head or neck shot and you might miss, but will probably end up just maiming an animal. YOU might be the best shot in your county and mind, but that deer's head is always on the move. One twitch as you are pulling the trigger and you will end up with a messy, as pictures and storiesin other threads have shown, cruel situation.

I honestly can't believe in this day of "educated" hunting and hunters we have people out there advocating head shots for deer.

Hank

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

I was raised by two generations of butchers. When we were doe hunting it was all about saving meat so we usually shot them in the head or neck if they were close enough. One year I shot a doe in the head at about 70 yrds with my 7 mag. The deer dropped and got back up, I shot again at the head and the deer dropped and got back up again. Next I shot at the neck, same thing deer dropped and got back up. I was down to my last bullet so I shot it behind the shoulder and dropped it. When I walked up to the deer it's bottom jaw and the side of it's face were missing. It also had a chunk out of the back of it's neck. It really made me sick and I promised to NEVER take a head shot ever again. You really don't waste that much if you hit them behind the shoulder and it's not worth wounding a deer and having it suffer just to save a few pounds of meat.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

Can I get an AMEN!!!!! Very well said ahankster.

chr103yod, glad to hear another butcher's boy trying to tell the masses that the logic of saving meat does not apply!

The missing jaw is one reason I don't advocate head or neck shots, all you need is to see it once to know whysome feel this way. It is not a pretty sight or sound when this shooter error occurs, the deer will not succumb to it's wounds like other errors but rather starve or become dehyrated on the account it has no way to intake any substance. GRUESOME is the best why to describe it. The head shot is uncalled for plain and simple!! Not only is the margin of error the highest of all placements the finished product reflects badly on our sport and the individual. Pretty hard to argue you have more respect for the animals then the PETA person hounding you when "ole blue eye's" is laying in your truck box??? Think:eek:

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

i've been shooting for the neck and they drop everytime.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

it depends on which kind ofslug or bulletur using,if ur using slugs i would take a shoulder, buckshot might be a neck shot.or if it is the only option available, i would rather have a shoulder shot over a neck shot

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

One thing to note.
Pay attention to many, not all, of the people advocating neck shots. Their main (and usually ONLY) reason to take them is to save meat. Then, in the next sentence, they either "tell" or "brag" about how many, usually 3 to 5 a year, deer they have killed using neck shots and how they always just drop on a dime. They never talk about any they have missed or that ran off.

Tell me this, if a person shoots 3 or 4 deer a year, why is the pound or two of meat they loose by shooting a deer behind the shoulder such a big deal? Besides, if you shoot 2 inches behind and above the front elbow, similar to a bow shot, you will loose almost no meat. You won't even bloodshot the front quarters, you'll jelly the lungs and maybe the top of the heart and loose a few ribs. The front quarters AND neck will be perfect. I don't care what you shoot or what bullet, you put a 270, 243, 30-30, 30-06 or any other bullet through the lungs the deer is going to die. All of those cause much more damage than a broadhead. On a sizable deer, there is more meat in the neck than in one of the front shoulders.

The whole "saving meat" thing just doesn't cut it.

Hank

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

If i'm shooting a gun, I put it right on the shoulders and the 8 deer I've killed like this anchored in their tracks. With a bow never in the shoulders, just behind like normal. I would NEVER EVER EVER take a neck shot. THAT'S MY OPINION THOUGH! I wouldn't because I think it's a low percentage shot IMO. I have just seen too many deer lost on neck shots.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

BY the way I've never lost any meat on shots direclty behind the shoulder. Seriously I've lost 0 meat on behind the shoulder double lung hits. But I don't take meat from the ribs.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

I've taken 2-3 neck shots over the years.All were 20-30yrds tops.All were deer that gave only a neck shot and gettin antsy - ready to bolt.

My huntin buddy took a neck shot on an 8pnt this year at about 60yrds.
The deer would not move away from large oak tree and gettin antsy.He dropped him with a .50 cal muzzy.There are times when the neck can be a decent kill shot.

For the life of me I don't understand why a hunter would try a Neck shot when he/she has a clear heart/lung shot.A much larger kill zone than Neck not to mention better percentage of clean kill even if your off by 3-4-5" ??

Shoulder shots;
Might not make sense to some - but - In certain circumstances are good humane shots that will drop deer.I've taken SS shots on state land under certain circumstances as I babbled on in previous post.

At present I do alot of hunting adjacent to tidal marshes on private farm.
I have and will take a SS when I suspect a deer could run into the depths of a tidal marsh with sink holes and the like. A place hunters don't want to venture alone! Deer also tend to simply vanish in marshes.Shoulder shot will stop em cold.

Other than that I would agree 100% Heart/Lung is the way to go.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

if ya have a broadsideshot at a standingdeer put the bullet in the heart lung area....why risk a missed shot of any vitalsthrough the neck to have a wounded deer run off and lost....and why shoot the shoulder if ya can put it where it counts in the heart lung area....it seems like people don't enjoy being out in the woods hunting anymore unless they kill a deer....after reading a bunch of posts here and onalot of other forums on shooting running deer, neck or shoulder shots, road hunting and a bunch of other crap....it just makes me sick that people say "i would do that" then wonder why there's hunting accidents like "i thought i was shooting at a squirrel"....come on people................bob