So it looks like the majority here can not consistently put a bullet in a 3" circle at a 100 yds. Unbelievable. If you dont believe in yourself then dont take it. I have no problems and never needed a follow up shot in 25+ years of hunting, neck or vitals or head. Every deer I have ratlled in were neck shots, they come in hard and fast and give you no other shot, they are always staring straight at you, mind you I rattle on the ground and these shots are never more than 75 yds and usingeither my bipod orshooting stick.
Dont tell me I am unethical. Arrrgggggghhhhhhh !

zrex,
You simply don't get the point. Maybe the majority of the people on this board are in the right and shooting skill has little or nothing to do with how ethical a shot is. Nor is bragging about how many deer in how many years didn't need a followup. What about that one deer that dies a slow death and/or runs off with huge chunks of flesh blown or part of it's head blown off, bleating as it runs through the woods (I've seen that stupid trick done too).

All my guns will easily put every bullet inside a 2 inch circle at 100 yards, some better, and I can make them do it too. All the way from Black Powder in 45/70 boomers to some hot 30 calibers. Have the medals, glass, brass and buckles to proove it. But, just because I can do it to 1000 yards on a range, doesn't mean that I would do it at 100 yards in the woods at a live and moving target in such a cavalier and wanton way. Is there a time and a place for a properly executed neck shot, probably so.But, as a standard practice, in my book it is unethical.

I had 4 does and two spikes this evening at 140 yards. The lead doe was at attention, looking right at me as she had got a whif of me when the wind changed. I had already decided to take her before dark if no bucks came out and before she had winded me. I had the cross hairs lined up and ready to shoot, but didn't take the shot. If she had bolted as I pulled the trigger, there is no telling where she would have been hit. So, as she trotted off, I let her go. I could have taken a running shot or tried to hit her in the neck as she watched for me. But I didn't. Had that been the buck of a lifetime, then perhaps the risks of a bad shot would have outweighed the equation and I might have taken it. I hunt almost every day and have lots of opportunity and maybe that colors my viewpoint, but as a standard practice it just isn't the right thing to do.

Personally, I don't care a whit about the shots you take. The problem is that there are allot of young people that peruse these boards. All the time they see stupid shots and stupid and unethical attitudes on TV hunting shows. Now they see people on this board glorifying head and neck shots. That is not the right message to be sending our next generation of hunters.

Hank

I guess you just don't get it! It has nothing to do with hitting a 2" circle at 100 yards! It has nothing to do with hitting a ONE INCH CIRCLE at 100 yards! It has to do with RESPECT for a great game animal, and ETHICS! I've seen professional shooters flat miss "easy" shots before!
When you pull a shot on a paper target, you've ruined your group. When you pull a shot on a deer, or it moves at the last second, you've sentenced a respectable game animal to a death of suffering and/or starvation! Really sporting!
Not saying that any of the head/neck shot advocates here do it, but I'm sure many that say they've "never" missed a head/neck shot, never bothered to walk out there to check for blood when the deer that they "missed" ran off!
Again, lung shots ruin little, if any meat, and a tracking job is just part of hunting! But if you ain't got it by now, you probably never will!
I guess "sporting," "ethics," and "respect for the animal" just means a whole different thing to different people!

i just waked one with a shoulder shot. dropped him right where he stood but didn't kill him. double lung shoots or front brisket shoots are the best imo.h

You Know Bob - I agree with the brunt of what your saying here.
However I don't think anybody here is so damn good to say Never Ever should you take a Neck or Shoulder Shot.

There are exceptions out there for a seasoned hunter with a weapon he is 100% familiar with to take a clean kill shot to shoulder or neck.

Now there are some maybe - many hunters out there that the only way they could make a clean kill is with a friggin Bazooka at 10 paces!

That's the folks we're talking about - I think!!

lungs

AJ, I have no problems with the shoulder shot. In fact my favorite shot is a 1/4 away through the top of the lungs out the scapula.I have also taken the high double shoulder shot - once this year. It produced a bang flop reaction and the deer was deader than a door nail whenI madethe 100 yard walk over to him. IfI had the opportunity on this deer to take behind the shoulder I would have but being in the forest all I had was a small open triangle between the treesthat gave me the high shoulder and quickly took it. I know either shot will result in lung damage so I take them if given without a second thought.

I have excuted neck shots successfully but as mentioned after being in on botched neck and head shots I now refuse to. The only time I will shoot an animal in the neck is a finishing shot of basically point blank range. Such occurance seem to be rare as my aim point is to alwaysinclude vitals in the path of the projectile..works jim dandy for me.

I agree with jag it isn't about ability, it's about respect and highest percentage for humane harvests. I can stack my bullets in under an inch with every rifle/load I use off the benchbut I know in the field I am only human and mistakes can happen. I fired at 6 big game animals this year and harvested all with a single shot. The grand total of YAS (yards after the shot) where under a 100 - 5 deer and 1 bull elk who made it the furthest on the account the majority was on his nose down a ridgeline. Ability has nothing to do with my personal stance in this regard!!

Sure wishI could say I have NEVER lost an animal but I have and it wasn't a neck or head shot either. I have lost 1 with a bowand 1 with a rifle. Thefirst was a rifle -16 and stupid, tried to shoot him up the star, missed &never to be found again. First and only time I attempted that stupid shot. The latest the bow (10 years ago)was shooter and hunter error, to far back and bumped him while tracking. Finally left him over night but awoke to pouring rain. The result was finding my buck a few days later via birds and I cancelled my tag only carried out the antlers.I'm human and therefor I like the insurance factor so I hopefully won't have to experience the loss of game again.

ahankster and jag man,

i am a fan of the shoulder shots as i have never taken a shot for the neck.... but how is shooting for the neck unethical is what i do not understand...if you hit it in the necks its going to die.. if you shoot it a little bit high your hitting the head or missing it.. if you hit it in the head the deer is dead.. if you miss.. well it gets a second chance... how is that unethical?>...

now as for the shoulder shot... i think you have a better chance of wounding a deer that hitting one in the shoulder.... if you shoot high your going to pass through the area of meat under the spine and get nothing.. if you hit it directly in the shoulder and hit pure bone.. the deer is gonna be running for a while.. if you shoot low its going to hit the leg... if you shoot from side to side its a gut shot...

so in all.. if you can perfect a shoulder or neck shot the deer is going to have a short painless death.. but if you are off a few inches on either shot the deer is going to suffer regardless...

Jimmy may i suggest you take a look at the below skelton pic of a deer. It may shed light on the debate. The fact the neck or spinal column(where your wanting to hit) is the smallest target you can choose on a deer taken out of the equation, your left with the main reason most don't like the neck shot MOVEMENT and often without warning. Think about how quickly you have seen the head or neck swing on game animals?? They may stand like a statue for 30 sec but can swink that thing in a blink of an eye and that can result in miscalculation. Another thing that hasn't been discussed but should be considered is POI, most sight in their guns +1 or more at 100 if you take that neck shot and have not factored in the difference in POI vs the crosshairs it could mean taking out the meat vs the spinal column. I don't have to worry about this with the h/l or even shoulder shot as the margin of error is much larger with such placement. This doesn't even factor in field conditions like off hand, quick reaction shots, wind, etc.

As to if you miss the shoulder shot high you'll have to miss it severely high as the scapula(shoulder blade or bone)extends upto almost cover the spine. While a chanceI suppose of a graze which most likely result in temporary paralysis and require a quick follow up to anchor the animalit isn't something I have ever concerned myself with.I personally aim where the blade actually starts to widen so about 2"above the leg join DOC on the shoulder. This puts you in thescapula and lungs, if for whatever reason you don't bust through the deer willscamper a few yards but it is highly leathal. Though as I stated beforeI see no need to abondon the behind the shoulder shot if presented for the double shoulder shot as it works on the same premise.

I guess we could debate this forever and not change others minds! Until you see the sickening results of failed neck/head shots, you will continue to do what you want to.
I am not one to push my personal ethics on others, my view is usually "if its legal, its up to you!"
I will continue to take the highest percentage shots. You do not have to be a champion marksman to be a hunter, (there are shooting matches for that) hunting is about the hunter, against the prize game animal (meat or trophy) not about hitting a deers eye lash at a 1000 paces! (Since the deer is not shooting back, its about out-witting them, not out shooting them!)
I would only hope that people would not suggest head/neck shots to people who's abilities that you do not know.