younggun308

Your name is Hoyt (A bow company) and you've never tracked a deer?

That must be why you say the only ethical shot is a vitals shot, well I've got a newsflash for you, when you hunt with a gun, you CAN take a neck shot on a deerwhen you have a rifle, heck, you can kill deer by hitting them in the head! The force of a rifle bullet will break the spine, thus severing the spinal chord whenever a neck shot is taken.

You can kill almost any mammal with a head shot, deer are no exception. Close range, good optics, will result in a doe, with no meat spoiled by the bullet whatsoever. That's quickly despatching the animal.

I don't know about you, but that doesn't fit in the Hail Mary Shots.

Neck shots and head shots will kill a deer quicker and cleaner that a vitals shot, with MOST vitals shots, even with a rifle, the deer will run.
Deer have been known to run with nothing but the upper Vena Cavae of the heart left after a bullet hit them, for 200 yards! (Disclaimer: This example was a severe case, not what every hunter should expect, but most deer tend to run less than 100 yards, and typically more that 100 yards when hit in the vitals.)


I don't know what kind of deer you hunt that fall dead like flies, but you in no way speak for most hunters, and your example is nothing to call me an unethical hunter over.

BTW, deer might not always be in range for a neck or head shot, so I try to make a shoulder shot instead, since they not only run so far, the bone from the shoulder shatters, and it send the pieces of bone into the vitals, and when a deer can't run, he has to not move, which makes him bleed faster, ultimately resulting in a faster, cleaner kill.

take-em

"That must be why you say the only ethical shot is a vitals shot, well I've got a newsflash for you, when you hunt with a gun, you CAN take a neck shot on a deerwhen you have a rifle, heck, you can kill deer by hitting them in the head! The force of a rifle bullet will break the spine, thus severing the spinal chord whenever a neck shot is taken. "

Well buddyI got a newsflash for you, just because you hit them in the neck with a gun doesn't mean it will break the spine. Yes, it will probably knock them down on the spot, but unless you hit the spine they will usually get up and run off. I've seen this happen with three deer. All of which were shot with a rifle and they all ran off. We recovered two of them but the last deer was shot right in the neck and dropped on the spot but then got up and ran off. It left a tiny blood trail that we followed for about 25 yards then the blood dissappeared, we searched for the rest of the day and the guy who shot it looked for it the whole next day too, and it was never recovered. I've even seen a deer shot with a 300. win mag and it ran off, it was hit right above the spine and it took a chunk of the neck out, the deer dropped and layed there for a minute but then got up and ran off. Luckily it came by my stand and I was able to put a bullet in the vitals. There was about 1/4 in of flesh between the bullet hole and the spine and it didnt break the spine. You are right in saying that the a head shot will usually drop them on the spot but you have to hit the brain to kill it cleanly. Last year a guy in our group shot a deer that had it's lower jaw shot off and it was still alive. So unless the deer it very close and you have a sturdy rest I wouldn't recommend taking a head shot. With a vital shot or a shoulder shot there is a bigger target and if you hit a deer in the lungs it will die, and it will die fast. And if a deer has too move it will die faster because it is working harder so the heart pumps more blood out which in turn will make it bleed to death faster.
Sorry it was a long responce but you obviosly don't know what you are talking about.

take-em

MO_Hoyt

yes, i have never had to track a deer.

if you practice shooting consistantly and can group your shots at 25 yards, then only take a 25 yard broadside shot at a deer,and aim atthe vitals you wont have to track a deer. its called being ethical and have respect for the you harvestdeer.

your a young one and you are unethical taking head/neck shots.

RDHunter

I guess I know something about hunting deer and the deer woods after all , my score was 130 out of 160.
I only had two wrong answers but I did learned something from this quiz.

Fox72

Anyone have a problem with a good shot at the range is a good shot at the woods? How many times have you seen guys never practice under field conditions? Cold, rain, snow, and wind are not the conditions you see a lot of people shooting in. Not many benches in my neck of the woods either.

younggun308

If you shoot for the neck, behind the ear, there's no way the deer's going to run off, there's not much neck there, and if people can kill deer with .22 Hornet at the base of the neck, a .308 will really knock 'em out.
My hunting buddies shoot deer in the head/neck, and the deer have never run. One of them uses a 25-06, and a .357 Levergun. I would never, take a shot for the head or neck if it's beyond 100 yards, otherwise, it's shoulder shot time.


And MO Hoyt, quit trying to impose bowhunting shots on gun hunters, if you can't hit a deer with a head or neck shot, don't automatically say I or other hunters can't.

TROPHYHUNTER25

i don't agree with all the answers

MO_Hoyt

you just proved you have no idea on how to kill a deer.
neck shots under 100 yards? dumb and immature...anything further you aim for the shoulder? if you hit the shoulder you ruin meat! aim for the lungs. blow out both lungs = no tracking deer! andyou dont ruin theback strap and all the quarters.
for rifle hunting whitetails, i think it dumb to shoot anything less than a .270
i have hillbilly neighbors who uses a .22mag fordeer hunting, but why take that stupid chance?

Rebel Hog

MIKECC

I AM FAIRLY NEW TO THE FORUM, BUT WHY DO ALOT OF THESE POSTS TURN INTO PISSING MATCHING. EVERYONE HAS AN OPION AND HAS A RIGTH TO EXPRESS THEM. EACH HUNTER HAS DIFFERENT SKILL LEVELS, THAT THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. PERSONALLY I THINK IF YOU CAN MAKE THE SHOT TAKE IT.

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY HUNTING