I have sat down and watched them die, tried cutting the throat, shot them in the heart. Which do I prefer?
None! But the least amount of pain is the objective. I always now go heart at point blank on a broad lay down shot. Only seconds verse minutes and will save any meat for processing. Head to messy!

I've had to use a knife one time and that was the last time. I now carry a handgun to finish off a deer if need be. But I haven't had to use it yet. Knock on wood. I make sure that my shot is going to do its job in one shot.

Last year I took two bucks, had to finish both off. I'm not going to go into details, but I'm glad it was over quick for both.

I had to do this once this year for the first time and it was a fawn no less (this is in the CWD area of WI where you have to shoot an antlerless deer inorder to qualify for a buck permit, the objective is to thin the herd dramatically to contain the spread of CWD). I felt bad that I hadn't made as clean a shot so that the thing had to suffer, but once I found it, I thought best to do a heart/lung shot to get it over with. But a 30-06 is sort of overdoing it.

If finishing the job bothers you, don't start it. Simple.

sure beats getting up close and personal, and trying to shoot hem in the head with a 12 guage from point blank! my grandpa shot a doe, hit her right in the kill zone dropped her on the spot, but just wouldnt die, kept kicking and lifting her head! finnaly my grandpa raised his gun to shoot her in the head! that is why i always keep a .357 in the truck!

x2

I've had to finish off a buck I killed last year. I shot him in the heart. Makes ya feel bad but I aim where he'll die the quickest and easiest.

Funny this came up, I had to use a kill shot on Sat. I shot a doe and she rolled up and did not move in a field. The dogs came out in the field and I hunted them back into the woods. I walked up to her and put my gun barrel in the eye and she did not move. I walked backover to my chair and about 10 to 15 minutes had gone by. I look up and she has her head up, I guess one of the pellets hit her in the head and knocked her out. I walked up to her and shot her in the lungs. Quick and no more suffering.

Right On!!!!!