RE: Head shot on does
 

It seems to me that if you are trying to kill anything clean and quickly you would want to shoot the animal in an area that would give you the highest percentage of success. The reason people shoot behind the shoulder is because it's a large area that holds several vital organs (heart, lungs, liver). And when anyone of these organs is damaged severely the chance of mortality is not only most often certain, but also relatively quick.

The head is a much smaller target than a broadside shot, and the head swivels, raises and lowers which the mid-section does not.

A good head shot would be just as good as a heart, liver, or lung shot, but if it is only just as good then why take a lower percentage shot? I don't think you lose nearly enough meat to justify a head shot over a behind the shoulder shot.

RE: Head shot on does
 

Every one has an opinion. Mine is this.
I have taken four doe with a head shot. All of them were within 50 yards, and all of them dropped in their tracks. If you are confident in your ability and the deer is calm, I see no problem with it. Just don't take stupid headshots on moving deer or anything.
-Jake

RE: Head shot on does
 

What state allows you to hunt deer with a .22 ???

RE: Head shot on does
 

What? I have no clue what your talking about. I dont ask for threads to be locked. What are you smokin? Get your facts straight.

RE: Head shot on does
 

Ok Stabnslab_WI heres my opinion. You started a stupid thread. You started it to start drama. I sure know now not to visit anymore of your posts. This is my opinion and I wont debate you on this subject. have a nice day :)

RE: Head shot on does
 

i guess it's only racism if you say it about blacks, huh Mack?

pitiful

RE: Head shot on does
 

MAINE yu can use a22 mag

RE: Head shot on does
 

I concur. I try to be a strong advocate of "work smarter, not harder"

RE: Head shot on does
 

If you shoot a deer in the eyes, I HIGHLY doubt that the deer will live. There is room for error on everyshot. If you try a double lung, you could possibly shoot too high or low and just hit meat... no vitals. Even if you shoot a deer in the jaw, it won't live. It might take a while to die, but its not going to last long.

RE: Head shot on does
 

depends on where you hit the jaw, square in the middle where it connects, deer is going down hard, way up at the front of the jaw, deer is going to live a long painfull death, but thats way off the mark of where you aim.

RE: Head shot on does
 

heres a last day nh buck that took it in the face and a second to last day 156lb maine doe that took it in the temple. both 35 whelen entrance holes

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll4/skybuster20/Pictures108.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll4/skybuster20/Pictures006.jpg

learn to shoot and you wont have to worry!

RE: Head shot on does
 

Is he joking?

RE: Head shot on does
 

Unfortunately, no. It's legal in Maine to hunt deer with a .22 mag. Bad choice, IMHO.

My taxidermist used to be a fan of head shots on does. Then he blew the jaw off one and found her dead of starvation much later. He lost alot sleep over that and swore off head shots. I'm a good shot too, but it's not worth compromising my ethics over a little bit of meat. Behind the shoulder for me.

RE: Head shot on does
 

That is a stupid shot. You should never try to shoot a deer in the head. I always go for the double lung or heart shot.

RE: Head shot on does
 

hahahahha this is too funny. i guess guys who cant, shouldnt the rest of us will make decisions for OURSELVES as to where we want that front sight to land. the rest of you can be holier then thou'

RE: Head shot on does
 

RE: Head shot on does
 

Skybuster...they won't ever switch over. If you can make the shot, then you can take the shot. And it is legal. so it is up to each person. those of us who do it, kill deer very efficiently with it. If you can keep good, accurategroups at 100 yards, then you can certainly smack a deer in the side of the head inside 50.
-Jake

RE: Head shot on does
 

i agree 100% up here if i shoot a deer over 50yds that would be out of the ordinary. tracking in the thick maine woods often only presents a set of eays part of a rack and a nose and eye.......i dont hesitate at all to take the shot.

RE: Head shot on does
 

Every year 100's of deer are Gut Shot, Spine Shot, @$$ Shot and Legs Blown Off by hunters who are believers of Behind The Shoulder Shot........Why, because many don't bother to go to the range on the off season and Practice, Practice, Practice.....Or their scope are either mounted wrong or not sighted in properly.....[8D]

I have killed Deer by shooting them in the Temple, Ear, Neck, Behind The Shoulder and in the back of the Head and with .243, 6mm, 6.5mmSwede, .270, 7mm-08, .308, .30-30,.30-06, and .44Mag. I have also killed them with 20ga,12ga with 00Buck,Slugs, Sabots, .50cal Black Powderand never lost one.

Do your practice shooting with small targets like 6" & 4" aluminum pie plates that can be seen @ 75 & 100yds.

RE: Head shot on does
 

i would shoot the next if need be. Not sure i would go for a head shot to much room to miss or wound the deer.
But i would not put down another hunt if he did and got the deer. I know people that can shoot a 22 shell at a 100 yards all day long. So i am sure they could.

RE: Head shot on does
 

Did any of you get the memo on deer hunting ethics??? Why shoot a deer in the head?

Come on....stick with the program and do it right!

Ridiculous.....

RE: Head shot on does
 

Though i agree ethics is a personal issue thust some may disagree. I see no reason for the shot unless it was the only shot you had and it meant feeding your hungry family. Today the chance of that deer being your only source of food is next to zero.

RE: Head shot on does
 

no, that statement is ridiculous

RE: Head shot on does
 

My very first buck was shot by somebody prior to me through the flap of skin where the neck begins (on the very bottom, under the neck). I didn't see it until I got him down. I remember thinking that if it was 1/2 to 1 inch higher, this poor deer would have really been in excruciating pain, likely shattering bone of mandible, but not killing it. The deer probably would have died from starving/malnutrition.

Don't do it.

RE: Head shot on does
 

My thoughts exactly. My dad shot a doe one year only because half of its lower jaw was blown off and he knew it was suffering severely. The joker that took that shot is no hunter IMO...

RE: Head shot on does
 

I shot a doea few years backthat i walked up on with both front legs hot off. It was trying to crawl and bawling. The hunter that shot that was a joke. the point here is be able to hit where you are aiming. Those of us that shoot day in and day out and are comofrtable with shots like a head or kneck shot, have great succes with it.
-Jake

RE: Head shot on does
 

Your a Dumbass plain and simple. Please stop posting this PETA poster board material.

RE: Head shot on does
 

wow solo...lets just jump at each others necks here....it's an opinion and a legal option. to each his own..
-Jake

RE: Head shot on does
 

Boca....My opinion that he's a Dumbass is a better option than what I really think.

RE: Head shot on does
 

..................the bullet could have been deflected?

RE: Head shot on does
 

lol, well thanks for not voicing the other option than...but it is still a legal method, and we still do it.
-Jake

RE: Head shot on does
 

Now I've seen it all. Guess being called a redneck is next...... and don't offend guys named Mack either.

RE: Head shot on does
 

ooo man, dont say redneck I will be offended for sure!!!!

RE: Head shot on does
 

I guess you could say the reason not to take head shots is the same reason we don't use a firing squad anymore....

RE: Head shot on does
 

It is not ethical to TRY a head shot. No matter how good of a shot you are (or think you are), you cannot becertain ofa clean quick kill. The deer could mover or your aim could be a little off.

RE: Head shot on does
 

ya you might have wacked that scope on a limp when walking in or hit a pot hole when driving to your spot. just to many if's

RE: Head shot on does
 

LOL, i know please dont call me a redneck:Dbut as for the question, i wouldnt take the shot, because i dont shoot my guns as much as i would like to, but i aint agains anyone who does its there decesion, as long as they recover there deer, and it didnt go through any suffering.

RE: Head shot on does
 

I've taken does with headshots twice. I'm an invited guest at the ranch where I hunt, and my host asked me to harvest does for him and to use headshots so as not to waste any meat. One was taken at a range of about 10 yards, the other at about 40. Both dropped in their tracks, and I can assure you underwent far less suffering than any of the deer I've shot behind the shoulder. It's not a shot I would ordinarily take, but, my host requested it and I obliged. I waited for deer that were within my comfort zone for making the shots and was confident that I could make the shots or I wouldn't have squeezed the trigger. Please explain why that is "unethical"...

Frankly, if you can't consistently make a headshot at that range, then you're either incompetent or too lazy to practice your shooting skills, and you probably shouldn't be out there anyway... With a scope on 9X at 40 yards, you can pretty much pick out which strand of hair you want to hit...

RE: Head shot on does
 

Blanket question butto I answer I would say

Bow = No headshot.
Rifle = Not usually, but have killed a couple with neck shots.
Shotgun = Yes, I have killed a boat load of deer with 3 1/2" 00 buck
headshots that werewell within the effective range andthat
load has killed them graveyard dead everytime.

Also depends on the type of hunting. When using tactics like pushes, man drives, ordeer dogs you don't always get a perfect broadside shot at a still deer. Just being honest.

RE: Head shot on does
 

Whats wrong with a double lung???