head shot/ethics
#131

i suppose every deer u have shot with a rifle in the lungs has dropped dead in its tracks huh. apparently u havent shot enough cause ive shot plenty of deer behind the shoulder with big & small cal. & half of them ran 30,40 yards,obviously they bled to death before falling dead in there tracks
#132
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Oakland OR USA
Posts: 2,929

I really hate it when I see a deer with his jaw shot off , Ive seen one . But what is far more common is a gutshot deer or one with a leg shot off and left to die . If the person that shoots for the head or neck is unethical what can you say for the ones that gutshot or cripple deer shooting for the boiler room . Stay home till you learn to shoot ? Or do we have a double standard here .
#133

exactly! why is it more ethical to shoot a front leg off shooting at the shoulder than to hit one in the jaw while shooting at the head?
ethics isn't where you aim, its about knowing your own limitations and staying within them.
Not what you do when folks are watching, its what you do when they're not.
RR
ethics isn't where you aim, its about knowing your own limitations and staying within them.
Not what you do when folks are watching, its what you do when they're not.
RR
I agree with this completely.
First,let me say shoot them where you are confident you will kill them.None of my buisness.
But the reason most consider it more ethical is a head moves around a lot and it is a small target.If you shoot the jaw off the deer walks around for days starving to death.
I passed on a frontal head shot once because the deer was about 50 yards and the gun was not mine and I had no idea how the gun was sighted in for close yardage.
On a broadside shot,you have a MUCH bigger kill zone and it doesn't move around as much.
If you shoot a deer in the leg,it has a chance at survival,it will not starve to death(yes,it may get an infection and die).If you gut shoot a deer,it will die within a few hours,not days.
Both the high neck shot and head shot are extremely lethal and I believe I would take the high neck before a head shot.
Later guys,I am going hunting.

#136

Good points, bad points & lots of useless chatter. Wow suprised no end in sight to this debate in 14 pages. Just like all the others before and those to come.
The thing I can't stand about this debate is the "thump on the chest and call me man" types. I don't really think its cool to take a head shot on animal at any distance, but that's my opinion. At long range IMHO it borders on unethical, as I don't for minute believe every one hits the target exactly where they intended 100% of time. RR has shared his experience on this website about LR shooting game, he no doubt has invested money/time and has skill to be proficent at ranges most can't phathom. HOWEVER I have seen him admit that he misjudged,etc..human in other words. That human factor is why I choose to give myself a little more margin of error. Each his own I guess but be honest to yourself and lets respect the game we're hunting.
The thing I can't stand about this debate is the "thump on the chest and call me man" types. I don't really think its cool to take a head shot on animal at any distance, but that's my opinion. At long range IMHO it borders on unethical, as I don't for minute believe every one hits the target exactly where they intended 100% of time. RR has shared his experience on this website about LR shooting game, he no doubt has invested money/time and has skill to be proficent at ranges most can't phathom. HOWEVER I have seen him admit that he misjudged,etc..human in other words. That human factor is why I choose to give myself a little more margin of error. Each his own I guess but be honest to yourself and lets respect the game we're hunting.