Head Shots on Deer.......
 

I'm sure this topic has been covered before but since I'm a new member here, I just wanted to add my 2 cents on the subject.

Many years ago a co-worker of mine told me of the discovery he and his hunting buddies made on private land while hunting deer in Mississippi. They found an emaciated and exhausted adult doe with her lower jaw blow off.........her dried tongue hanging out. They quickly put her out of her misery. It was a sad story, but one that I'm sure is repeated more often than we would like to hear.

Not long thereafter, one of the 'meat hunters' in our club rode up with a head shot 6 point buck draped over his bike. When we discussed the issue, it was his contention that he was an excellent shot, hunted to feed his family versus looking for trophies and therefore wanted as much meat as he could possibly get from each animal, and would not take such a shot unless he was confident in the final outcome.

I understood his reasoning and logic, but also pointed out that it would take only a split-second movement by the deer, or a slight deflection by that up-close, unseen-in-the-scope, branch to result in such a horrible outcome. After discussing the issue for some time, he agreed that it was best that he no longer take such shots.

I was pleased because I felt so strongly about the issue that I would have brought it up at our next club meeting and would have pressed for a vote on the subject. We had, several years before, passed a rule prohibiting the use of buck-shot on our lease after a guest wounded and lost two deer in a single weekend.

El Gringo

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

i live in ohio and gun season here is shot gun/ muzzle loader. and muzzle loader for 4 days after christmas so we dont have the luxury of riffles to make great shots at a distance. this year i shot a 6 point on the run and hit him in the hind quarter. he stopped about 75 yards out and i guessed a little farther and held a little high with my shot gun. i hit him behind the ear and blew off half of his rack on exit. there were a couple of good things about the shot. 1: quick and humane and he didnt suffer any more, and 2: lucky and didnt ruin any meet. i would never take an intentional head shot that one was just a fluke. he was standing still and i was aiming a little high and just miss judged his distance. i always shoot for the kill box no matter what. i hit this one in the hind quarter he was on the run and zig zagging like crazy and i took a dumb shot i guess. but anyway i would never shoot for the head purposely.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

100yds or under, it's head or neck for me. Over a hundred I take the heart lung area. And I like .22 centerfires too.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

I too have seen a doe with its lower jaw blown off and just hanging, grusome sight. But......... I have seen far more deer suffer an agonizeing death from gut shots that take up to 12 hours to kill and liver hits that take up to 4 hours to kill. Not to mention all the three legged deer I have seen. Our group lost a couple deer this year, I am sad to say. But none of the loss's were head shots. even though 4 of the deer were head shot. The bottom line is only takeing shots you are sure of. A deers movement, or unseen branch can affect a heart shot just as badly as a head shot.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

Teamster,

I'm aware that many states do not allow the use of rifles because of human population densities. Of course, my question was more aimed those who have a choice of weapons, and more importantly, a choice of shots. Based on your comments, it appears you make every effort possible to get a clean, quick kill on the animal using the weapon you're allow to use. No one could ask more of you.

Zrexpilot,

I actually like a shot at the base of the neck, when I can get a clear one. The deer usually drop where they stand. Have you ever tried one on the point of the shoulder........basically, a high shoulder shot? That one, does tend to destroy more meat, but on a well-racked buck in heavy brush, it surely lessens the chances of following a long blood trail. They too usually drop where they stand.

I would still encourage you to re-consider head shots under any circumstances.;)

El Gringo

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

if the shots right and i KNOW i can make it cleanly ill head shoot deer....the 7 ive shot ive never taken one....could have on one or 2..just didnt think of it in time....6 were heart lung shots.....im a fan of doing all i can to take a deer down QUICK....most dropped on the spot....i try to wait for a quartering shot....so i can bust a shoulder and destroy the boiler room.....this year i had one quartering away from me....i was above it on a hill..kinda facing me a GOOD bit....but also would been broadside if i let it walk 20 yds below me instead of infront of me....i didnt even have to think about where to put it.....i made an awesome shot.....i didnt get to see the butched deer....but it went in the neck....and through the boiler room...dont know if it came out or where it did....no big holes...and it was dark...didnt check too hard.....but the deer did a backflip and was ready to be dressed when i got to it....never twitched...awesome shot.....now im a fan of neck shots....made me a believer.....but now its going to be flintlock season.......heart n lungs only........but a rifle i can shoot quarter sized groups at my hunting ranges....i like to drop em wehre they stand.....head shots if i know i can make it....neck shots if i cant make a head shot....and if i cant make that ill take the boiler room......if i cant take that it must not be a deer.....to each his own......but i dont take shots i dont KNOW i can make cleanly......head shots the most deadly shot there is if put where it needs to be...but its not for guys that dont shoot their rifle regularly and know they can make it....its a small target......

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

Only head shot I would take is if I had a 12 guage with buckshot at under 15 yards.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

I agree 50 yds in I shoot em in the head or neck, further out I look for the heart lung shot. Neck shot seems to be the most humane as the deer drop twitch twice and it's over. Have no patience for folks taking bad or ill advised shots. Shows no respect for the animal. Gary

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

I do not think that head and neck shots on deer is a wise choice! It doesn't matter how good of a shot you are, deer move too much, and the target is too small!
I know that gut shot deer die a agonizing death, but still at that, they will die much quicker than a deer starving to death because its jaw has been shot off!
I don't really care if you've done it a hundred times! The next time you do it, you may just blow a jaw off! And thats one too many times for ethical hunting!
If you don't want to waste meat, shoot the heart/lungs! My gosh, how much less meat could you waste!!!??? And if its the "challenge" that you want, challenge yourself on paper at the gun range, not in the woods hunting a fine game animal, that deserves much more respect than to have a blown jaw, or to be shot with some pea-shooter!
As hunters, we owe a little respect to the animals we hunt, and if not to them, we owe it to the sport, and to other hunters! We don't need to give the anti's and the gun grabbers, any amunition to use against us!
I can see that even on pro-hunting, pro gun, sites like this, that there is a huge difference of opinion! But then again, theres also a huge difference between being a "hunter," and a "killer!"

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

The lung area is a much larger target than the head so the odds of still making a clean kill with a lung shot are also much better if the deer moves slightly or the shot is deflected slightly.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

With enough gun and enough shooting ability I see no problem with it ,
a head shot will take a deer out quickly and humanely with minimal meat loss . It's not the sort of shot that everyone should attempt without a lot of practice though .

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

Most head shooters don't need "enough gun," a BB to the head should be enough gun!
how do you practice a shot that the target is subject to move at any given time?
Again, how is this shot practiced?
Really, its not the sort of shot anyone should attempt!

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

Thanks everyone for the input. As I see it, a couple of very good points have been made:

1) Don't give the anti-gun groups any more ammo (excuse the pun) than they already have by taking ill-advised shots that might horribly wound an animal such that it dies a slow, agonizing death.

2) If you're really concerned about the potential loss of meat, but still want to assure a clean kill, a shot placed through the lungs will accomplish both goals. You might have to be attentive to the path the deer takes after the shot, especially one taken right at dark, but the animal will be dead within a few seconds in the great majority of cases.

El Gringo

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

If I have a dead on accurate rifle and a dead sure rest then I will use the head or neck shot. With 22 centerfires it head shots or take a pass. or me that is. If they have room to run without getting away then I will usually go for the heart lung. I have seen deer run up to 200 yards or a bit more after being heart shot.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

i bet the heart shot deer that ran 200 or more yards was shot with, a 22 centerfire..
as for head shot why??? imo take a lung/heart shot and go get your deer!!
it makes no sense to take a head shot to save meat then(some people) just give the deer away to a buddy or friend.
i think the antis will love to go after us when they see the first deer with the jaw or nose blown off.
just my .02

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

Head shots save meat but give little margin for error on the shot.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

The head/neck shot is a small target and in a deer is also the one that moves the most or quickest without notice..thus making the margin of error even smaller. Having been witness to botched head and neck shot is just simply one I will not consider even though my ability or weapon may dictate it as a possibilty. If you take out the lungs, you have taken out the ability to breath/live and this is a dead animal for sure! The lungs put blood on the dirt so tracking should be a non-issue.

I am not sure where we started to go the way of needing instant gradification of an animal dropping on the spot in hunting. Is it video's, more hunting pressure, less hunting lands, lazy, loss of woodsman skills, etc??? A deer that must be dragged 100 yards out of the ruhbarb is not a huge feat for most hunters but some make it to be! I guess maybe it is because I hunt bigger game, where even dropping them within a short distance is a daunting task where the animal can weigh as much as 1000lbs, so much so even a large 300 lbs buck making 100 yards scamper seems pretty meager to me.

The little extra loss of meat of a lung shot is eqaully no excuse IMO.

If the deer or any game doesn't give me a vital region shot I let them walk and say thanks for the opportunity, personally this is just part of hunting to me and I can go home with a clear mind that I made the right choice.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

ya know. i have never thought about shooting a deer in the head. It just never came to mind. I shot my 9pt in the head by accident and dropped him and didnt cause any damage to his magnificent rack so i was fortunate. I would rather shoot at something bigger than somthing smaller, but thats just me. If you kill a deer sufficiently and humane, then i guess there is nothing wrong with that. Either way you choose to hunt or shoot your game, there is always going to be a loss of a deer or turkey or whatever, that just comes with the territory. People sometimes make bad choices to others expense meaning the animals per-say. All hunters loose game once in awhile, weather it be a bad shot in the side of the deer or the side of a deer's head. Its our job to try to prevent these loses from happening, if you can kill a deer 100yds away with a shot throught the eye, more power to ya.

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

Never gave it a thought-was taught that lung/heart was best chance for a sure kill and that no shot should be taken on a whim or when you aren't 99% sure of a kill-too much respect for the animal to do it any other way and way too unlucky to try a head shot.

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how does one accidentaly shoot a deer in the head ? ( shaking my head)

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I wasn't reccomending the shot JagMag ,
just stating that a practised marksman with a properly sighted hunting weapon can make that shot with no more risk to the animal than a heart/lung shot . I also wasn't reccomending shooting one with a toy , and I call .22s toys when it comes to hunting anything larger than bunnies . A deer's skull is a pretty good sized target , especially with a scope , and a well placed shot there will drop them in their tracks . The head is sometimes all that you're going to get a shot at because of heavy brush or other obstacles , and certainly more ethical that a blind shot through the brush like a lot of people would attempt . If I couldn't make that shot I wouldn't take it anyway .

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Since the target is much smaller,there is obviously more risk.

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-ya know, some things are just meant to be, i reckon i was trying to aim at the shoulder while he was trotting in but i was looking at his antlers and that shot just so happend to enter his left side right under his ear. It was truly a miracle shot, i wasnt even trying to hit him there.:eek:

RE: Head Shots on Deer.......
 

why take a head shot when you have so much more area in the chest for the heart and lungs....just dumb and no RESPECT for the animal your hunting....plain and simple....................bob