Deer hunting question - The Firearms Forum

raven18 · 05-13-2009, 03:04 AM

i've heard mixed answers.... is it humane to kill a deer with a head shot... it's instantaneous death, why isn't it humane? well if you think it isn't then please teach me

smokyhollowforge · 05-13-2009, 09:21 AM

I try to take out the lung/heart area on bucks that I will mount. All others a head shoot would be nice but not always available. Since I eat what I kill a head shot is preferred.
Just my taxed 2 cents worth!

olmossbak · 05-13-2009, 04:10 PM

If you change head shot to brain shot I will opt for more humane. A brain shot is very difficult as the target is quite small whereas a heart/lung shot gives you more room for error while still making a rapid kill. A head wound can be quite traumatic to the deer causing great agony for an extended period until it dies of starvation or infection.

The only way I would try a brain shot is if the deer were directly under me or very, very close. Nope, changed my mind, I would go for a spine shot and still get a clean kill if I am a bit off.

tim peterson · 05-13-2009, 09:26 PM

Howdy sometimes its easy to get confussed when you get mixed info. I have been lucky enought to take several deer. All were what I considered humane shots . But 90 percent were 1 shot kills through the lungs or shoulder area. Death may have not been instantaneos but it was damn close. The problem I have with HEAD SHOTS is this I know a hand ful of good/great Deer hunters that share my opion dont take a head shot. We all saw or heard storys about someone shooting at the Deers head missing and blowing off its lower jaw. Its such a small target when your excited. Most of these Deer are never recoverd and starve to death. Can you shot a deer in the head sure if your lucky!! The humane thing is to take a well placed anchoring shot. This is goning to be throught the lungs or shoulder. Thats my 2 cents . Good Luck !

21bravo · 05-13-2009, 09:47 PM

raven, i generally shoot for the top of the shoulder when im pulling the trigger. however, i have ocassionally taken head shots. and every one has been an instant kill. my buddy always takes head shots unless its a horned buck. ive never heard of or seen him take a head shot that wasnt an instant kill. granted were only hunting to about 500 yds max.. my 0.02 is if you can take the shot and are fairly confident, take it

308 at my gate · 05-13-2009, 10:44 PM

I have hunted deer and prong horn antelope and I always shoot for the heart. When I am out walking or creeping into position my heart is pounding and I am not that good to take a head shot. I have never had an animal get away or linger long after being shot.

flannelman · 05-14-2009, 07:00 AM

Well said by all. I don't take head shots because I'm not that confident in my abilities. I have taken a few neck shots whith great results but the majority of my shots are heart/lung shots. If you are comfortable with taking a head shot that you are sure will kill the deer then go ahead and take it.

user · 05-14-2009, 07:37 AM

I agree with just about everything said, and to summarize, unless you're really sure you've got your gun sighted in absolutely right, you know what the distance will do to the bullet given the specific cartridge you're shooting, and you're supremely confident of your ability to place the bullet within about a half an inch of the point of aim, go for the heart.

Otherwise, you're apt to blow the jawbone off and the animal will run away and slowly starve to death.

45nut · 05-14-2009, 07:56 AM

I am a heart / lung guy myself, although, if the deer is feeding and still, I will go for a neck shot. My scoped .270 is accurate enough to do it, I just have a hard time looking at the misshapen head afterward.

January 08 my buddy went to a ranch to kill some does. We killed 2 each and a father & son killed 3 each. All of theirs were head shots and you never saw so many busted skulls & eyes bugged out in your life. All were instant death, it was just a little too ugly for me.

cycloneman · 05-14-2009, 09:10 AM

I agree with one of the other post that if you are off just a bit on a head shot it will be a mess, for the deer. I usually shoot for the heart lung but last year i took a couple shots in the neck and it was a much better cleaning experience. I think i am sticking with it.

raven18 · 05-15-2009, 11:50 PM

Thank you all for your opinions. if ya can't take brains and not the best shot, heart and lung is a better shot

Powderhorn · 05-16-2009, 09:42 AM

I usually jump from a tree right onto their backs, grab 'em by the antlers and ride 'em out to the truck, where I apply a bite-hold on their necks, which cuts off their blood supply to their brains. Well, at least that's how we do it up heah in Noo Hampsha.

catfish83861 · 05-16-2009, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powderhorn

I usually jump from a tree right onto their backs, grab 'em by the antlers and ride 'em out to the truck, where I apply a bite-hold on their necks, which cuts off their blood supply to their brains. Well, at least that's how we do it up heah in Noo Hampsha.

Dang and here I thought my initials of "BS" were sufficient!

catfish

swanshot · 05-16-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raven18

Thank you all for your opinions. if ya can't take brains and not the best shot, heart and lung is a better shot

Absolutly. I once blew the lower jaw off a roo, trying for a head shot. It was not nice. I will NEVER do that again.

OBrien · 05-17-2009, 03:02 AM

At around 5 yards with 12ga. buckshot go ahead. But other than that its not a very good idea. I have seen a bear brought in that had its lower jaw partially missing and when we skinned it there was almost no body fat on it. This was a fall bear in Maine toward end of season. It would of starved over the winter if it had not been shot.

spitfire_er · 07-01-2009, 11:53 PM

I have mainly stuck to chest (heart/lung) shots. I consider myself a very good shot, able to keep 1/2 MOA if i'm doing my part. Still there are too many variables to consider to hit such a small target unless you are really close. Blown up skulls don't sound appealing to me and are not a good image if you are going to make a stop at the gas station. I have seen two deer in my hunting career, which is only about 15 years, that have been hit leaving only the lower jaw blown off. Kind of sad see a perfectly healthy deer standing there with no jaw (I had already filled my tags both years so I could not take them). Both of these deer got away from whoever shot them and most likely starved to death. Not my type of hunting.

That being said if I get good conditions I will go for a neck shot about halfway between the front legs and the head.

I once shot an antelope on the run with a .300 Win Mag at 50 yards (was expecting 200+ yards) and not an ounce of meat was wrecked. Just happened to get a heart shot between both sets of ribs. In one side out the other. That was most likely my most perfect shot to date. It ran about 10 more yards then dropped dead!

swanshot · 07-02-2009, 12:39 AM

I took a neck shot on this small camel (shooting for meat) and paralyzed her. she went down like a dropped brick, but it didn't kill her outright. had to finish it with a head shot.
The rifle is a 6.5x55

retired grunt · 07-02-2009, 04:51 PM

Other than the tail of the deer the head moves the most, I always shoot heart/lungs.

38 special · 07-02-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raven18

i've heard mixed answers.... is it humane to kill a deer with a head shot... it's instantaneous death, why isn't it humane? well if you think it isn't then please teach me

OF course it's humane if you hit them in the brain. The trouble is some fools may TRY to make such a shot and end up blowing off thier jaw or otherwise crippling the poor deer. If you have a perfect shot and just know you can hit the deer in the brain then sure why not= But if you miss and cripple the deer then shame on you and you better track that deer as long as it takes to make sure you put it out of it's misery or you do not deserve to hunt.

fyimo · 07-12-2009, 02:33 PM

The center chest lung shot is the easiest and one of the most lethal. I take that shot whenever it's available.

carver · 07-12-2009, 03:13 PM

I shot a spike last year, 35 yd. shot, and shot for the neck. Took out severl inches of bone, but the deer wasn't dead when I walked up to it, had to cut it's throat. Heart lung shots for me all the time anymore.

dls56 · 07-12-2009, 07:53 PM

Hi all,
I don't care to track deer very far and on one property I hunt the neighbor won't allow retrieval so it's imperative that I put them down on the spot. Killed four last year the two next to the afore mentioned property were neck shots DRT. It takes patience and more importantly practice with some pretty good equipment to consistently be able to accomplish this from distances over 100 yards, (I practice year round) my stands are as close to bench rest conditions as I can emulate. The other two were heart / lung kills. One was hit a little over the heart and took some tracking, the heart sits low in the chest and it's very easy to place your shot a little high which will do the lungs but can sometimes allow the deer to go a ways. Study the deers anatomy this knowledge will help you envision the vitals better from all angles. Wait for a shot you know you can make, practice as much as possible, be flexible and knowledgeable (no two shots are going to be exactly the same). Proficiency makes hunting more humane and rewarding. Best wishes.

Maximilian II · 07-13-2009, 01:57 AM

I'm not a particularly experienced deer hunter but I have friends who are. They advocate the neck shot when posible.
I do want to mention that around here we mostly have small clear areas surrounded by medium to thick woods/brush. Most shots are within 100 yards, almost nowhere to find a 300+ yard shot. Hilly, too. So those shots are close range and with accurate guns wielded by very good, dedicated shooters that practice ALL summer!
Personally I carry a Ruger Redhawk with a big Bushnell scope, and would prefer a heart/lung target. I can track.
My biggest deer hunting problem is that every time I wake up, there's no deer around.

GA1911 · 07-13-2009, 09:27 AM

I'll go with the heart/lung shot, the chest cavity. Head and neck shots will mess up your mounts dude. Really You should take the shot the animal and terrain give you. Scout so you know where the animal will be and position your stand accordingly. Practice so you know your firearm and ammo, then your trip should be a succsess. Have fun and take a kid with you, introduce the younger generation to the sport. They get so much bainwashing from other sources we need to give them the facts. Be careful out there.

spitfire_er · 07-14-2009, 01:07 AM

I know in some cases, such as hunting in the mountains it is necessary to drop an animal in a certain spot, but here in MN, if I take a chest shot and have to track the deer 50 yards through some thick brush, it hones my tracking skills for bow hunting purposes and friends that may not have had the greatest shot (and me, I'm not perfect!). Last year I helped a friend track a deer 3 miles before finding it. Took several hours and pinhead spots of sparse blood spots, but i'm usually the go-to guy in these situations. Those short 50 yard tracking situations help your tracking skills that every hunter should have!

05-13-2009, 03:04 AM	#1
raven18 Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 48	Deer hunting question i've heard mixed answers.... is it humane to kill a deer with a head shot... it's instantaneous death, why isn't it humane? well if you think it isn't then please teach me -->

05-13-2009, 09:21 AM	#2
smokyhollowforge V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 73	Re: Deer hunting question I try to take out the lung/heart area on bucks that I will mount. All others a head shoot would be nice but not always available. Since I eat what I kill a head shot is preferred. Just my taxed 2 cents worth! __________________ "I'll give up my gun when they pry it from my cold,dead hands from around it" Charlton Heston, May 20th 2000, 129 NRA Convention

05-13-2009, 04:10 PM	#3
olmossbak V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NE Tenn Posts: 212	Re: Deer hunting question If you change head shot to brain shot I will opt for more humane. A brain shot is very difficult as the target is quite small whereas a heart/lung shot gives you more room for error while still making a rapid kill. A head wound can be quite traumatic to the deer causing great agony for an extended period until it dies of starvation or infection. The only way I would try a brain shot is if the deer were directly under me or very, very close. Nope, changed my mind, I would go for a spine shot and still get a clean kill if I am a bit off.

05-13-2009, 09:26 PM	#4
tim peterson V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: COLORADO Posts: 277	Re: Deer hunting question Howdy sometimes its easy to get confussed when you get mixed info. I have been lucky enought to take several deer. All were what I considered humane shots . But 90 percent were 1 shot kills through the lungs or shoulder area. Death may have not been instantaneos but it was damn close. The problem I have with HEAD SHOTS is this I know a hand ful of good/great Deer hunters that share my opion dont take a head shot. We all saw or heard storys about someone shooting at the Deers head missing and blowing off its lower jaw. Its such a small target when your excited. Most of these Deer are never recoverd and starve to death. Can you shot a deer in the head sure if your lucky!! The humane thing is to take a well placed anchoring shot. This is goning to be throught the lungs or shoulder. Thats my 2 cents . Good Luck ! __________________ The great objective is that every man be armed. Every one who is able may have a Gun. Patrick Henry

05-13-2009, 09:47 PM	#5
21bravo Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: wilkes county, nc Posts: 790	Re: Deer hunting question raven, i generally shoot for the top of the shoulder when im pulling the trigger. however, i have ocassionally taken head shots. and every one has been an instant kill. my buddy always takes head shots unless its a horned buck. ive never heard of or seen him take a head shot that wasnt an instant kill. granted were only hunting to about 500 yds max.. my 0.02 is if you can take the shot and are fairly confident, take it __________________ "BIG MOMMA BRAVO" If everything seems to be going well, you obviously do not know what the hell is going on --"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crime." - Thomas Jefferson

05-13-2009, 10:44 PM	#6
308 at my gate Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Lost in SW USA. Posts: 847	Re: Deer hunting question I have hunted deer and prong horn antelope and I always shoot for the heart. When I am out walking or creeping into position my heart is pounding and I am not that good to take a head shot. I have never had an animal get away or linger long after being shot. __________________ You got to love it.

05-14-2009, 07:00 AM	#7
flannelman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rural Arkansas. But isn't all of Arkansas rural? Posts: 1,176	Re: Deer hunting question Well said by all. I don't take head shots because I'm not that confident in my abilities. I have taken a few neck shots whith great results but the majority of my shots are heart/lung shots. If you are comfortable with taking a head shot that you are sure will kill the deer then go ahead and take it. __________________ What we do in life echoes in eternity! **** Liberals, they make about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine. If you want to be a looser the best way to get there is to hang around with other loosers.

05-14-2009, 07:37 AM	#8
user Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northern piedmont of Va. and Middle of Nowhere, West Virginia Posts: 1,013	Re: Deer hunting question I agree with just about everything said, and to summarize, unless you're really sure you've got your gun sighted in absolutely right, you know what the distance will do to the bullet given the specific cartridge you're shooting, and you're supremely confident of your ability to place the bullet within about a half an inch of the point of aim, go for the heart. Otherwise, you're apt to blow the jawbone off and the animal will run away and slowly starve to death. __________________ ===== Daniel L. Hawes - 540 347 2430 - HTTP://www.VirginiaLegalDefense.com By the way, nothing I say on this website as "user" should be taken as either advertising for attorney services or legal advice. Everyone having a question regarding the application of law to the facts of their situation should seek the advice of an attorney competent in the subject matter of the issues presented and licensed to practice in the relevant state.

05-14-2009, 07:56 AM	#9
45nut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,428	Re: Deer hunting question I am a heart / lung guy myself, although, if the deer is feeding and still, I will go for a neck shot. My scoped .270 is accurate enough to do it, I just have a hard time looking at the misshapen head afterward. January 08 my buddy went to a ranch to kill some does. We killed 2 each and a father & son killed 3 each. All of theirs were head shots and you never saw so many busted skulls & eyes bugged out in your life. All were instant death, it was just a little too ugly for me. __________________ A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that. Shane Nemo me impune lacesset We recall the case of the Shoshone war band which showed up complete with one 30-30 rifle per man the week after Pearl Harbor, and simply wanted to have the enemy pointed out to them. "We hear there's a war going on and we want to go fight it." Jeff Cooper *KCCO*

05-14-2009, 09:10 AM	#10
cycloneman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 7,398	Re: Deer hunting question I agree with one of the other post that if you are off just a bit on a head shot it will be a mess, for the deer. I usually shoot for the heart lung but last year i took a couple shots in the neck and it was a much better cleaning experience. I think i am sticking with it. __________________ Who are you going to serve today?

05-15-2009, 11:50 PM	#11
raven18 Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 48	Re: Deer hunting question Thank you all for your opinions. if ya can't take brains and not the best shot, heart and lung is a better shot

05-16-2009, 09:42 AM	#12
Powderhorn V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NH Posts: 165	Re: Deer hunting question I usually jump from a tree right onto their backs, grab 'em by the antlers and ride 'em out to the truck, where I apply a bite-hold on their necks, which cuts off their blood supply to their brains. Well, at least that's how we do it up heah in Noo Hampsha.

05-17-2009, 03:02 AM	#15
OBrien Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bangor Maine Posts: 554	Re: Deer hunting question At around 5 yards with 12ga. buckshot go ahead. But other than that its not a very good idea. I have seen a bear brought in that had its lower jaw partially missing and when we skinned it there was almost no body fat on it. This was a fall bear in Maine toward end of season. It would of starved over the winter if it had not been shot.

07-01-2009, 11:53 PM	#16
spitfire_er Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mid East Minnesota Posts: 20	Re: Deer hunting question I have mainly stuck to chest (heart/lung) shots. I consider myself a very good shot, able to keep 1/2 MOA if i'm doing my part. Still there are too many variables to consider to hit such a small target unless you are really close. Blown up skulls don't sound appealing to me and are not a good image if you are going to make a stop at the gas station. I have seen two deer in my hunting career, which is only about 15 years, that have been hit leaving only the lower jaw blown off. Kind of sad see a perfectly healthy deer standing there with no jaw (I had already filled my tags both years so I could not take them). Both of these deer got away from whoever shot them and most likely starved to death. Not my type of hunting. That being said if I get good conditions I will go for a neck shot about halfway between the front legs and the head. I once shot an antelope on the run with a .300 Win Mag at 50 yards (was expecting 200+ yards) and not an ounce of meat was wrecked. Just happened to get a heart shot between both sets of ribs. In one side out the other. That was most likely my most perfect shot to date. It ran about 10 more yards then dropped dead! Last edited by spitfire_er; 07-01-2009 at 11:58 PM..

07-02-2009, 12:39 AM	#17
swanshot Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Perth western australia Posts: 1,436	Re: Deer hunting question I took a neck shot on this small camel (shooting for meat) and paralyzed her. she went down like a dropped brick, but it didn't kill her outright. had to finish it with a head shot. The rifle is a 6.5x55 Attached Images __________________ If you don't bleed you haven't bin trying Last edited by swanshot; 07-02-2009 at 12:41 AM..

07-02-2009, 04:51 PM	#18
retired grunt V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Northern NY Posts: 416	Re: Deer hunting question Other than the tail of the deer the head moves the most, I always shoot heart/lungs.

07-12-2009, 02:33 PM	#20
fyimo V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Arkansas Posts: 187	Re: Deer hunting question The center chest lung shot is the easiest and one of the most lethal. I take that shot whenever it's available.

07-12-2009, 03:13 PM	#21
carver TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DAV, Deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, just west of Shreveport, LA Contributor Posts: 11,221	Re: Deer hunting question I shot a spike last year, 35 yd. shot, and shot for the neck. Took out severl inches of bone, but the deer wasn't dead when I walked up to it, had to cut it's throat. Heart lung shots for me all the time anymore. __________________ Y'all be safe now, ya hear! Lamentations Chapter 5: 1. Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. 2. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 5. Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest. 16. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! 21. Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

07-12-2009, 07:53 PM	#22
dls56 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 17	Re: Deer hunting question Hi all, I don't care to track deer very far and on one property I hunt the neighbor won't allow retrieval so it's imperative that I put them down on the spot. Killed four last year the two next to the afore mentioned property were neck shots DRT. It takes patience and more importantly practice with some pretty good equipment to consistently be able to accomplish this from distances over 100 yards, (I practice year round) my stands are as close to bench rest conditions as I can emulate. The other two were heart / lung kills. One was hit a little over the heart and took some tracking, the heart sits low in the chest and it's very easy to place your shot a little high which will do the lungs but can sometimes allow the deer to go a ways. Study the deers anatomy this knowledge will help you envision the vitals better from all angles. Wait for a shot you know you can make, practice as much as possible, be flexible and knowledgeable (no two shots are going to be exactly the same). Proficiency makes hunting more humane and rewarding. Best wishes.

07-13-2009, 01:57 AM	#23
Maximilian II Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Northwest GA Posts: 1,381	Re: Deer hunting question I'm not a particularly experienced deer hunter but I have friends who are. They advocate the neck shot when posible. I do want to mention that around here we mostly have small clear areas surrounded by medium to thick woods/brush. Most shots are within 100 yards, almost nowhere to find a 300+ yard shot. Hilly, too. So those shots are close range and with accurate guns wielded by very good, dedicated shooters that practice ALL summer! Personally I carry a Ruger Redhawk with a big Bushnell scope, and would prefer a heart/lung target. I can track. My biggest deer hunting problem is that every time I wake up, there's no deer around. __________________ Karma is just justice, without the satisfaction. And I don't believe in justice. -Joe Sarno, bagman.

07-13-2009, 09:27 AM	#24
GA1911 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: outside Atlanta Posts: 12	Re: Deer hunting question I'll go with the heart/lung shot, the chest cavity. Head and neck shots will mess up your mounts dude. Really You should take the shot the animal and terrain give you. Scout so you know where the animal will be and position your stand accordingly. Practice so you know your firearm and ammo, then your trip should be a succsess. Have fun and take a kid with you, introduce the younger generation to the sport. They get so much bainwashing from other sources we need to give them the facts. Be careful out there. __________________ “The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their arms.”__ Samuel Adams

07-14-2009, 01:07 AM	#25
spitfire_er Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mid East Minnesota Posts: 20	Re: Deer hunting question I know in some cases, such as hunting in the mountains it is necessary to drop an animal in a certain spot, but here in MN, if I take a chest shot and have to track the deer 50 yards through some thick brush, it hones my tracking skills for bow hunting purposes and friends that may not have had the greatest shot (and me, I'm not perfect!). Last year I helped a friend track a deer 3 miles before finding it. Took several hours and pinhead spots of sparse blood spots, but i'm usually the go-to guy in these situations. Those short 50 yard tracking situations help your tracking skills that every hunter should have!