Head Shots on Deer

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I have absolutely zero respect for anybody that would head shoot a deer. A buddy of mine killed a buck years ago that was missing most of his bottom jaw due to some idiot shooting it off. The deer was skin and bones and starving to death. There's always someone on here that will argue anything so I'm sure there's a post coming about how it's the most ethical shot and they've killed 8,659 deer with headshots and never missed.
 
Totally unethical... you have a 3.5in target. Miss by more than 2 inches from the center in all directions save spine and you end up with an unrecoverable deer that probably dies a slow and miserable death. Who cares if you lose 1lb of shoulder meat to bloodshot? Better than the entire deer going to waste.
 
Only shot one deer in the head, won't do it again. I was deboning a doe I had killed that morning on a farm. Another doe came up and started blowing at me. She just kept on blowing. I grabbed my bow, and started trying to get a shot, she was broadside about 40 yards. She started running off and then turned around and came back. She got behind a tree and started blowing again. She stuck her head out from behind the tree and blew at me. I drew back and told her to blow at me again, she did, put the arrow dead center of her mouth at 30 yards. She dropped in her tracks. I knew better than to try the shot and realized it was as much luck as anything that she didn't move and just get wounded. My one and only head shot, won't be another one.
 
How about neck shots assuming you limit it to 100 yards and in, gun and not on a deer acting sporadic?

I'm against head shots.
 
A good friend of mine shot a buck between the eyes30+ years ago with a bow. Deer ran a pretty good way he said bouncing off trees. Said it sounded like a gun going off when it hit it and both it's eyes popped out of the sockets.

TWRA showed up that day at our hunting cabin to check us. They were not impressed to say the least about the head shot but it was a different time back then. We were all legal so nothing they could do about it other than scold us. Can't recall any other head shots in our hunting camp before or after that one.

I shot my first buck with Mzloader in the neck, but I would not take that shot again in my life. He was drt but still very low percentage shot for me.
 
I've killed 3-4 with a headshot but all were with a 22 shooting hollow point shorts while squirrel hunting (in NC). That was years ago and haven't done it in years. Inside 40 yds with a 22, if I can head shoot a squirrel, I can brain shoot a deer.

With that said, I've also seen the effects of a misplaced centerfire bullet where the deer was still alive. I killed it and told the boy who did it's father, if I ever heard his kid bragging about it or doing it again, I'd throw the next mangled up head through the front window of their house. Id never go deer hunting g with the intentions of head shooting.
 
I will shoot a deer in the neck inside 50 yds, but don't like to do it. I really don't like to do it outside 30 yds. It kills them graveyard dead and with optics at that range and the scope dialed back to 4x or so it is a pretty easy shot.

I will not shoot a deer in the head. that is ridiculous, IMO
 
Never done a head shot but, done a lot of neck shots. Never had one go bad either. DRT.
 
My cousin spined one at 450y a few years back. It was bedded with head and neck up and I asked him to let me finish her off. Put it center of neck, 140g Berger 6.5mm at 3300 fps. Loud WHACK at impact and head/ neck no longer up.

To get to her, we had to walk 800y parallel to a creek crossing, then back to the animal 800y. Left rifles in the truck on the way walking. Got to the deer and she was still alive, despite what looked like a perfect neck shot with 1.5in exit wound. Had to stab her 3 or 4 times in the chest with a large knife to finish her off. Was the most horrible experience I've ever had hunting. No more neck shots for me.
 
I shot a doe in the head once when I was a kid. I saw her walking a trail about 50yds away so I hid behind a big oak and braced myself to shoot as she passed by, but the dang thing popped her head out right from the other side of the tree. Apparently she saw me too and came to investigate. Point blank with a 20ga slug. She didn't run. But she did flop around like a chicken for a few seconds.

I'm not normally a great shot so I try keeping it mid body right behind the shoulder. They die. I might have to blood track them but they're usually dead inside 100yds. I sure as heck wouldn't try a head shot with a bow. It's hard enough getting a clean shot to the vitals, let alone trying the head. I know some old timers who aim for the base of the neck where it meets the shoulder. They claim the deer drops in its tracks. But still seems iffy to me. I like the comfort of having a dinner plate size margin of error.
 
He was coming straight towards me up the hill with his head to the ground. At about 25 yards he stopped, and I figured it was now or never so I touch it off....it was about the only kill shot I had.
I do a lot of target shooting, mostly offhand, and was completely confident in making that shot.
 

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megalomaniac said:
My cousin spined one at 450y a few years back. It was bedded with head and neck up and I asked him to let me finish her off. Put it center of neck, 140g Berger 6.5mm at 3300 fps. Loud WHACK at impact and head/ neck no longer up.

To get to her, we had to walk 800y parallel to a creek crossing, then back to the animal 800y. Left rifles in the truck on the way walking. Got to the deer and she was still alive, despite what looked like a perfect neck shot with 1.5in exit wound. Had to stab her 3 or 4 times in the chest with a large knife to finish her off. Was the most horrible experience I've ever had hunting. No more neck shots for me.
Click to expand...
It would have been quicker and easier to slit her throat.
 
WestTn Huntin man said:
It would have been quicker and easier to slit her throat.
Click to expand...
Prob so... but with her thrashing and kicking her front legs and hooves all over as we approached, we just went for a quick stab to the chest and backed off, then repeated. Not sure you could have slit her throat without getting eviscerated yourself. Just a miserable experience.

Yes, that's right... looked to be a perfect neck shot, but she still had full use of front legs (back legs paralyzed from the initial spine shot)... just crazy
 
I had to finish off a doe a few years back that a guy had shot from the road. Her bottom jaw was missing. I heard the shot and everything, she came bolting through the woods towards me. I noticed blood and she didn't look right. I put her down. terrible experience.
 
I killed a 8pt in in Hickman county back in the early 90's that had the whole back of his neck missing. It was wide enough to lay your hand in the wound. The wound had healed up and was hard. I never have attempted a neck shot, always figured to much room error. Besides, I like neck roast.
 
I have never and can't see the reason for trying a headshot with any weapon. I have an uncle who only will take a neck shot but I don't think they are great either. he has missed more deer than I can count. Upside if a clean miss is better than a wounded animal. He's a decent shot but gets all crazy when he sees deer. He missed a huge buck about 5 years ago. He was so rattled it took him 3-4 minutes to regain his ability to speak coherently!
 

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