Neck shot this afternoon help!

[Thirty-06]

This afternoon had a nice 8 within 45 yards he seemed spooked and had a broadside yugo and he turned with his back to me bout to go in the woods all I had was a neck shot we'll I've heard most neck shots drop deer but in this case no blood no hair the deer slowly ran off tale ducked. Looked for bout and hour went in the woods from what it seemed like I could hear a deer wounded trying to get away I decided to back out and wait till in the morning. Any thoughts?

 

[Thirty-06]

Should have said shot!!

 

[stik]

personally, I won't take a neck shot. don't know what to tell you.

 

[cecil30-30]

if there was no hair or blood how do you know you hit it? i like neck shots with my 30-06 never had one take a step after takeing one in the neck. I think if you hit him he would of dropped.

 

[catman529]

best you can do is go back in the morning and look as thoroughly as you can. see if you can find blood or a dead deer. if you didn't hit the spine or major artery, he would live... and if you did hit a blood vessel, there would be a blood trail because unlike a body cavity filling up, the neck would just bleed out. I'd say you clean missed him, but go back and look anyway because of the way the buck behaved.

 

[X-Tennessean]

Neck shots are very lethal BUT I have never shot one in the back of the neck and will not take that shot. I shoot all my doe in the neck inside of 100 yards and with a clear shot. I shoot just in front of the shoulders (base of neck) standing broadside. Im not sure what to tell you other than going back in the A.M. and searching more. Good luck

 

[slagtown_dfa]

I shoot all deer within a 100 yards in the neck. Never had one move.

 

[HuntFish714]

my .02 from my experience is.... id say it was a close miss if there was no hair. I have shot at 2 mule deer back west that the force or precussion or something actually "knocked them out" or fainted.... 1 it was a quartering away shot with a .243 and I flinched and apparently shot high, the buck dropped head over heals and layed still for a sec, celebrating in my mind I did not expect him to jump back up and go head over heals then stumbled/ran off with out being prepared for another shot. I looked and looked and looked 0 blood. the next day I saw him perfectly fine no injury. The second time I was going for a neck shot and missed, the buck dropped instantly, I walked up to him and he was still breathing as if he were sleeping but couldn't identify a entry or exit spot, I put a round in him at point blank in his upper neck. once I skinned him there was only the second shot in him No sign of the first. My only explanation for both of these is that they faint, black out, have a heart attack, or daze them lol. sounds odd but ive definetly witnessed it. ps. assuming of coarse you were using a firearm.

 

[Thirty-06]

It might have missed him hopefully a clean miss! But usually my 3006 never fails me until today! Hope he shows up again but he probably won't be around anymore

 

[Bone Collector]

I have taken that shot with a ML at 30 yds. It dropped him. I have hit others in the neck broadside view (all I could see) and hit them in the neck looking at me. None have taken a step.

sounds to me like you missed. It is easy to do shooting at a deer's neck when the adrenaline is up.

 

[deerhunter10]

sounds to me you missed.

 

[TN Larry]

I would say that you missed or just a flesh wound through the neck but would still go back and look. He should have either dropped or blood should be everywhere if a lethal shot in the neck. Good luck though.

 

[bowriter]

best you can do is go back in the morning and look as thoroughly as you can. see if you can find blood or a dead deer. if you didn't hit the spine or major artery, he would live... and if you did hit a blood vessel, there would be a blood trail because unlike a body cavity filling up, the neck would just bleed out. I'd say you clean missed him, but go back and look anyway because of the way the buck behaved.

Sounds like a clean miss to me.

 

[medic]

Like others have said probably a miss. I have killed 4 this year with a neck shot and all dropped in their tracks.

 

[UTGrad]

Yep a miss

 

[pathfindr92]

I'd check my scope if I were you. Just to be sure it didnt get knocked off zero.

 

[Marlin308]

Nothing unethical about a neck shot if close and broadside - they drop like a rock with no meat wasted. Not sure about one walking away from me...would almost rather go with a Texas heart shot than neck shot. Might not be pretty, but it's effective.

 

[Columbia Scott]

I had a spike come through under my stand. Someone had shot him in the neck. There was a coagulated blood spatter on either side. Probably a smaller caliber. I was going to finish him off but he started browsing and seemed all the worse for wear. I personally believe neck shots are iffy at best. Sure, it might work but there's just as good a chance it will pass through muscle, sinew, windpipe or esophagus and be survived.

 

[Thirty-06]

Went today and didn't see a deer but looked everywhere and retraced everything I'm guessing a clean miss! It happens but I hate it on such a good deer and how hard I've been hunting. Hooked the bore sight up last night showed a little low and left but shot today and grouped 3 bullets almost touching at 100 bout and inch high but pulled a few to the left. Hate I missed thanks for all the input and verifying I missed!!!