Unethical deer shots

[Simpleman.2]

I don't let a lot of things get to me when it comes to hunting. As some know I'm strictly a public land hunter and it can definitely put your nerves to the test sometimes. However, I don't mind sharing areas with other hunters, and I don't even get my feathers ruffled when other hunters come in on me as long as they're polite. It's public land and everyone who has a license in the state of TN has just as much of a right to it as me. It doesn't matter to me if they're "local" to my part of the state or not....With that being said, the one thing that drives me up a wall is people who take unethical shots...My brother was hunting some public land this evening and text me that he had a little 8pt come by. It didn't take him long to realize that something was definitely wrong with the buck. The buck was missing his entire jaw where someone tried to take a head shot on him. My brother decided he was going to try to put the deer out of his misery but it slipped off before he could get a shot off..it's shots like this that I feel are unethical. I know some people claim to take shots like these to save meat but in reality you profit very little extra meat over a properly placed shot and you also take the risk of things like this happening where the deer has to suffer. I shoot my bow/guns more than most and I would say I'm a decent shot, but there's no way I'd take a shot like that on a deer. It doesn't matter how good of a shot someone is theres too many uncontrollable things that can happen once you pull that trigger or release that arrow.


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[Mike Belt]

When I put deer in the freezer I've only taken as many shots as the number of deer going in there. I'll never fire my rifle again if the only shot I have amounts to slinging lead and hoping for the best and if it was up to me I'd destroy every weapon belonging to those who do as well as never allowing them into the deer woods again. I rank taking unethical shots right up there along side pedophilia. Don't do it anywhere around me.

 

[catman529]

Posts like this should be pinned to the top, I hate when someone brags about a head shot for that exact reason. The "saves meat" excuse is a load of BS... a double lung shot behind the shoulder doesn't waste any meat, in fact I ground up a whole shoulder for chili the other day that had a bullet hole in it.

If you got a deer in close range standing dead still and you are very confident with your gun, then go ahead and shoot it behind the ear, it's a quick kill. I have a feeling most head shots are not that scenario. this isn't the first time someone has posted about a deer coming by with its face blown off... thanks for sharing


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[MickThompson]

I attempted a head shot on a deer exactly once. Fortunately it knocked her out and I was able to finish her off. I was a very inexperienced hunter at the time and recognized how bad it could have turned out. I'll never try it again unless I wound a deer and that's all the shot I have to put it down.

I'm hoping this was a case of an inexperienced and not macho hunter, and that they learned a lesson.


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[fairchaser]

Most people learn how to hunt and how to make an ethical kill from a parent or mentor. Unfortunately not all mentors are good ones. I tried to teach my sons about taking high percentage ethical shots and not try to be cute with something stupid like a head shot. I guess boys and young men will try it anyway and my son did with a very negative result. He learned the lesson the hard way. If you've ever seen a deer run off without a lower jaw you can imagine what I'm talking about. I despise anything that will cause unnecessary suffering. It's the very reason I went to a crossbow because I no longer could make ethical shots in low light. I hope this thread will make a difference to someone who may be tempted to do it. Please Don't!

 

[larry ipock]

No matter how confident or good a shot you are, head shots should not be taken in my opinion. They move their heads a lot, and too big a chance of their head moving just as you make the shot, and no room for error. Neck shots are just as lethal and no meat ruined. Although neck bones make a great stew.

And no offense Mike, they might just be very poor shots, or as the post says, unethical hunters. But I don't think it puts them in the same category as worthless pedophiles.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

It's been quite a few years since I was in Germany in the Air Force. To hunt there you have to take a class and pass a test. Part of it involves knowing the anatomy of the animals you hunt and shot placement. After you pass the written test you go to the range and have to qualify with every weapon that you will be hunting with. When I see wounded deer I think there are some people out there hunting that a few courses would help. Larry I have gotten so I like a neck shot. Where I hunt it's tall and thick . Often the only shot I get is a neck shot. It will drop them in their tracks when done right.

 

[pressfit]

You have no idea how the deer ended up missing his bottom jaw.. I shot a doe once with a 30-06.. broadside at about 75 yards.. aimed squarely at the heart... hit her in the ear and blew her brains out... to this day I'm not sure how that happened as I am a way better shot than that...

 

[GRIT]

You have no idea how the deer ended up missing his bottom jaw.. I shot a doe once with a 30-06.. broadside at about 75 yards.. aimed squarely at the heart... hit her in the ear and blew her brains out... to this day I'm not sure how that happened as I am a way better shot than that...

Agree with this.No one really knows what happen to that deer's jaw.Could have been a hunter that knocked his scope off that morning.Could have been a young hunter that had no mentor at all to help him a long.Could of been the first time that he ever saw a buck while hunting and just seen deer in the scope and shot.I bet he thought he missed the deer if it was a hunter that done it.
Have any of y'all ever lost a deer before or made a bad shot.
I have when i first started hunting.
I don't think no one on here is perfect.

 

[Deer Assassin]

I love a neck shot. Personally

I have a deer on my place with no lower jaw and she eats fine I think hers is a birth defect rather than a bad shot

Double lung saves the most meat

I shoot high shoulder tracking is for bow hunters

 

[Simpleman.2]

You have no idea how the deer ended up missing his bottom jaw.. I shot a doe once with a 30-06.. broadside at about 75 yards.. aimed squarely at the heart... hit her in the ear and blew her brains out... to this day I'm not sure how that happened as I am a way better shot than that...

Agree with this.No one really knows what happen to that deer's jaw.Could have been a hunter that knocked his scope off that morning.Could have been a young hunter that had no mentor at all to help him a long.Could of been the first time that he ever saw a buck while hunting and just seen deer in the scope and shot.I bet he thought he missed the deer if it was a hunter that done it.
Have any of y'all ever lost a deer before or made a bad shot.
I have when i first started hunting.
I don't think no one on here is perfect.

There's a possibility that whoever shot the deer had a gun that was off even though I find it very unlikely. Either way, the fact of the matter is that there's hunters out there intentionally aiming for the head and that's who this post is geared towards. I've heard and personally know about several incidents just like this one where people were intentionally aiming at the head and ended up just laming the deer because of their poor decision....I'm not claiming I'm perfect. I've made bad shots on deer before where I've pulled and hit back a little on a broadside deer. It happens...BUT thats not the point. When you take a shot at a deer's head you take it realizing that there's a good chance it's going to turn out bad. That's the unethical part...When aiming behind the shoulder you're taking a far more reliable and ethical shot than trying to shoot at a deer's head. It's a higher percentage shot and a much easier target leaving less room for error. I don't care how good you are if you always aim at the head you're going to miss some. I would much rather miss and hit a little back/forward on a behind the shoulder shot and still kill the deer rather quickly instead of blowing the deer's jaw off leaving it to die from starvation two weeks later....


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[MUP]

Myself, I try for the high percentage shot, boiler room area. High shoulder shot, as DA said for the drop dead right there shot. But, I have to say, that if you've hunted any length of time, you've surely made a poor shot on a deer, I know I have. What seemed to be an open shot may have been deflected by an unseen limb between you and the buck, who knows, but I've spined 2 bucks with my ML before and had to put a 2nd shot into them to finish them off. I don't like it one bit, but it happened. Not sure about the missing jaw on this buck, but I would have shot it as soon as I saw that it was injured in such a way, just the ethical thing to do IMO.

 

[ImThere]

I put down a doe a few years back with a missing jaw.
I heard the vehicle stop in the road, shoot, Then she came through the woods all messed up and bloody.
I like a neck shot over a head shot.
I prefer a broadside double lung.


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[woodyard]

Use to in Weakley Co, we were only allowed to hunt with shotgun and slugs. This was before slug barrels and fancy slugs. If you could get two shots to be within a foot of each other at 50 yds you was doing pretty good. Usually all over the place with an improved cylinder bird gun.
My bil killed one one time aiming for chest/heart area and hit that deer at the base of the antler. Lots of bad hits back in those days. Our county commission was afraid of all the people and livestock that would be killed back then. Livestock is a rarity and I never have heard of anyone getting shot since they finally allowed rifles, other than the careless gun type mistake and that may not have been in Weakley Co.

 

[Mike Belt]

Things could go wrong with some shots taken but in my opinion, everyone squeezing the trigger knows the difference between an unethical shot versus an unseen twig or a scope that may have been inadvertently knocked off zero. I'm betting that out of all the shots I hear during deer season there's a fair percentage of them that should have never been taken. One shot.... one kill.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I attempted a head shot on a deer exactly once. Fortunately it knocked her out and I was able to finish her off.

Same here. And I was old enough and experienced enough to know better. Just thought I was such a good shot I wouldn't have a problem I suppose. She dropped immediately. Then about 10 minutes later she got up and ran off. I felt like a first class ****. Fortunately I got a trail cam picture of her a few weeks later. She had a crease right behind the ear where the bullet grazed her, but I could have just as easily maimed her, leading to a slow miserable death. No more head shots for me.

I will say that when I was 12 or 13 I just made a terrible shot and hit one in the jaw. But when he got back up I was able to shoot him again. I will never forget when he got up and looked at me with skin hanging where his lower jaw should have been.

It is possible that the deer referenced in the original post was wounded because of inexperience or honest mistake rather than stupidity, but the point is still the same. Dont try to play macho sniper. The risk/reward equation weighs heavily against it.

 

[Stingray]

Use to in Weakley Co, we were only allowed to hunt with shotgun and slugs. This was before slug barrels and fancy slugs. If you could get two shots to be within a foot of each other at 50 yds you was doing pretty good. Usually all over the place with an improved cylinder bird gun.
My bil killed one one time aiming for chest/heart area and hit that deer at the base of the antler. Lots of bad hits back in those days. Our county commission was afraid of all the people and livestock that would be killed back then. Livestock is a rarity and I never have heard of anyone getting shot since they finally allowed rifles, other than the careless gun type mistake and that may not have been in Weakley Co.

I remember the slug days there, deer used to run out about 150 yards and stop and look back, some really good bucks took the first year they allowed rifles.

 

[tug]

Much has been discussed on the aim point. What about this.

Is it ethical to hunt deer with a bow in rain, or when rain is forecast?

 

[ImThere]

Much has been discussed on the aim point. What about this.

Is it ethical to hunt deer with a bow in rain, or when rain is forecast?

Not sure if your serious?


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[BigD_625]

I don't know anyone that takes head shots on bucks, even the hardcore meat hunters. I'm sure there are folks that do, but nobody I know. With that said, if a deer has its head down, a shoulder shot can easily find its way to the head area, whether by deflection, a bad shot, a bad scope, or just bad luck. Personally, I don't see a need to head shot a deer, and it is not a shot I am comfortable making.

 

[infoman jr.]

Posts like this should be pinned to the top, I hate when someone brags about a head shot for that exact reason. The "saves meat" excuse is a load of BS... a double lung shot behind the shoulder doesn't waste any meat, in fact I ground up a whole shoulder for chili the other day that had a bullet hole in it.

If you got a deer in close range standing dead still and you are very confident with your gun, then go ahead and shoot it behind the ear, it's a quick kill. I have a feeling most head shots are not that scenario. this isn't the first time someone has posted about a deer coming by with its face blown off... thanks for sharing


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I have a feeling a lot of people have no idea exactly where their guns hits at any distance other than 100 yards.

 

[catman529]

Posts like this should be pinned to the top, I hate when someone brags about a head shot for that exact reason. The "saves meat" excuse is a load of BS... a double lung shot behind the shoulder doesn't waste any meat, in fact I ground up a whole shoulder for chili the other day that had a bullet hole in it.

If you got a deer in close range standing dead still and you are very confident with your gun, then go ahead and shoot it behind the ear, it's a quick kill. I have a feeling most head shots are not that scenario. this isn't the first time someone has posted about a deer coming by with its face blown off... thanks for sharing


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I have a feeling a lot of people have no idea exactly where their guns hits at any distance other than 100 yards.

that is true, but I'm sure you've seen the pics and arguments over on the fb groups where people brag about head shots and post pics of deer with their brains blown out and eye balls out of their sockets..those posts always end up getting deleted too


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[infoman jr.]

Posts like this should be pinned to the top, I hate when someone brags about a head shot for that exact reason. The "saves meat" excuse is a load of BS... a double lung shot behind the shoulder doesn't waste any meat, in fact I ground up a whole shoulder for chili the other day that had a bullet hole in it.

If you got a deer in close range standing dead still and you are very confident with your gun, then go ahead and shoot it behind the ear, it's a quick kill. I have a feeling most head shots are not that scenario. this isn't the first time someone has posted about a deer coming by with its face blown off... thanks for sharing


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I have a feeling a lot of people have no idea exactly where their guns hits at any distance other than 100 yards.

that is true, but I'm sure you've seen the pics and arguments over on the fb groups where people brag about head shots and post pics of deer with their brains blown out and eye balls out of their sockets..those posts always end up getting deleted too


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I've attempted exactly one head shot. A doe was feeding at 50 yards quartered away steeply. She had her head to the ground, and I took an offhand shot between her front legs into the bottom of her throat with my .300 win mag. She flopped around for an unfortunate amount of time, and I put a shot into her chest cavity ruining more meat than I would have had I waited on a better shot. Lesson learned.

 

[mike243]

I have shot 3 in the head and 1 was first muzzle loader kill.unkles gun and it shot high ,it went into the nose hole and into the brain,done missed it once on a broadside shot at 75y and it came back 30 minutes later and facing me at 50y,ceter chest and dropped.heart shot another and it ran i stuck the scope on its nose as it ran by,in the ear hole and out the eye.dont know why I put it there but it worked out.last time was down in crappielucks area,50y and it was either a shoot in butt or a head shot or dont shoot.295g powerbelt took the top of the head off. It had a kick stand and I was unable to find any of the skull plate.skin and brains every where but in the deers head.roger asked me why I used a axe on it and I told him thats where i shot.no other marks on the deer.I think most are just bad shots due to a lot of things we cant co trol,I know I shot at heart lung on a big doe last year at 175y or so and took out a foot of loin and had to finish it off with a neck shot,looking back up the ridge it was on was a lot of small limbs and would bet I clipped 1.150g corelock out of my 300wm has plenty of energy and may have not been so good with a smaller caliber

 

[THEdonkey0515]

In 2012 I had a monster 8 step out.

At the time it was the biggest deer I had ever seen in the wild while hunting....he was a stud.

75-85 yards broadside....stopped....in the wide open. Could make that shot in my sleep

I put the crosshairs of CVA muzzy right in the sweet spot behind the shoulder took my time squeezed the trigger....boom flop dead in his tracks.

When I walked up to him I had hit him way high in the neck in the white patch under thr chin almost missed him... looked like someone took a knife and slit his throat I was a inch away or less from a clean miss.

I don't know if the buck fever got me worse then I thought, or I knocked my scope off some how...I didn't shoot again that season it was the last weekend of muzzy. I don't remember it being bad off when i sighted in next season or having problems with it.

That shot got under my skin for awhile. I take big pride in making really good shots....I take pride in the very very few deer I've missed or couldn't find due to bad shots since I killed my first in 05...

I was alot closer to blowing that deers jaw off by accedint then i was hiiting where I was aiming I wasn't even close.

So you never know how things happen.

 

[GRIT]

I have killed deer with arrows sticking out of them.I have killed them with one of there ears missing,A leg tore up or missing,Guts hanging out of them.Part of there jaw missing.I seen more wounded deer when they started this 3 doe a day hunts.Hunters see a group of doe,s and just start shooting.They kill one and wound 3.Now back in the 80s i use too hear hunters talking about taking head shots.But I haven't heard or know any hunters that aim for the head.I'm sure there is some still out there that do it.I don't like it but what can you do about it.
They paid for there on license. I think a lot of the hunters that show a deer that's been head shot brag because it makes them fill big.If we knew the truth they just took bad shots and hit the deer in the head and say that's were i was aiming.

 

[THEdonkey0515]

I don't agree with head shots, and would never even try one. For the ones that do, would they really try one on a 8pt? A Public land 8pt at that?

Not sure where you was, but hear in East Tennessee the public land here I hunt from time to time anyways...any 8pt is a decent trophy sized buck on public. I can't see anyone wanting to blow a 8pt skull apart..

I could be wrong.

 

[Jcalder]

shot this deer a few years ago with my bow. Right around 10-11 yards at dark. You can see where I hit him in the neck and that's not where I was aiming. Only thing I can think of was hitting a limb that I didn't see.


I've always wanted to head shoot a deer. I don't know why and have never attempted it. Probably cause all the horror stories you hear. The only feasible way I see to do it is it facing you and the shooter having a solid rest. Naturally I settle in behind the shoulder.


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[mike243]

Started deer hunting when i was about 16 and 42 years later i have done 3 so my % of doing it is very low and have never even thougt about it,also shooting with my left hand,2 times 1st was with a shotgun and the 300wm about 10 years ago,never practiced that way . Shoot to your ability as the 1 shooting has to live with the results. Thats like hunting over feed,walmart sells the devil out of it all season long and nobody can tell me they dont hunt over it when they are buying it, I'm not knocking them but its not for me

 

[6.7strokin]

I think a lot of people think that because they can shoot 1-2" groups at the range off a bench that they can put the bullet right where they want it in a deer's head. Shooting free hand, rested on a tree, shooting rail, or knees alters that reality for a lot of people. The margin of error is too great for me to ever think about taking a head shot. What aggravates me even more is the people that don't check their rifles yearly to make sure they haven't gotten knocked off. In my opinion this is begging for an unintentional unethical shot. I put way too much time into hunting to have a blown opportunity due to not checking my guns.


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