Why is spine shot so effective?

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vpsalin

vpsalin

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I understand why spine shots anchors the game animal on the spot, buy why does death follow so quickly? I'd expect a spine shot to paralyze the animal instantly but I wouldn't expect it to expire so fast. Is it because so many main arteries follow the spine or because the nervous system is shut down and the animal no longer has a breathing reflex?

I'm not understanding how for example when a whitetail is shot in the vital heart/lung area, it might take 15 seconds to expire but the same can be true too for most spine shots aswell?
 
i will take head or neck shots firstly if the animal presents itself that way
they are instantaneous.

i have taken boiler room shots and some have dropped but other still have it them to run
then collapse

you stated spine shot,were exactly are you aiming for?
 
It could be accidental spine shots, animals expire so quick it surprises me. Have you had game animals live long time with spine shot, required follow up?
 
remyltr said:
i will take head or neck shots firstly if the animal presents itself that way
they are instantaneous.

i have taken boiler room shots and some have dropped but other still have it them to run
then collapse

you stated spine shot,were exactly are you aiming for?
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No diss intended but I've had to dispatch to many animals that ran away after having part of their heads shot off or a bullet that passed through the neck, without hitting an artery or the spine and the shooter thinks it was a clean miss, so left the area.

Those poor buggers take several days to die, while in agony.

You are most likely a very decent shot, but to recommend head and neck sots????????????????????????????
 
bearhunter said:
No diss intended but I've had to dispatch to many animals that ran away after having part of their heads shot off or a bullet that passed all through neck, without hitting an artery or the spine and the shooter thinks it was a clean miss, so left the area.

Those poor buggers take several days to die, while in agony.

You are most likely a very decent shot, but to recommend head and neck sots????????????????????????????
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While I haven't had to do it myself, I've heard many a story of a shot then went a bit too high, hit the spine, and dropped the animal. When they got up to it, the animal was very much still alive, it was just paralyzed, and another shot was required to end it.

So OP, I think its just a matter of luck. The ones you've shot were apparently effective, but its not always.

I'm a big fan of leaving as little room for error as possible, so broad side double lung is my go-to shot if I can have it. Haven't seen an animal go more than 10 yds with a good shot through both lungs. If that means it goes 15 yards then so be it, the last animal I shot left a blood trail a blind man could have found and followed.
 
Have dropped Deer with spine shots, bow, shotgun, rifle, all DRT.
Prefer Boiler Room all day long, but over many decades a few spine shots happened, very effective..
 
vpsalin said:
It could be accidental spine shots, animals expire so quick it surprises me. Have you had game animals live long time with spine shot, required follow up?
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I shot a deer with my muzzleloader years ago hit him in the spine. Dropped in its tracks but did not die. Had to dispatch it with my knife. Didn't want another hole in it. Whimpered all the time it was down. Don't want to see that again.
 
Same, tried that once with a muzzleloader no leg function but its head was pretty much alive, couldnt find my extra primers to reload. It sucked bad!

only double lung now
 
Some folks here need some biology lessons , spine shot is not a brain shot.

A spine shot does not instantly turn the lights outs with 100% certainty.

Yes, there is some major blood flow near the spine but you can just as easily paralyze and animal and they live for some time, it is not a guaranteed success.

There are lots of quadriplegic and paraplegic people that are fine examples of this.

I've watched more than one animal dragging itself trying to get to a treeline that had to be chased down and finished off.
 
With a successful spine shot, the death is often caused by the animal ceasing to breath? Not sure if anyone here knows this "scientifically"?
 
2 deer seasons ago, I had came off my stand at the end of the day. I had heard some rustling behind me, turned around thinking that it was the wife coming to get me, but there stood a buck frozen 20 yards away staring at me head on. Didn't take my eyes off it. I was moving really slow but I still had time to reach around and take the rifle off the rope, grab a round out of my pocket, chamber it, put a bead on his neck shoot and boom he hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. No noises, movements, nerves, nothing. Wish I had a go pro that day.
 
vpsalin said:
With a successful spine shot, the death is often caused by the animal ceasing to breath? Not sure if anyone here knows this "scientifically"?
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Unless there has been a controlled study on the topic, nobody will know "Scientifically", and a study like this would be considered very unethical so you'll likely never see this specific study... All you'll get here is a mix of anecdotes that support and refute your position. There likely is no singular way they die anyways, there likely isn't one specific mechanism in play here.
 
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