I have seen two occasions where neck shots on deer have missed all the vital areas, and the animals were only killed after some difficult tracking. I witnessed a similar shot on a big cow moose and she was never recovered. These shots were all taken by persons who boasted about their shooting prowess, and their favoring of neck/head shots. I agree with the poster who said that heart/lung shots can be screwed up as well, but the "kill" area is much larger in the heart/lung area. [even on a smallish deer, the kill zone is at least 9" x 9", a moose is about 20" x 16"] Compare that to the neck [about 2" x 3" or less] Anyone above a mental midget can see what area affords the most reliable shot to anchor an animal. Head shots are even worse, since the brain is a mighty small target. Regards, Eagleye.
My Deer Shot
- Thread starter kevguy
- Start date
But if you hit the trachea or Jugular that animal will still go down just the same as shooting it in the lungs will it not?
But yes missing those and the spinal cord is a wounding shot.
With my shot the deer was dead before she hit the ground.
I think you are correct. If you know your firearm and your abilities then go for it. I wouldn't.
My father in law swears by the neck shot just behind the head. I have seen him do this, and he brings an animal down every time. He's been hunting for over 40 years so if it works for him, its his deal. He gets annoyed as I go for the double lung, because a single lung shot can run for yards... which was my moose this year.
Damn, I have treated humans shot in the lungs who walked around and shot in the neck who did the same. It all depends.
bluemike807
CGN Regular
- Location
- Eastern Ontario
Same for me with my grandfather-in-law. He's only once failed to bring down a deer with a single neck shot and that was because he missed entirely.
This is a guy who grew up dirt poor, twenty meters from where he now lives, and worked his butt off as a fisherman his whole life, building himself up.
I ask why he doesnt go for boiler room shots and he just wrinkles his nose and says "Wastes Meat." Still, his eyes are getting bad and he's getting shakes (hes now in his late 70's), so any year now might be the one where he maims some deer.
First off, I'm a fairly new hunter and will stick to the vitals. As for everyone saying their grandpa, dad, uncle, whatever alway made neck/head shots and never lost one...well my dad always says the same thing. But every once in a while he'll recall one that he missed entirely or that someone else flubbed up. What it seems to me is that some of the animals they say they missed they are assuming they missed because it ran away, and the ones that were wounded, well nobody likes to talk about those. This is only my observation from the people I've talked to personally. Like I said, I'll stick to the easier shots.
ETA...nice deer.
ETA...nice deer.
Which proves what? That he can't make that shot 50% of the time? How can people post bad shooting as examples of good ideas? How can anyone suggest that almost missing a target as big as a moose is proof that neck shots are what we should all do?
A properly made shot to the neck is immediately lethal. A badly made neck shot is a lingering, painful death. A hunter should always do what he can to avoid lingering painful deaths of his game, and that means he should shoot at the biggest immediately lethal target so his own inevitable errors are minimized. A neck shot is a low percentage shot. I agree with sawatzky that anyone who says he always shoots at the neck, and never misses, has very selective memory.
As MY grandfather once told me about 47 years ago after I missed a shot that I actually should have made, "If you ain't never missed, you ain't done much shooting."
Neck shots are just not a good idea, except as "finishers".
He's showing that no matter how good of a hunter you are, ACCIDENTS (ie bad shots) CAN happen. He kept his cool and placed his second shot where it counts and the animal went down.
CreamySmooth
CGN frequent flyer
Very good shot. Don't let anyone tell you how to hunt. It's almost like political correctness, in one of it's guises snuck in here somehow....
Hope the spoils tastes awesome. I can't wait to get back south to do some real hunting again. Booo yeah.
Hope the spoils tastes awesome. I can't wait to get back south to do some real hunting again. Booo yeah.
- Location
- London, Ontario
Holy...nice shot!
- Location
- AB foothills
Some of you fellows should just keep your ethics to yourselves sometimes. Just because you wouldn't take the shot does not mean someone else shouldn't or cant. This is the hunting section of CGN and guess what, animals die. If you don't like what you see here go hang out on the PETA message board.
Don't ruin a guys thread just because you wouldn't do it the same way. If you want to argue personal ethics of hunting, start your own thread. The OP posted here because he or she was happy with the outcome of the deer they hunted and killed, not to start and argument and get sh*t on by other hunters.
And some of you wonder why the hunting section here is not what it used to be. People don't post nearly as many hunts as they used to because of all the ethics police that jump into any thread they can, just to preach how perfect they are.
Don't ruin a guys thread just because you wouldn't do it the same way. If you want to argue personal ethics of hunting, start your own thread. The OP posted here because he or she was happy with the outcome of the deer they hunted and killed, not to start and argument and get sh*t on by other hunters.
And some of you wonder why the hunting section here is not what it used to be. People don't post nearly as many hunts as they used to because of all the ethics police that jump into any thread they can, just to preach how perfect they are.
I have no problem with the shot. If someone is practicing in the off season (like they should) and are comfortable with the range/target size and any other variables then be my guest.
Many of us here have found an animal that was poorly hit and expired without being recovered, most times shot somewhere other than the neck.
Many of us here have found an animal that was poorly hit and expired without being recovered, most times shot somewhere other than the neck.
Who's preaching now?Some of you fellows should just keep your ethics to yourselves sometimes. Just because you wouldn't take the shot does not mean someone else shouldn't or cant. This is the hunting section of CGN and guess what, animals die. If you don't like what you see here go hang out on the PETA message board.
Don't ruin a guys thread just because you wouldn't do it the same way. If you want to argue personal ethics of hunting, start your own thread. The OP posted here because he or she was happy with the outcome of the deer they hunted and killed, not to start and argument and get sh*t on by other hunters.
And some of you wonder why the hunting section here is not what it used to be. People don't post nearly as many hunts as they used to because of all the ethics police that jump into any thread they can, just to preach how perfect they are.
This thread was not "ruined". No one here came across as "perfect". No one here "preached". No one here got "sh*t on". No one here needs to go to the "Peta board". OTOH .. your single post in this thread did most of what you have just accused us of doing.
The OP started a discussion and that's what happened here. Usually a discussion involved different points of view and that's what happened here. The criticism here was valid, informative and constructive without any personal attacks. The advise given may help a new shooter avoid some of the mistakes made by us older shooters which is a positive benefit of this sort of dicussion. We all learn stuff this way. What's wrong with that?
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- Location
- AB foothills
I find it really funny how in the Gatehouse moose thread it was just “Great moose” and none of the other bullchit about the possibilities of taking a neck shot. Then you come in here and preach and try and change the direction of the OP’s thread from a person who was happy to have taken a deer to a thread about whether the shot should have been taken or not.
Yes they can and so can heart/lung and shoulder shots. It’s hunting, nothing is ever 100%. In this case the deer is dead, period.
No he didn't. He was telling everyone how happy he was to have take the deer and quickly. He wasn't asking your opinion on wether you think he should have taken the shot or not.
I'm done here.
Yes they can and so can heart/lung and shoulder shots. It’s hunting, nothing is ever 100%. In this case the deer is dead, period.
No he didn't. He was telling everyone how happy he was to have take the deer and quickly. He wasn't asking your opinion on wether you think he should have taken the shot or not.
I'm done here.
+1
I don't see a question mark in the OP's post.
Like Davey said, gatehouse's thread in the Hunting Arms never had a single bad thing to say yet he shot his moose in the same location as this deer. The moment I posted it here, oh look, bad comments about it. Go figure....
I posted about a deer I got. My round went into the front of the head and out the back. Shot was taken from under 100 yards, a shot Ive done before without problems. The only place Ive received bad comments is here in the hunting section (or from a troll but we wont go there).
