shoulder shot, i don't like tracking jobs, especially if the light is fading fast. around here a deer left in the woods will just be a stain on the ground with stomach contents scattered around by morning. something to thinks about for the guys that say it wastes meat.
Shot Placement
- Thread starter knockturnal
- Start date
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
until last year, I could say that every animal I shot heart - lung has fallen within my sight. Last years doe made it 80 yards.
Most of those have been with the 30-30, and the majority were one shot kills. I do have the philosophy of shooting until the game is down though. I won't stop shooting just because I'm certain I hit.
I shot one in the neck, (45-70) it dropped quickly too, but the only reason I took the shot was that it was the only shot I had.
Head shot? Nope, heads move quickly, and I don't like the thought of blowing off the jaw, and letting the animal slowly starve to death.
Most of those have been with the 30-30, and the majority were one shot kills. I do have the philosophy of shooting until the game is down though. I won't stop shooting just because I'm certain I hit.
I shot one in the neck, (45-70) it dropped quickly too, but the only reason I took the shot was that it was the only shot I had.
Head shot? Nope, heads move quickly, and I don't like the thought of blowing off the jaw, and letting the animal slowly starve to death.
I'm not much of a head shooter, but I shot a moose at 356 yards in the head last week.
I was lying with my backpack on a log, and for some reason I shot the moose to far back. I couldn't believe it when my buddy (who was videoing it) said "too far back!"
I was thinking "impossible, I was steady and I was shooting at a huge effing moose shoulder, but I guess I pulled the shot somehow without realizing it.
The moose ran behind a tree and was only showing his rear and his head and a bit of his neck, so I shot it behind the ear. It dropped.
I was lying with my backpack on a log, and for some reason I shot the moose to far back. I couldn't believe it when my buddy (who was videoing it) said "too far back!"
I was thinking "impossible, I was steady and I was shooting at a huge effing moose shoulder, but I guess I pulled the shot somehow without realizing it.
The moose ran behind a tree and was only showing his rear and his head and a bit of his neck, so I shot it behind the ear. It dropped.
- Location
- AB foothills
I would have taken that second shot too because the animal was already hit badly.
But the fact that "for some reason" your first shot was not a good one, makes my point that no one should ever take a head shot at unwounded game.
I, too, am an advocate of the heart-lung shot. In 50+ years of hunting, I have shot 3 animals in the head and possibly 5 in the neck, but all were inside of 40 yards, and did not offer any other shot. (body not visible) I have never had to track a lungshot animal beyond 80 yards or so, and the blood trail has always been easy to see. Concurring with other posts here, I have found several dead animals over the years with their jaws shot off, or with a hole in the neck that missed the spine, and they obviously died an agonizing death. We owe them better than that. Take high percentage shots only. Eagleye.
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
I take the best shot that is presented to me. I'll head shoot deer at close range, particulary if I'm packing the 300, way too much penetration if the deer is giving me a face on or quartering shot. Moose almost always get shot thru the lungs.
What he said.
While I own lots of guns I always go the the 30 06 and premium bullets for hunting big game.
And aim for double lung shots.
In my experience bull moose travel less than WT bucks after a good lung shot. Any body else find this?
The last deer I took was a head/neck shot 8 pellets of 000 buck at 15yrds dropped like a stone!
but normally I aim for the vitals, had one deer at 250yrds standing broadside to me. Benched the shot, pulled the trigger and the deer flinched but just kind of stood there. Waited 15min and started the hike to get to him. When I got close he stood up took off for 30yrds and dropped.
Once I opened him up, though it was a vital shot the bullet missed every thing important but took out a vein or something and he bled out internally.
but normally I aim for the vitals, had one deer at 250yrds standing broadside to me. Benched the shot, pulled the trigger and the deer flinched but just kind of stood there. Waited 15min and started the hike to get to him. When I got close he stood up took off for 30yrds and dropped.
Once I opened him up, though it was a vital shot the bullet missed every thing important but took out a vein or something and he bled out internally.
