Where to shoot a deer.

Tele why would you be shooting button bucks????
 
Tele the best deer to harvest is a doe fawn. Keeping your matriarch does is the best way to keep your herd healthy. Killing matriarch does is such a misunderstood concept that is perpetuated by misguided hunters. Look up John ozozga michigan dnr deer specialist and get his knowledge about it.
 
I use the front leg as an aiming point. When I would try to “ avoid” or shoot “ just behind “ the front leg , I believe I would suffer target panic.

Also if you look at true anatomical images ( like these) instead of cartoon illustrations, you will notice just inches behind the back leg on the lower half of the chest………..is the abdominal cavity.
 

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I use the front leg as an aiming point. When I would try to “ avoid” or shoot “ just behind “ the front leg , I believe I would suffer target panic.

Also if you look at true anatomical images ( like these) instead of cartoon illustrations, you will notice just inches behind the back leg on the lower half of the chest………..is the abdominal cavity.
That's a good point. You don't have to miss by much, rearward an in or two, and you can hit stomach. I've noticed in the first several deer my 12 yr old has taken, his tendency is to aim a hair too far back. Also, trying to teach him that many deer will quickly appear broadside, but in reality not be perfectly broadside. Easy to make a mess if you don't realize the deer is quartering towards slightly.
 
That's a good point. You don't have to miss by much, rearward an in or two, and you can hit stomach. I've noticed in the first several deer my 12 yr old has taken, his tendency is to aim a hair too far back. Also, trying to teach him that many deer will quickly appear broadside, but in reality not be perfectly broadside. Easy to make a mess if you don't realize the deer is quartering towards slightly.
Make as mess as in shoot too far back or hit should bone and damage a lot of meat?
 
Make as mess as in shoot too far back or hit should bone and damage a lot of meat?
Yeah I meant gut shot.

I'm also in the category of rather damaging some shoulder meat than losing all the meat to a gut shot deer that can't be recovered quickly enough. That being said, I try to hit them right behind the shoulder and don't miss. I plan to shoot one next weekend... we'll see how well I do, haha.
 
I’ve switched to high shoulder shots. Knock on wood all have dropped on shot
 
Shoulder shot is for those hunting antlers that want to see the buck drop in place. I get that and do consider it when hunting near property lines. But if the situation allows I'll center punch the neck instead. Mostly I'm a just behind the shoulder meat hunter guy. Biggest risk here is not the guts, it's hitting the delicious heart.
 
I'm with Swat and h20. I shoot for a double lung shot with my bow and gun. The lungs are a huge target. You can be a little off any direction and still hit double lungs and have a dead deer. I hear way to many stories of guys aiming for the heart bowhunting and drill the shoulder. I have a friend that insists on shooting the shoulder gun hunting. He also uses a semi auto and feels the need to shoot 2-3 shots to make sure they don't get away. Pisses me off every year because we all help cut up our own deer. It's always a nasty mess. End up throwing most of the shoulder away. I have never lost a deer from a double lung shot. Although I have had few that didn't leave a blood trail I know they are dead and they didn't go far.
 
I have found bullet / cartridge selection will reduce meat loss.

If you choose high velocity…..look for monolithic.

Mid velocity ….partitions..

Low velocity use more mass in bullet.

Frangebile bullets waste meat.

I pick that spot because within the previbial “ paper plate” circumference…..I still have a lethal hit.

With an arrow just choose a broadhead that can split bone. Trochar tip, low profile.

These cartoon illustrations of “ Monty Hall “ lung areas have really distorted the area of a presumed lethal hit. IMO.

The diaphragm attaches ventrally to the seventh rib. So over half of the rib cage area in a deer is actually the abdominal cavity.

So I promote a “ mid shoulder “ shot if you will.
 
It's not quite as simple as "a high shoulder shot" for decent shot placement. One must also consider the angle at which the deer is standing and have a rudimentary understaning of anatomy. Shooting just behind the "OFF Shoulder" is a better description for shot placement.....in my opinion. Even then, elevation and the range and scope set up are all to be factored in. Hard to make a blanket statement that suits every situation. For me....the high shoulder shot seldom yields significant meat loss.....and almost always puts the deer down in its tracks.
 
I use the front leg as an aiming point. When I would try to “ avoid” or shoot “ just behind “ the front leg , I believe I would suffer target panic.

Also if you look at true anatomical images ( like these) instead of cartoon illustrations, you will notice just inches behind the back leg on the lower half of the chest………..is the abdominal cavity.
I love those pics of actual deer! So much better than the average drawing. I tend to aim a bit behind the shoulder. I hunt archery and my misses are almost always up and down, never right and left. The further forward you go the shorter the sweet spot. The vertical component of my aiming is likely due to having a older/slow bow, and being a few yds off on my distance judgements. But, it's a personal limitation and I acknowledge it to myself so that I can make better choices.
 
Like I said before……

Once you go caudal( towards the tail) of the front leg , within inches you run into the abdominal cavity.

I am fortunate in that my wife insists on feeding fresh meat to the dogs …….so I have a use for damaged front leg meat.
 
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Foggy I do not understand why you keep saying it's a high shoulder shot its not. Sounds to me like your thinking it's above the backbone and that's most likely where you hit the deer and lost but won't tell the story. As far as the dead center shoulders shot goes the meat there is pretty much burger and frankly not that great. Putting them down is THE answer.
 
Like I said before……

Once you go distal ( towards the tail) of the front leg , within inches you run into the abdominal cavity.

I am fortunate in that my wife insists on feeding fresh meat to the dogs …….so I have a use for damaged front leg meat.

Distal doesn't mean toward the tail. That's caudal or inferior.

Distal means toward the fingertips. It's the opposite of proximal.
 
Thanks
 
Straight up the front leg. Not up the back side of it, straight up the middle of it. 1/3-1/2 way up the body. Just like pinned in @Angus 1895 pic.

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