Where to shoot a deer.

[Bill]

I prefer to shoot them in a field. Much easier to the get the trailer hooked to the side by side right to them. :).

I guess I’m wasteful. Never in my life have I finally decided that’s a deer I want, then paused to think of wasting a couple of burgers because of my shot. Just goes to show we “all” yeah “all” of us over think this stuff.

As long as it’s fun it’s all good.

 

[matinc]

Bill it's pretty simple waste a few burgers and put them down now or shoot behind the shoulder and hope you can find it. The decision is not even close.

 

[Angus 1895]

I will repeat my self.

I believe the problem lies in the cartoon images provided by “educational “ threads. Most of them show a exaggerated lungfield. A lot or them also minimize the dorsal processes of the spine.

It’s my belief if you want to aim for the center of the “boiler room”….a front leg will be involved.

I also agree with bill that there is more than one way to skin a cat and it should be fun.

But a shot “ just behind the shoulder “ is about dead center of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle that inflates the lungs. It divides the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. I doubt hitting the abdominal cavity constitutes “ fun”.

My dog Twigs takes care of any wasted meat I end up with. She doesn’t feel it’s “ wasted “ by any means.

 

[Electrodigical]

I believe the problem lies in the cartoon images provided by “educational “ threads.

I distinctly remember "photos" (drawings) when I was young, maybe it was even the hunting regulation papers the state gave out, that showed the aiming point like this.



Maybe it was something lost between some biologist and the graphic artist who made the picture. "Behind the shoulder", so when I was young, I thought that's where you aimed. And did for a while. With 12ga slug it still worked fine, but no margin for error aiming low. It wasn't till some years later when I realized "this doesn't make sense". But all these years later, maybe because it was ingrained when I was young, that still pops into my minds eye for location.

 

[Bill]

I like aiming for the opposite shoulder. Obviously when it's appropriate. But again, I prefer to do it in a field if possible.

 

[drycreek]

Hmmm, out of the last ten or fiteen deer I have shot in the high shoulder only one doe (muzzle loader) ran. She was piled up just off of my food plot. It wastes a little meat, but not much. I’m old and I don’t care to track them anymore. I did shoot a buck last year intending for it to run, but not far. My Jack Russell needed to find her first deer, and she did !

 

[Angus 1895]

Hmmm, out of the last ten or fiteen deer I have shot in the high shoulder only one doe (muzzle loader) ran. She was piled up just off of my food plot. It wastes a little meat, but not much. I’m old and I don’t care to track them anymore. I did shoot a buck last year intending for it to run, but not far. My Jack Russell needed to find her first deer, and she did !View attachment 75496

Twigs has found several for me!

 

[Runamuck]

I have no idea how many deer I have shot over the last 40 years. All but 1 was double lunged and never had to shoot twice (except once when I took 2 deer). I try for zero meat wasted, and the rib cage is an easy to see target.

 

[bigboreblr]

I almost feel there's a magnet in that front leg. My bullets seen to always beat the snot out of one front leg about everytime.

You sniper guys.... Whats your limit on neck and headshots. I used to be 50 yards or less with a scoped rifle only. I did go out with iron sighted 30-30's and flintlocks, I do that less now with these awesome middle aged eyes.

electro, When I am like 75 or less yards, thats my shot. I go low. MY dvise if doing that, know your gun well. Practice every year with 50 and 75. Shoot a group to remeber what the adjustment is. Some people think the scope aims too high than it actually does.

For many years I'd zero my modern guns at 100 yards, so 50's and 75's were about right there. Now I got 2 and 3" high at 100's for farmland hunting.

 

[matinc]

I would not do either head or neck shot. One time I hit the spine and the whole deer had blood throughout all the meat. It was gross and basically ruined it

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I know some good shots who take head shots, but at some point it doesn't go as planned. Lots of stories of blown off jaws, which would be a horrible way to die. A double lung shot offers much more margin for error and is a more ethical shot in my opinion.