Neck Shots on Deer?

[CHenry]

I was always taught by my grandpa to shoot it in the neck and it will drop everytime. I've always taken neck shots and it's been pretty darn effective for me!

Me too. I have lost a few deer that were shot behind the shoulders but never a deer shot in the neck.

 

[VIKING]

Do you guys neck shot in archery season too?

Why or why not?

I took a head shot on the first deer I ever took with a bow. WHY? cause my arrow clipped a small limb. The deer ran off but only about 50 yards. The arrow had entered one ear and exited the other. The fletchen were hung up in his ears..That little limb only caused my arrow to be off about 2 feet. That was around 40 years ago and it was the last head shot on a deer with a bow with me.

 

[VIKING]

Me too. I have lost a few deer that were shot behind the shoulders but never a deer shot in the neck.

Me three, except I can say I have only lost one deer and it was shot behind the shoulders with a mz. I will always think I was a little high. Shot above his lungs and below his spine. He fell like a rock and then got up and ran off. We tracked him for over a mile and never found him.

 

[338Shooter]

Shot every deer I've killed behind the shoulder. None went anywhere. Not sure what that means but that's where I was taught to aim. 100 yards the kill zone is huge in my 3-9. Easy work.

 

[RidgeHunter]

I rank neck shooters slightly above left-lane campers and slightly below wife beaters.

Intentionally neck shooting a deer is like telling someone to "shoot for the kneecaps" in a self-defense situation and proponents of the practice should be ridiculed like leg-shooters are ridiculed in the self-defense forum.

Shot every deer I've killed behind the shoulder. None went anywhere. Not sure what that means but that's where I was taught to aim.

It means it is impossible for a deer to live with holes through both its lungs and/or its heart 'sploded.

Be off a couple of inches, and you nick the windpipe, resulting in a wounded Deer that not die for days.

I've seen this and it's not pretty. You have a few things the size of your thumb to hit with a neck shot. Miss them and you've got an unrecoverable deer. I'd rather trail a gut shot deer than a deer with a non-fatal neck/brisket/face wound. And I've trailed both (not mine). Hanging around the local processor at the end of gun season will reveal some neck-shot wonders, too.

A shot behind the leg has a 9" diameter kill zone. Much more room for error.

Yup. And even if you screw it up a bit, you'll still have a dead deer and likely blood to follow. Blood trailing and big game hunting go hand-in-hand. I don't get "not liking" trailing. Trailing is one of the most important things you can teach a new hunter. It's actually one of my favorite parts; I'll leave the stand to help a fellow hunter trail.

 

[RidgeHunter]

Also, I must post Roos7a's favorite picture.

 

[Sanjuro82]

 

[RidgeHunter]

"I clean missed him. Ran off and no blood."

 

[shootermcgavin]

That is one of the most disturbing pictures I've seen in a long time. So I'm going to repost it in the quote.

 

[HiredHand]

I aim high on the neck closest to the spine. If I miss high the leave uninjured. Im a very good shot thought and I could put it in the ear every time ifI wanted. I don't shoot for the neck unless I am down on the ground using my bipod. I shot 3 deer one evening, one after the other at 275, 200 and 150 yards respectively and they all fell where they stood. I aint bragging and I don't recommend this unless you are proficient with your rifle. (We had 3to open tags that night and it was last day of rifle)

So, how many deer have you missed while aiming for the neck?