rigg@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tim Rigg) (04/02/91)
I have read several conflicting articles about where to aim while deer hunting and would like some rec.hunting opinions... All bowhunting sources I have seen recommend a behind the shoulder shot. The optimal shot punctures both lungs and maybe even the heart leading to a very short tracking job. The gun hunting material recommends the same rib shot or the neck. The neck seems to be preferred since very little meat is damaged. For the neck shot, where exactly do you aim? in the center hoping to sever the windpipe? towards the top hoping to sever the spine? anywhere since there is enough vital stuff in the neck to insure a quick kill? I am curious, where do you aim and why??? thanks tim
wasserbu@ihlpl.att.com (Michael F Wasserburger) (04/03/91)
> The gun hunting material recommends the same rib shot or the neck. > The neck seems to be preferred since very little meat is damaged. For > the neck shot, where exactly do you aim? in the center hoping to sever > the windpipe? towards the top hoping to sever the spine? anywhere > since there is enough vital stuff in the neck to insure a quick kill? > > I am curious, where do you aim and why??? I don't bow hunt, but I can give you my opinions on aimpoints for firearm hunting. Yes, a neck shot does reduce the amount of meat damage, but is a MUCH more difficult shot to make. Unless conditions are IDEAL (50 yards or less, you have a steady rest for your rifle, the deer is standing still broadside and you are a very good shot) I don't recommend them. It is just too easy to miss the vital area (the spine), causing the animal to be wounded or totally missed (a miss is much better than wounding). I use neck shots to finish the kill of a deer that doesn't die immediately (I hate when the shot I make doesn't kill the animal within 30 seconds or so and I have to finish the job), but I make every effort to kill as quickly and humanly as possible. I recommend the heart/lung shot. This shot is properly placed just behind the front shoulder of a deer (between the second and third rib). The Mule Deer I harvested in Idaho this past fall was shot in that exact spot, resulting in the destruction of the lung and top of the heart. This deer died before he knew what hit him. This shot placement is preferred because there is more room for error (a larger vital zone) which means that a shot which isn't perfect has a lower probability of wounding and a higher probability of collecting the deer. A properly placed heart/lung shot may not drop the deer dead in his tracks (like a spine shot will do), but the deer will usually die very quickly and can be found within a 100 yards or so of where you shot him. Just my opinions, any others? Mike Wasserburger att!ihlpl!wasserbu ps- Great newsgroup!!!
ralphk@hpcvra.cv.hp.com (Ralph Kinser) (04/04/91)
First, I have never Bow hunted, so all my experiance is with Rifles. I was taught to aim for the the front shoulder area on the animal. This area offers the largest target for a fatal shot, with the lungs and major arteries being hit most often. I have only seen one animal that was hit through the heart. Several years ago, I started going for neck shots if I felt I had a good shot (under 75 yards, calm animal, and a good shooting position). I made this change after seeing a couple of wounded Elk get away after shoulder shots and talking to a lot of other Elk hunters. The main reason being that the shot will either be a fatal hit that drops the animal immediately or very quickly or else be a clean miss. Ideally, you want to hit the spinal column, in my opinion. If you hit the throat, it will be damage to one of the arteries or veins that causes the shot to be fatal. I doubt if severing the wind pipe would be fatal very quickly, the animal would still breath. I aim for the center of the neck, the spinal column is near the center with the vertebras sticking up toward the top of the neck(as best as I can describe quickly), I will usually hit a little high because of the distance I am sighted in for and have always hit the spinal column. The Deer I shot last year, I shot through the front shoulder. The Deer was broadside to me at 125-150 yards. It dropped right there and did not get up. Inspection of the Deer showed me there is no such thing as a clean miss. The Buck had a nasty flesh wound where some other hunters bullet had gone between two of the vertebras in the Deers back. It is likely that the other hunter never knew he hit him. I don't know if the Deer could have survived the winter, but I doubt it. The moral for me is to choose the shot I have the most confidence in at the time, some times it will be the neck, other times the shoulder, or just not shoot at all(sometimes the toughest thing to do). Happy Hunting Ralph