The Shoulder Shot

[Shredder]

Head shot? Please tell me you are kidding. Ever seen a deer with its jaw shot off because someone was trying a head shot? How about the nose shot off? Not a pretty sight. And not a quick death. If you dont want to waste meat, just punch the lungs and be done. Head shots are for video games, it is not ethical for wild game.

Over 40 deer, maybe more between 2 shooters in 7 years and we never lost one? Not sure what you mean as unethical for wild game. At some point most everybody here will lose one to a gut shot, shoulder shot, etc etc aiming for your ethical spot and the deer will suffer and eventually die. Hard to think of how many deer are feeling the pain now as they had a chunk of lead miss the vitals this opening weekend.

Like I said, we never lost one but did not take crappy shots and were using guns we could take the heads off of squirrels at 200 yards. Little more precision that a slug. We were comfortable with the shots and our abilities therefore making it as ethical as the shoulder shot. Had I said I did it with a bow...then you could criticize the action.

 

[Liv4Rut]

The high shoulder shot is the best out there. Drops em on the spot!! I usually only do it though if they are closer than about 75 yards offhand otherwise I aim behind the shoulder. Nothing wrong with tracking!!

 

[G6]

The high shoulder shot is the best out there. Drops em on the spot!! I usually only do it though if they are closer than about 75 yards offhand otherwise I aim behind the shoulder. Nothing wrong with tracking!!

I always shoot for this spot also because I know it will put them down. I don't like the head shot because it's not a pretty sight should a non hunter see the deer before you get it home and also doesn't make for good pics.
:way:

 

[risto2351]

Tried the shoulder shot tonight, DRT! :way:

Same here.

Second one was a double lunger. Poor choice.
I had to track it a while longer and luckily did not go into the ravine.

Will be doing it more often in the hills I hunt.

 

[THA4]

Looks like the headshot didn't workout too well for whoever attempted it on this doe;

nuff said.....

 

[risto2351]

nuff said.....

How do we really know if the hunter intended for a head shot on this animal?

I did a headshot last year for two particular reasons.

1. She would drop right in her tracks game over.
2. If I missed it was a clean miss and the animal was unharmed.

Note that it was during shotgun season and all my firearms are sighted in
every year. Not just pulled out of the closet the day of. I also hate taking shots at running deer.

I do prefer the shoulder shot though like I said especially in the area that I am in.

 

[huntemup]

Over 40 deer, maybe more between 2 shooters in 7 years and we never lost one? Not sure what you mean as unethical for wild game. At some point most everybody here will lose one to a gut shot, shoulder shot, etc etc aiming for your ethical spot and the deer will suffer and eventually die. Hard to think of how many deer are feeling the pain now as they had a chunk of lead miss the vitals this opening weekend.

Like I said, we never lost one but did not take crappy shots and were using guns we could take the heads off of squirrels at 200 yards. Little more precision that a slug. We were comfortable with the shots and our abilities therefore making it as ethical as the shoulder shot. Had I said I did it with a bow...then you could criticize the action.

I dont think you will find a single conservation organization or hunter eductation instructor that would recommend the head shot as an ethical shot on deer. Very small target, and large risk for horrific wounds. A quick search of the net puts me in the majority on this one.

 

[OLETOM]

Head Shot!!! The wont go anywhere? Maybe maybe not....I shot for the head on does too but here is one for you. My dad had a buck come by ML this year and it hada bullet hole, get this....through its mouth!! Yep, it went in one side and out the other missing the entire jaw!! I assume it took a couple teeth, molars with it but that was it. It had a dried patch of skin hanging on the one side and nothing visible on the entrance side. Dad had him at 10 yards too!! Anyway, he said the bad side, was dried up and might be healing. Well, not sure about it....wonder if the corn goes in and drops out the other side?? Of if he learned to tilt his head yet to hold it to one side. Dad was going to shoot him but had a miss fire in the air as his old school ML has a hair trigger and he bumped the tree next to him as he was going to position for the shot as he came buy and the ML went off!! LOl it will be interesting to see if he makes it through the winter.

 

[Daver]

A picture or story of a deer with a hole through it's nose or mouth or whatever PROVES absolutely nothing unless you have solid evidence of how the animal received that wound. Perhaps the hunter that put a bullet through the mouth of a buck attempted a SAFE "shoulder shot" just as the deer swung it's head back to lick itself or any of a dozen other plausible scenarios that could just as easily be the explanation as to how a given deer received a given wound. Does it seem likely that someone would purposely aim for a head shot on a buck? Not to me.

Seriously, if we want to get down on something let's get down on people taking multiple shots at running deer. I would bet anything that there are many times more deer mortally wounded, and not retrieved, by this practice than by a close range, carefully aimed head shot. Also, when someone is accidentally hit by a stray slug, how many times does the story include the phrases "running target" and "I didn't know he was there"?

 

[huntemup]

How do we really know if the hunter intended for a head shot on this animal?

I did a headshot last year for two particular reasons.

1. She would drop right in her tracks game over.
2. If I missed it was a clean miss and the animal was unharmed.

Note that it was during shotgun season and all my firearms are sighted in
every year. Not just pulled out of the closet the day of. I also hate taking shots at running deer.

I do prefer the shoulder shot though like I said especially in the area that I am in.

That photo doesnt look like a very clean miss on a head shot now does it. If the shooter had been trying to punch the lungs, it would have still been a dead deer. A miss on a head shot is often NOT a clean miss and a unharrmed animal. Why take that risk?

 

[risto2351]

That photo doesnt look like a very clean miss on a head shot now does it. If the shooter had been trying to punch the lungs, it would have still been a dead deer. A miss on a head shot is often NOT a clean miss and a unharrmed animal. Why take that risk?

The hunter in this instance could of been trying to do a safe shot like Daver below pointed out ?

I do disagree with you on a head shot not being a clean miss if executed cleanly.
Sometimes a hunter tries for a double lung and the shot also goes bad?

Like I mentioned above I prefer the shoulder shot or double lung but in this instance had a clean miss with a head shot.

 

[huntemup]

The hunter in this instance could of been trying to do a safe shot like Daver below pointed out ?

I do disagree with you on a head shot not being a clean miss if executed cleanly.
Sometimes a hunter tries for a double lung and the shot also goes bad?

Like I mentioned above I prefer the shoulder shot or double lung but in this instance had a clean miss with a head shot.

Clearly my point is this; a 4" miss on a double lung shot, is a dead deer. A 4" miss on a head shot can have horrific consequences. I will always educate hunters that the ethical and moral option is clearly the double-lung shot.

 

[risto2351]

Clearly my point is this; a 4" miss on a double lung shot, is a dead dear. A 4" miss on a head shot can have horrific consequences. I will always educate hunters that the ethical and moral option is clearly the double-lung shot.

You make some good points.

I to educate people that the double lung along with the shoulder
shot is the best and humane way of taking an animal.

I also will not pass judgement on others though if they try to harvest their animal in another way ( head shot) until I know all the variables involved.

We will just have to agree to disagree. :drink1:

Good luck to you and Happy Holidays!

 

[huntemup]

You make some good points.

I to educate people that the double lung along with the shoulder
shot is the best and humane way of taking an animal.

I also will not pass judgement on others though if they try to harvest their animal in another way ( head shot) until I know all the variables involved.

We will just have to agree to disagree. :drink1:

Good luck to you and Happy Holidays!

I dont understand what "variable" can make a headshot ethical unless it is a follow up finishing shot. Again, a very small margin for error. It is not simply a hit or clean miss opportunity. It is however, a better chance for terrible wounds than any other shot. No other shot offers a better chance for wounding with as little as a 3" "miss".

Happy Holidays to you also.

 

[risto2351]

I dont understand what "variable" can make a headshot ethical unless it is a follow up finishing shot. Again, a very small margin for error. It is not simply a hit or clean miss opportunity. It is however, a better chance for terrible wounds than any other shot. No other shot offers a better chance for wounding with as little as a 3" "miss".

Happy Holidays to you also.

Huntemup,

If you would like maybe we need to get together next December ( If we have to 2 - feet of snow on the ground). Seriously

I will put you in the same scenario and you can play it out.
Even get a hunt out of the deal. :drink1:

I will stick by the clean miss or hit and it was a clean miss. Will I try it again doubt it but I never say never.

Good luck and Happy New Years to you.

 

[crietveld]

Good post Greg, sorry about the unrecovered deer.

I shot one standing broadside 70yds high shoulder with my muzzy. Knocked it off its feet but it got up and ran back to the timber. Waited 10 minutes, tracked it 300yds and dispatched with my knife. Bullet passed high through the scapulas and caught the front of the lungs. The front half of the deer had so much blood shot meat it wasn't useable.

I shot another one this week same situation but opted for the double lung shot. Deer died within 100yds, I expect very little wasted meat.

 

[ironwood]

I like the double lung shot. Never choosen to do a head shoot but see no reason not to. Range and skill being the deciding factor. 25 yards and under anybody should be able to put it on the mark. JMO

 

[huntemup]

Huntemup,

If you would like maybe we need to get together next December ( If we have to 2 - feet of snow on the ground). Seriously

I will put you in the same scenario and you can play it out.
Even get a hunt out of the deal. :drink1:

I will stick by the clean miss or hit and it was a clean miss. Will I try it again doubt it but I never say never.

Good luck and Happy New Years to you.

So, if you aim for the head and miss your mark by three or four inches it is always going to be a clean miss? Not possible. You may have cleanly missed a deer before, but my point is simply that the head shot is a recipe for disaster with a much smaller margin for error. To each his own, but my kids will never know that the head shot is an option.

 

[huntemup]

Since reading this thread ive been aiming for the Scapula exclusively.Here are a few examples of deer ive shot in the past couple weeks with my Muzzy and the result.

Deer #1. 100 yards with Muzzy. Perfect shot. Deer runs away limping evening so I cant track. I find it the next day and track it 2 miles throught the woods, cant get a shot. It runs to ground where I cant hunt. I never recover the deer. I was only firing 90 grain pellets using a 245 powerbelts bullets. I upped my pellets to 150 grain after that and seem to get better penetration.

Deer #2. 30 yards with Muzzy. Low. blowing out the front leg. Deer runs away on 3 legs. I track all day, find it limping but cant get a followup shot. Second day, I track all day, cant find. I start paying more attention to yardage after this shot.

Deer #3. 60 yards with Muzzy. I was off towards the back of the deer, got a double-lung, it ran 50 feet and dropped, so also a good shot. No wasted meat.

Deer #4. 140 yards with Muzzy. I was off to the front of the deer. Deer was walking and so I did aim a little forward to account for the movement. I hit it in the neck, it tumbled, got back up staggered about 10' and then took a dirt nap. Bonus because it doesnt waste much meat.

So its just as easy to wound a deer anywhere you fire, however a limping deer can still possibly recover and be able to eat normally, so I think the scapula shot is still a good choice.

#1 was not a perfect shot or the deer would not be running around limping. You hit leg bone. Its a miss. Powder had little to do with it. My son blew clear through a mature buck on a quartering shot on Thursday at 122 yards using 80 grains of pyrodex.

#2 Trying to hit scapula and hitting low on leg at 30 yards is a huge miss. Not sure yardage could have that much to do with it but I would like to think most hunters know what their gun is doing at all yardages before they start blowing legs off deer.

#3 Off to the rear at a mere 60 yards? Big miss.

#4 Again, off to the front at 140 yards. Still a miss.

I really dont see how this is any type of test for the scaplua shot. Sounds more like someone that needs to spend a lot more time at the range. This is the kind of crap that gives deer hunters a bad rap.

 

[Liv4Rut]

last night I shot a doe with the high shoulder shot. She was 30 yards and standing at the top of the hill looking down. I knew if I double lunged her she would make it to the bottom of the hill. She dropped right in her tracks at the shot. I only like to use the high shoulder shot if the deer is relatively close. When they are out there aways it is too easy of a shot to mess up and always go for the double lung.