Deer Hunting (vital or neck shot)

[buzzsaw]

I have only been hunting Deer for the past 7 years, I was taught to shoot the deer in the vitals... I have since spoken with a few hunters who say that if the shot is close in and your gun is sighted properly (as it should be) that you can shoot them in the neck and they will go right down. Well I found out this weekend when I took a deer from 60 yards that if you hit them in the neck they d do go straight down. I didn't have to trail him like I would possibly with a vitals shot. What are your experiences and feedback. I've learned alot through this website and appreciate your comments.

[EXTREME]

I definately would not shoot a wall-mounter in the neck because of damage to hide. I just think that a vitals shot is easier to hit and therefore less likely to wound. I have shot deer in the neck before with success, but I just prefer to shoot them in the ribs. Especially when over 50 yards.

[Gissert]

A proper neck shot will drop them in their tracks for sure.

I shot my first deer through the neck, and I never forgot it. The shot was a tad low and hit the jugular vein instead of the spine. It killed the deer, but was messy and the dear made a lot of bleating sounds. Pretty tough stuff for a 12 year old kid, and it shook me up pretty good.

Ever since then, I have tried to shoot through the lungs, even when they are close. A pass through lung shot through the ribcage (not shoulder) will ruin very little meat and leave a good blood trail should they run off.

[braves57]

Last year I had a 13-pointer looking straight at me and I hit him between the eyes.(Lucky I didn't hit the rack!) 3 days later I had a nice doe stick her head out from some trees and look at me, so I hit her between the eyes. Drops 'em like a sack of potatoes. Wouldn't try it on a long shot but with the right opportunity it makes cutting them up a whole lot easier also.

[Stratosman]

If an entire body is visable I always shoot for the vitals, but if a head or neck shot is the only one available and the shot is relatively close, I'll take that.

[fishinphilth]

I have always shot for the neck. And every time have droped them right away. The one time I shot one in the vitals we had to trail it and didn't find it until the next year when we were planting corn. So for me I well continue to shoot for the neck, because nothing frustrates me more than shooting something and not being able to use the meat for something. Kind of feels like poaching to me.

[buzzsaw]

Awesome replys! I was hoping for this type of feedback. So far my opinion is staying the same. If the deer is within say 100 yards (?) maybe less, I'll take a neck shot and a longer field shot will be in the vitals. Keep your thoughts coming in!

[Harmonica Bear]

I always shot for the vitals, however, a friend of mine always talked about how good neck shots were. Several years ago I tried my first neck shot, and lo and behold, it dropped like a sack of potatoes. Since then I've have made several neck shots that never failed. In all cases though, the deer were close (under 50 yards) and the shots were relatively easy. Last year however, my proponent neck shot buddy, tried a neck shot in thick cover, very close (under 20 yards), and ended up shooting the deer in the jaw. We ended up recovering the deer after a long track, and now I am thinking about going back to heart\lung shots again. It was really a sickening sight seeing that wounded deer. Anyway, I don't think I would ever try a long neck shot but, if it's a trophy and the only shot available......

Hmmm....

well, good luck hunting.

HB

[huskminn]

OK...now I feel the need to defend myself.

I am the "friend" that HB is talking about. I have long been a fan of the neck shot, not so much as the primary target, but as a very valid option. I guess I put a neck shot on the same plane as the vitals, depending on the situation (as all shot selection usually does).

It is the situation that drives the shot. If you've got no rest, it's windy or the deer is moving, then the neck shot becomes a lower percentage shot, for sure. And, remember, the neck shot kills mostly from the shock and not from the damage. A vitals shot tears up lungs or the heart and a deer bleeds to death. If you're going to shoot for the neck, you better be a good shot and be confident in your bullet placement.

I've probably taken 25% of my deer with neck shots. Bucks bedded in high grass, bucks standing broadside with their vitals obscured by cover and bucks facing directly away from me. In my longest shot ever, I even shot one in the neck at 360 paces that was directly facing me. But!! I had a perfect rest, there wasn't a breath of wind, I was confident that I would either kill him or miss him completely. In this case, I wasn't sure of a precise range, so I put the crosshairs on his nose and fired, knowing that bullet drop would place the shot somewhere down his neck.

Now about that aforementioned jaw shot--that is the only time a neck shot attempt has failed me. It wasn't a pretty sight and I felt horrible about having to track that animal, which we recovered and killed about two hours later several hundred yards away. I've never had a buck go that far after having been hit.

I took a marginal shot in the first place. I relied on my "marksmanship" without considering trajectory. I had a shot at the base of his skull (top of his neck) through about a 3" opening in the brush. He was about 25 yards away. I hit just left of his spine and the bullet exited his neck and went through the base of his jaw. He lost a tremendous amount of blood and was basically incapacitated when I caught up to him. It was sad, though and bothered me terribly. I hate to know that I caused an animal to suffer longer than necessary.

Had I hit where I was aiming, the bullet would have hit bone and expanded--the shock would have killed him. However, I didn't account for the fact that my rifle, resting on a solid object and zeroed at 200 yards, was going to shoot 1"-2" high at that range. That was stupid on my part.

Anyway, neck shots can be a great option. But, you have to hit where you're aiming!

[Mr Special]

I think being a bow hunter, is why I mainly go for the vitals. Plus gives me a larger target. But I have hit deer in the neck and it does drop them in their tracks.

Good luck

[Eric Wettschreck]

Down here in dixie (SW Minnesota), we shoot with slugs. I've hit both vitals and necks.

If I have a 50 yard or closer shot, and I can take a neck shot, I'm a takin it. It'll drop em every time.

Like what was said in earlier posts, however, the opportunity the deer gives you will many times determine what type of shot you take.

[hanson]

Good discussion guys!

The little buck I shot last weekend was a vital shot. The bullet went square through the middle of the left shoulder and exited a little behind the right shoulder. Dropped the deer dead in its tracks. While butchering the deer up, there was surpisingly little damage to the shoulder muscle.

I can honestly say that was the first deer I've ever had go down on the spot with a vital shot. It felt great.

I've also personally never taken a neck shot. That was just how my dad tought me. Maybe someday I will but I have all the confidence in the world with a vital shot and tracking the deer afterwards.

[96trigger]

Depends on the gun. Shooting slugs without a scope, I take the vitals EVERY time. It is a much higher percentage shot, and as previously posted, if placed right, will do very little damage. If I'm shooting a rife, with a scope, I would take a neck shot.

I have seen deer hit in the neck run up to 2 miles because it wasn't hit in the spine or windpipe. All deer that I have hit in the vitals have ran a max of 100 yds (most of the time they maybe go 30yds), always with good blood trails easy to find. Most of the time, I see them go. Many people don't know that the proper place to shoot in the vitals is actually behind the front shoulder through the ribs. I have talked to seasoned hunters that aim on top of the front leg. This isn't exactly a high percentage shot.

Just some more info for yah to ponder

[Jigging Bob]

I would go with Vitals,

Where I hunt we use slugs and they aren't the most accurate thing in the world so I guess I feel a heck of alot more comfortable going after the larger area (lungs/vitals)on a deer rather than a smaller neck area. No matter how close they are. Especially a big buck. If you hit them in the vitals they aren't going to far, usually. Besides If they run away I don't mind tracking them. Adds a bit of suspense to the hunt. Besides a Neck shot recks a shoulder mount to. I personally just think it is a better bet to go for the lungs.

Good luck to you all this weekend. I can't wait.

[pikerliker]

I hunt in the rifle zone and usually go for vitals. However that being said I've twice taken neck shots (once this year) and both times they dropped right in thier tracks. If you have an accurate enough weopon, and the shot is not real long, I'd say there is no problem with a neck shot.

~piker

[MasterGophHunter]

I shoot at the vitals. As a matter of fact, I shot a doe this morning about 40 yards away in the vitals and it just dropped. I had a good shot into the lungs with no exit wound so she was done for. My brother on the other hand, shot a smaller buck today in the neck. Dropped him right there too. Although he was aiming for the vitals but his muzzleloader shoots to the left. I guess we know why he missed the other buck yesterday. \

-MGH-

[The_Duckslayer]

The biggest deer that I have ever harvested I got with a headshot (shotgun slug). She was on the other side of the creek from me getting a drink. I put the cross hairs right on the middle of her neck. Just as the hammer started to fall she jerked up and I hit the water between her legs. She just stood there looking at me as if to say, "I can't believe you just tried to kill me” and I was looking at her thinking "I can't believe you’re still alive!" Well she turned and headed back up the creek bank, I jacked in another shell brought the cross hairs to the back of her head and fired round two. She did a summersault and never moved again. When I got the check station though the Ranger had to ask if it was a buck or a doe! That was a pretty gross sight. Every other shot that I have ever taken was a vitals shot. Never had a deer go more than 100 yards and there is always a good enough trail that my brother can track them even… He is color blind so that tracking thing is not very easy for him! I go for the vitals because as other folks have mentioned here there is a bigger area to hit and you always get a very good blood trail. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[bigbucks]

I aim for the vitals when possible, but take any other decent killing shot available. I've hit them in the head while running (accidentaly), now you want to see a deer drop fast... I've shot them in the neck while standing, plenty of running deer have dropped with liver shots & hind legs shot off right at the body, broken backs, etc. Some of those weren't intentional, but certainly effective. A quick finishing shot & it's all over.

[paceman]

The last couple of years I have taken all but one of my deer with a neck shot. With the scoped 06 there is no excuse for a miss nor is there a need for a second shot. The deer drop in thier tracks and barely even twitch. The nice buck I shot this year was taken at 160 yards. No tracking needed. I have shot deer through the lungs/heart and had them run a ways. Never with a neck shot.

[bigbucks]

Okay now come on paceman. I suppose it's true there's no "excuse" for a miss with a scoped rifle, but we're all human, anybody can miss...

[iffwalleyes]

It depends on the situation for me. If I have a open vital shot I probably will take that. But some times that isn't possible. I have also taken in the neck. I have shot 3 so far this year the first was a pefect heart shot ran about 10 yds and dropped dead. The second wasn't a great shot but very effective I shot it in the back and down it went. The last was the worst but it worked I shot the back legs off a running doe she lost a lot of blood but I tracked her a 1/2 mile before I finally came across her. So it all depends. My dad never shoots the vitals he always aims for the neck and I have never had to track a deer for him. They are always in the same spot that he shot them. It all depends on what you are comfortable with.

[Gissert]

I posted earlier in this thread about my neck shot on my frst deer and what happened.

I had the chance to take a neck shot this weekend and passed. I actually thought about this thread. A couple of fawns were standing chest on at about 80 yards. The shot just did not feel good so I let them walk, figuring I'd see more deer later. Well, I did not see any more deer, LOL.

I did not have a good rest, and that neck is a pretty small target when they are standing head on. Especially when they are small deer. I could probably make that shot 95% of the time, but I had this vision with a jaw shot deer getting away and waited for them to turn sideways. They merged head on into some standing corn and they were gone.

No regrets...

[hanson]

One more week went by since I posted my last message in this thread and my thought hasn't changed.

2nd weekend of the season, Saturday morning and a nice deer comes by my stand in the same place I shot the one last weekend. It was definitely colder, I had the shivers going and I couldn't hold the gun as steady on the deer as I wanted too. I did get a good shot at the vitals but missed just a tad left for a gut shot. The deer trots off, obviously hit, while I let out a big breath of air to steam up the whole scene I couldn't see a thing! You'd have thought I shot a muzzleloader.

Anyway, I knew which way the deer went and gave it 20-30 minutes before I went to find it. I walked around the slough to the spot I thought I shot the deer and looked all over and couldn't find anything. So I hung my blaze orange hat in a tree where I thought the deer was at, went and climbed back up into my stand and realized I was 10 yards left of where I had shot. I went back around, went 10 yards to the right and started looking for blood. Finally found some on the trail, started to follow it, and there the deer was- 15 yards away!

I was definitely more excited about this one than the one I got last weekend. I have enough confidence in my tracking to take a vital shot and risk having the deer not leave a very good blood trail. This one happened to leave a very nice trail once I found blood but finding the first spot of blood was tough.

If I would have made the exact same shot at the deers neck last Saturday morning, I would have missed.

(This latest one also will qualify for FM Smallest Buck Champion when the photos get developed. Yep, its a legal photo too!)

[BLACKJACK]

My vote would be for the vitals shot every time, the neck is just a smaller area and less margin for error. The neck shot is glamoursous because of that 'drop in its tracks' affect but the vitals shot has a better chance of killing the deer instead of wounding it. You can be four inches off on a vitals shot and still kill the deer. It may run 50 yards, but its dead on its feet. Its up to us as ethical hunters to try to kill the deer as humanly as possible. Two weeks ago my brother tried the neck shot on a buck, all he could see was the head, he hit it just above the windpipe, luckily the deer ran thirty yards and stopped, he gave it the lights out shot in the vitals. The windpipe shot would have eventually killed it but I hate to think how far we would have had to track it.

[89Bronco]

I go vitals everytime. There's a little more room for error going for those big lungs.

[PikeTipper]

Is there a certain part of the neck to aim for or just any spot on the neck? I've shot 3 deer in the neck (all times were an accident) and all 3 dropped right in there tracks. Wasn't sure if there was something to shooting them in the neck or if I was just getting lucky.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

Depends. On private land I go vitals. Lungs. They always run a little ways but we always find them and nobody else is around to intercept or claim the deer while it is out of site. I've yet to see a lung rifle shot deer go more than 100 yards. Usually less. Little to no meat is ruined depending on angle. I've been trying different shots lately. Shoulder shots drop them but messes up a lot of meat. I would use that shot on a nice deer on public land. Neck shots are great but a small target. If you just want to get the deer center forward half is a great target with the most room for error. That's where I aim using slugs with bead barrel site when they are out a little ways. This weekend I aimed there and it went a little high hitting the spine above shoulder. That is a drop shot for sure but I certainly wouldn't aim for it.

[Jigging Bob]

One year We had a nice buck running and My cousin shot a little low and ended up hitting him in the pecker (the Vitally, vitals)and the [commercial-or-naughty-word] thing just stopped in his tracks. He just stood there, looked at us like you might as well just finish me off now you've taken everything I live for. We ended up saving him from that suffering and put him out of his misery. After wards I told him he was one of the sickest hunters I know. LOL Whoever would do that to any other male species is a bit wrong in the head. LOL

[Kingfisher]

For me it depends on the situation whether to take the neck or vitals shot, most of the time the deer are running over 100 yards away, then a vitals shot is taken. One time I was hunting alone and using a stand in our woods with a ditch for a shooting lane, a nice buck and doe crossed the lane slowly and stopped, I chose the neck shot so I could drag him out with the ATV at the ditch rather than taking a vitals shot and may have to drag him 100 in the woods by myself. The buck dropped in his tracks, making an easy recovery.

[fivebucks]

I have always aimed for the vitals and have only lost one deer in 20+ years of hunting. I hunt public land but it is the great north woods so there isn't the problem of someone else pounding it after I hit it.