Head shots on deer

I've seen some mention of deer head shots on here. Any hunter that does that is making an unethical shot, in my opinion. Good way to blow a deer's jaw off. But I'm sure y'all are all better shots than me

Gotta take that lethal neck shot

Yep. There's about 10x more real estate in the neck vs their little walnut brain.

Too risky a shot for me. Right behind the shoulder has always served me well. I've only had one deer go more than thirty yards.

I've only taken a couple head shots but the deer was down,just not dead. They didn't look to be in the last death throws,just couldn't get up and I saw no reason to let them suffer or ruin more meat. Thought they might try to run if I tried to get close enough to use the knife.

I don't see head shots as ethical in any way.

Head shots are usually uuuggglly.

It's dang sure good to read these posts.

Yes the are.

Did it once. Won't ever do it again. Fuuggggglllyyy.

I like a neck shot provided I have a solid rest. Drop in tracks.

Neck shot folds them up

Pisses me off to no end when i hear people talking about trying to shoot a deer in the head. But on the flipside a buddy called me out on shooting hogs in the head. I guess i out deer on a higher pedestal

Bet they bleed out good. Sure a few people with small caliber in an open field and good support can hit on a dime almost everytime at short distances. Read an article on thinning of herd on national park land the guys could do that at night with .223 and they would drop everytime and not run off.

Neck shot at reasonable range drops them in their tracks with no damage to meat

Fine I will be the bad guy

I've done it in the past.

Probably lots have done it. I won't ever, ever, do it again.

Many folks have. I just think it's pointless and prone to error.

I've done it with success in a milo field where the only thing you could see was the head when they looked up. Damn hard shooting.

I head shot a Jan 31 fawn at the landowners insistance(he was standing beside me) to fill antlerless tags. I argued against it, then gave in and shot his, yes HIS, jaw off. I told the landowner to get his fat ass over there and finish it off. I was pretty mad all the way around. Haven't tried a head shot since then and that was 30+ years ago.

Killed a couple that was the only shot I had.

So I don't know that it's pointless.

Definitely isn't optimal. If there is another shot I will take it. Sometimes things don't always line up optimally. At least for me.

I know an old fella that all he does is head shots. He ear holes them with a .22 mag

I knew a fella that did the 22mag/earhole thingy...mostly at night.

Less sound ain't it Fred?

Lol, im sure youve known a few like that

used to be an old man hunted Tusc Co with a 22 short, walking BAREFOOT at night. It took many years to catch him.

I do like a neck shot especially under 100 yards.

I found a deer once that a club member shot in the neck on the edge of a clearcut. Hit her with a .270. She ran about 150 yards into the woods and died. Left no blood and was not recovered before the meat spoiled. It's pure myth that a neck shot deer will absolutely fold on the spot. unless you get bone.

Well you can't just toss that one out there and not tell the whole story!!!!

I've prolly killed a box car load of does with head shots. If the biggest buck in Alabama was peeking around a tree and I thought he was about to explode out of there , I'll cut his head off. Gimme 20 lashes with a wet noodle.

shucks!

I've never done it, and will never try. I assume when y'all are talking heads shots we're talking ear hole. Are y'all considering a neck shot a head shot also?

Doe - behind the shoulder.
Buck - in the shoulder.

I should mention I hunt with a 338WM.

Best shot no doubt on a slick head IMO.I challenge myself on the shot and makes the older ones taste better, I guess with a rifle you can look at it as a fighting chance for the deer but it makes terrible pics with that bug eye look.

Once I shot the lower jaw off a doe, I quit that crap. Believe me, it happens.

How does a head shot make an older doe taste better?

It doesnt

It's based on the manor of preparation.

instant death guarantee Clem, the only tense muscle is the eyeball muscle. (I don't eat that part)

I'm calling BS...

I see what you did there.

I used to have a doe on some property thatbhad a hole about 30 cal. Sized that went through both ears that looked like an attempted head shot. Dad shot her with his 35 rem behind the shoulder 2 yrs later she didn't run far after that. I passed a head shot monday on sam r murphy on a doe that all she'd do is stick her head out. I wanted a better shot/bigger target beeing in the brush. I feel like hitting a head vs hitting a behind the shoulder shot are odds of a success rate of putting meat in the fridge and i like deer meat

I don't do head shots. - too much risk for the deer for me to do that. To each his own though.

Remington 270 when did your opinion become law?

Until you blow the jaw off and it starves to death.

This.

If your confident in the shot, then i dont see an issue with it. Its 100% use of the deer, no ruined meat and its lights out for the deer. Ive never attempted it and doubt i ever will...

It's no different than shooting squirrels or coons in the head with a .22. Y'all are elevating deer to a higher standard than other animals. If you're confident in your equipment and ability and don't take shots past your affective range then there's nothing wrong with it.



This wasn't on purpose but looks cool anyway.

I did kind of the same thing as ^^^^^. Shot at a buck going to the left and he spun, ducked right into the arrow, Muzzy to the brain. DRT.

Slugguns and my post are why you don't try to head shoot deer. They move, and the head moves first. It dosen't have to move very much at all to turn a killing shot into a real mess.

Reno and Sluggun make good points , it has a lot to with confidence and skill level. The hunter who does not have the shooting skill level and woods time is not equipped to take the shot as is the old boy who grew up killing a limit of skwerls with all heads shots and who has killed hundreds of deer. IMO, it's acceptable if you have the skill set.

About 4 years ago I had a big old stud slip in right on top of me in some thick timber. He paralleled me , staying just inside the jungle thick cedars and vines. There was about 4 does milling around the open timber and he got a whiff of them. I had my rifle on him , hoping he'd bust out in the middle of the does. That wasn't his first rodeo, he was holding tight. I caught movement and the doe train was coming right in front of me. The lead doe stopped about 10 yards and she knew something was up. This deal was going bad in a hurry. Only kill shot I had was where his neck connected to his head through a hole about the size of a softball.

I agree.

If you are not confident that you can hit a deer's head......then, you need to spend more time practicing your shooting skills and less time hunting.

One that stands out was the time I walked up on a doe in a Greenfield. I didn't have any meat so far so I decided she was it. She never would turn around so with her butt facing me she put her head down to get some more grass. I put the crossbars on the white patch under her jaw. It took the entire top of her head off. But she didn't run,twitch etc. And no meat damaged. If a person is confident in their abilities and their rifle is accurate then that's one of the most humane shots there are.

nope, not me, unh-uh!

I shoot most Does in the head or Throat patch.

I aimed for his eye, but shot a little low at 300 yards. He didn't take another step..

Behind the shoulder is what I chose to do. Though I have made some head shots. Shot one a couple years ago with a Tornado incoming decided a head or nothing, so I could get the he'll up out of there before shucks got crazy

If y'all could see what I see every season for the past 20+ years I don't think you would take any more head OR neck shots. Last week we tracked a deer7 1/2 miles that had his tongue shot out. We didn't get him. My dog is out for the rest of Ga. season because she was gored by a neck shot deer. We got him.

and i'll do it in the future if i need to .

I have on does to conserve meat. I would again if I thought it was a good idea.

I've done it twice and enjoyed the chit out of blowing ones head up. nothing like the fresh scent of brain matter mixed with alittle gun powder

I think it is a highly humane kill. I don't like the graphic nature of it, but it is what it is. However, it is a technically challenging shot for MOST hunters. That decreased area for a clean kill means I stay away from it. I shoot low chest shoulder and go pick my deer up. If it runs, I trail it. Honestly the meat that's in the shoulder isn't that good anyway. Lots of fibrous connective tissue, don't really care about loosing any.

Had a buddy last year head shot a doe at 60 yards with a 300 mag...looked like somethin out of a saw film haha

I head shoot all my turkeys. Does that count??

You're just sick, buddy.

I'll go ahead and be a dick and call BS at 300 yards. Sorry

That's a good shot, very doable.

I'd take a head shot within 100 yards in a heartbeat if I was positive my rifle was sighted in accurately

I was trying to stir the damn pot but you just had to ruin it didn't you?

I will pass on a deer if I cant get a clean chest shot.

My bad pal. 300 yd head shot with a super duper bean field magnum and a 10-40 hubble on top is pretty much a gimme. Now if he says he shot him with paw paws 30 30 using iron sights, I ll call bs.

I can't believe no one has posted the "Brang Da Pain!" video in this thread.

Brang Da Pain!!!!

My favorite shot is when they are head on with head down eating. Shoot base of neck between shoulders. You get CNS and vitals and bang flop.

I will take a neck shot with certain rifles though, the ones that I know shoot extremely tight and proven groups at range.

I've actually picked up the jaw with teeth intact on a deer i helped trail. The guy always shot for the head. IMO the "head shot" people do it for Ego. Simply no logical reason for it.

So you eat the lungs?

Precisely.

i shot them in the head because i can . as for as the ethical bs , set on it and spin .


you wanna be ethical , tote a camera !!!!!

dress it any way you want , you are killing some thing so trying to tell me how to kill some thing goes right on by .

i dont eat the brains either . you get about 10 qts of soup out of the front shoulders . i think thats a fair amount grub useless you just want vegetable soup ..

Love a good head shot! My longest so far is a confirmed 260 yards, but I only take them with guns that I know are sub-0.5 MOA. Nothing beats a head shot bang-flop, except the "bring da pain" video... NEVER gets old!

Never have,never will..Seen some bad chit from idiots "trying" to make headshots.To much room for error and I don't understand taking that chance just to blow a deers jaw off and it die a slow miserable death.

There will always be dumbasses that have to try it

i was worried about a deer suffering , i wouldn't hunt.

so its ok to only make a deer suffer and die in the ways yall do it and wrong if other do it different ?

degrees of suffering,,, to kill a deer you can only cause X amount of suffering

bet the deer would say the same as a hound at a peta shelter right before its put to sleep ,,,,, i don't wanna die .

No but I have eaten hearts and livers and always eat shoulders and neck. Neck roast is much better than I expected.

I have never taken a head shot, I know i can hit one in the head no problem what bothers me is the fact that if the head moves just a little then you have either missed or just wounded it..

I shot two deer this same exact way this year.
Dropped dead right where they stood.

I would bet way more deer run off and suffer from bow hunting than bad head shots. Bow hunting must be completely unethical right?

I've taken head shots before but prefer high neck shots. Saves the meat. I had a friend try a head shot, only to shoot low and blow the lower jaw off of it. I was one plot over when the deer came trotting in to view and it wasn't pretty. I finished it off but it changed my thought process for taking that shot.

Shot distance 50 yards.
Weapon DPMS GII .308 Lite Hunter
Reason because I could.

I take head shots all the time under 100 yds, learn how to shoot accurately and it's easy, never missed and never had one run off.

keep at it, your time will come.

Good job covering those spikes up with the boot

No way you have shot at many then!

Your are a lucky man sir! I shot a doe opening weekend, double lunged with 300 WSM a piece of lung was blown off and lodged in the exit hole, not much blood and the deer ran about 75 yards.

my thoughts exactly

I heard that people who take head shots at deer are trying to compensate for having a small penis, just saying....

No blood trail.

And for you penis guys...

Lonster, you were already around, so no need for a second dick.

Hahahaha!

my wife send you that?

........I heard it was the short range, super duper magnum caliber crowd that have little ones swinging .

Sorry you can't hit $hit bibb county but I can.

If you can't hit what your aiming at maybe you shouldn't shoot at all. when you can it's your call.Confidence in your ability (or lack of) should dictate your shot. Not opinions from self proclaimed experts.

I guess ya'll experts deer never move???

You gotta pattern the deer Freddy, give em time to settle in, I don't understand why y'all experts think it so hard.

it ain't hard sonny, its just that it is easy to shoot just as a deer turns its head. I'm glad you are so very good that you never make a mistake. You are my new hero....

I feel honored to be your hero Fred, thanks. I never said I didn't make mistakes, I just haven't made one on a head shot. I'd say I'm close to 20 or so over the years, I don't always take a head shot but when the moment presents itself I take advantage of it. Ya'll keep doing what you do, and I'm gone keep doing what I do. Merry Christmas

Pretty damn much..It takes a dumbass to take a head shot purposely on a deer..That's my opinion..Just like you have your opinion..I just don't understand why anyone would wanna take a headshot on a deer.I don't give a rats ass if I piss you or everyone on this forum off..If you purposely take headshots on deer I think you're a dumbass.

I agree with Trox. Too many things can go wrong with headshots. That deer moves, wind gusts, wrong yardage estimated, and yyou've blown their lower jaw off but not killed them. Its just a highly unethical shot in my opinion. I don't give two craps how well you THINK you can shoot. Btw the largest majority of folks claim to be a helluva lot better shot than they actually are IMHO. isaw a guy bragging on fb the other day about taking a 325yd head shot on a doe with his .300win. Kinda made me want to kick him in the nuts for being a liar and for bragging about it

Like I said, its all about EGO.

killed a pile of them with a a5 32" full and a load of #1's. shot em in face, back of head side head and in neck. when your driven you better be shooting to try to kill quick cause if he makes it to stand line on one leg and somebody finishes him off thats there buck.

Get em. I expected better from members of this forum

I shoot squirrels in the head, is this wrong?

I shoot turkeys in the head, is this wrong?

I've shot deer in the head, why is this wrong?

I bet lots of you whiners have gut shot deer while trying to shoot them behind the shoulder.

On Christmas day I strangled a bobcat to death, I have the video if you want to see it.

If I want to beat a deer in the head with a hammer that's my business.

If I was going to be killed by execution I would hope for a shot to the head.

I'm just a "dumbass" with a doctorate degree.

nope, yer just a dick, well Dr Dick....

Doctorate degree don't mean chit to me.Some of the dumbest folks I know have college degrees with a $150k plus per year salary...Book smarts they got...Walking around sense and just plain old common sense they dont..Not saying that's you but sounds mighty close to me..I just think it takes a weird sob to go out,see any deer and say..Hey,I'm gonna shoot this deer in the head because I can.I don't care to blow a deers brains all over the woods,don't care to blow eyeballs out,don't care to shoot ones jaw off..Just a damn nasty way to kill a deer and I think it's just stupid.With that said it's perfectly legal so yall do whatever makes your Dick stick up..I just won't do it.I have boogered deer up on long shots and lost deer that I wounded..It sucks but it happens...but deer are tough..a shot low in the leg can and will heal,a graze across a belly will heal..A jaw blown off will not heal and that deer will die from starvation within a few weeks..If that's what yall into go for it.Yall probably the same people that,as kid's buried cats with their heads sticking outta the ground and run over em with the lawnmower..Damn weirdos

never, ever, never I say, pizz off a Mesican........

Trox if you woulda had that messican car jack rest you probably wouldn't have missed all those deer and butchered them up.

Please, yes.

PM me your cell number and I'll send it.

I'll call your bluff on "strangling a bobcat to death". If you really did it....that's weird. Could you not find a hammer?

When I came to this forum I could have sworn the title said "Serious Deer Talk Forum"...it appears to be the professional WHINERS and CRYBABIES forum.

Once received it must be posted

For the "Serious WHINERS".

Pm'd you for the bobcat video lonster.

Sent to you and Clem. Y'all have my permission to post it or send it to whoever you want to.

Reloder...still sending on my end (Clem received it).

For you haters/"penis guys" even my videos are L O N G!

I knew a guy that said he was turkey hunting , yelping at the time and one jumped him. Said all he could do was choke it out. Don't know if that's true or not but he told it to be.

I used a choke pole. Mine was in a trap. They choke out pretty quick. The turkey hunter...if he didn't have LOTS of stitches to show you, he was lying.

Well hell, anybody can choke the $umbich out with a pole. I thought you meant bare handed.

I'm not a dumbass!

With a choke pole its like having a 50lb bass on the end of the line!!!!

Lonster that was interesting to say the least, I have caught them in live traps and they got the 22 syndrome.

exactly what I would expect yer azz to have.

head shots on deer and climbing trees without harnesses. Neither make sense to me, but each his own.

I know but it's to heavy to tote around in the woods.

i don't care enough to get mad about it , don't piss me off .

i blow the jaw off a ole flop eared nanny , well it is what it is . i feel the same about a gut shot squirrel that runs in a hole . deer aint nothing but horns on the wall and meat on the table .


you'll never read any where that i like head or neck shots but i will take them . so far i've lost none to head shots .


but as Fred said you take head shots often your luck will be bad . but then again you shot enough you gonna lose one . i've killed well over 500 deer i'm well pleased with my handful and a half i've lost .

i aint pretty enough to have a ego .

old saying been around a long time . you aint gonna kill $hit if you don't shot .

while some you boys be waiting on that standing still broad side perfect shot , i'll be putting deer in the truck .

Mike Slocumb, ( the Alabama Hammer), takes head shots.