We had a lady shoot one in the neck at fairly close range and it dropped. She said it was an 8 point. While putting her gear up it got up and ran off. No trail and it wasn't found. A couple of weeks later another hunter in the same stand shot an 8 point. Upon cleaning a through and through hole in the neck was found that was healing.

Guess that buck didn’t learn his lesson the first time.

I’ve seen quite a few dropped by a pellet or two of 00 buck in the neck when I was growing up.
I’m not against neckshots, I just think it’s a crapshoot depending where you connect.
Lungs/heart is more reliable and allows a larger margin of error.
Too far forward and you’re shoulder/neck. Too far back and you’er liver.

I call BS. Bad shooters get bad outcomes.

Yep

You but that bullet just below the head and dead center of the neck and it's lights out 100 % of the time. DRT! I'll only take that shot when necessary though.

How and when do you know it is "necessary"?

Neck shots are for guys who need to brag about what good shots they are. Never understood why you would take one if you have a shot at the vitals, you’re just ruining good meat. Personally I’ve got badges from the Army that tell me how good I can shoot, I don’t need to risk maiming a deer to have a d*ck measuring contest. Having said that I have had to make a neck shot before and the deer dropped like a sack of hammers.

Any good experienced shooter knows that as you decrease your receiving aperture the margin for any external factors (movement, wind, etc) are limited and those are completely out of your control. When I squeeze the trigger I like to mitigate things like that out of the equation because I was taught one shot one kill and the most efficient way to do that is vitals.

If it’s a risk for you then you must have a marksman badge

The neck is subject to moving far further and far more quickly than the heart/lung area. In the instant between your trigger squeeze and the bullet impact. the deer can move a fairly small/thin target, the spine between his head and shoulders, several inches up or down. A miss of only an inch, not because the shooter is not skilled, but because that inch wide target on a fulcrum is not where it was when the trigger was pulled, can easily leave a shot through nothing but soft tissue. A bullet is likely to make quarter to third inch hole straight through. If the animal is lucky, days of pain and eventual healing. If not, a slow death from blood loss, infection, or starvation, or inability to breathe Our experience was that people who had hunted for a little while would try it, then outgrow it. Some of them are excellent shots. YMMV

Expert but doesn’t change anything about what I said.

Been neck shooting for years and never had a deer leave the spot
I sure don’t need a badge to tell me I can shoot and I certainly won’t be shamed for doing it
I also kill them with a high velocity .224……hope y’all have problems with that too

I wish I would have took that shot last yr on dec.22nd....Only shot I had at him at around 70 yds, He stood there for several minutes and I kept telling myself to shoot because I knew what was fixing to happen....Yep, It happened...He spun around and hauled arse...Smh...Live and learn...

I once had a doe - head down facing me - and decided to shoot her in the head. I popped her right between the eyes. Never again. It was a mess. For me, there is nothing worse than the smell of brains. I can clean the nastiest, gut shot, stank'n deer with no problem. Then, I cut off horns and want to puke at the smell of brains.

Because they have to bleed out that heart is still pumping

I assume you're being a smarty-pants by asking this question...whether you're a prick or genuinely interested, the answer is simple...the "how" and "when" comes with experience and how bad you want the animal in question.

You know, I think taking that shot or not taking it is just a personal thing. Many people won't do it, some do. Like much in life. You probably made the right decision. I would've shot...:)

Funny thing is I bet there are several guys bemoaning neck shooters that have probably shot deer in the a$$.

Here is my comment....



This message board right here.... It is riddled with folks who can't find their deer the shot "at"... and the answers for this that come back from those who are equally or an even worse shots themselves... y'all just chalk it all up to bullet failure.

Most of you can't shoot well enough to be trying "Neck" shots beyond 25 yards. I think that's the most realistic answer.

We've got widespread issues of hitting "a deer" anywhere period at 25 IMO. With a freaking rifle.

I’ll be the first to own up to that. I’ve taken a Texas heart shot before. Deer died but jeez it was awful. The shot was true and right where it was supposed to be. Like I mentioned above I’ve taken a neck shot before and the deer dropped immediately. Both times I took shots outside the vitals I justified it with the excuse “it was the only shot I had” when in reality I probably could have waited 15-30 seconds and not wasted all that meat.