Deer Hunting Ethics question
 

I was reading an article the other day in Field & Stream about the perfect shot placement to kill an animal quickly. The article said to shoot deer, hogs, etc. behind the shoulder or in the shoulder. The article stated that shooting an animal in the head is unethical.

What is your opinion on shooting deer,hogs, etc in the head? Ethical or not?

My son and I shoot all of our deer/hogs in the head unless we are going to mount it. Reasons why: 1. No meat gets messed up. Even if you shoot behind the shoulder you still get blood clots on the shoulder and rib cage. 2. They don't run away! No tracking in cactus, thickets, thorns, ponds, gullys, etc. 3. No chance to gut shoot if you flinch -- chances are that if you flinch you will miss cleanly and no harm/no foul.

Just looking for different opinions.

I have taken head shots before with success. But what changed my mind on it was with a 150 yd shot from a 7 mag being about 2" low and removing most of the lower jaw. Had to track it and put it down. (about an hour after the initial shot, and she was running.) It would have probably bleed out finally, if not it would have starved. It's also not real pretty to look @. Some prospective hunters may be turned off by the sight..IMO.

While a head shot is usually very effective...... [IMO] The head is a small target area [eye and ear area that will hit the brain].

Probably what the article means is that it is likely that the shot placement could be low or more in the jaw area which may not be fatal.

The same holds true for a neck shot. A shot placed in the center of the neck will break the spinal cord and/or the major arteries. But if the shot is off just a little, it may not be fatal.

A shoulder shot [or just behind the shoulder] is a bigger target. Therefore, for the average shooter, the shoulder is a better choice.

Anyone that gun hunts very much, knows that on the average you will hear several gun shot misses, for each deer killed. Why.....IMO, poor shooting ability or taking bad shots.

Go to a rifle range [like Sherburne WMA] and watch what the "hunters" do while there. A high percentage will have a fancy shooting rest that they use while shooting. They take several shots [using the rest] and check how they [the rifle] are shooting. They may make adjustments to the rifle scope to get the gun on target. Then they shoot a few more shots....if they are hit the bull's-eye, they stop shooting thinking they are ready to hunt.

Again....IMO....they probably should practice shooting without the fancy rest because they will not have it in the woods. If they can still hit the bull's-eye without the rest, they are ready hunt.

FYI....I am not perfect either, but I like to think my shooting ability is way above average.

I was raised where if I has hunting close to briars or thickets and I wanted to shoot a doe, it had to be a head shot or I had to track it by myself.

I had this same exact thing happen to me. Shot the bottom jaw off. She flipped flopped all over screaming then got up take off. Ended up having to shoot her again. Wasn't a pretty sight.

90% of the deer I have shot behind the shoulder have dropped in their tracks. And the ones that run usually go no more than 20 yards.

This is well debated subject. And I have seen the effects of head shots and neck shots gone wrong. Some are terrible to look at and I can understand why some think unethical but I believe the same about a shoulder shot. If you cant put your bullet where you aim you won't always have a clean kill. Like someone else mentioned must hunters get there rifle on the bulls eye then pack it up. I shot my favorite deer rifle year round, always trying to improve and it has helped kill more deer. Too many hunters are ready for the deer that comes out in the middle of the green field and poses but have no clue what to do when they have a deer at 30 yards in thick briars and only a head, neck or piece of shoulder to shot at. Or too many are unprepared for the big buck that comes out on the shooting lane never stopping giving us a 3 second or less chance to get our eye to the scope, crosshairs to the deer and pull the trigger.

I don't like shoulder shots due to wasted meat but I hate seeing an animal suffer due to a poor shot,I think a lot of the problem is most people shoot to big of a caliber for the animals we have here causing more damage then needed.... just my thought

If a shoulder shot is placed right you don't mess up any meat.

I've shot 2......
1 in the neck and one in the shoulder.

I should have shot the first one in the neck as well.

My father in law has killed probably a 100 deer and he hits them right where the head meets the neck 75% of the time, when they hit the ground they dead 90% of the time. The only deer he shoots in the shoulder are bucks which will be made into sausage anyway. I say closer that 75 shoot them in the neck after that, shoulder shots.

Shooting through the vitals is the only way to go with a Bow so thats what I do. Too much can go wrong with head shots IMHO.

One of the first head shots I made I was about 9 years old still hunting with my dad in a box stand in the middle of a cutover. Small doe walks out and after asking my dad for 30 minutes to let me shoot it, he finally gives in. But says gotta be a head shot cause we are in the middle of this cutover. I shoot and the deer crumbles. My dad tells me to go look and make sure it isn't a button buck. I get about 3-4 steps from it and it jumps up and is looking at me. I had hit it in the nose and blew its whole face off. Jaws and everything. It was a terrible sight. I still feel bad to this day. Then to top it off my dad walks up and tries to cut its throat but it was young and had a lot of flabby skin and he couldn't cut through it. He tried to just stab it in the neck and it kicked him in the hand splitting his hand wide open. He had to get stitches. Last time I have tried to cut the throat on a deer.

Or just use a bow.

I agree with this. I have not done it, I shoot the shoulder, but have talked to several hunters who have done something similar.

#4 buckshot aimed at the neck. Something is gonna connect in the right spot

I'd say shooting young basket rack bucks is more unethical. If you can make the shot don't waste any meat. IMO no excuse for bad shot out of box blind when you can put a shelf and beanbag to rest on.

Totally disagree with the basket rack statement. If I am hunting and I want to venison, I am shooting whatever walks out and it is not unethical.

This is why deer leases are getting so dang expensive. Most people want to grow and shoot monster bucks, but not everyone. It is a personal choice and you should be able to shoot what you want without everyone else judging you.

I have let deer walk in the past and will in the future, but I already had meat in the freezer for the year, but if it is legal, shoot it if you want it.

I envy all you snipers out there. I have been shooting rifles for 30 years and still suck. I have been through training and have to qualify with Ar-15 every year for my job. Now give me a handgun or shotgun and im all good. My wife and kids kill me at the shooting range. I once completely missed a Audad sheep at 25 yards. That thing was three times as big as a whitetail. So needless to say im shooting behind the shoulder. The more vital organs the better.

Tx is 13in spread minimum. The quality has really increased since that change. If you just want meat shoot a doe.

Sgib, TX and LA are different places and most of the places I hunt, if I just wait on a doe, I may not kill.

Gotta put food on the table!

Some of us hunt public land. Some us like to eat deer. I will take what ever oppurtunity presents itself. Asking about ethics on a forum is fruitless. Everyone goes by a different set of ethics.

And I agree with this.:spineyes:

Depends what part of Texas. Unless they recently went state wide.

I concur. Rule on my places are if it has horns, you have to mount it if you shoot it. Except for cow horn spikes. We shoot those.

Lots of people have the "if it's brown, it's down" mentality in LA. Reason we will never be able to compete with TX in deer. I'm going to Sanora, TX Dec 5th hopefully get to lay a big boy and a few exotics down.

I respectfully disagree. My deer philosophy is I am going to shoot the first deer I can (most times, not a 80 lb deer) Then I get a little more picky. After I have 2 or maybe 3, depending on my son, I go to hunting horns.

A few years ago, the brown down mentality was dominate, but it is slowly changing. Most hunter you talk to on WMA's even now will pass on some deer. Now I am not talking about the ones that only go to hunt WMA's on doe days.

It's not unethical, it's your choice.

You are right. People are doing a little better. I have no problem with shooting does. Hell, fill up the back of your truck if that's what you like. I for one don't even enjoy deer meat except backstrap and sausage. And I DO NOT enjoy cleaning deer at all. I was forced to clean so many when I was a kid for everyone else in the club. They would just stack them up at the cleaning rack and me and my buddy would have to clean them all. I have just got to the point to where big horns are the only thing that gets my blood pumping when it comes to deer hunting. Trust me, I have killed more than my fair share of small bucks and does.

I am all for kids getting out there and laying them down though. My nephew busted a big ole doe this past Saturday morning with my gun. I think my dad was more excited than he was. Now he's trying to tell me I need to find a new gun.

I definitely don't think its unethical to shoot small bucks or head shots. Everyone has there choice. Just isn't for me.

I for one like deer meat. I just don't care to shoot em anymore. And I don't mind cleaning them. I've cleaned a many and I can clean a deer faster than I can clean a duck. Somebody needs to give me a deer!!

Spectator hasn't killed a deer in his life. I'm pulling for you this yr bud! Hahaha

If its legal, I won't judge another hunter's ethics. I've taken a few head shots. I've taken a few neck shots. I take mostly shots to the center of the chest. It depends on the gun, the rest, the range, how settled the deer looks, and how hard a tracking job might be if the deer runs 100 yards from a chest shot. I learned that nothing puts deer down like a 125 Nosler Ballistic Tip in the shoulder blade. And if a less than perfect shot misses the shoulder blade, the deer might run 50 yards on average. Yes, the shoulder shot ruins a bit of meat, but I believe a deer on the ground is worth two in the bush, and the meat wasted in 20 shoulder shots is a better deal than one long tracking job which may or may not result in meat.

U need to defrost that other roast so I can pick it up Monday and get it ready for duck eve!

Thanks man. :)Attachment 42217

Head shots are gay, trophy deer management is gay, and high fences are gay:)

Deer hunting is becoming like bass fishing and duck hunting is almost there as well. Shoot what you want, put it on the wall if you want, just eat it that is what they are there for.

I think its only unethical if you are breaking the law or wasting, Now I DON'T really agree with posting pics of your head shots and bragging about it to some people the pics are sick and unethical and people have different convictions. I'll let everyone opinions be there own and won't encourage there offense or encourage them letting me know what they think (most of time I don't care to know). the point is a quick and as painless as possible death for the animal. what is unethical is not looking for an animal that you shot, or letting it go to waste. As far as trophys go, what one man lets pass, may be a trophy for someone else as far as its legal, its legal and anyone offended about the kill should keep it to there self or go hunt where its resticted to what they think they should kill.

X2

when did this change take place?

I think its only certain areas of Texas.

Sure was nice of your pops to let you have his mounts

He's a good man.

We might be able to do dat!