# Shooting a deer in the neck with bow? why not?



## gold3499 (Mar 28, 2009)

*rage*

With a rage broadhead, I wouldn't hesitate. They'll kill it if you hit the ear even.


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## B-G-K (Sep 19, 2009)

I have shot two in the neck. Both were deflections off of small twigs i couldnt see, both dropped on the spot. I wouldnt try for it, but it can easily be fatal


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

Interesting...:darkbeer:


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## team_realtree (Mar 17, 2009)

im not sure why you would? if you have the chance to shoot the lungs theres nothing better. If its not breathing its not living. The only situation where i could see you have to do this would be quartering to or a head on shot. Im not that familiar with the neck area vitals but mabey its a good shot??


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## NocBuster (Jan 5, 2009)

I wouldn't try it because a deer moves its head around a lot, the time that it takes a bullet to reach a deer is a heck of a lot less then an arrow..


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## gold3499 (Mar 28, 2009)

*neck shot*

There are other times when it is the only shot - for example, when they are in tall grass and the grass would possibly deflect your arrow from hitting true. I've had that happen.


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## sits in trees (Oct 9, 2006)

come on guy's, do we even have to do justice to this question by giving it an answer?


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## SlingingArrows (Sep 27, 2009)

If you hit in the lower part of the neck then you can hit the wind pipe and/or the juglar artery. Both of these are fatal shots. But if you miss those or hit anywhere in the upper part of the neck, there is a good chance that the deer will live. Its a high risk shot as those are pretty small targets. 

Aim for the vitals. Even with such big targets there is enough to go wrong.


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## swamphunter (Jan 25, 2003)

I took one once way back when through the neck because a guy setup my bow improperly and the broadhead hit the riser and deflected high left. The spike did drop on the spot and had a big hole through his spine/neckbone.
I would not advise taking a neck shot. Unless you hit the spine and have enough ke to sever it (we're talking a one or two inch margin of error). Way too risky and too easy to wound the animal. Mine was pure happenstance and was more than a decade ago. I shoot daily now as well as tune my own bow. Its just not a good shot imho.


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## ShootNow (Jul 27, 2008)

*Tough ?*

If they don't drop it usually turns into a long hard tracking nightmare.
I have had them bleed for long distances. I would try everything not to, but that is up to each person. What is OK for some may not be for others!
Just one opinion.


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## klemsontigers7 (Jul 1, 2008)

82ndArcher07 said:


> I was talking to my grandpa who has hunted for several years with a rifle about hunting with a bow. We started talking and I told him my best shot would be right behind the shoulder blade. He asked my"why not shoot him in the neck"? I couldnt tell him why not but it just didnt seem right. *Would it be a good choice to try to shoot it in the neck?**Why or why not?*


...


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## johnnyv917 (Jul 5, 2009)

ive dropped 3 in the neck with 30.06


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## Martial Archer (Jun 8, 2003)

Trolling are we?


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## NoSecondBest (Jan 18, 2009)

The neck is a very poor choice for a kill shot. The windpipe will not kill the animal very quickly, it's a slow death for the animal. Hitting the spine may or may not drop the animal, and the carotid arteries are a very small target and it's just dumb a** lucky if you hit them. No ethical hunter, or knowledgable hunter, would ever shoot for the neck with a bow. Everyone has a story about hitting one in the neck and getting it but the people who shot them in the neck and didn't get them don't seem to want to jump in here and talk about it. I once saw a deer shot just under the tail standing broadside and it ran about ninety yards and fell over dead. That doesn't make it a good shot. I also saw a person shoot one in the head and never recover the animal. It ran away with the arrow completely through the head. I'm sure it died and there are people on here who think it's a sure thing if you shoot them in the head. The only ethical shot is the heart/lung area and plent of those deer get away because the arrow is close to the vitals but not in the kill zone. You need to match the anatomy to your ability.


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## fishycatfish (Dec 10, 2005)

klemsontigers7 said:


> You, my friend,


...


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## abps1 (Feb 11, 2006)

Hmmm :zip:


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## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

gold3499 said:


> With a rage broadhead, I wouldn't hesitate. They'll kill it if you hit the ear even.


right on,but...........no mount ....cut its head clean off!:mg:


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## B-G-K (Sep 19, 2009)

He's just asking a question. He didnt say that he was planning on it...only he couldnt justify why not to his grandfather. We're all here to learn.


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## walleye rev (Nov 24, 2003)

Why does he have to be an Idiot, just for asking a question??? This is a Bowhunters forum, where we ask questions that we don't know the answer too, Hoping that someone who knows the answer will give us their opinion. I think this is exactly what 82ndarcher07 has done. 

I don't think that makes him an idiot.......Just someone wanting an answer to a Bowhunting question............

Rev.........


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## Bakdahelup (Jul 27, 2009)

yes and no, no and yes


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## wtwilli (Nov 25, 2008)

*neck shots*

I've hit 2 deer over the years in the neck with a broadhead.One was a spike at 35yards Quartering away shot forward slit throat 100yards later dead deer.Other was a 135 10pt that still haunts me,he ran away with my arrow never to be seen again.In summary I"ll save neck shots for the 7mm.


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## solohunter (Feb 22, 2005)

By this picture,I would say no...
solohunter
the dots are my sight and how I aim......from another thread


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## walleye rev (Nov 24, 2003)

I shot a big doe last year with my bow, I hit a small branch and thought it was going to be a clean miss, the arrow deflected into her neck, She went down like a ton of bricks, dead in her tracks..............

I still would never aim at the neck on purpose, Double lung em, and down they go.......

Rev...........


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## jmast (Nov 30, 2007)

cousin hit one in the neck years ago. we ended up finding him, 6 months later about a mile from where he shot him. 
my experience would point towards no.


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## Lonestar63 (Mar 19, 2007)

walleye rev said:


> Why does he have to be an Idiot, just for asking a question??? This is a Bowhunters forum, where we ask questions that we don't know the answer too, Hoping that someone who knows the answer will give us their opinion. I think this is exactly what 82ndarcher07 has done.
> 
> I don't think that makes him an idiot.......Just someone wanting an answer to a Bowhunting question............
> 
> Rev.........


Good answer Rev.

I'm not taking the shot myself, but last year a friend of mine had his arrow hit a twig, and deflect into the neck of a doe he was aiming at.

She dropped like a rock, and there for a while he was pretty excited about neck shots, but i think he's overcome that.


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## team_realtree (Mar 17, 2009)

B-G-K said:


> . He's just asking a question. He didnt say that he was planning on it...only he couldnt justify why not to his grandfather. We're all here to learn.


X2 what is wrong with you?


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## dmitchell28 (Aug 31, 2006)

I knew a guy that actually shot a deer in the LEG...not the shoulder..in the leg! The deer died because it hit a artery and he bled to death. Yes, the deer died from being shot in the leg! Will I be shooting one in the LEG, because so and so killed on from shooting it in the leg? NOPE Im sure you will ask 100 people, and 15 of those will tell you they have killed deer from shooting them in the neck, but you will also have the other half that are still looking for their deer. I used to think, if you just hit a deer it will die! I was dead wrong. Last year, I tried a head on shot, cause it sounded like a logical dead shot! and on paper, it would be cause every vital organ is right there! Well it hit the should bone and that deer is probably still hobling around. Just stick with what we have been taught, right behind the shoulder and you will be just fine 95% of the time!


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## Lonestar63 (Mar 19, 2007)

B-G-K said:


> . He's just asking a question. He didnt say that he was planning on it...only he couldnt justify why not to his grandfather. We're all here to learn.


....Where's Richard Cranium when we need him??


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## STILLhntr777 (Sep 11, 2009)

*My two cents...*

Not worth trying... Interesting :zip:discusion though.


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## swamphunter (Jan 25, 2003)

walleye rev said:


> I shot a big doe last year with my bow, I hit a small branch and thought it was going to be a clean miss, the arrow deflected into her neck, She went down like a ton of bricks, dead in her tracks..............
> 
> I still would never aim at the neck on purpose, Double lung em, and down they go.......
> 
> Rev...........


Exactly...


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## 12bhunting (Sep 9, 2009)

you know the guy asked a pretty good question. i have rifle hunted all my life and a neck shot is a instant kill with a rifle. you feel the need to insult a guy for asking a question? i thought that is what this forum was for! yes a neck shot would be a quick kill shot as long as it was on the money. but you would be reducing your kill zone and you risk wounding the deer. it is all in the hunter and the shot you feel comfortable making. listen to your grampa he probally has more know how about deer huntin than half the so called hunters on this forum. save the insults fellas they are not needed to help out a fellow hunter with a question.


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## nycbowhuntr (Jul 25, 2009)

my theory is if i aint broke dont fix it, double lungs works perfectly fine for every bow hunter, why try something un necessary and possibly wound the deer. but im sure it would die if it hit the right spot, jsut like anything else if u hit the artery in the back leg of the deer hell die, but im not gonna aim for it.


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## B-G-K (Sep 19, 2009)

Lonestar63 said:


> ....Where's Richard Cranium when we need him??


? oops.


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## GruBBworM (Sep 7, 2006)

As most of you know I shoot all my deer in da neck!

works fine for me and drops them in thier tracks trust me


But this is my option that doesnt mean you all have to like it 



Jon


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## pink06 (Jul 19, 2009)

I don’t believe a neck shot is a good idea with a bow. Yes, there are vitals there, but both the neck and the vitals within them are smaller, so tougher to hit. And like someone pointed out, the head (and neck) is usually moving. I think the main argument for going with a chest shot is that you have a larger margin of error. No matter how good a shot you think you are, things don’t always go as planned. Being a few inches off with a chest shot will still usually do massive damage and result in a quick kill and/or solid blood trail. Being a few inches off with a neck shot usually means a long night in the woods on hands and knees looking for blood. Judging from the number of bad hit/lost deer posts we’ve already seen this season, I don’t think we should be looking for smaller targets to hit…JMHO


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## RecordKeeper (May 9, 2003)

Good post. The OP is a high school kid trying to learn...I'm sure he'll benefit from your profound wisdom and advice. :doh:


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## wicked1Joe (May 19, 2009)

Shot placement has been hashed over and over, so this is kinda a 
here we go again...

Why not take out the lungs and heart, if that shot is fairly well placed then there is no breathing taking place...plus the blood trail will be trackable.

In the neck is a low percentage shot at best...IMO.


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## oct71 (Sep 26, 2008)

:mg:


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## PA.JAY (May 26, 2004)

walleye rev said:


> Why does he have to be an Idiot, just for asking a question??? This is a Bowhunters forum, where we ask questions that we don't know the answer too, Hoping that someone who knows the answer will give us their opinion. I think this is exactly what 82ndarcher07 has done.
> 
> I don't think that makes him an idiot.......Just someone wanting an answer to a Bowhunting question............
> 
> Rev.........


I was scrolling through to see if someone on here had any sense what so ever lots did. couple well you pointed that out  I seen many with a gun in the neck back in the day most with punkin ball don't really know why .


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## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

good post rev.

kid just was asking,thats all.

anyway the neck is too low it's the face that counts ....oooppps
wrong forum,my fault


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## SO I HUNT (Jun 23, 2009)

Good question and most with good anwers and then you have the few that you wonder if they should be allowed to have sharp objects around them!


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## staggyd (Sep 7, 2009)

sits in trees come on guy's, do we even have to do justice to this question by giving it an answer? 



It seems the more I read in these forums the more I know why I hate people....most are MORONS.....hes a KID !!!!!And hes asking a legitimate question in a polite way....as for your answer, a neck shot is not a desirable shot....you'll be better served trying to put an arrow through the boiler room as you originally thought .


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## buzzman2 (Sep 9, 2007)

Here are two things to think about. 

1. Since the neck has fairly dense material, all bones and muscle, a supersonic bullet contacting that mass kills by disrupting the nervous system with hydrostatic shock. I have heard that some moose hunters like to shoot the moose right where the shoulder and neck meet for this very reason-best odds of avoiding a tracking job into thick alders and risking tangling with a wounded bull moose.

2. With an arrow you don't have enough energy to kill with hydrostaic shock so you have to cut something vital. There are vital things in the neck that will do the trick but it is not a good idea.

The chest cavity has the largest concentration of stuff that will kill the animal quickly when cut. Go for the lungs/heart with a bow.


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## ACB (Sep 27, 2009)

*Placement*

i dont think i would ever puposely shoot a deer in the neck. The traditional heart and lung shot is the most ethical shot you can take and it will always be the one that i take. it kills the deer in the most humane way possible and is the clear choice for a gun and bow hunter.


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## olinLA (Feb 19, 2007)

buzzman2 said:


> Here are two things to think about.
> 
> 1. Since the neck has fairly dense material, all bones and muscle, a supersonic bullet contacting that mass kills by disrupting the nervous system with hydrostatic shock. I have heard that some moose hunters like to shoot the moose right where the shoulder and neck meet for this very reason-best odds of avoiding a tracking job into thick alders and risking tangling with a wounded bull moose.
> 
> ...


good answers for granpa....good reasons.


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## CritterGitter17 (Jan 16, 2009)

If it was my only shot i would go for it. Have shot three in the neck with a muzzleloader and slugs. Drops em quicker than any vitals shot i see. Coritad artery in the neck is where they slice in meat packing plants and even cattle bleed out in a hurry. No vitals slicing there. Would i if i could double lung them. Prolly not. But i wouldnt hesitate.


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## Big Lew (Oct 17, 2008)

You've asked a legitimate question, and most fellow archers have responded with genuine concern and good advice, neck shots are a high risk shot best left for high powered rifles. A high powered bullet will do massive damage when hitting nearly anywhere in the neck because it smashes everything, including big bones, in it's path, whereas an arrow kills by cutting blood vessels and doesn't normally have enough energy to break the neckbone.


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## CritterGitter17 (Jan 16, 2009)

Shoot one in the neck with a rage. An ax would surely break through the tissue and hit some good arteries


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## lovestobowhunt (Aug 14, 2009)

12bhunting said:


> you know the guy asked a pretty good question. i have rifle hunted all my life and a neck shot is a instant kill with a rifle. you feel the need to insult a guy for asking a question? i thought that is what this forum was for! yes a neck shot would be a quick kill shot as long as it was on the money. but you would be reducing your kill zone and you risk wounding the deer. it is all in the hunter and the shot you feel comfortable making. listen to your grampa he probally has more know how about deer huntin than half the so called hunters on this forum. save the insults fellas they are not needed to help out a fellow hunter with a question.


I'm new to bow hunting this year and I found this forum and posted some questions. For the most part, I have got good responses. I would like to continue using this forum for information, but I don't want to see people putting other people down for their questions. I'm sure I have asked some questions that seem stupid to some, but I'm new and I appreciate positive feedback from people who know a lot more than me. I think the majority of people here are helpful and this site like others will always get some who want to be rude. I understand him asking a question like this, as it has crossed my mind too. Thanks to all who have been helpful to me and I soon hope to post pic's of my first bow kill whenever that may happen.


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## OBAN (Jun 25, 2006)

Rifle-yes bow-no


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## BowTeker01 (Aug 31, 2009)

*Re:*

Well i didnt read every post, so this point may have already been mentioned. but IMO, i wouldnt take a neck shot unless ABSOLUTELY neccesary. I mean you could take a shot at a deers hindquarter and try to hit the femoral artery which would cause him to bleed out about as fast as anyother shot. But, the chances of hitting it are very slim. Same as the arteries in the neck. If you hit one, youd be ok. But if you didnt, chances of recovering the deer would be slim. So always stick with the tried and true vitals shot when you can.


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## rugrem#1 (Sep 6, 2009)

*I would as a last resort, if a big deer walked by and stopped at a clsoe range with nothing but his neck out from behind a tree and you felt really good about the shot it would be OK. If you hit where you aim it is deadly but it leaves little room for even a small miss. Look at it this way if you hit a deer in the ham it will kill it, I have seen them die within 50 yards but how often do we pass on that shot? I would never even think of shooting one there but it will kill them. Good question, THANKS *


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## REEZENENOUGH (Sep 18, 2009)

klemsontigers7 said:


> You, my friend, are an idiot


awe what a smart fella you must know everything or think you do. Its just a question. 

as for the question i probably would depending on the situation. however i feel very confident with my bow


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## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

i know a guy who shot a big buck right in the center of the white patch a few years ago. ran a little and droped fast.


i would never try it personally but i guess it will kill


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## cowboy6532 (Apr 30, 2009)

...


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## BowTeker01 (Aug 31, 2009)

rugrem#1 said:


> *I would as a last resort, if a big deer walked by and stopped at a clsoe range with nothing but his neck out from behind a tree and you felt really good about the shot it would be OK. If you hit where you aim it is deadly but it leaves little room for even a small miss. Look at it this way if you hit a deer in the ham it will kill it, I have seen them die within 50 yards but how often do we pass on that shot? I would never even think of shooting one there but it will kill them. Good question, THANKS *


i dont understand why you wouldnt wait for him to take one more step out from behind the tree. Patience is also a very important virtue when hunting.


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## OneScrewLoose (Feb 18, 2009)

sits in trees said:


> come on guy's, do we even have to do justice to this question by giving it an answer?






Martial Archer said:


> Trolling are we?


Now who's calling who a moron???, and we wonder why the sport isn't as popular anymore:zip:

As for the question, it's like some of the others have said, very small targets, and unlike the chest, if you miss even by a little, you're going to wound an animal, but there is a decent chance it won't die for a while, if at all.


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## Two Blade (Jul 13, 2008)

This guy did it and he is in The Bowhunter Hall Of Fame.


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## nmaineron (Jan 19, 2003)

I feel the neck is a very killing shot but not high percentage.Windpipe,main nerve system and main artery don't leave a lot of room in a small space on an average sized deer.

I don't understand the attitude that I can hit a 2" dot @ 40yds but don't trust yourself to do it in the field.

As for an arrows energy,if your bow is modern,which most here seem to have, and are shooting 50-70 lbs and you strike the neck bone,if you don't achieve a pass through then you just dumped a very good amount of energy into the spinal column which I believe would be very fatal.

Having said that.I would certainly opt for a good broadside shot,but if the only shot that was offered was on a calm steady deer inside my comfort zone,I will take the shot.May my arrow fly true.


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## DRT (Jul 9, 2007)

AKM said:


> This guy did it and he is in The Bowhunter Hall Of Fame.


Things i have read about indians hunting is that they prefered the shooting in the neck because it was either a clean miss or it dropped them. I know the Osage Indians that were in Arknasas were big deer and elk hunters and in books i have read they mentioned neck shots as the kill shot.


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## kebees4 (Oct 11, 2008)

SlingingArrows said:


> If you hit in the lower part of the neck then you can hit the wind pipe and/or the juglar artery. Both of these are fatal shots. But if you miss those or hit anywhere in the upper part of the neck, there is a good chance that the deer will live. Its a high risk shot as those are pretty small targets.
> 
> Aim for the vitals. Even with such big targets there is enough to go wrong.


The wind pipe is not a fatal shot. A few years ago I made that shot by hitting a twig. There was lots of bleeding but we never found the deer. The next day in the same tree stand here comes a deer. I shot it and when I tracked it down it was the deer from the day before. Wind pipe totally severed mouth and nose was a huge blood clot. Deer was breathing through neck due to blockage in throat. We couldn't believe it survived the night but still walking around. I will never attempt a neck shot because the best you can hope for is the artery or spine. It is not a good choice of shots.


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## Lyncher68 (Mar 4, 2009)

Okay I have no opinion however I have seen this done on a hunting movie. I recently bought the Bushnell bino and rangefinder combo. Anyway it comes with a best of bushnell hunts DVD which stars the guys from Bone Collector. Anyway Dierks Bentley happened to be with them at deer camp, and he shot a beautiful buck in the neck, and it didnt take another step. The deer was almost head on facing him and I believe he shot it low in the neck about 6 inches in front of the shoulder :mg: Any opinions on this? Im sure you could find it on youtube but I thought it was pretty interesting...if the neck was a good shot I wouldve had a nice 8pt last night  but naturally I didnt take the shot as I was waiting for a broadside opportunity which never came


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## rachunter (Jan 16, 2003)

Here are two good reasons to not shoot a deer in the neck:


1 - The lungs/heart are a much bigger target than a artery in the neck.

2 - Shoot behind the shoulder and no good meat is ruined, shoot the neck and you will mess up some good roast.


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## huntnfish21 (Jan 1, 2005)

B-G-K said:


> He's just asking a question. He didnt say that he was planning on it...only he couldnt justify why not to his grandfather. We're all here to learn.


Post of day:darkbeer:


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## Nyles (Jul 15, 2009)

rachunter said:


> Here are two good reasons to not shoot a deer in the neck:
> 
> 
> 1 - The lungs/heart are a much bigger target than a artery in the neck.
> ...


Why cant I get there from the front?


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## Volleypro (Aug 8, 2007)

I prefer leg shots. Makes tracking a lot more interesting..... 










or have my dog help pull them down...










Always gotta give the dog his share...


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## rachunter (Jan 16, 2003)

Nyles said:


> Why cant I get there from the front?



Beacuse you most likely will not have a exit wound which helps very much in tracking

and 

You can miss a little on a broadside shot and still get a killing shot. If you miss a little on a frontal shot you can get a very long track with no deer at the end of the trail.

It is always better to take the higher percentage shot.


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## DWL3 (Sep 17, 2009)

rachunter said:


> Beacuse you most likely will not have a exit wound which helps very much in tracking
> 
> and
> 
> ...


+1 Good answer


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

Ok after having so many people call me an idiot for asking this question I just want to say like some others have said that I was just asking why not to shoot a deer in the neck. I think all of you have made it pretty obvious why not to shoot a deer in the neck. But I find it kind of rude for so many people to insult my question without obviously reading the whole post first. 
Its an archery forum. People are suppost to ask questions and if its a stupid question so what, just click the back button and find another post to read.


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## RecordKeeper (May 9, 2003)

82ndArcher07 said:


> Ok after having so many people call me an idiot for asking this question I just want to say like some others have said that I was just asking why not to shoot a deer in the neck. I think all of you have made it pretty obvious why not to shoot a deer in the neck. But I find it kind of rude for so many people to insult my question without obviously reading the whole post first.
> Its an archery forum. People are suppost to ask questions and if its a stupid question so what, just click the back button and find another post to read.


Plenty of us defended you as well...only a few malcontents were rude (actually, the first one who was rude to you posted a thread over the weekend that included a pic of his first deer...a spotted fawn...and I defended him on that thread). Don't let them discourage you.


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

Thanks RecordKeeper I know that there were plenty of people on here that defended my question because it was just a question. Were all on here to learn and I was just pointing out that some,not all of us dont get that point.


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## RecordKeeper (May 9, 2003)

82ndArcher07 said:


> Thanks RecordKeeper I know that there were plenty of people on here that defended my question because it was just a question. Were all on here to learn and I was just pointing out that some,not all of us dont get that point.


Thanks man. Enjoy your upcoming hunting season, and enjoy your grandfather...both are precious!


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

Peace out.


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

buzzman2 said:


> Here are two things to think about.
> 
> 1. Since the neck has fairly dense material, all bones and muscle, a supersonic bullet contacting that mass kills by disrupting the nervous system with hydrostatic shock. I have heard that some moose hunters like to shoot the moose right where the shoulder and neck meet for this very reason-best odds of avoiding a tracking job into thick alders and risking tangling with a wounded bull moose.
> 
> ...


These are good answers. There have been some other good ones too such as 'low percentage shot', but I will give you one more thing to think about - your arrow and broad head. Crashing into neck bones is likely to do more damage to your arrow than passing through the ribs and lungs. Everyone knows archery stuff is expensive, we'd like to use it as long as we can.

Hopefully you have enough information to make a decision from this thread about how you want to hunt ... and have a good conversation with grandpa about huntin' - that's one of the best parts.

good luck to ya
Mike


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

Anybody else want to add to the contriversy?


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## Ray.Klefstad (Oct 7, 2006)

Certainly deer can be killed by a well-placed neck shot, but it is a much lower percentage shot. If you don't hit the spine, they will probably run off very var away without a good blood trail and you will not find your deer.

If you make a double lung and/or heart shot, the animal will expire in a few minutes and probably leave a massive blood trail. Better yet, it may go down in sight and you will have your deer.

One important thing we bowhunters want to avoid is giving a bad impression to non hunters. If they find lots of wounded deer with arrows sticking out of them, that creates bad press.

Ray


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## slowen (Jun 27, 2006)

*Challenging post!*

I like these posts bc they stimulate all opinions from the extreme to the well thought out moderate responses. I prefer broadside 1/4ing away shots like most but am not so regimented that I can't decide outside the "shot box". I took a frontal neck shot 3 years ago and lacerated the carotid artery, a pulmonary artery, sliced through the lungs and lodged in the vertebral body mid thorax. Deer bleed like the proverbial stuck pig and nearly died at my feet after running 40 yds. I posted the shot and recieved more than a handful of vitriolic messages about how irresponsible my decision was. I would take the shot again but probably would not post the shot on AT


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

where do you aim for if you are going for a neck shot the spine of the wind pipe?


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

ttt


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## buzzman2 (Sep 9, 2007)

BowTeker01 said:


> ...i wouldnt take a neck shot *unless ABSOLUTELY neccesary*. ...always stick with the tried and true vitals shot *when you can*.


It is never "ABSOLUTELY necessary." You can ALWAYS wait for a chest shot or pass. Hunting deer is not self defense.


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## bucksnortinted (Aug 24, 2006)

if it was a nice buck and the rest of his body was hidden behind a bush or trees and just his head and neck was sticking out i would probaly do it,but under normal conditions with the whole body of the deer present NO,i would not take the shot with a bow as one said earlier a deer moves his nead around to much,i like shooting 2in. 2 blade rage B/H's even if you miss a kill zone they usualy bleed out pretty fast,double lung shot the deer goes down pretty fast and its a big area to shoot at,thers nothing wrong with shooting a deer in the neck with a bow but it would not be my first choice,this is a good example i have never shot my 3D deer target in the neck just because it would not be my shot by choice thats the only reason,by the way that was a good shot you put in that bucks neck

Ted


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## TheMich.Archer (Jul 12, 2009)

I have only shot 1 buck in the neck on purpose in 20 years of bowhunting..

It was last year and it was very windy and had a buck come out at 25 yards and with the tree swinging all over the place I held on the perfect spot but gut shot him.. He Hunched up and walked Out to about 60 yards and turned to my left heading towards a huge swamp. He stpooed and the only chance for a second **** was in the neck and yes at 60 yards i put a Striker right thru his windpipe and he fell in 30 yards... 


The second shot saved my bacon but the only reason i took it was because of it being gut shot ... 

It did bleed a ton and went very little distance from the shot ..


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## JD BC (Sep 23, 2009)

I have taken 2 deer head on in the neck right under the chin and they both went less then 10yrd. I have only tried this shot twice in thick bush and no other shot was available any other time I put it in the chest. Yes it is very affective but I do not recommend it as it is a small target and in most situations a better shot will present it self.


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## tazman7 (Nov 5, 2005)

my grandpa only shoots in the head. But with a gun. Says there is less damage to the main thing you are wanting out of the deer, which is the MEAT ---->He has a point! But not sure if im willing to take it with a bow.


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## Nyles (Jul 15, 2009)

rachunter said:


> Beacuse you most likely will not have a exit wound which helps very much in tracking
> 
> and
> 
> ...


Oh ok tell that to about 15 Ive shot that way!......

and if one comes from where he is supposed to in the mornin he'll get it there too! Lets see cut artery in his throat fill his windpipe with blood, he cant breath...lets go ahead and butcher that heart as it passes through it....hack up his lungs......and oh whats that stickin in the dirt where he was standing look at that a frontal pass through my my! I can do it from the top too!


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## jcsanders79-xt (Aug 28, 2007)

I have shot two in the neck. Never on purpose though. The first one, I was young and a new bow hunter. The wind was HIGH and I saw my arrow float from where Iwas aiming to the deer's neck. She didn't go very far I hit an artery. The second on was a 40 yard shot and the doe responded to the shot and lifted her head up through were I was aiming and busted her spinal cord high on the neck. She fell instantly. I wouldn't EVER do it on purpose but I've gotten lucky twice now.


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## knucklebuster (Oct 1, 2009)

A young fellow I used to hunt elk with once tried to shoot a cow in the neck. Just as he released the arrow she turned her head to face directly at him. The arrow hit her just above the soft part of her nose and followed her skull all the way to between her ears before sailing off into the woods. Her face was split wide open and she bled a lot for a short time. We never saw her again though. I shudder to think of the unnecessary pain and suffering that that elk went through and probably a slow lingering death just because he thought he could pull off a marginal shot.


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## Bow Avenger (Mar 1, 2009)

My sister inlaw hit one in the back leg ones it went bout 10 yards dead.. was it a good shot or lucky? Lucky she hit the main blood line!!Got a good friend that 9 out of 10 times he goes for the neck never ones did he lose one they were right where they were standing after the shot... I last year hit one just below the jaw bone in the neck he went down right there. Would I go for that shot again NO the chest shot is best always!!!!


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## gutjuice (Dec 24, 2006)

NoSecondBest said:


> The neck is a very poor choice for a kill shot. The windpipe will not kill the animal very quickly, it's a slow death for the animal. Hitting the spine may or may not drop the animal, and the carotid arteries are a very small target and it's just dumb a** lucky if you hit them. No ethical hunter, or knowledgable hunter, would ever shoot for the neck with a bow. Everyone has a story about hitting one in the neck and getting it but the people who shot them in the neck and didn't get them don't seem to want to jump in here and talk about it. I once saw a deer shot just under the tail standing broadside and it ran about ninety yards and fell over dead. That doesn't make it a good shot. I also saw a person shoot one in the head and never recover the animal. It ran away with the arrow completely through the head. I'm sure it died and there are people on here who think it's a sure thing if you shoot them in the head. The only ethical shot is the heart/lung area and plent of those deer get away because the arrow is close to the vitals but not in the kill zone. You need to match the anatomy to your ability.


....agree :darkbeer:


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

Who is Richard Cranium?


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## TailChaser (Aug 13, 2005)

I took a neck shot once, deer facing me VERY close, 5 yards, he dropped in sight.

However I've also seen a muzzle loader bullet deflected, right in the middle of the neck. An hour later the buck was still breathing and we slit it's throat. It fell backwards, horns in the ground, and was pinned, and my uncle thought it was dead but it wasn't. I'd say no, it's not really a good shot. About like shooting for the spine. If you hit a little low you'll kill it (throat) but it's not much to shoot at.


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## Skeeter 58 (Jan 25, 2009)

No doubt it would be fatal but would not be my target of choice.


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## twisted1600 (Feb 23, 2007)

*Sure....*

With a properly constructed rifle bullet:wink:


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## bowtechmaniac (Jun 17, 2009)

I have to much respect for the animal to try a shot like that.Double lungs for me.:zip:


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## NEWYORKHILLBILLY (Nov 17, 2007)

on that photo there is not a drop of blood, none on the arrow or the broadhead. Just put the arrow in the chest.


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## Mike from Texas (May 15, 2004)

Hmmmm. Seems like I've seen this same question on another forum. Seems like he did shoot a deer in the neck and got all crybaby when he was called out on it.


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

The only problem I see with taking the shot is if it doesnt take down the animal and just paralizes it.But on the other hand if you do make the shot it drops in its tracks and everybody prasies you for a great shot
Idk what to do
Im just stick witrh what everybody finds exceptable ,shoot it in the lung / heart area


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## jkcerda (Jan 25, 2007)

I would not do it :darkbeer:


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## FiremanStokes (Sep 7, 2009)

What would OBAMA do???


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## FiremanStokes (Sep 7, 2009)

I wasn't going to say anything but then I seen the I hate OBAMA by jkcerda and couldn't resist!!!


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## deerhunter5 (Jul 27, 2009)

FiremanStokes said:


> What would OBAMA do???


Take away the guns! :angry:


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## Penny (Jun 20, 2008)

Think of how much your head and neck move while hunting. Deer are bobble heads times 10 and an arrow almost always causes string jump. Wailing off a mop handle at 30 yards it's reasonable to ask why not a spine or artery and the answer is, good luck with that spine or artery being where it was before you released the shot. Arrows are designed to deflect off bone, they will not pass through so if you ever intend a spine shot consider the spinal cord is on the underside and even if you hit dead on, you may very well miss it. Even if that shot is fatal, where is your blood trail? You have an upper wound with no exit. 

Best to aim at the small target with the big kill zone where you can screw up and still make it lethal and retrevable. 

If you have considered all anatomy and all variables and a shot is within your capability then it's ethical but hunting is a heck of allot different than target because of string jump, poor positioning of yourself, wind, adreneline. Best leave it for another day. Worst case you can go back and take the shot with a gun in a few weeks if you have to. 

Name of the game is lethal shot that provides easy retrieval. A deer you don't retrieve doesn't count.


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## TailChaser (Aug 13, 2005)

If the deer if coming straight towards me and I'm on the ground, and it's closer than 15 yards, (and it's not swing its head around, and I am set up to have perfect form on the shot), I'll take it. Otherwise you're not likely to get another shot. This is knowing I can hit within 1" of where I want to hit.


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## Penny (Jun 20, 2008)

Full frontal shot from the ground, I probably would too. Less room for error, hitting the spine meant you hit the spinal cord, inch off to either side you hit an artery. Hit too low and gut shoot all the way through, nasty to field dress but definately lethal.

I thought I was the only ground archer. :darkbeer:


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## bobbyh (Dec 22, 2008)

grandpa might just have been asking you the question to see what you knew about your prey,knowing all you can about your prey is half the process of hunting IMHO, as for the neck shot, I wouldn't do it and have already passed on a few, as it is such a small area to hit when I'm all pumped up and filled with adrenaline, hard enough for me to be calm when presented with a nice broadside shot, but I know that if I miss my aiming spot that usually I miss left or right and that still gives me a killing area to humanely bring the animal down. 
As for those with the negative replies, forget them, they're probably the "PROFESSIONAL ATers" that can get 1 inch groupings as far back as 50 ++++ yards consistently every time they release an arrow. Good Luck and happy hunting
bobbyh


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## BOWS&GUNS87 (Apr 2, 2009)

*no way*



NoSecondBest said:


> The neck is a very poor choice for a kill shot. The windpipe will not kill the animal very quickly, it's a slow death for the animal. Hitting the spine may or may not drop the animal, and the carotid arteries are a very small target and it's just dumb a** lucky if you hit them. No ethical hunter, or knowledgable hunter, would ever shoot for the neck with a bow. Everyone has a story about hitting one in the neck and getting it but the people who shot them in the neck and didn't get them don't seem to want to jump in here and talk about it. I once saw a deer shot just under the tail standing broadside and it ran about ninety yards and fell over dead. That doesn't make it a good shot. I also saw a person shoot one in the head and never recover the animal. It ran away with the arrow completely through the head. I'm sure it died and there are people on here who think it's a sure thing if you shoot them in the head. The only ethical shot is the heart/lung area and plent of those deer get away because the arrow is close to the vitals but not in the kill zone. You need to match the anatomy to your ability.


If you shoot any thing in the neck its dead,think about this what if you got shot in the neck with your bow,how long and how far are you going to make it,not to a phone your going to die in minutes,oppose to geting shot in your chest i know many pepole who shoot them in the neck and they go know where,ive saw behind the shoulder shots that we tracked for ever,and all the one ive saw shot in the neck never went over 10 yards,my uncle shot a 176 and a doe the openging morning last year,left them laying right beside each other,i dont think either one of them got more than a few foot steps.Now in saying this im not saying it is the best idea to to take this shot over the vitals,the only reason i would shoot the vitals over the neck is because the vitals are a bigger taget,but if i had to i would shoot the neck,theres nothing wrong with that,and some pepole are just way over critical,come on you know a neck shot is going to be highly fatal.


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## nogg (Sep 2, 2006)

this is an experience I had with neck shot.My buddy hit a deer in the neck (unintentional) and did hit the carotid or "jugilar" it showed a unbeleivable blood trail at first then it slowly tapered to nothing.we let it sit overnight and knew with how much blood it lost that it was a dead deer.the rest of our search the next day was just that,a search,just kept widening our searh from last blood.Finally found it but i guess what i am getting at is the deer was able to keep going after it pretty much bled out.


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## wasp611 (Nov 18, 2009)

*neck shot is good if u hit it*

Neck shot is great shot ,problem is that by the time the arrow gets there the neck won't be where it was when you shot.Don't even think about it. Neck kills are reerved for twig deflections and shaky hunters.


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## MOPARLVR4406 (Apr 5, 2006)

wasp611 said:


> Neck shot is great shot ,problem is that by the time the arrow gets there the neck won't be where it was when you shot.Don't even think about it. *Neck kills are reerved for twig deflections and shaky hunters*.


or those with their eyes closed when shooting ????


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## noscrubs (Nov 10, 2009)

I shot this buck 4 years ago through the neck on purpose.It was one of those situations, he was walking out of a thicket while i was at full draw waiting on a shot and he stopped directly behind a large double trunked tree. I was going to wait, but as i was, i felt so confident in the shot being less than 8 yds. and the angle from the tree stand seemed perfect to sever windpipe and/or artery. Worked like expected it would,but would never try it or think of trying it, if the situation was any different than it was. That is the only time i ever attempted anything other than heart /lung shot with a bow. I do however, almost allways take standing bucks under 75-80 yds. in the neck with a rifle in WV. Note the exit hole in the first pic. IMO....not a recommended shot with a bow.


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## Running Man (Oct 8, 2009)

Enormous amounts of blood flow through the kidneys every minute. Hitting the kidneys is HIGHLY LETHAL. That doesn't make it a good or smart shot. Same with the neck. Odds of failure are VERY HIGH. Shhh . . . don't tell the rifle hunters but it isn't a very good shot for them either.


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## noscrubs (Nov 10, 2009)

I will disagree with runningman on his opinion with the rifle neck shot.When shooting a deer with a rifle, the deer doesnt usually die from hemmorage like when shot with a sharp broadhead, but instead shock and trauma for lack of better words from the high velocity bullet. This shot has allways been very lethal from my experiance, but maybe i have been very lucky not to lose one this way, as they have(for me) all dropped where they stood. No disrespect whatsoever for you, runningman.Did i mention i use a 300 Weatherby mag?


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## woodmaster (Jan 18, 2006)

I shot one in the neck in Illinois this year. He was 35 yards and I'm sure I hit a small limb. When the arrow hit his neck I was sick. He ended up running a 100 yards and dying. I'm not proud of the shot and I got very lucky.

I







will NEVER aim for the neck except with my shotgun.


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## noscrubs (Nov 10, 2009)

Nice Buck!!!!!!!!!:thumbs_up


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## kaborkian (May 26, 2007)

82ndArcher07 said:


> Who is Richard Cranium?


This may be the most important post in the entire thread...

Common nickname for Richard is Dick.

Cranium is another word for Head.


To the OP: you understood that neck with bow was generally accepted as poor choice shot, but still asked where to aim. I get why, and I want to know as well because you just never know. If I'm shooting a deer in the neck from the side (rifle or bow), it's dead center to just a hair high of center. I doubt I'd intentionally take that bow shot, but wouldn't hesitate to take it with a rifle (and have done it with great results, dropped right where he stood). Frontal neck shot with either I have not done. With a rifle, I'm going to aim right under the chin but higher than the back and wouldn't hesitate from 300 yards or less. It's either a miss or a dead deer. With a bow, I'm aiming lower so the arrow enters between the shoulders and goes through heart/lungs. I'd take that bow shot inside of 20 yards.


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## buby (Sep 12, 2004)

personaly i would not. ive seen folks hit with arrow in all kinds of spots on the deer and get lucky but how come when they do this they always say that where they were aiming at? but in the off season they cant get a arrow in the kill zone on a 3d target. not bashing any one, i just know a couple of guys that do this every year. they usally dont get nothing but are lucky once in a while. i dont think they have ever heard the word practice. ive learned the hard way to stay away from low percentive shots.


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## jcferrit (Apr 13, 2006)

I would never take a shot at the neck, although I have killed one with a neck shot. The buck was quartering away at thirty yards and I hit some unseen twigs, and the arrow went in the side of the neck and exsited right under the chin. Deer went 30-40 yards, and when it hit the ground there was not a drop of blood left in him. It was a frosty morning and you could see the blood trail from the stand, it was impressive!


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## Running Man (Oct 8, 2009)

noscrubs said:


> I will disagree with runningman on his opinion with the rifle neck shot.When shooting a deer with a rifle, the deer doesnt usually die from hemmorage like when shot with a sharp broadhead, but instead shock and trauma for lack of better words from the high velocity bullet. This shot has allways been very lethal from my experiance, but maybe i have been very lucky not to lose one this way, as they have(for me) all dropped where they stood. No disrespect whatsoever for you, runningman.Did i mention i use a 300 Weatherby mag?


No disrespect taken at all. I know LOTS of people who have nailed deer with neck shots. But a bullet through the much-bigger vitals will always put 'em down to with much less chance for error. I personally like the direct on shoulder shot with a rifle. They don't go far with a broken shoulder and lots of bullet/bone shrapnel in the lungs.


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## archeryfreak816 (Nov 3, 2008)

gold3499 said:


> With a rage broadhead, I wouldn't hesitate. They'll kill it if you hit the ear even.


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## kx90 (Sep 10, 2009)

I would never purposely shoot a deer in the neck. Especially with a bow.

I hit my first doe this year in the neck because she jumped the string. She dropped on the spot but she was alive still, she wasn't getting up and she would've taken at least an hour to die as there was good blood but it wasn't coming out at a good enough rate to bleed her out for a quick death.

I think the difference between hitting a deer in the neck with an arrow and hitting one in the neck with a round from a 30.06 is the energy spent on the target. The arrow doesn't have near the amount of energy that the bullet does and that energy can be traumatic enough to rupture discs and tear the spine in two and kill the animal quickly.


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

A high velocity rifle bullet has a totally different effect on tissue than a broadhead.

In the pic below the buck had previously been shot through the neck. The leaf on his neck cover an almost healed 3 blade broadhead hole. On the opposite of his neck and about 1.5" lower is another wound 3 blade broadhead wound. When I killed this deer he was by all appearances in fine health. When I cleaned him I skinned out his neck to inspect the wounds. The muscle tissue appeared to be pretty much healed. The high wound appeared to be healing cleanly on the hide. The lower wound on the opposite side had some scabbing and a slight amount of pus. It looked no more 'ugly' than some wound I've seen on my extremities.

I would have thought that where the wounds were the arrow would have had to have hit his spine. Obviously it did not. It also obviously did not hit a main blood line. A hit through the wind pipe would not be fatal in a reasonable time frame. He'd breathe through the hole until infection built in his lungs and he died. Essentially you have about a 2" wide by about 15" target to hit with a broadhead. Hit his spine or cut the jugular and he's quickly down. If you track a deer for a significant distance with a decent blood trail he's probably hit through the wind pipe and you won't catch up to him............ There are a ton of exceptions and deer can behave in very unpredictable ways.

Many years ago I had a friend shoot a buck in the neck with a 12 gauge slug. The deer hit the ground. 5 minutes later I'm headed over to see what he has. Frank is walking towards me when the deer got up and left in a hurry. There was a large amount of blood, bubbles and what looked like slobber where the deer went down. I immediately put a tracking dog on him and over the next 4 hours I jumped him twice in some very thick cover. We continued tracking until dark............ We did not find that deer and I'm convinced he did not the spine or a major blood line. I think the impact of the slug stunned his spinal cord and blew a hole out of his wind pipe. Once the bucks head cleared he was not going to be found anytime soon.......


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## REDSKINS1 (Mar 22, 2008)

A long time ago I tried that shot thinking I would just drop him in his tracks. Center punched the neck...complete pass through. Deer fell, then jumped up and took off. Tracked him that evening into the night and half the next day over 800 yards until no more blood. NEVER again...why would you when you can take out the lungs. Live and learn.


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## nagant (Feb 17, 2009)

Even on a straight on shot, I would aim for the chest, try to take out the vascular tissue and lungs around the heart and let it pass through the gut. I don't mind the smell when feild dressing. And contrary to popular opinion it doesn't impact the meat at all.


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## nycredneck (Nov 9, 2007)

Now Im not sayin I would take this shot but I remember a thread a long while back that was about hunting the suburbs and having to drop the deer instantly so as not to have them running around bleeding all over other peolples lawn. A large number of bowhunters that responded to that thread said they shot for the neck in order to drop em on the spot. Take it for what its worth, I still like the pass thru's and that smack sound of an arrow going through the cage.


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## MNmike (Dec 27, 2003)

*a great answer to your question*



buzzman2 said:


> Here are two things to think about.
> 
> 1. Since the neck has fairly dense material, all bones and muscle, a supersonic bullet contacting that mass kills by disrupting the nervous system with hydrostatic shock. I have heard that some moose hunters like to shoot the moose right where the shoulder and neck meet for this very reason-best odds of avoiding a tracking job into thick alders and risking tangling with a wounded bull moose.
> 
> ...



I had a bad hit on a buck where the arrow entered just infront of the shoulder and passed thru the base of the neck, low on the other side.

I could see the blood spray from both sides of the body as he ran. left a very very good blood trail....dead deer. As he bleed out ASAP.

But did I plan that shot, or would I plan a simular shot? NO!

Tell gramps that a arrow kills from hemmoraging/bleeding of tissues. And a firearm kills by the same AND hydrostatic shock expanding the "kill zone" area.


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## wasp611 (Nov 18, 2009)

*michael morr*



knucklebuster said:


> A young fellow I used to hunt elk with once tried to shoot a cow in the neck. Just as he released the arrow she turned her head to face directly at him. The arrow hit her just above the soft part of her nose and followed her skull all the way to between her ears before sailing off into the woods. Her face was split wide open and she bled a lot for a short time. We never saw her again though. I shudder to think of the unnecessary pain and suffering that that elk went through and probably a slow lingering death just because he thought he could pull off a marginal shot.


Man i didn't know Michael Morr hunted I'm surprised.Shouldn't you be working on a documentary slamming America?


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## VonH (Oct 15, 2008)

Last Oct I shot 2 does 7 mins apart, with the second deer shot in the neck. First deer I hit in the vitals and heard her crash after she bounced off a fence 2 times. There were about 10 does on the field when I shot the first one. After she ran off, the remaining does headed straight to me. A doe was about 25 yards out standing perpendicular to me. She was looking right under the tree was in, never saw me. I put the pin right on the white under her head. Shot and knew it was a good shot. She ran about 75 yards, bounced off the fence and crashed on the other side. I hit her in the jaw and it ricocheted off of her jaw and through her neck. A buddy came and help me find both of the deer. He liked to soil himself when he saw the jaw/neck shot deer and named her scarface!!

Early this year I thought Id be fancy and instead of taking a lung shot at a doe 12 yards away, I went for the neck. Bad move. She raised her head right when I let it fly.


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## TwoTurkeysDown (Jun 2, 2008)

*No Neck*

It's interesting that someone would ask the question, and it is hopefully helpful to others that this person asks the question. I watched an episode of "City Limits Bucks" or whatever it's called by Wolf Creek Productions tonight. In it, the producers showed MANY shots on whitetails. I have the luxury of TIVO (or DVR) and I slowed all the shots down into SLOW MOTION (as I always do to accurately see the exact point of impact). During this episode, ALL, except ONE of the archery shots the buck dropped PRIOR to the arrow striking the deer. Given this information, a buck will instinctively drop to make it's exit prior to the arrow striking the animal. Because of this, the intended point of impact is altered by the buck's movement before the arrow strikes. This makes a small target, like a neck, or a head, a VERY difficult target to hit. Further, it increases the probability of a wounding shot and therefore makes the ethical kill shot much less of a probability when aimed for a small, moving target like the neck. 

If you get the chance to watch a video, a DVD, or a TV show in slow motion, watch the amount of movement that a deer makes before the arrow strikes the animal, regardless of the distance or the noise of the bow. This alone should answer the question of the neck shot.


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## ejohns10 (Sep 28, 2009)

NoSecondBest said:


> The neck is a very poor choice for a kill shot. The windpipe will not kill the animal very quickly, it's a slow death for the animal.



Disagree. I just shot my first buck and cut through the windpipe with a grim reaper. Ran 20 yds and died in less then 10 minutes... 

Same concept of cutting the throat, if it cannot breath it cannot live. 

I will say that I was not aiming at that spot but it was very effective and very quick kill.


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

I like the pictures anybody else?


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## Dextee (Jan 4, 2007)

WHY? I lost concentration and shot a booner forward in the neck...That deer is one forever. Terrible shot option. The only thing there is the wind pipe and a main artery...both very small targets.


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## 82ndArcher07 (Aug 29, 2009)

ttt


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## archer36 (May 11, 2009)

B-G-K said:


> I have shot two in the neck. Both were deflections off of small twigs i couldnt see, both dropped on the spot. I wouldnt try for it, but it can easily be fatal


The first deer I ever killed with an arrow was accidently shot through the neck. I would not try this shot on purpose.


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## Uncle Bucky (Oct 30, 2009)

I shoot for the neck with my shotgun or muzzleloader if I can, but not there, but where the neck and body meet, drops them like a ton of bricks or you clean miss over them.

But with a bow you do not have the kinetic energy needed to properly penetrate the spine. 

I know it can work, but probably not a high percentage shot


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## flathead (Feb 21, 2008)

82ndArcher07 said:


> ttt


Why are you keeping this thread alive????????????????????????


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## nycredneck (Nov 9, 2007)

:deadhorse


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## archeryhunterME (Feb 12, 2006)

I shot one facing me, right at the base of the neck with the Rocket 2 3/4" 3 blade expandable and it shredded her neck, she left an unmistakable 80 yard blood trail. I would take it again, but not broadside where I could hit the deer's body.


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## judger101 (Jan 11, 2009)

as said, its not because its not fatal, its because deer are always looking around and moving their heads. if it was my only shot and i was confident that they head wasnt going to move, id still not take the shot.


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## deerhuntinfool (Jun 2, 2009)

I shoot em in the neck with my .30.30 all the time when they're within 60 yards or so. Makes for easy tracking... They drop in they're tracks.


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## Buckmeister (Dec 19, 2004)

I had the a nice ten point wall hanger in front of me a week ago for about five minutes, he only gave me a potential shot from the front, I considered shooting through the neck when he had his head down but passed it up. Some have said they would take that shot if its all they had, I would rather wait for a boiler room shot than risk wounding and not finding a great deer.


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## floridabuck (Oct 15, 2009)

My experience with neck shots has been if they dont drop on the spot they run and run and run..


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## AR_Headhunter (Aug 17, 2009)

TailChaser said:


> If the deer if coming straight towards me and I'm on the ground, and it's closer than 15 yards, (and it's not swing its head around, and I am set up to have perfect form on the shot), I'll take it. Otherwise you're not likely to get another shot. This is knowing I can hit within 1" of where I want to hit.


Exactly! It can be done & be a very high % shot. Just know your equipment & your limitations. I would venture to say there are a lot more low % broadside shots taken due to various conditions that what are taken by experienced archers shooting the neck shot at close range. 

13 yards facing me. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1049569 . Would I do it again? Every time in the same situation.


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