Author Topic: What are your target areas on a deer and why? (Read 1142 times)

jhm · « **on:** July 19, 2004, 01:13:31 PM »

Hunter: This question has been poised to me and I would like to see some favorites to compare with my favorite, mine the neck area, reason never lost a deer yet.

JIM

Rick Teal · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2004, 02:06:03 PM »

Mine is the heart/lung area.

I don't believe in picking a hair on the side of a deer and trying to hit it. When I cross hair on a deer on such an angle that will allow the bullet to pass through the heart/lung area, I let fly.

I've had bullets enter the deer on extreme angles from behind, go down through the top of the back, go through the breast bone, go up through the belly hair and go through any combination of ribs, shoulder blades and leg bones to accomplish this.

huntsman · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2004, 02:21:07 PM »

The first most vital area that is exposed as a target that I can competently hit given my skills, ammo, conditions, etc. I have shot deer in the head, neck, spine, and "boiler room". By far the most favorable shot for me is a broadside behind the shoulder blade about 1/3 of the way up from the brisket.

But sometimes a deer will stand behind cover and peer over at 35 yards, in which case I can easily hit the spine under his chin. Or a bounding away deer can turn and allow a rib shot that will penetrate the heart/lung area. Once all I could target on a nice buck was the base of the neck at the shoulder line at 70 yards. It all depends on the factors involved in any given situation.

Heart/lung shots are my most preferred simply because there is a greater margin of error: 2+ inches in any direction away from your aim point is still venison in the freezer. Not so with some of the other shots I have mentioned. The range and conditions narrow as the vital target area decreases with any given shot.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #3 on:** July 19, 2004, 02:24:38 PM »

With my handgun I like hitting a shoulder going in because it seems to give better terminal results. With a rifle I like a heart/lung hit best as it seems to bleed the deer out more than a head/neck shot.

High Brass · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2004, 01:34:46 AM »

With a bow its obviously a heart/lung shot. With a rifle its either a neck shot if feasible or the heart/lung shot. I haven't, and prefer not to aim at the shoulder of a deer. I don't like to work around bloodshot meat(butcher own deer) and prefer either a neck shot or a shot behind the shoulder that doesn't damage any shoulder meat. I have shot deer where the bullet exited the offside shoulder. This happens and a little lost meat on one shoulder is better than two as long as it was a clean kill.

oneshotonekill · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2004, 03:30:24 AM »

It would depend on the weapon being used, range, etc. Under ideal conditions ie. a stationary deer at acceptible ranges with a handgun or rifle then a head or neck shot. If the deer is moving or big enough to mount then a chest shot. With shotgun or ML I almost always go for the chest shot.

Lawdog · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2004, 12:02:34 PM »

Heart/Lung area. The right bullet there insures you will be eating venison. Never seen the need to ruin all that good eating by shooting a non-dangerous animal in the shoulder. Head shots leave you no trophy and can be chancy(seen way too many deer move their head at the last second). Neck shot is fine when the deer is standing right and doesn't know you are around. The spinal shot is again chancy and many times ends up just wounding the deer(also ruins a lot of prime venison too). Lawdog

7magWoodsman · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2004, 12:45:26 AM »

Quote from: Lawdog

Heart/Lung area. The right bullet there insures you will be eating venison. Never seen the need to ruin all that good eating by shooting a non-dangerous animal in the shoulder. Head shots leave you no trophy and can be chancy(seen way too many deer move their head at the last second). Neck shot is fine when the deer is standing right and doesn't know you are around. The spinal shot is again chancy and many times ends up just wounding the deer(also ruins a lot of prime venison too). Lawdog

THE#1hunter · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2004, 07:31:00 AM »

Bow, heart lung , and I try to, but it doesnt always work out, I try to do the same with my rifle..It all depends with the situation at hand..

SLAVAGE · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2004, 07:53:32 AM »

all ways the heart an lungs, an if i cant get a clean shot for it ill bust the shoulder or if i know i can hit with no doubt ill take a neck shot if its under 60 yards

longwinters · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2004, 10:46:27 AM »

With the bow, only and always the heart lung area. Does not matter if it is 5 yds or 40 yds. With the rifle the area is still the same whether it is 20 yds or 200 yds.

Long

The deerslayer · « **Reply #11 on:** August 01, 2004, 04:01:04 PM »

I like the heart and back. Last year with my 280 rem I shot a small button buck in the heart he dropped in around 10 seconds. And I shot a big doe in the back she dropped like a rock so I like both. Shots were 60 yards.

DeerMeadowFarm · « **Reply #12 on:** August 03, 2004, 07:03:19 AM »

On moving deer I always try for the heart/lung area. On a standing or walking deer I try to aim for the front shoulder that will still allow the bullet to go through the lung area. For example, a quartering away deer I would aim for the opposite front shoulder (the one away from me) while I would aim for the near shoulder on a deer that is quartering towards me. I like to break a front shoulder so the deer drops. In MA one year I shot an 8-point buck that was standing broadside to me right through the heart. That deer ran 60 70 yards over the top of a ridge and dropped in front of two other guys hunting who claimed it was their deer. There was snow on the ground and the blood trail was so heavy a blind man could have followed it. After arguing with these guys for 15 minutes I finally came to the conclusion that 2 hotheaded jerks against me, all standing around with loaded weapons wasnt a good idea or worth the deer. I walked away (and secretly cursed them to many deer-less years in their future!) Another time I shot a spike-horn at a range of 12 yards with my rifle. That deer ran over 100 yards through an old cutting that was overgrown and had piles of tops/limbs everywhere. When I cleaned him out the heart was just a blob of mush; totally disintegrated. Some folks dont like to break a shoulder because they say it ruins the meat, but Id rather have to grind one shoulder into hamburger than to lose a deer to some jerk like I did that time in MA.
Just my $.02

snowdog · « **Reply #13 on:** August 08, 2004, 02:25:15 PM »

Lung/heart, there are guys/gals out there that can take em out with
a CNS shot but the lung/heart area allows for a couple of inches for
shooter/rifle flaws.

ratherbefishin · « **Reply #14 on:** August 08, 2004, 05:04:36 PM »

Depends on whatyou are using-bow rifle or shotgun.If I have a rock solid rest and am using a light calibre rifle, I will put the crosshairs on the eye, pull back an inch , and drop him in his tracks- worked for 20 bucks in a row- never lost one.But it's dependent on everything being exactly right- shots under 40 yards, a rest and a rifle you can shoot bottle caps with.The risk is hitting low and breaking their jaw- a terrible shot that results in a deer that dies of starvation.Better not to fire than risk that.Any other shot is back of the shoulder, except bear-I want a broadside shoulder shot- it puts them right down, may need another shot- but they aren't going anywhere.

willysjeep134 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2004, 05:29:44 PM »

I go for the high chest shot. I aim behind the shoulder and about 2/3 the way up. I have hread about this and have actually had better results with the high chest shot than the low chest shot. The theory is that the bullet impacts still through the lungs, but is also closer to the spine so the deer is more likely to drop. Plus, if you are bad at estimating ranges and the critter is farther out, the bullet still goes through the heart/lungs. Shooting lower may kill the deer, but there doesn't seem to be as much shock to the animal, judging from the few I've shot.

firstshot · « **Reply #16 on:** August 28, 2004, 04:16:08 PM »

I've got a particular situation this year where I need to drop em in their tracks if at all possible, so I will be taking a neck shot. Otherwise, I always shoot behind the shoulder in the heart/lung area.

firstshot
--------------------------------------
Make Your First Shot Count!

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #17 on:** August 30, 2004, 11:27:52 AM »

I like to go for the traditional vital area (heart/lung)...but I guess depending on the deer and situation, neck and head (if it's a 10 point buck, there ain't no way I'm going for the head)

bgjohn · « **Reply #18 on:** August 30, 2004, 12:16:48 PM »

Quartering away from me, I shoot them in the a$$. They go right down. Wammo! :shock:
JM

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #19 on:** August 30, 2004, 12:27:37 PM »

Bgjohn, I'm asking you an honest question. Are you being serious? I'm not trying to be an @$$hole...but I've only heard of one instance where that shot worked and the fella was using a 30-06 and he shot it right through the @$$hole and it came out the mouth :eek: . But...if u did get it there....what would it hit that kills it?

bgjohn · « **Reply #20 on:** August 30, 2004, 12:44:56 PM »

Quote from: Fishman029

Bgjohn, I'm asking you an honest question. Are you being serious? I'm not trying to be an @$$hole...but I've only heard of one instance where that shot worked and the fella was using a 30-06 and he shot it right through the @$$hole and it came out the mouth :eek: . But...if u did get it there....what would it hit that kills it?

Serious, a big doe, last few hours of the hunting season. Close range 20-30 yards. Quartering shot with a 30-30 170 gr Silvertip. The shot hit about an inch Left of the spine, went the length of the animal and lodged under the hide on the far side. It was mushroomed nicely. It did take a neck shot to finish the job but she wasn't going anywhere. Didn't even ruin the meat. I suspect trauma to the spine would hurt bad.
JM

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #21 on:** August 30, 2004, 12:54:32 PM »

Yea, that, and the fact maybe after you shoot it in the spine, it just kills the nerves and all feeling and causes shock? I guess it would work. I guess it DID work.

smoky · « **Reply #22 on:** September 03, 2004, 06:45:21 AM »

I will take a variety of ethical, vital organ shots if any are presented in a way to make a quick, clean kill.

That said, I prefer a shoulder breakdown shot to allow for "0 yards to recovery". I realize that this messes up some low end cuts from the front shoulder, however, I feel it is much more wasteful to possibly lose the entire deer. And in some of the thick swampy areas I hunt, the less tracking you have to do, the better.

Smoky

crawfish · « **Reply #23 on:** September 03, 2004, 03:09:40 PM »

For the last 13 years my hunting gun has been a handgun in .41 caliber. Up until 2001 I shot a 210g Sierra Power Point in my .41RemMag. I now shot a 250g hard cast lead bullet. Since I started shooting handguns, from my very first handgun deer in 1991 to my last shot last season, I have used the center low on the front shoulder shot to drop in place. The .41 loaded for hunting will shoot through a whitetail at normal handgun ranges. Because of that shoot through you will break both shoulders. Using the 210g Sierra the meat damage was minimal, not as severe as with a rifle round. Using the 250g lead at around 1200fps you can eat up to the hole. Really there is very little meat damage using slow moving lead bullets and with two shoulders blown out they fall in place every time.