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From: wasserbu@ihlpl.att.com (Michael F Wasserburger)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Re: aiming while deer hunting
Summary: i typically stay away from neck shots
Message-ID: <470@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>
Date: 3 Apr 91 12:26:15 GMT
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> The gun hunting material recommends the same rib shot or the neck.
> The neck seems to be preferred since very little meat is damaged.  For
> the neck shot, where exactly do you aim? in the center hoping to sever
> the windpipe?  towards the top hoping to sever the spine? anywhere
> since there is enough vital stuff in the neck to insure a quick kill?
> 
> I am curious, where do you aim and why???

  I don't bow hunt, but I can give you my opinions on aimpoints
for firearm hunting.  Yes, a neck shot does reduce the amount
of meat damage, but is a MUCH more difficult shot to make.
Unless conditions are IDEAL (50 yards or less, you have a
steady rest for your rifle, the deer is standing still broadside
and you are a very good shot) I don't recommend them.  It
is just too easy to miss the vital area (the spine), causing
the animal to be wounded or totally missed (a miss is much better
than wounding).

  I use neck shots to finish the kill of a deer that doesn't
die immediately (I hate when the shot I make doesn't kill
the animal within 30 seconds or so and I have to finish the
job), but I make every effort to kill as quickly and humanly
as possible.

  I recommend the heart/lung shot.  This shot is properly
placed just behind the front shoulder of a deer (between the
second and third rib).  The Mule Deer I harvested in Idaho
this past fall was shot in that exact spot, resulting in
the destruction of the lung and top of the heart.  This
deer died before he knew what hit him.  This shot placement
is preferred because there is more room for error (a larger
vital zone) which means that a shot which isn't perfect
has a lower probability of wounding and a higher probability
of collecting the deer.

  A properly placed heart/lung shot may not drop the deer
dead in his tracks (like a spine shot will do), but the
deer will usually die very quickly and can be found within
a 100 yards or so of where you shot him.

Just my opinions, any others?

Mike Wasserburger
att!ihlpl!wasserbu

ps- Great newsgroup!!!