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From: ralphk@hpcvra.cv.hp.com (Ralph Kinser)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Re: Aiming while Deer hunting
Message-ID: <480@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>
Date: 4 Apr 91 12:56:20 GMT
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First, I have never Bow hunted, so all my experiance is with Rifles.
I was taught to aim for the the front shoulder area on the animal.
This area offers the largest target for a fatal shot, with the lungs
and major arteries being hit most often. I have only seen one animal
that was hit through the heart. Several years ago, I started going
for neck shots if I felt I had a good shot (under 75 yards, calm animal,
and a good shooting position). I made this change after seeing a 
couple of wounded Elk get away after shoulder shots and talking to
a lot of other Elk hunters. The main reason being that the shot will
either be a fatal hit that drops the animal immediately or very
quickly or else be a clean miss.  Ideally, you want to hit the spinal
column, in my opinion. If you hit the throat, it will be damage to
one of the arteries or veins that causes the shot to be fatal. I
doubt if severing the wind pipe would be fatal very quickly, the 
animal would still breath. I aim for the center of the neck, the
spinal column is near the center with the vertebras sticking up toward
the top of the neck(as best as I can describe quickly), I will usually
hit a little high because of the distance I am sighted in for and
have always hit the spinal column. The Deer I shot last year, I 
shot through the front shoulder. The Deer was broadside to me at
125-150 yards. It dropped right there and did not get up. Inspection
of the Deer showed me there is no such thing as a clean miss. The
Buck had a nasty flesh wound where some other hunters bullet had
gone between two of the vertebras in the Deers back. It is likely
that the other hunter never knew he hit him. I don't know if the
Deer could have survived the winter, but I doubt it. The moral for 
me is to choose the shot I have the most confidence in at the time,
some times it will be the neck, other times the shoulder, or just
not shoot at all(sometimes the toughest thing to do).

Happy Hunting
Ralph