Are Neck Shots Preferred Than Broadside Shot To Prevent The Damage Of The Meat?

[gbflyer]

View attachment 444367'Have recovered several neighbors' neck-shot deer 1/2 mi away from the shot. Bullet often recovered (not near the spine/artery/cord) was an 87 gr .243. smh. Not much meat damage, but they didn't recover the deer and proceeded to continue the woundfest! (Dropping the deer and another with additional tags, using the proper shot placement and bullet will result in a surplus of meat.) Hit the vitals (frontal, broadside, quartering-toward or away, between the shoulder blades from above or even TX heartshot/femoral artery/spine) and use a proper SD bullet! Neck shot on Cape Buff, elephant or hippo is a great way to get the party started... Funny-they forgot to include the "neck" shot on all shot angle diagrams. View attachment 444366

In most of those scenarios depicted, our little blacktail deer would be blown to Hell. Not much on them to start with. Get close and pop them like a rabbit, must be similar to the “culling” mentioned above. I’ve never lost one in 27 years. Elk, moose, bear…I agree with breaking them down in the front shoulders. If the only thing presented is the THS, I pass.

 

[R.M.C.]

I kinda grew up shooting whitetail in the neck because of a neighbor that deer hunted a lot and always shot them in the neck. I guess I looked up to him , he never shot more than once and he always had a deer hanging in the barn in the winter. I guess nowadays I'm a shoulder shooter unless the shot is an easy one, then I'd go with head shots on stuff that doesn't have big horns or a desirable skull. I like to hit them directly in the shoulder, not behind it, especially bears and big wild boar. Leaves the skull in one piece and they usually drop instantly. I'm not really all that concerned with meat damage, it's takes second place to killing the thing.
Neck shots done right are awesome , they drop like a stone when you sever the spinal cord.

 

[Hunt anything]

The Wyoming Game Wardens are pretty savage. They made us literally unload every single thing from the back of the truck bed (which with a campshell and out of state hunters meant it was completely overflowing), got in his truck and drove away leaving us with a hell of a mess on the side of the road.

I had just the opposite experience with Wyoming game wardens. In 2013 I shot a pronghorn and mule deer and shipped the capes to my taxidermist, later I was bored and reading a regulation book and saw I needed a permit to ship out of state. Went to the HQ of WG&F told them the story they gave me tags a hat and wished me well. Two lessons 1( don’t listen to your outfitter 2) read all regulations before hunting! I did have the antlers and horns and told me to put the tags on them .

 

[JimP]

CWD (chronic wasting disease) is another reason for NOT shooting an animal in the head at least where I hunt in northwestern Colorado. Deer, and to a lesser extent, elk, are known to carry it. If you shoot an animal in the head, they can't test the brain tissue for CWD or so I've been told. We take the head(s) to the DOW and have it/them tested. It's well worth the $20 for peace of mind.

They actually test the thyroid glands located in the upper neck for CWD in elk and deer.

I believe that they have a video that you can watch to remove them yourself if you are backpacking in and only bringing out the meat and antlers in a mandatory reporting area.

 

[lwaters]

That would be correct for the maximum amount of useable meat. That said, I’ve lost deer with that shot and don’t take it any longer. I try to get a rib shot into the lungs right behind the shoulder to minimize meat loss.

Went on an elk hunt in Wyoming. The outfitter absolutely hated neck shots. He said he has seen enough elk lost from that shot and did not want his clients using it.

 

[K E Johnson]

The neck shot was my preference for quite some time on whitetail deer.
always used a .375 H&H and had great success.
One evening a number of years ago, had some does and fawns cross over on to my property just before the season ended for the day. Light was fading, but I was comfortable taking a neck shot at a doe at 50 yards or so.
she dropped at the shot as normal. I got down from my stand and to my amazement she got up and ran. I had missed the spine but she was bleeding buckets. No way she could go far bleeding like that, right?
Well, with darkness coming and her obviously bleeding like a geyser, I followed without giving her time to bleed out. Got her up at least twice where she was bleeding out and would have succumbed at either location without me looking for her. All mistakes by me. Have not taken a neck shot since.
I did head shoot a doe in my youth with a 7mm Rem mag. I brained her, so no loss of meat.
Now with a bow or rifle, I strive for behind the shoulder entrance and ahead of the diaphragm exits. I generally see them drop in my sight.

Black bear camp in Montana in the late 80’s, we were all told not to shoulder shoot bears. I assured them I would not if they didn’t want me to. Also told them I thought my 375 with 300 grain Noslers would do just fine and they agreed. The gentleman who tried it with a 270 Weatherby in camp, went home disappointed. I double lunged mine. He just rolled over dead.

20 plus years ago, I took an older friend “Max”, who has long since past, mule deer hunting in Montana. I had filled my tag and was helping him fill his.
We came across a nice buck in a coolie. He was left handed and favored semi auto rifles. He took an off hand shot at about 100 yards or so. Max shot everything off hand. First shot that buck went down. The guide was congratulating Max on a great shot. I had seen the right antler come off,at the shot. I told Max to belt him again or he was going to wake back up.
Good times……

In Africa, I plan on busting some shoulders…..

 

[Cam Moon]

@K E Johnson
Did the outfitter say WHY he didn't want you to shoot the black bear in the shoulder?
Where did the guy with the 270 bee hit his bear? That's plenty of gun. You had more than you needed with your 375. (But why not, right?)

 

[C.W. Richter]

In most of those scenarios depicted, our little blacktail deer would be blown to Hell. Not much on them to start with. Get close and pop them like a rabbit, must be similar to the “culling” mentioned above. I’ve never lost one in 27 years. Elk, moose, bear…I agree with breaking them down in the front shoulders. If the only thing presented is the THS, I pass.

'Have you tried #4 buckshot like grysbok? We have 250-350 lb whitetails, so the right bullet you must have and the neck isn't advised (Plus, there's more meat to spare!) I've seen some beautiful racked blacktails and hope to hunt 'em someday (a .257-7mm w/ high SD bullet that punches right through won't do too much damage. The SD of a bullet determines a lot.) Why PHs recommend using solids on pygmy antelope (and .22 FMJ follow-ups on trapping bounties). Akin to an archery shot.

 

[Doug3006]

Every one of the guides I’ve hunted with discouraged folks from attempting neck shots. They’ve seen too many almost-perfect neck shots lead to wounded animals. The neck shot has a very small margin for error. Plus, the size of the neck and location of the spine varies a lot between species. Shots placed on or just behind the shoulder are 100% deadly and much more forgiving of slightly “off” marksmanship than the neck shot.

 

[K E Johnson]

@K E Johnson
Did the outfitter say WHY he didn't want you to shoot the black bear in the shoulder?
Where did the guy with the 270 bee hit his bear? That's plenty of gun. You had more than you needed with your 375. (But why not, right?)

The outfitter had bad experiences with bullets breaking up on shoulder shots. Lost bears. The 270 bee hit a shoulder and he lost it. He told them he shoulder shot all his elk and had no problems. The no shoulder shot mantra was given before they knew what I was hunting with. To be fair, they had guys from Florida ask if 9 mm was big enough. Could they bring Uzi’s?
I met those guys. No Swift A Frames or other super premiums back then.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Every one of the guides I’ve hunted with discouraged folks from attempting neck shots. They’ve seen too many almost-perfect neck shots lead to wounded animals. The neck shot has a very small margin for error. Plus, the size of the neck and location of the spine varies a lot between species. Shots placed on or just behind the shoulder are 100% deadly and much more forgiving of slightly “off” marksmanship than the neck shot.

If you really need "more meat," just buy $10 worth of beef to make up for your black/blue shoulder. Or, use the highest SD bullets in your caliber and your concerns will be shelved. I worry more about quickly dispatching a living, breathing animal (not what it takes to do that!) If hunting "squirrels", you have more room for error...Some deer we've collected in S./C./W. TX I probably could've wrestled to the ground w/ no weapon (had I had a 6-pack of mtn. dew on-hand prior.) 0 meat damage in that case. Archery is also an option (vertical bows, not crossguns!)

 

[C.W. Richter]

The outfitter had bad experiences with bullets breaking up on shoulder shots. Lost bears. The 270 bee hit a shoulder and he lost it. He told them he shoulder shot all his elk and had no problems. The no shoulder shot mantra was given before they knew what I was hunting with. To be fair, they had guys from Florida ask if 9 mm was big enough. Could they bring Uzi’s?
I met those guys. No Swift A Frames or other super premiums back then.

Need to use the highest SD bullets for thickly-constructed animals (and African PG is NO exception-they are built to withstand predator attacks!)

 

[Newboomer]

When I was a kid I headshot deer with a 22lr. Any one I shot I hit in the ear from no more than 50 feet and then only when he put his head down to get an apple. Dropped them on the spot and no damage to meat. Anything else I always go for a shoulder or behind the shoulder. I have taken head on shots but it has to be a good standing target. Got my buf and eland that way.

 

[JimP]

The outfitter had bad experiences with bullets breaking up on shoulder shots. Lost bears. The 270 bee hit a shoulder and he lost it. He told them he shoulder shot all his elk and had no problems. The no shoulder shot mantra was given before they knew what I was hunting with. To be fair, they had guys from Florida ask if 9 mm was big enough. Could they bring Uzi’s?
I met those guys. No Swift A Frames or other super premiums back then.

Sounds like a poor outfitter. I have been on a number of outfitted hunts and not a single one recommended a chancy neck shot over a shoulder or rib shot. If the gentleman who was shooting a 270 Weatherby hit it in the shoulder I am sure that bear suffered a long and agonizing death with the guide not going after it and doing some tracking like a guide should.

 

[Hunt anything]

I did not m

Sounds like a poor outfitter. I have been on a number of outfitted hunts and not a single one recommended a chancy neck shot over a shoulder or rib shot. If the gentleman who was shooting a 270 Weatherby hit it in the shoulder I am sure that bear suffered a long and agonizing death with the guide not going after it and doing some tracking like a guide should.

e to say don’t listen to your outfitters on shot placement or trophy quality, just that they may not know all aspects of the law.

 

[gbflyer]

'Have you tried #4 buckshot like grysbok? We have 250-350 lb whitetails, so the right bullet you must have and the neck isn't advised (Plus, there's more meat to spare!) I've seen some beautiful racked blacktails and hope to hunt 'em someday (a .257-7mm w/ high SD bullet that punches right through won't do too much damage. The SD of a bullet determines a lot.) Why PHs recommend using solids on pygmy antelope (and .22 FMJ follow-ups on trapping bounties). Akin to an archery shot.

Never tried buckshot. A #150 pound animal here would be a brute. I look in awe at some of those Columbia Blacktail they get in the Pacific Northwest.

 

[RLL]

You've actually SEEN it with your own eyes? Not just heard of shot jaws??

Ive seen it as well on several hogs and deer. Not a pretty sight and nothing salvageable typically unless the jaw has been dangling a few days.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Sounds like a poor outfitter. I have been on a number of outfitted hunts and not a single one recommended a chancy neck shot over a shoulder or rib shot. If the gentleman who was shooting a 270 Weatherby hit it in the shoulder I am sure that bear suffered a long and agonizing death with the guide not going after it and doing some tracking like a guide should.

the higher the V (of a particular caliber/gun,) the higher the SD bullet it requires. whist pimping (profitable) 223s and 6.5 Needmores on TV, they don't talk about this any longer...lol

 

[C.W. Richter]

I had just the opposite experience with Wyoming game wardens. In 2013 I shot a pronghorn and mule deer and shipped the capes to my taxidermist, later I was bored and reading a regulation book and saw I needed a permit to ship out of state. Went to the HQ of WG&F told them the story they gave me tags a hat and wished me well. Two lessons 1( don’t listen to your outfitter 2) read all regulations before hunting! I did have the antlers and horns and told me to put the tags on them .

'Same. Had wonderful experiences hunting WY for elk, mule deer, antelope (watching HUGE whitetails whilst deciding whether to use the "deer" tag on It or the muley!) LOL Read and follow the instructions. (the reason Biden voters exist, as clearly, they only watch TV and receive benefits on U$!)

 

[Hunt anything]

'Same. Had wonderful experiences hunting WY for elk, mule deer, antelope (watching HUGE whitetails whilst deciding whether to use the "deer" tag on It or the muley!) LOL Read and follow the instructions. (the reason Biden voters exist, as clearly, they only watch TV and receive benefits on U$!)

Not sure how to take that, never been accused of being a Biden voter