Neck Shots on Whitetails

[midnightSGT]

My 13 y/o posed the question to me the other day. What part of the neck is
best to shoot at if that is the only shot presented?

I gave him my answer. (Wait until you have a better shot). He is a young hunter and the Buck Fever runs high with him. So taking a neck shot is very risky for him and as long as I'm sitting next to him he will wait for that broadside shot, or they will walk.

In thirty years I have never taken a neck shot. So his question got me thinking, what part of the neck is best for a clean humane kill?

The middle of the neck, between the head and body. High up on the neck
near the base of the head?

What's your thoughts and experiences, good and bad. I just want to be able to answer his questions.

Thanks.

 

[DoormanTNT]

Neck shots are about all I take.
I usually hunt public land and with a neck shot they DONT run.

My shots are usually middle to low (body) on neck. If head is 12, mid at six, my shots are usually 8ish. Just below center.
I have a couple I took last year that were close. Head shots. Dead before they hit the ground.

I will not take a neck shot with a bow, only firearm.

But on the other hand, he is young and if you are not confident he should most certainlly stick with "vitals"

 

[mark71211]

Won't ever take a neck shot. This year a guy took a neck shot at a doe and blow her bottom jaw off and that's not the first time I have seen that. Not worth wounding a deer like that.

 

[midnightSGT]

Won't ever take a neck shot. This year a guy took a neck shot at a doe and blow her bottom jaw off and that's not the first time I have seen that. Not worth wounding a deer like that.

I pretty much agree with this 100%. I would rather watch the deer walk away
then risk a bad shot.

 

[lax]

Won't ever take a neck shot. This year a guy took a neck shot at a doe and blow her bottom jaw off and that's not the first time I have seen that. Not worth wounding a deer like that.

That sounds like a head shot. A successfull neck shot is only a few inches in front of the shoulder.

 

[HogCommander]

I took a neck shot on my very first deer in extremely low light (last minute of last light on last night for the season for me). He was facing me head on & had to wait for him to look up to aim at white patch of fur on front of his neck. Slowly squeezed the trigger on my M1A with peep sights and he went down like a bag of bricks. Turned out he lowered his head during my trigger pull...bullet entered the base of his skull behind the antlers and exited through the neck. Would feel confident taking a head-on neck shot at 75 yds or closer but would prob not shoot a buck this way if I was planning taxidermy. Wouldn't hesitate on a shot like this on a doe with a rifle or shotgun as long as I can see to aim properly.

 

[kstone803]

Won't ever take a neck shot. This year a guy took a neck shot at a doe and blow her bottom jaw off and that's not the first time I have seen that. Not worth wounding a deer like that.

That would be a bad head shot, not a neck shot. I shoot all my rifle deer in the neck unless the shot doesn't present itself. No running, no tracking, just bang, flop and a few twitches. I've shot everything from button bucks to 8 pt bucks in the neck and not a single one moved an inch from where they were hit. Most of the time the vertebrae are shattered to all hell. I wouldn't recommend it for someone who doesn't yet have a steady hand while pulling the trigger on game but it is my go to and I even shot my first deer in the neck with a .243. Use a .270 now but it doesn't make them any more dead.

 

[Speed3]

Won't ever take a neck shot. This year a guy took a neck shot at a doe and blow her bottom jaw off and that's not the first time I have seen that. Not worth wounding a deer like that.

I've seen this twice, not pretty at all. I would rather blow the front shoulders out so they won't run and have a follow up shot if need be.

 

[44man]

neck shots are risky but if the deer is close enough that i am confident in the shot i place the slug high on the neck near the base of the skull. no chasing the deer and no wasted meat. you just need to be very proficient with your firearm to do this. if you are not then wait for a standing broadside.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Short answer: Never! Those necks are there one second and gone the next.

I'm a behind the shoulder/rib shot guy.

Double lung pass through, 30 yard death run, and done. No wasted meat.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

I took a neck shot on my very first deer in extremely low light (last minute of last light on last night for the season for me). He was facing me head on & had to wait for him to look up to aim at white patch of fur on front of his neck. Slowly squeezed the trigger on my M1A with peep sights and he went down like a bag of bricks. Turned out he lowered his head during my trigger pull...bullet entered the base of his skull behind the antlers and exited through the neck. Would feel confident taking a head-on neck shot at 75 yds or closer but would prob not shoot a buck this way if I was planning taxidermy. Wouldn't hesitate on a shot like this on a doe with a rifle or shotgun as long as I can see to aim properly.

A frontal shot gets guts, intestines, urine, and turds all mixed in with the meat as the bullet goes through.

No thank you.

 

[campns]

Won't ever take a neck shot. This year a guy took a neck shot at a doe and blow her bottom jaw off and that's not the first time I have seen that. Not worth wounding a deer like that.

I agree 110% the risk is high when you make a neck shot, My grandad was all about headshots; however, he was always a better shot off hand with his 30-30 than i could ever dream of being. But you also have to remind your son that he has to hook up to something to drag the deer out and a broken neck some times comes loose from the rest of the body, and just makes for a sucky day all around.

 

[mark71211]

I've seen this twice, not pretty at all. I would rather blow the front shoulders out so they won't run and have a follow up shot if need be.

The guy in question only takes neck shot cause he does not like to waste any meat like you would if it was shot in the shoulder. He said he thinks the deers head moved at the last second. The head and neck move to much to get a good shot.

 

[midnightSGT]

Thank for the responses guys. This is only my son's second year and although he has shot does, he keeps reliving that fat 6 point that walked away last year in Pennsylvania
because all he had was a Neck shot in some brush and I would not let him pull the trigger.

The buck was 75 yards out and had us busted and was getting ready to turn and leave. I told him not to shoot that he may get another shot as the deer walks away.

No shot presented itself. I thought it was a win! I explained that I was proud of him for not forcing a bad shot and that you need to respect the game ect. He was ok with it, but I know he is always thinking (What If).

 

[Franklin]

just above the brisquet where the neck starts! you dont waste the front quarters that way and it is just as wide as the chest.

 

[sxs]

Won't ever take a neck shot. This year a guy took a neck shot at a doe and blow her bottom jaw off and that's not the first time I have seen that. Not worth wounding a deer like that.

I pretty much agree with this 100%. I would rather watch the deer walk away
then risk a bad shot.

Short answer: Never! Those necks are there one second and gone the next.

I'm a behind the shoulder/rib shot guy.

Double lung pass through, 30 yard death run, and done. No wasted meat.

The Hunter's Safety take: no head or neck shots. Broadside or quartering through the vitals is the best shot. I've practiced this my whole life. I aim a couple inches behind the shoulder, 1/3 of the way up. If I miss high, I still got the lungs and maybe even the spine. If I miss a couple inches low, I take out the heart. Miss forward by a few inches I hit shoulders, miss back a few inches, I will get lungs and/or liver. All are pretty quick kills with a rifle or rifled slug.

See : http://www.hunter-ed.com/maryland/studyGuide/201021

Select 'Vital Shots', then select 'Where to Shoot'.

Page through to see what we teach (very similar to our slides and presentations at Stoney Creek (FYI, I often teach Basic Hunting Skills which covers this topic)

One more thing: I have known of people who took neck shots, hit the deer and failed to recover it. Unless you hit spine or directly cut an artery, it may or may not die and may or may not go down quickly. I have never had a vital shot deer not die with one shot (although one did run about 80 yds with lung tissue hanging out the off side before dropping). Most have fallen either in place or nearly in place. I rarely have the opportunity to fire a clear second shot where my hunting stand is so I want to make it a good one. One more thing: for various reasons, you should be able to see the game animal head to tail when making your shot. That means you should have no reason to have to take a neck shot.
This, too, is taught in Maryland Hunter Ed.

Click the link above and step though the various slides. Walk him through the 'Shot, no shot' scenarios. Maybe he will feel better if he sees he made a good decision.

One last thing: I know some here will disagree about neck or head shots...fine! I'm not altering what I teach because I believe it to be true (and, besides, it's officially a part of the MD Hunter Safety Course!) But even given your own thoughts on the matter, do you really want an inexperienced young hunter taking shots like that? Your instructions were good midnightSGT!

 

[kstone803]

The Hunter's Safety take: no head or neck shots. Broadside or quartering through the vitals is the best shot. I've practiced this my whole life. I aim a couple inches behind the shoulder, 1/3 of the way up. If I miss high, I still got the lungs and maybe even the spine. If I miss a couple inches low, I take out the heart. Miss forward by a few inches I hit shoulders, miss back a few inches, I will get lungs and/or liver. All are pretty quick kills with a rifle or rifled slug.

See : http://www.hunter-ed.com/maryland/studyGuide/201021

Select 'Vital Shots', then select 'Where to Shoot'.

Page through to see what we teach (very similar to our slides and presentations at Stoney Creek (FYI, I often teach Basic Hunting Skills which covers this topic)

One more thing: I have known of people who took neck shots, hit the deer and failed to recover it. Unless you hit spine or directly cut an artery, it may or may not die and may or may not go down quickly. I have never had a vital shot deer not die with one shot (although one did run about 80 yds with lung tissue hanging out the off side before dropping). Most have fallen either in place or nearly in place. I rarely have the opportunity to fire a clear second shot where my hunting stand is so I want to make it a good one. One more thing: for various reasons, you should be able to see the game animal head to tail when making your shot. That means you should have no reason to have to take a neck shot.
This, too, is taught in Maryland Hunter Ed.

Click the link above and step though the various slides. Walk him through the 'Shot, no shot' scenarios. Maybe he will feel better if he sees he made a good decision.

One last thing: I know some here will disagree about neck or head shots...fine! I'm not altering what I teach because I believe it to be true (and, besides, it's officially a part of the MD Hunter Safety Course!) But even given your own thoughts on the matter, do you really want an inexperienced young hunter taking shots like that? Your instructions were good midnightSGT!

I find that hard to believe if it was done with a rifle. The hydrostatic shock of a rifle round hitting flesh is enough to disrupt the nerves in the spine and put the deer down. Maybe with a slug gun if at a distance and it went through without hitting anything vital. Either way I still wouldn't recommend it to a new hunter.

 

[boss66tcode]

pumphouse (heart lungs), end of story.

If its larger, more muscular deer you can miss nerve/spinal column altogether with 1 twist of the neck.

 

[SRD]

Not my style,not saying I'll never do it though.I knew a guy (deceased now) that only took neck shots (.243 single shot) and everyone I saw dropped on the spot,which claimed is why he did it.

 

[marko]

Only if its close. I use a muzzeloader.
This past Sunday, a deer spooked from another shot, ran towards me, I WHISTLED
one whoop, he looked up slightly quartering, 11 yards,
I was thinking hit the base of neck and blow out back shoulder, I was a little high,
he flopped over and I had hit him nearly on top of the spine - 2 inches and it would have been a miss.