Neck shots, ethical?

[greenhorndave]

There's never an easy answer.

I'd vote no in both instances, but I wouldn't fault anyone who did.

Pretty sure marshbuster has taken a number of good bucks by going for that softball-sized patch above the brisket. I give him credit for making such shots pay off, but personally, I don't trust myself with those kind of odds. But it's a great skill to have in your if you can do it with precision.

[ghoasthunter]

There's never an easy answer.

I'd vote no in both instances, but I wouldn't fault anyone who did.

Pretty sure marshbuster has taken a number of good bucks by going for that softball-sized patch above the brisket. I give him credit for making such shots pay off, but personally, I don't trust myself with those kind of odds. But it's a great skill to have in your if you can do it with precision.

i was thinking about it and if i didnt a couple questionable shots i would have 4 less deer on my wall. when it comes down too big bucks just dont give you the best shots in the world. and every single buck on my wall was moving when i shot i literally only get one or two shots a year if im lucky and i hunt a lot

[Ahawk116]

Yes with a rifle, no with a bow, but it all depends. If I’m on the ground and can take a frontal shot it’s super deadly. I wouldn’t consider that a neck shot though.
Rifle 200 yards and in.

[hambone]

I will shoot a deer (doe) in the neck at 200 yds or less with a rifle. I have killed 53 does with a Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. Fifty-two of those were shot in the neck. I would never take a neck shot with a bow on an unwounded deer.

[Tsom]

I passed on a neck shot while snow tracking a real nice buck this last season within 30 yd and I'm still kicking myself. So I will with a gun and with the right circumstances such as what Ghoast was talking about I would with a bow.

[Dewey]

how about this you have one of the best bucks you ever been after closing in in the brush. 40 yards 30 yards 20 yards 10 yards. your fully drawn and the pin is on him. he pokes his neck out from behind a tree and looks right at you. at that point its shoot or hes likely gone after you have been hunting him for the last 2 years. do you shoot or watch him tuck tail and run off? personally i let that arrow fly before there was even a chance too let it unfold any farther.

Honestly......this has happened to me multiple times on some monster bucks and I did not take the shot. Doesn’t matter if it’s a big buck, little buck or even a doe if I don’t have a high percentage shot where I can deflate both lungs I will not shoot. It’s a standard I have stuck to and has worked out pretty good for me. I wounded a buck in 2017 for the first time in 15 years and still regret taking that shot. In hindsight that is one I should have passed up. Just not worth it to me to take a risky shot. Some guys can get away with it but I guarantee it will eventually come back to haunt them. If I have to sacrifice not putting a few more bucks on the wall I’m completely fine with that. In the end I will sleep better knowing I did the right thing. I have no regrets on shots passed up.

[Brian1986]

I have elected to pass on neck shots with both bow and gun. It comes down to do you have confidence you can make a lethal shot every time? That's how I personally define what's ethical for me. I don't have that confidence on the neck shot so I pass and wait for an opportunity at the vitals.

[john1984]

I took one neck shot with my bow in 2015. Awesome blood trail with a dead buck at the end.

How many deer have been wounded by hunters who condemn neck shots?

Answer= LOTS

[may21581]

If done with a bow it must be close. I shot a buck while still hunting off the ground once, he was about 5 yards away. He dropped in his tracks and expired very quickly due to a jugular shot. I would also do it with a gun inside 100 yards if I felt it was the only shot I would get. When executed properly the neck shots drop them in their tracks. Higher the neck shot the better and when facing to you. I wouldn't try a shot from the side.

[218er]

I doubt I personally would try a neck shot with a bow based on my skills and that they often are prone to jump around. Different story with a rifle I’ve shot about a dozen in the neck. I missed one which was a clean miss and he trotted off. When an animal is stationary a neck hit can be instantly fatal and is relatively easy. Aim small, miss small. A lot of old timers, ranchers, and natives have been doing it forever. It beats tracking if you can pull it off.

[dagger]

If that's all I got for a shot is the neck and I felt confident at the given distance of let em have it with a gun or bow.

[Drenalin]

I shot a deer in the face once with an arrow, pretty much right between the eyes. Best blood trail I've ever followed and there was a dead buck at the end of it (short tracking job to boot). In spite of that, I don't try to shoot deer between the eyes. I also don't take neck shots, frontals, or Texas heart shots. I know they can be lethal and that plenty of guys take those shots, the risk involved just isn't for me. If those are shots you're taking and they're working for you, I don't have a problem with that. I just don't do it.

[andy]

I shot a doe in the neck this year at about 40 yards with the old .308. She dropped on the spot. I wouldn't try it with a bow, especially at that distance, and it wasn't my preferred shot because of the aforementioned neck roast, but it worked out fine.

[stash59]

For the average hunter/shooter no!!!! For someone that has studied the animals anatomy and has practiced the shots and knows at what distance they can consistently make the shots, yes. But how many of us can honestly say we've done this!!!!!!

[Pse]

I'd say no with a bow for me personally I like to shoot them through the ribs it's a bigger target. I've seen several neck shot deer not recovered with rifles normally broadside shots ,especially at bucks/stags during the rut when the neck is swollen . It's a deadly shot when you've got a steady rest , especially if the deer is facing away from you and aim for the atlas joint