Neck shots on deer?

[Cacatch]

I once read where ISHI would sometimes kill deer with neck shots. I wonder, has anyone else ever purposefully taken a deer with a shot that wasn't the typical "kill zone" with bow?

Thanks for any response,
CP

[Kegan]

I've read old books and articles that noted the neck shot as a viable kill shot. It's not really the norm today, as it doesn't seem as reliable. Seems there's more meat than vitals. Of course, for those folks that did hit the throat/jugular/whatever, it seemed to bring whatever they're after down quick.

I know that I wouldn't do it unless I also knew my set up could sever the spine if I messed up .

[cracker]

I'm with Kegan on this I shoot for the neck with a rifle never had one move off the spot but that's with a rifle with a bow I go for the normal kill zone.Ron

[profsaffel]

It seems that some compound shooters could get away with the neck shots with their 'targeting systems' where accuracy is not as big as an issue. For primitive shooters, I can see where I'd be less likely to promote a 'head shot'. I guess if you are comfortable enough with your accuracy, a neck shot would be viable.

[Stoker]

Not a good plan. The vitals are a bigger target.Bigger is better
Thanks Leroy

[Cacatch]

All good responses and very much appreciated. I was considering going for the neck, because I know that if you can get your point into the spine just behind the brain, it will immobilize/drop/kill the deer, but it is tricky as stated because it's a smaller target.

What it really ammounts to is my day-dreaming about season starting has got me to thinking up things like this. Opening day is still a week and a half away so what else can I do til then but practice and dream?   

I guess it reallly depends on the shot that is presented, if any. If it's a pretty close shot, which in my set-up it just might be under 10 yards, I might go for the neck, otherwise I'll just go for the kill zone.

Thanks again for the responses guys...

CP

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

2 years ago i was really on my shooting game. i had nothing but time so i shot all the time and got really good that year. i was borderline cocky about my shooting, but i shot a deer in the neck that year. i was hunting in a small creek bed and had a trail crossing at 14ish yards and a doe came by but i mis-judged the height of the grass and all i could see was her head and neck so i aimed for the corner of the throat patched and let it fly and this was the result. the trade points burrowed into the spine and she went straight down, i gave a quick follow up shot through the back once i stood to my feet, but the neck shot did the trick.   i probably wont aim for the neck much again, but if its something i feel good about, i wont hesitate.   lots of stuff in there to hit, its just a small target.

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[Pat B]

I would not try a neck shot!   A good friend of mine was accidentally shot through the neck with a .357 a few months ago. The bullet went in one side, out the other and into his shoulder. It didn't hit anything vital and he is fine today.
  Give me a broadside or quartering away shot in the boiler room any time!!!

[El Destructo]

OK....now for my two cents.....a neck shot with a Bow is not only risky business....but in my book...kind of reckless....if done with a rifle...the kinetic energy does so much damage that along with the bullets devastation there is little chance of a wounded animal...but with a Bow....compounds or stick...this is not the case....6-7 years ago I shot a big whitetail doe....when I went to.dress her out...I noticed a growth on the side of her neck....so I took my knife and cut the hide where the lump was...half expecting to find a tumor under it....well what I found was an aluminum shaft....so I.flopped her over to find another lump on the other side....this poor deer had been show through the neck....had broken the shaft off I'm both sides....and had healed up and survived this ordeal....so I could never condone the neck shooting of a deer with a Bow....enough of the rant....

[Cacatch]

Wow Mike, that sucks. But on the good side, I bet you felt good to put her out of her misery. Can you imagine how she felt in cold weather, walking around with aluminum transversing her neck. Good thing you got her anyway. Thanks for your input.

CP

[Hillbilly]

I wouldn't  try a neck shot with a bow. I've killed quite a few deer with neck shots with a gun, but I've had to finish a few of them off, too. I shot one in the neck a couple years ago that hit the ground like it was poleaxed. As I was climbing down out of the tree, it got up and took off. Never found anything but a few hairs and two drops of blood. I don't think it even came close to killing it, just temporarily paralyzed it. That was the last neck shot I intentionally took on a deer.

[profsaffel]

OK....now for my two cents.....a neck shot with a Bow is not only risky business....but in my book...kind of reckless....if done with a rifle...the kinetic energy does so much damage that along with the bullets devastation there is little chance of a wounded animal...but with a Bow....compounds or stick...this is not the case....6-7 years ago I shot a big whitetail doe....when I went to.dress her out...I noticed a growth on the side of her neck....so I took my knife and cut the hide where the lump was...half expecting to find a tumor under it....well what I found was an aluminum shaft....so I.flopped her over to find another lump on the other side....this poor deer had been show through the neck....had broken the shaft off I'm both sides....and had healed up and survived this ordeal....so I could never condone the neck shooting of a deer with a Bow....enough of the rant....

This is good enough to convince me! Of course, I wasn't considering the neck shot anyway. I'll do well to hit the boiler I figure.

[mullet]

 I shot one at 65yds last year with my flintlock in the neck. I was as bloody as the deer by the time I got her loaded up in the 'Gator. I've got scars on both arms where she kicked and worked me over  with her hooves. I finally found my hammer to put her down and save me a little blood. I'll pass on a bow shot to the neck on a deer, but a head shot on a hog is a different story.

[Mechslasher]

a neck shot with trad gear is a high risk shot to be sure.  when i shot compounds, i took several with a quartering toward me shot at the base of the neck.  this shot proved 100% fatal with a 2" expanding broadhead going through the entire chest cavity.  the last deer i killed with a compound was a six pointer walking toward me.  hit him just below the throat patch, he fell over backwards spraying everything within 10'.  this may seem reckless, but i could shoot a 3" group at 60 yards with a compound back in the day.  i've killed two animals with trad gear with accidental neck shots.  a 150lb boar and a 100+lb doe.  the boar fell over at eddie's feet but i had to finish off the doe with a second shot.  deer react much too fast for necks shots with trad gear.

[Thwackaddict]

I agree with chris,only neck shot i'd be willing to take would be a quartering to and only to slip the arrow into the vitals.Neck shots are too iffy.deer moves just a bit and you got problems.i shot a bedded down doe with my wheelie a few years back.Nailed her dead center of the throat patch and expandable didnt open she jumped up and off she went and my arrow jus fell out.Head was gobbed up with hair not a drop of blood.No more neck shots for me.Put one in the ppump staion!Much better results