# Head Shots



## Kevin82 (Aug 9, 2006)

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. I just moved to ND in July and look forward to getting a doe tag for this season and hopefully next season I'll get a buck tag. I have a lot to learn about hunting this land, its vastly different than the woods of Virginia where I grew up hunting and fishing and I'm willing to take any advice given. I'm relatively new to bow hunting, only taken one buck in about three years of hunting although I took a lot of shots, I always hit branches which deflected my arrows LOL. Anyways I had a thought while watching a hunting show which maybe some of you can shed some light on.

Why is it that when hunting, either bow or rifle, do we always shoot at the heart/lungs area and not go for a head shot? The most logical thought that comes to mind is 1) Its a larger kill area to hit especially when starting to get the rush and your hands start shaking and 2) If you hit the head it will not only mess up the rack but the bullet will easily continue past the intended target and possibly hit someone/something several yards down range that is not intended. But if the opportunity presents itself, say the deer was facing you head on and was eating from the ground or taking a drink of water where you could take a head shot and the bullet would go into the ground.... would you take it?

Just a thought that perhaps I could get some feed back on. Also is there a main bow hunting club in Minot or surrounding area that I could join?

Take Care everyone,

Kevin :beer:


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## 2eagles (Jun 15, 2005)

NO headshots!! It is not a larger target. You would have to get through the skull into the brain for a kill. That's a small target. If you've had several misses at the much larger heart/lung area, it's time to get back to the shooting range.


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## HUNTNFISHND (Mar 16, 2004)

Kevin,

A head shot at fairly close range with a gun would be OK.

But I would never try a head shot with a bow, the skull is too hard to penatrate and the brain is very small.

With out a doubt, the best bow shot is a quartering away shot. Followed by the broadside shot. Please respect the animal enough to wait for one of these shots!


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

I agree with these two. Practice. :eyeroll:


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## NDTracer (Dec 15, 2005)

Kevin the others are right IMO. If you want proof about the difficulty of a head shot read about some of the monster bear taken. Alot of times they have some scars or the bullet still in the skull. Granted its a bear not deer but still. In my early years I had a wounded doe and the only shot I had was a head shot so I tried it. There was a richochet off the skull and she ran. I finally got her but couldn't figure out the richochet until I got her and saw the bald spot where it hit/skimmed her.


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

With archery equipment, absolutely not!!!

With a rifle, only if you are not exceeding you're personal limitations and the conditions (wind, light, the deer's mannerisms..ect.) are perfect. In general it's really not a wise decision period however, if you KNOW you can make the shot, take it. I have shot several does in the head; no meat wasted with a head shot.


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

With a rifle, muzzleloader, shotgun take it, assuming that is the only shot you have. You will have a hard time penetrating the skull with a bow.


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## Kevin82 (Aug 9, 2006)

Thanks for the info guys, I think I didn't explain myself well enough in the above post. Being accurate with my bow isn't the problem at all. I've just over looked a small branch or twig that sits between myself and my intended target which ends up deflecting my arrow. In fact one season I did it twice to the same deer LOL. He left his bed down area and came down the trail where I was sitting in my tree stand, he gave me a broad side shot and I took it, what I didn't see was this little twig about 8 feet infront of my that my arrow hit. Then later in the evening, this is after sitting in the tree stand all day and being cold the buck came back. The exact way he walked out he was walking in. So I drew back again and when he gave me the shot I took it. This time I hit another small twig which sent the arrow right over his back. Talk about utter frustration so the next morning I grabbed the shotgun, loaded a slug in it and got that buck. :sniper: 
That was my first hunt with my bow and learned a lot, mainly to practice ALOT and from many different angles/ positions. Next season I took a nice buck with my bow. 
Thank you guys for your input on head shots with deer, after getting your opinions its safe to say I wouldn't do it with a bow. If the opportunity presented itself I might take it with my rifle, however, I'm not so sure the deer wouldn't jump the gun blast and move. 
Good thoughts and opinions guys, thanks for the input! I've deffinently learned something new.

Take Care,

Kevin


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## Tator (Dec 10, 2005)

I'll take a doe in the head during gun season whenever applicable (close shot) saves on meat now whether it's ethical or not is not really up to me, I've shot the jaw off of does before and had them still running...........so does a person say "hey, that's not ethical, so that's a reason to go with a heart/lung shot" well either way, I've always recovered a doe I've shot in the head.

just some FYI


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## Starky (Mar 15, 2006)

I think everybody has covered the head shot thing, don't try it with a bow.


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## brownitsdown (Aug 13, 2006)

I personaly saw someone shoot for the head miss and break the deers lower jaw luckily the next shot was a kill. if it wasnt the deer would of starved to death.


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## rossco (Jan 18, 2006)

> With out a doubt, the best bow shot is a quartering away shot. Followed by the broadside shot. Please respect the animal enough to wait for one of these shots!


I'm gonna have to disagree with the best shot being a quartering away shot compared to a broadside shot. I have seen more than once where a person will shoot right behind the shoulder on a quartering away deer and then hit the opposite shoulder and not get a pass through making it tougher to follow the usually thinner blood trail. If you aim farther back to avoid the opposite shoulder u will likely hit the guts and that just makes a mess. Broadside shots are definetely the best opportunity. Followed by quartering away.


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

yup


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## bigpaws (Aug 1, 2006)

I agree with Starky a head short with a bow...no good. :beer:


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