Bow Headsot

[khunter#1]

I've been watching bow headshots on youtube, and was wondering if anyone on here has shot a deer in the head, if so what was the poundage? Just curious because it seems like it would die quicker, Thank you

[Smossy]

They dont always die

[khunter#1]

Really, you would think that it would die pretty quick 

[bowhunterforever]

One of my buddies shot a whitetail doe in the back of the head and the arrow didn't penetrate at all and saw her running around for a few weeks with the arrow still in her

[syoungs]

I'd much much prefer a good double lung shot over a head shot.

[khunter#1]

Okay, good to know Just curious, Thanks

[Smossy]

One of my buddies shot a whitetail doe in the back of the head and the arrow didn't penetrate at all and saw her running around for a few weeks with the arrow still in her

Kinda like this guy did?

[alwinearcher]

One of my buddies shot a whitetail doe in the back of the head and the arrow didn't penetrate at all and saw her running around for a few weeks with the arrow still in her

Kinda like this guy did?

It was a good thing that old boy was shot with a hoyt 

[Jellymon]

One of my buddies shot a whitetail doe in the back of the head and the arrow didn't penetrate at all and saw her running around for a few weeks with the arrow still in her

Kinda like this guy did?

It was a good thing that old boy was shot with a hoyt 

It would have been best with a bowtech, the limbs would delaminate and it would derail and the arrow would have never left the bow.

[alwinearcher]

One of my buddies shot a whitetail doe in the back of the head and the arrow didn't penetrate at all and saw her running around for a few weeks with the arrow still in her

Kinda like this guy did?

It was a good thing that old boy was shot with a hoyt 

It would have been best with a bowtech, the limbs would delaminate and it would derail and the arrow would have never left the bow.

HAHAHA Best laugh I have heard all week!
Now there is a bowtech add for you! "safety first"!

[RadSav]

Not only is the brain a very small target, but the lethal area of the brain is even smaller.  You can get away with a lot using a bullet due to the fragmentation and hydraulic shock.  However there is no such terminal forces at work with an arrow.  Plus even with a perfect shot the curvature of the skull will make most arrow shots skip or glace at point of impact leading to penetration of areas you might not have wanted the arrow to go.  If you are shooting a dull broadhead you might be able to kill an animal faster with a shot to the brain than with a shot to the lungs.  However, with a properly sharpened broadhead a shot to the much larger chest area will result in an extremely fast expiration.  Most of the elk and deer we shoot are on the ground within 30 yards. Bear usually travel even less!  How much faster a kill are you expecting?  Or I guess I should ask, how slow of a kill are you expecting with your archery equipment?

On an even more important note is in the likelihood of a non-lethal impact.  An impact to the head with an arrow that does not take down the animal results in pictures and stories similar to the picture that Smossy posted.  Arrow there for everyone to see and bad mouth the efficiencies of archery hunting.  Miss your spot on an animal while shooting for the shoulder and the evidence of the animal being hit is almost if not most of the time hidden.  Giving little ammunition for anti hunters to post pictures and tell of the terrible inefficient bloodsport that archery murder is.  The head shot is just not a very smart choice unless circumstances are special.

For instance;  Back in '87 I was hunting the Oregon coast for deer and elk.  While driving from one hunting spot to another I came across another bowhunter frantically waving me down.  When I stopped he had told me he shot a cow and needed more arrows.  He was thrilled by the fact he had hit the cow with all five Punchcutter tipped arrows.  "Those broadheads are awesome", he said, "I've been hunting for three years and this is the first time I have been able to hit an elk.  And I hit her with all five shots!"   Well it ended up that my arrows were too short to shoot out of his bow.  And I wasn't really excited about him shooting any more with Punchcutters.  So I offered to help him track and finish off the cow if required.  We did not need to track very far before we found her bedded in some salal.  Only thing exposed was her head.  So with the chances of her escape virtually zero I took the shot behind one ear and out the opposite eye.  Special circumstance with a good result.  The only real good option in taking a head shot IMO.

The very next day while hunting with Duke Savora I took a spike bull at 70 yards with a fresh bladed broadhead a little far back but caught both lungs.  The small bull ran about ten yards where he ran head first into a stump piling up with his rump sticking straight up in the air.  Big target, slight error in L/R, still a quick death and a short recovery.  Myself, I will take that every day over the gamble of a head shot.

[bowhunterforever]

One of my buddies shot a whitetail doe in the back of the head and the arrow didn't penetrate at all and saw her running around for a few weeks with the arrow still in her

Kinda like this guy did?

Yea and it penetrated about that much too

[alwinearcher]

Not only is the brain a very small target, but the lethal area of the brain is even smaller.  You can get away with a lot using a bullet due to the fragmentation and hydraulic shock.  However there is no such terminal forces at work with an arrow.  Plus even with a perfect shot the curvature of the skull will make most arrow shots skip or glace at point of impact leading to penetration of areas you might not have wanted the arrow to go.  If you are shooting a dull broadhead you might be able to kill an animal faster with a shot to the brain than with a shot to the lungs.  However, with a properly sharpened broadhead a shot to the much larger chest area will result in an extremely fast expiration.  Most of the elk and deer we shoot are on the ground within 30 yards. Bear usually travel even less!  How much faster a kill are you expecting?  Or I guess I should ask, how slow of a kill are you expecting with your archery equipment?

On an even more important note is in the likelihood of a non-lethal impact.  An impact to the head with an arrow that does not take down the animal results in pictures and stories similar to the picture that Smossy posted.  Arrow there for everyone to see and bad mouth the efficiencies of archery hunting.  Miss your spot on an animal while shooting for the shoulder and the evidence of the animal being hit is almost if not most of the time hidden.  Giving little ammunition for anti hunters to post pictures and tell of the terrible inefficient bloodspot that archery murder is.  The head shot is just not a very smart choice unless circumstances are special.

For instance;  Back in '87 I was hunting the Oregon coast for deer and elk.  While driving from one hunting spot to another I came across another bowhunter frantically waving me down.  When I stopped he had told me he shot a cow and needed more arrows.  He was thrilled by the fact he had hit the cow with all five Punchcutter tipped arrows.  "Those broadheads are awesome", he said, "I've been hunting for three years and this is the first time I have been able to hit an elk.  And I hit her with all five shots!"   Well it ended up that my arrows were to short to shoot out of his bow.  And I wasn't really excited about him shooting any more with Punchcutters.  So I offered to help him track and finish off the cow if required.  We did not need to track very far before we founder her bedded in some salal.  Only thing exposed was her head.  So with the chances of her escape virtually zero I took the shot behind one ear and out the opposite eye.  Special circumstance with a good result.  The only real good option in taking a head shot IMO.

The very next day while hunting with Duke Savora I took a spike bull at 70 yards with a fresh bladed broadhead a little far back but caught both lungs.  The small bull ran about ten yards where he ran head first into a stump piling up with his rump sticking straight up in the air.  Big target, slight error in L/R, still a quick death and a short recovery.  Myself, I will take that every day over the gamble of a head shot.

But I didnt laugh when I read your post, so im still giving Kudos to Jellymon..

[boneaddict]

You couldn't pay me enough money to take a head shot with a bow. Unethical IMO.

[PolarBear]

You couldn't pay me enough money to take a head shot with a bow. Unethical IMO.