Neck Shots

[edmondshunter]

My first Whitetail fell to a neck shot from a .243 M77 Hawkeye.  Severed artery, spinal cord, and esophagus with a shot placed in the upper crease of the neck and shoulder, quartered to me on a down hill shot

[popeshawnpaul]

Everything I've ever seen shot in the neck has died quick.  That includes a bow shot deer.  I have heard bad things about it so I try and find another shot if possible.

[MountainWalk]

i dont deliberatly go for a spine or neck vertabrae shot, ive taken quite a few and may shoot a few more in the future. in ark, i grew up hunting deer with a 220 swift and i got to where i knew the line of a deers neck bones like my own.  norma 48 grainers out of my ruger m77 long barrel did the trick... that or real up close hunting in the thickets back home, plenty of does well to head and neck shots with number one buck..

i try to avoid it, but sometimes i'll take it.

[boneaddict]

I've shot two in the neck that I can recall offhand.  One was a P&Y whitetail that was bedded next to a creekbottom down in the deepest hole possible.  I stlked up to about 15 yards from him and took him in the throat.  He flopped around like a fish for a minute, but never gained his feet.  Not recommended I suppose with archery gear.   I let this deer walk by at 10 yards the previous day.  I was hunting elk in the NE corner and didn't have an archery deer tag in my pocket.  He emerged and walked right by me when I was at full draw.  I saw 5 book bucks that were within bow range that day.  I was like heck with this and went and bought a tag.  I was about 2 miles away from that spot and sure enough....there he was in the cool moist air of the dark mossy creek.   I boned him out on the spot.  That was one of those "wish I had a slat shaker and fork bucks". 

the other was a follow up archery shot on my NM bull this year.  I didn't want him leaving so jugular it was.

[bobcat]

Neck shots usually work good on deer, but it's a bad idea on elk. I shot an elk once through the center of the neck at about 15 yards with a 430 grain .54 caliber muzzleloader bullet. Her front legs went out on her and she went down on her knees, but got right back up and ran down hill about 1/4 mile. I was lucky to find her again and got a good double-lung shot into her at about 75 yards this time. But I will never take a neck shot on an elk ever again.

[MIKEXRAY]

My only neck shot was my first deer which was a white tail fork horn, I aimed my $ 50 mossburg shotgun at his chest and put the slug right where the head meets the neck. (buck fever) Dropped him right in his tracks dead. I was 15 and pretty proud of that buck. I only archery hunt now and would not take a neck shot.

[ICEMAN]

My longest shot on an elk, dropped it with a neck shot. A cow tag, I had a 250 yard+ shot on a feeding cow, down hill across a canyon, feeding straight away from me at a slight up hill. The fog kept rolling thru, and I positioned myself on a stump. Even had time to stack up a few limbs to make the shot rock solid. Placed the shot at the base of the skull, and slow squeeze, my .270 130 grain bullet took out a vertabrae a couple of inches below the skull.

Up on Sawtooth ridge I had a great muley buck come straight at me down a shale chute, as I lay against a downed tree. I had no shot cause of all the limbs. The buck passed me maybe 10 feet away, and as he got below me, I stood and aimed at his head, all I could see was fur, touched off a round, the bullet took only his jugular, no bones. Blood shot out both veins as he bolted straight down hill. Ugly sight. He passed out and collapsed 100yard away, and I finished him.

I do not look for a neck shot, but will take it.....

[mossback91]

Never have. Was taught not to. My dad used to do it until he had a deer run off on him after a neck shot and got it with other shots and the shot had missed all vitals. So I was taught to only make vital shots alot more room for error. I have first hand seen a deer that ran away from a neck shot which the hunter never found. Deer would have died of infection if we had not seen him. My sis shot him in the RIGHT spot. He was shot low and could not eat anymore and his neck was infected pretty good and he was shot like the thursday of the hunting season I believ so I think he was shot opening weekend by rifle. So from what I have seen its a bad shot and I wouldnt take the chance.

[Red Dawg]

the neck shot is money. you wont find a qicker way to take them down. The only bad thing is that you ruin the roast. Cut the wind pipe out and slow cook in the dutch oven with some spuds and you have a great meal.

[Gobble]

Shot the 5 x 5 whitetail in my avatar this past season in its bed at 180 yrds.
The only good shot I had was in the lower throat area and turned it into jello, the vertabra were obliterated and the deer did not move an inch, its legs were still folded under it when we got to it. Oh by the way I was shooting a 700 remington 30-06 with Federal High Energy 180 gr. nosler bullets.

[alecvg]

I did on my first deer.  My scope was fogged up and a doe walked out at 218 yards ( i had a doe tag) so i put the scope close up against my head and pulled the trigger, not my smartest moment, but i was only 11, so i have a nasty scar from that, but i hit it strait in the neck and it only ran about 30 yds., it did the job, but i rather go for the lungs or heart.

[Gobble]

I did on my first deer.  My scope was fogged up and a doe walked out at 218 yards ( i had a doe tag) so i put the scope close up against my head and pulled the trigger, not my smartest moment, but i was only 11, so i have a nasty scar from that, but i hit it strait in the neck and it only ran about 30 yds., it did the job, but i rather go for the lungs or heart.

LOL! I got my first scope bite a couple years ago, still wearing the nice radius scar of a 3 x  9 vari X II on my forhead

[MountainWalk]

for deer, i'll most likely take a middle lung shot. on elk with a rifle, i will always take the shouldershot.

[jackelope]

i voted for never would, because i did 1 time and it didn't go so good. i shot this buck in the crp. saw his head flop at the shot and lost track of him from that point. no blood, no nothing. a little while later he popped up again and he got 1 in the shoulder. when i skinned that buck, i found my neck shot bullet in the meat just inside the skin on the off side of his neck. it hit no bone, no artery, no nothing and somehow did not exit through and through. wierdest thing i've seen to date. glad i killed him after wounding him, but sure didn't look like it would have bugged him much either.
i don't think i'll be taking any more neck shots. i think it's a high risk shot...nothing against you guys who do like the shot.

[Head-shot]

the neck shot is money. you wont find a qicker way to take them down...

 A head shot is pretty damn quick and you don't mess up any of the meat. It's my favorite and it's instant, look like the earth just swallowed them up.

[robb92]

I have taken 2 neck shots, the first on my first elk, she was coming at me at an angle and I dropped her at 225 yards, the bullet took out 2 vertabre. The second was a anterless buck that I shot this year, the arrow hit a limb that I couldn't see through the peep site, he dropped in his tracks and had to unscrew the broadhead and then when I skinned him out found the arrow stuck between two vertabre.

[Gobble]

The important thing is to take a shot that you are comfortable with. It doesn't matter if its in the neck,heart lungs, head etc. If you can make it with certain confidence then take the shot. I practice alot and have great  coinfidence in my weapon (be it bow or gun) I do not hesitate to take a shot if I deem the shot viable....Period  Not to be arrogant but if I put my crosshairs on an animal and pull the trigger its going down, I have much coinfidence in mine and my gears ability.

[Palmer]

At first you think you missed then they just fall over, dead immediately.

[bowman]

We helped a guy drag out his deer last year who shot his deer in the neck with his bow.  There was a lot of blood and the deer ran in circles not knowing what hit him.  The deer was facing him and supposedly spotted him and was getting ready to bolt.

[Intruder]

Wouldn't be my 1st choice.  As critters get bigger and/or farther away I would shy away from it more and more.  A lot depends on angles.

[Slider]

I shot a 2 point at 75 yards in the neck with a 7mm Magnum a few years back. I thought it would be easy and not waste any meat since he was so close!!! To my dismay the Deer bolted in a Dead run!!! (WTF) I thought I missed!!! He ran about 250 yards and stopped and turned broadside and looked back at me and I put one behind his front shouder.The autopsy on the NOW dead Deer revealed. There was a perfect finger size hole all the way through his neck!!! Absolutly NO damage!!! Shoot behind the front shoulder.

[Broken Arrow]

ok, this is a true story.....the following happend to me:

Last year i was lucky enought to get the multi season tag for deer (did this year as well)....woops second draw.......bad topic.....i took one of my boys with me, not old enough to hunt yet....but enthusiastic.....we spotted a bedded buck 600 yards away  (muzzle loader now) across a canyon....put the spooting scope on it and it was a 3x3. Not even a real shooter..but legal. Thought it over and decided, heck...here is chance to get a deer with with my son...going to go for it. Had my son sit on the hill side and i proceeded to sneak 1.5 hours until i was beind a bush which i thought was 30 yards from the buck. Well from 600 yards to then...was a little differnet view then i thought....i looked and looked...could not see the buck....called my son on the radio...he said its right in front of me.....looked some more....(im in crp by the way) with 6 inch grass and one bush on the whole hill side....after 20 minutes of trying to figure out where this buck is....i happen to look to my left and see its 15 yards from me...way closer ther i expected. His ears are pinned back and it look like he is ready to bolt.....so, i put the sight on a clean neck shot and squeeze the smole pole.....deer tumbles down the hill. welli may want to add at this point i dropped my pack about 100 yards up behind me....with my reloads, knife etc....as i was in STEALTH mode.....i'm happy, as i had a clean neck shot...deer is down and im thinking my kid thinks im a hero.....WRONG. I i aproach my buck...he gets up and looks at me...shaking his head...we are 10 yards from each other...me no reloads.....and i realize i hit him in the top of his head....he has a notch missing on the back of his skull is and still trying to figure out what just knocked him out.....im trying to realize how the hell i just missed. Needless to say...we looked at each other for a good 4 minutes....he shaking his head...me shaking my head....until he got his footing and ran off.....long story short....i will wait next time for him to stand up and go for the boiler room......neck shots are not my thing.....and just a side note....have had to tell this story, like 100 times, evertime my son says "dad them them about the story of the buck you missed last year"....got to love kids!

[New England Native]

My father in law took one in the neck a couple of years ago. Not thinking we hung it by the antlers to skin it. Well not realizing he completely severed the vertebre as we started from the bottom and worked up, the hide was the only thing holding it together. needless to say it fell in the dirt and we only had to skin half of it and gravity did the rest.

[WDFW-SUX]

Nothing kills quicker

[kramman]

ive seen 2 deer shot in the neck both by my father he likes neck shots.the 2 deer died instantly

[edmondshunter]

New England.  Had almost the same thing happen.

 When I was gutting the deer, we started to work around the hind end getting ready to cut pelvic bone when the gut bag just fell right out. My buddy had to catch it to keep the deer tumbling down the hill.  And while he's holding an arm full of gut bag, the bladder sorta got compressed and sprayed a lil piss on him.  Some of the funniest sh** Ive ever seen.

[Antlershed]

I've done it and would do it again with the right circumstance. I've done it in MT on a doe at about 175 yards and I've done it in WA on a spike at about 20 yards. The .300 sure leaves a nice exit wound at that range. 

My buck last year was laying in his bed, didn't care that I was there. I opted for a heart shot even though he was laying down. I feel there is a greater margin of error in going for a heart shot. My bullet hit high, but he never got out of bed (pretty sure it broke his back). A high neck shot, and I either graze him or miss completely. That's just me though. 

[MountainWalk]

 i may or may not take a neck shot on a deer or elk, but never on a bear. that and on a bear, i dont take the shoulder shot. i think they die faster when pasted behing the shoulder. but its funny that way, i prefer a shoulder shot on a bull.

[HuntingFanatic]

I have had 1 neck shot in my life. Small 2point in Wyoming in 1988...holy crap Im getting old! It was an awesome stalk in a riverbottom with lots of draws. It was all I had....so I took it. as my dad said at the time."he went down like a sack of *censored*!"....wow so cool for a 13 yo to hear! lol I would take a neck shot again only if it was all I had.

*edit*the attachment is a scan of me and the deer

[andrew_12gauge]

my biggest buck to date and 2 does have all fallen to neck shots, all with rifles, but i dont think id try it with a bow ever, and its not my first choice with a rifle even, vital area is much easier to hit, and by the way broken arrow, that crease off the top of the skull thing happened to me too on a head shot with my 300 wsm, walked up to the buck and was waiting to dress him out, wondering why he wouldnt stop kicking, finally after about 5 minutes i put my hand on his chest and felt a heart beat, one quick shot to the base of the skull and he was done though.

[PacificNWhunter]

My Dad was always a big fan of the neck shots so I learned to follow suite for the most part. I think I have gotten 4-5 bucks with neck shots, mind you though that I hunt for the most part over here on the west side and most of my shots have been within the 75 yard range while creep hunting through the timber . On my longer shots I usually aim for a bigger target...

[fremont]

This shot was lasered at 294 yds in a 25+ MPH Wyoming crosswind.  I shot prone, but the 150 gr. Hornady SST out of my '06 (MV=2900) must have drifted about 2'.  I held right at the top of the back.  My guess on the wind speed was obviously a little off.

From the picture, you see two exit wounds....the bullet appeared to fragment when it hit the cervical spine.  Animal was bedded and never twitched.  Gave some backstrap to a co-worker who commented "That meat was some of the best antelope I've ever had....must not have run far after being shot."