Neck Shots

[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.