First Blood or Kill shot

[Powerstroke]

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My point is, know your equipment, practice your shooting and hunt within the limits of your ability. We all owe that to the animals we are hunting to make a clean ethical kill shot.

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I couldn't agree more!

In my comments about proper shot placement my comments are general. Your experience and knowledge of your weapon and your practice is the exception not the rule with the general public. Its too bad really.

Most of my decisions are made with the thought in mind of how would I teach my children or a firearms safety class? Like anything, as your experience grows, you will learn your limits can be higher than when you were a beginner. I've only been bow hunting for 3 years, but I would say that my bow experience and abilities are far better than my abilities with my scoped rifle. Even though it can reach out further and do more damage, I feel I am more likely to get a clean kill with my bow because I use it more and practice with it more.

[Hammer Handle]

I vote, kill shot.

If hit properly...the animal should die within yards. If not, he is fair game for all. The key is, someone has to kill it, don't let it suffer anymore.

I shot a buck this last weekend running full speed with a 12 guage. One shot in the heart, and he dropped and died right there.

Know you ability and your gun...and make a good clean kill shot. Don't just throw lead at the animal and claim it when it runs 200 yards to the next hunter.

[JDM]

How many deer have you shot? I have seen some well place shots still allow an animal to run quite a ways. It is not always cut and dried. I have also seen guys shoot them where you shouldn't and they drop. You never know what will happen until it happens. The next running deer you shoot through the heart might run 250 yards...

I still vote first lethal blood.

[Scott K]

I have shot many deer in my life. I can tell you I have had a handfull go beyond 50 yds. And those that have I was always concerned that they would run to the neighbors land and they would shoot them. And if they did, I wouldnt be over their telling them its my deer! I have had to track only one deer into the neighbors land, I shot it in the morning, and I waited until dark and met him by his truck, and asked if it was ok if I tracked it in his land. Just because the law states I can track my deer on unposted private land, it doesnt mean its right to go there and mess up someone elses hunting. Think of the other people before you act!

[chucker34]

I pretty much exclusively archery hunt - even during gun season. Say I double lung or make another fatal shot on a deer and it runs onto my neighbors property, stands in his field where he plugs it, and it drops. Given another minute or less, it would have probably dropped. So who gets the deer then? I'd say me since it was a kill shot, just one that wouldn't have had the shock and awe of a slug. : ) I'd even believe more strongly in this instance if we field dressed the deer and found the vital organs the arrow passed through.

BTW, the neighbor and I often hunt a prime area near our property line and are only a couple of hundred yards from one another on occassion. We're safe and friendly about it however, each knowing where one another is at all times and taking measures not to screw one another up intentionally - i.e., calling and rattling, etc.

[Hammer Handle]

I have shot over 60 deer with a firearm, and about 5 with a bow. Only a handful (under 5) have gone a long ways (over 150 yards). Usually, someone else shoots it then...and it is their deer. I would say about 80% or more of the deer die within 20 - 30 yards of where it was shot. That goes for the bow too.

I don't shoot at anything more than 150 yards away if running...even with a rifle. If fact, most of my shots are well within 100 yards.

I have never used a scope either. Just be sure of your shot, and be familiar with your gun. The deer will drop if you hit them properly. If they don't, it is best to have everyone go for that deer to claim it then let it go to waste for you can't find it and no one wants to help for it is "your deer". No arguments either.

I had a deer that someone wanted to claim for they shot it in the butt. My niece shot it after that (through the heart). He tracked it for about a mile. Sorry, he has no right to this deer. He agreed, and was glad someone got it.

[Hammer Handle]

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Given another minute or less, it would have probably dropped.

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The key wor there is "probably". I say, his deer.

No deer is worth an arguement or an angry neighbor. And, if you are a good neighbor, he will probably give it to you anyway. But, that is his decision.

I shot a nice buck near the heart. I let it sit for 30 minutes, than began tracking. Well, it still got up and jogged to the neighbor (100 yards away in the woods). I was only 15 years old...and I still walked up and said "glad YOU got him" and walked away. Not easy for a kid to pass up his first 10-point that would never have survived (probably), but that is the name of the game! That taught me, be sure of your shot...and drop them on the spot! So, next time (I decided) I will hit the heart. Not always easy to do, but you CAN drop a deer in under 50 yards. Like I side, I have done it 60 out of 65 times (unless I just plain miss). Aim for a killing shot...not just at the deer. I am no expert, so if I can do it...anyone can.

Now, I don't know if I only had 5 wounded deer get away, but I know it is a low number. As a kid, I started documenting each deer I shot and still do. This includes the "misses" and "hits". Very few are "hit and lose", I am sure it is around 5 though.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

It takes common sense and a level head to resolve. Two things more and more uncommon in the woods/world these days.

[Rost]

Depends on the shot. We use common sense. If hunter "A" blows the front hoof off, obviously that deer is not going to die anytime soon. If hunter "B" then drops it with a shot to the vitals,it's his deer.

My buddy shot the scrotum off of a deer last year. It kept running until his brother killed and tagged it. My buddy still talks like it should have been his deer because he drew first blood. Well, in this case, that deer would have run for miles and miles.

[Wanderer]

Here I go, chiming in after 4 pages again! But I think the original question was "What do you go by?" So here goes.

I am always glad when a wounded deer is stopped. Thats what matters first. Hopefully common sense takes hold of each party after that point since there are so many variables.

But if it doesn't--yep, the person willing to throw the hissie fit over it gets it. Not the biggest hissie fit, mind you. Just going there in the first place is enough for me.

My first experience:

Leg shot doe running under my stand. I shoot her in the neck and she drops. Other party comes in tracking it. They know its a bad hit and without my shot, the deer is unrecoverable. They tell me its a young gal/first deer situation. I give it to them.

My second:

A buddy and I jump a buck. We both grunt and he comes back. I can see him in the brush but my buddy can't. He has the scope. I actually nudge his gun to point at the deer so he can see it. He shoots but hits it far forward. We track for 5 hours. He says he would have given up but I keep him going. We jump the buck and both take shots. Mine puts him down. We both want the other to take this 10 pointer. He wins, I have it.

Third/Last weekend:

Doe comes in, stands broadside at 20 yards. I have the crosshairs right behind her shoulder. I shoot, she runs wickedly fast back, through the brush, I hear her going toward another stand that was occupied Sat. No shots, but I hear her crash and know she's within sight of that stand.

I wait a half hour as I do with those shots. All the while listening for someone coming to tag her, but not wanting to blow the whole piece of cover for the others sitting near it by tracking her instantly. This was early.

I would've tried claiming her if someone was about to drop in, but wouldn't have argued for her. She was double lunged but was able to barrel out almost a couple hundred yards. Thankfully nobody was there and I recovered her.

I've never witnessed a heart or lung shot deer drop where it stood. I was saying to myself as I did follow what started out as very weak blood trail, I should've done my neck/head shot thingy on this one. I actually took the "chip shot" sure thing because of commentary I had gotten here while sticking up for my shot choices.

I'm going back to what I know. My bullet went exactly where I aimed. Which is what alot of the posts on this topic mentioned (know what you're doing). Most everybody seems to be on the right track here. Thats why I like sharing "conversations" with FMers. These are the thinking sportsmen!

Thanks for testing assumptions and offering advice. I think it helps us become more grounded.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

I have never seen a lung shot deer drop either and that is my instinctive shot. Maybe from starting out as archery hunter and maybe some from butchering my own deer and wanting to save meat. It is disheartening to see them run after a fine shot and hopefully nobody gets them because it is even finer finding them after they run out of site and knowing there's not a lot of clotted up meat to trim.

[96trigger]

Maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe its the twelve gauge slug, but when I double lung a deer or hit it in the heart, it usually drops pretty quick, never trailed one more than 100 yards. Last year I hit a deer in the heart and she never took one step, she dropped right in her tracks, coolest shot I've ever made with a gun. I think she was dead before she hit the ground. I've shot a lot of deer, but I've never shot one with a rifle, it might be a whole different story.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

30-100 yards is what I am refering to. In the dense cover I hunt that is enough to be out of sight. Especially when they are already out a ways when I shoot.

[Hammer Handle]

I never shoot for the lungs when I want to drop a deer. If I feel the need to save meat, I shoot for the neck.

Or, shoot right above the heart and this will cut the vein to the heart and they die very quickly. They bleed out well and you save a lot of meat.

[Steve Foss]

My deer cartridges over the years have varied from .30-30 to .35 Remington, .300 Savage, .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield, with 12-gauge standard 2 3/4 in slugs thrown in, too.

All my deer were either neck (spine) shots or heart/lung shots. The spine shots of course drop immediately. Most of my heart/lung shots never ran more than 30 yards. Two years ago, when I got the new .30-06 and was shooting 165-grain bullets, I took two yearlings. Each hit in the heart/lung zone, and both dropped right in their tracks and only kicked a couple times. The bullets did so much damage that when I opened them up to field dress them, the lungs were practically obliterated and hard to find.

The fork buck I hit in the lungs yesterday with the same cartridge galloped off about 20 yards uphill and that was it.

[Wanderer]

I'm still sitting here, packed, waiting for my buddy to pick me up for roosters and deer in Benson.

Just thought I'd mention I shoot a .300 win mag for deer. Too much gun, I know, but thats what I have. And as previously posted, doesn't drop em unless I obliterate the shoulders, or hit the neck at the base of the head.

I love my gun and take out a pop can at 200 yds But I've also hunted with a .308 and that puts big holes in em too!

OH, gotta go! He made it!

[Grant Pearson]

I, too, primarily hunt deer with a .30-06 Springfield. When hunting, I exclusively use 165 grain Ballistic tips. It doesn't matter if I take a neck shot or through the heart/lungs; The deer is on the ground within 30-40 yards. I know the Ballistic tips have a lot of expansion, so there will be some meat loss, so most of my shots are neck shots. My dad didn't have much faith in their expansion at ranges beyond 100 yards, so one year I shot a doe at a range of 204 yards with a shot to the neck. Upon butchering her, I found the wound channel and could literally put my clenched fist in the hole in her neck and not touch anything but hide. Needless to say, she really didn't go far when I shot her. My dad was a believer after that and uses them for everything up to elk.

[cribbageboy]

I too am a little partial to the neck shot. Almost all of my deer have been in the neck, except for this years doe. She was quartering away at about 200 yards when a put a shot throught her shoulder with my .270 130 grain Fusions. I usually keep these for targeting and opt for the higher 150's for deer, but she droped immediatly. The bullet traveled through her shoulderblade and came out through her neck. LOTS of blood loss which stoped her quickly.

[TrophyEyes]

Wanderer, We have 340 acres in Benson. I hope you are not using a 300 win mag in Benson. As far as I know it is a slug zone only.

[Wanderer]

Heh, Heh,

I realized I didn't clarify WHERE I use my rifle after I submitted my last post. I was in a hurry all of a sudden.

I'm quite familiar with the deer regs in the different zones of the state. We mostly bow hunt our land in Benson, with occasional shotgun or muzzel loader sits.

I have to say, however, sometimes I wish I could use my rifle out there!

I had a forker under my stand Sat night though and let him go. Last night there was something BIG moving in the swamp kinda early. Too much noise for a coyote too. But whatever it was (I think big buck ), it flushed out a fawn and a one antlered eight on the other side. It never came out though.

We got half a limit of roosters--couldn't shoot well enough to get the other half.

[BoxMN]

It was interesting, as I read this a bit last week, but had nothing really to add, as we hunt private farmland and mostly just our group in the group... But last weekend I was hunting a fenceline on Sat morn, in the same spot I took a deer the night before. I heard a shot behind me, not our group but I had met the landowner before.

A bit later I felt the electric fence I had my back against "twang" - scared the dump out of me - so I knew a deer jumped to my left or to my right. He came out to my right, a 7 pt buck with a fawn. He didn't look hurt, but he wasn't moving fast. I waited for him to slow down a bit, and then shot him. He dropped, but not dead. I took one more shot but didn't kill him, but I knew he was not going anywhere. So walked to about 20 yards and finished him.

Then I see orange walking over my way from the neighbors lands. So I said good morning, and he said he thought he had a good shot but buck moved right when he was squeezing, and he thought he gut shot him. I told him I shot him, and pointed towhere he was, and said if he hit him and wanted him, that was fine with me. He said he just wanted to see the rack, and we chit chatted and had a good conversation.

He said he was glad he didn't have to try to track him for a mile, and said "nice deer" and it was good experience. I guess i am a "first kill shot" guy, whether or not it was mine.

I don't think I am a great shot or anything, but of the last 4 deer I shot with my .270 they dropped within 3 feet of where they were standing. But I have had them run too when the shots weren't as good.

[Nightcrawler]

reading all these treads , it sounds like some fathers done well teaching their sons.

[kaz2611]

I have to lean to the side of kill shot. I hunt just about entirely on state land. We normally dont see any other hunters other than one gentleman and his son or daughter and they have hunted this land for as long as I have or longer. One year i had a 8 point run by i shot and wasnt sure if i hit him or not so I waited then I heard a single shot I waited a bit longer went down to where this guy was sitting and saw that he had gotten that 8 point he asked if this was the buck I shot? I replied yes it was the same one he said well its only got one shot in it I said well I musta missed then but if you would like help dragging him out I would be willing to help. He said his son was there and he would help him but thank you for offering. Now this past sunday I shot a 5 point hit in the spine and caught the top of both lungs this deer dropped in its tracks but still took a couple gasps for air and then expired. almost had it drug out and this guy walks down to us and asks where i shot him and that they were had shot earlier and had lost the blood trail. So looked over deer and there was another hole just through the skin of front leg just below the knee this deer showed no signs of being injured when he walked by me nor would that shot had been lethal that guy left and then after we had deer drug out completely he comes back with another member of his party and then looks over rack and says this buck looks identical to the one he had shot at but in the end I got the deer but had that shot of theirs been anywhere else on the deer they may have tried to claim it in which I probably wouldve relinquished the buck.

[Bassboy1645]

INTERESTING POST!

@ yrs ago in OL KIPP state park I was set up on a ridge well before dawn(try like 3 hrs couldnt sleep ) and towards six am a guy comes walkign to me. I flash him my light and he sets up there anyways

2 hrs after light I hear footsteps crunching in the snow and thanked the lord. A doe is running at me. I scared her and she ran but stoopped lookign right back at me. the neck shot dropped her in the tracks. half hr later I see the hunter goign down there to tag it.

I never heard him shoot, he never heard me shoot! but sure as S*** 2 bullet holes!!! ODDD!!! He gut shot her though and gave me the deer saying I made the kill shot. He was a very nice guy and was a very good sport about the ordeal. I agreed with the kill shot at the time though It wouldnt have bothered me to give up the deer cuz I shoot many a yr anyways. What would you have done here??

[The Donk]

First I would take the earplugs out of my ears... Its your deer