The kill zone??

[BLAHMAN]

It was the only shot I had Hardball.

 

It was the only shot I had Hardball.

Not to sound "uppity", "snoty", or like I'm "preach'n"!! eace:

.... but, if thet was "the only shot you had",.... then it was time to reveiw yore " options ",....

1. "Shoot"

2. " Don't shoot"

.... 'course it's too late now, and I think you have the "options" figgered out for "future reference" ('cause you now know what the "results" can be)!! :thumbsup:

Thanks fer be'n "honest" enuff to tell yore story,.... maybe it will help young hunters "think twice" before pull'n the trigger in "iffy" situations!! eace: :thumbsup: :applause:

YMHS
rollingb

 

[Stumpkiller]

but you should remember to be flexible. The perfect shot is not always presented. You should take the best, most responsible shot possible

True 'nuff. I've taken deer with brain, neck, posterior-pole-axle (NOT with a round ball!), frontal heart, rear quartering . . . many less than ideal shots. Whenever possible I prefer crosswise through both lungs, right over the frontal "elbows" where the forelegs meet the body.

As me Pa used to say: "Do as I say, not as I do."


Below is an interesting "slide-show" that peels a deer to show organs and vessels in relation to bone and silhouette. In a rut-swollen deer's neck, 50% of the side area is a poor target environment (the target being major blood vessel, organ or spine . . . and the spine is not fatal, just paralizing. )

http://home.mn.rr.com/deerfever/Anatomy.html

One of the best bow-kills I ever made was with a two-edged broadhead that was a complete pass-through way too far back and sliced the diaphram side-to-side and cut the liver almost entirely in half, severing the thumb-sized hepatic artey. The deer bolted and piled up 40 yards away. Dead in three seconds from a stab wound. Scary. Not a shot I would ever try to duplicate. The liver is maybe 3" wide from broadside.

 

[Herb]

Muzzman- lots of good advice here. Yes, it makes an important difference where you shoot a deer. See my post this forum 11/10/04 Re:"Disgusted- Lost a deer", also "PRB Charge and Whitetail" for May(?) 04. To find that one, go to Search, choose Trad. MZL Hunting, subject is +PRB charge and whitetail deer+, name is Herb, time is one year. Hit submit. Shows a picture of a mule deer buck that I shot in the neck at about 90 yards, using a .54 with PRB and 120 grains of 2F at about 1840 fps (my chronograph). That ball actually bounced off the center of the side of his neck! Did not knock the deer down or even much inconvenience him. See story. Cured me of ever shooting another deer in the neck.

 

[shmrck1]

Below is an interesting "slide-show" that peels a deer to show organs and vessels in relation to bone and silhouette. In a rut-swollen deer's neck, 50% of the side area is a poor target environment (the target being major blood vessel, organ or spine . . . and the spine is not fatal, just paralizing. )

that's a good site for all to review!
snake-eyes eace: :thumbsup:

 

[Keith]

Excellent site. :thumbsup: :redthumb: Two thumbs up. :haha:

 

[freetrapper20]

Double lung shots have always produced the best results for me. Every deer I've double lunged hasn't gone over 25 yards. The ones I've hit it the heart, heart and one lung, etc. have always gone farther. I'm consider myself an average BP hunter. Shoot a .54 T/C Renegade flinter for most of my deer hunting. 100 gr.2f & .530 roundball. Always check to see what damage was done inside the chest cavity and even sometimes retrieve whats left of my ball. Taking out both lungs is what works best for me. Took a shot one time that I probably should have passed. Last day of the season, nice 7 pointer. Straight down. Missed the spine, only hit one lung. No exit wound. All the blood stayed inside. Deer ran 300+ yards. I was fortunate and found the animal thanks to another hunter seeing where it ran. Won't do that again.

 

[cayugad]

The majority of my shots are always in the heart/lungs area.. Always aim center mass I tell people. You will get the best chance of a sure kill.

I am not going to say I never took a head, or neck shot because I have. I've done it with muzzleloaders and centerfires. At the time, with the circumstances presented, it was the shot with the highest percentage of a sure kill.

There have also been times when I could have made a head or neck shot, but because of the circumstances presented I decided it was not the right thing to do. I never tell someone not to take such a shot, but I do tell them they are responsible for their actions in the event some thing goes wrong.

A friend and I were making small drives to each other in the hardwoods one day when we saw a deer with its bottom jaw just kind of hanging there if you know what I mean. We spent the rest of that day walking the deer down and finally did shoot it. Someone else did not take responsibility for their decision to shoot for the head I am guessing.

 

[BUERICH]

my philosophy for any kind of shooting is never take a shot you don't feel comfortable with. if you don think you're gonna hit what you're aiming at, then you're not. i've never shot a deer with a ML, but hopefully next season i will. chances are since it will be my first BP deer, and a an iron sight, i will aim for the lungs. But i've shot numerous deer with my .270, and .223 rifles in the head and neck, with great success. missed a few, but never lost one, and nearly all fell dead immediatley. also never lost a deer shootin behind the shoulder either. a behind the shoulder shot may not be as pretty as a high neck shot, but truthfully all you're shootin up is a little rib meat, bout the same as a little neck meat. the gutting and trimming job is a little messier, but not much. and it sure is a lot bigger target. also a forgiving target, theres a lotta room for error before you're really in trouble.

 

[slakjaw]

Shouldt we avoid the spine because of CWD?

Kyle

 

[Stumpkiller]

If I lived in an area of high CWD I'd be leery about a bone-in neck roast.

Unless you or your processor is pre-boning the carcass (as opposed to slicing through with a bonesaw/bandsaw) you're getting plenty of spinal material contact in the processing.

First thing we used to do around here is to split the animal lengthwize. Now I see everyone is slicing the meat off an intact spine. Times change.

 

[roundball]

If I lived in an area of high CWD I'd be leery about a bone-in neck roast.

Unless you or your processor is pre-boning the carcass (as opposed to slicing through with a bonesaw/bandsaw) you're getting plenty of spinal material contact in the processing.

First thing we used to do around here is to split the animal lengthwize. Now I see everyone is slicing the meat off an intact spine. Times change.

The whole CWD has ended any desire I'll ever have for any form of deer meat...and I don't trust being able to use any venison on the basis of trying not to contaminate it from the spinal column area...and that's based on thinking we know it's even limited to the spinal column area...they're making new discoveries all the time about CWD.

IMHO, If meat doesn't at least flow through what are supposed to be pretty stringent processing controls and health safeguards, and end up in a shrink wrapped package in a major national grocery store chain, I won't eat it.

Maybe my reaction is extreme but I only got a few years left so I'm just hunting them, not eating them...

 

[cayugad]

Wisconsin is of course the CWD hot spot right now although the area is growing. It has never stopped me from eating venison. Although, the area I hunt is not in the CWD area or even close to it. My family does have land in that area and permission to hunt a number of different farms, but we hunt other lands we have, outside the area.

I do know people in that area that refuse to eat the venison. In fact some of my friends have stopped hunting deer because not only do they pay for the license, then after they shoot the deer the landfill charges them to throw the carcass away.

I admit I no longer split the backbone like I used to do. I de-bone everything. Also, when packaging the meat I inspect it close for anything that looks out of order. And of course like anyone else, we never eat an animal that looked or acted sick...

 

[OTHERN]

I don't know about the other states with CWD, but WYO and Colo will test your animal for a small fee or for free depending on the area it was taken.

 

[Tahquamenon]

[/quote]


The whole CWD has ended any desire I'll ever have for any form of deer meat...and I don't trust being able to use any venison on the basis of trying not to contaminate it from the spinal column area...and that's based on thinking we know it's even limited to the spinal column area...they're making new discoveries all the time about CWD.

IMHO, If meat doesn't at least flow through what are supposed to be pretty stringent processing controls and health safeguards, and end up in a shrink wrapped package in a major national grocery store chain, I won't eat it.

Maybe my reaction is extreme but I only got a few years left so I'm just hunting them, not eating them... [/quote]

Roundball,
Just wondering why you would harvest something you are not going to eat? I've got a fella that bug's me every year to take him hunting. All he want's is a trophy, could care less about the animal. Every year I tell this guy that I cannot be part to killing something just for the sake of killing something. Disrespect to nature in my view.

Anyhow, I shoot normally for the top portion of the heart to sever the arteries which is an excellent and quick kill.

I will also take a neck or head shot if that is all I have for an opportunity and at closer ranges. Regarding the animal being lost. I've never lost one to a head or neck shot. In fact, they drop like a rock. Harvested at least a few dozen deer in this fashion.

I've only lost 3 deer over the years. They were lung shots with PRB. I've seen deer do a bunch of running around after being text book shot. Even in the lower portion of the heart.

I hunt next to a nature preserve. If they don't drop immediately and as a result enter the preserve, they are lost and wasted regardless of where they were shot.

I hunt for the freezer as venison is about 60-70+% of my familys meat for the year. I do all of my own processing via boning and vacume packing.

:imo:

 

[roundball]

Just wondering why you would harvest something you are not going to eat?

Basically, because I can.

I enjoy deer hunting, particularly with flintlocks and round balls...and every deer I've ever shot with a round ball has either dropped where it stood or fell within sight of the stand after a 25-30 yard sprint...a direct hit to the pump puts them down every time.

I give the deer to needy families living out in the boonies where I hunt...done so for the past 15-20 years...and they're thrilled to get them.

Have accumulated a nice list of names and phone numbers I carry in my truck...shoot a deer, drag it to the truck, throw in on the 'hitch-haul' mounted on the Blazer's trailer hitch, phone in the kill, call some families, deliver the[url] deer...win-win[/url] for everybody.

It's similar to 'catch & release' fishing...except in that case, nobody eats and some of the fish surely die after being released, and are wasted for sure.

 

[Tahquamenon]

"Because I can"? :huh:

Not really that similar to "Catch and Release".

More like "Kill and Deliver".
:hmm:

eace:

I also hunt for the food bank.

 

[bezoar]

Roundball, its good to be wary of CWD but the benefits of fresh range venison far out weigh the ease of catching a steak at the super market.

The spongiform thing cows get that we call "mad cow" has been seen to be passed thru the cows MILK to that which drinks it. And as far as health of cows that end up as burger, just check the labels for "exhumed or disected" on the label, if it says anything like that, do not eat it as it came of an animal that was more then suspicious in an industry that passes off diseased infected carcasses with large gaping sores as "prime grade beef".


wow im hungry for that neck roast of mine.

 

[roundball]

I respect your right to have your own opinion, and to do as you see fit to satisfy yourself. However, others have different opinions, that are both legally and morally correct...and in my opinion, it is absolutely similar to the 'catch and release' program of fishing...but with the deer, none go to waste.

In practical terms, there are many states with very generous bag limits...our bag limit is 6 per year, (Alabama's is 1/day for 70 days or something like that), and I don't know of a single individual hunter in my lifetime of hunting who has killed and eaten his 6 deer per season here in NC...most are always given away to those less fortunate, or to the NC Food for the Hungry program.

Except for an occasional year here and there, I kill 6 a year every year...disappointed if I don't...would kill 25 a year if it was legal.

But 6 are what's legal, so that's what I do...because I can...legally and morally...only have to answer to God and the State of North Carolina.

 

[Tahquamenon]

As I respect your opinion as well.

I was just wondering and thanks for sharing.

:thumbsup: