Neck or shoulder?

I've been walking around the woods with a bow or gun for the last 3 years. I haven't shot anything yet, but I'm still getting out there. I never grew up hunting and just started a couple years ago at 33.


My question is what do you aim for or what is your preferred shot placement for deer when gun hunting?

Neck or shoulder; or does it depend on how the deer is standing?



ETA Shoulder option would include the area right behind the shoulder as in the pic below.

Read this.

I prefer a high shoulder shot, break both shoulders and take out the spine, deer fall straight down. You lose meat, I dont ever have a shortage of deer meat though. I shoot deer where ever I get the fancy when they are in my sights though. If you don't want to bust up the shoulders a high lung shot, higher and further back than the traditional behind the shoulder shot works best. The blood pools in the lower portions of the lungs , the upper portion is gone so they cant get oxygen and die in a few minutes. The problem with the high lung shot is it gives you a much smaller target than behind the shoulder, shoot a little low and you're in the stomach.

Thanks for posting that.

I passed up on a head on and a quartering away shot on a really big buck with my bow at 5 yards 2 nights ago. I had not read about them being bad shots, I just looked at where the arrow needed to go to get a quick kill and realized I could not get there from here. Plus it was a bit too dark and I could not make out a good outline of the vitals area. I did draw eventually and then could not see the deer through the peep.

MY preference isn't there. If its a standing broadside shot with a gun I aim for the side of the head. If its facing me I aim for the throat patch. If its moving or more than 100 yards or so I usually aim right behind the shoulder where the heart is.

In my opinion it is much better to pass on a bad shot than take what I know to be a bad shot. I'd rather pass on something than wound it and make it suffer while it dies.

I have only ever lost one deer, and it was a too far forward shot with an arrow. The deer was aliver the next year and I recovered my arrow, broadhead and everything.

The place I choose to place my shot (arrows and bullets) is not an option on your poll.

I aim for behind the shoulder into the lung area every deer every time.

It depends. Every situation is different. What presentation is he giving? What is the distance? What caliber/load combination am I using?

I've done head shots, neck shots, through the shoulder, behind the shoulder, and even at the end of the ribs (for a quartering away shot). On hogs I've even used the base of the spine (tailhead).

If the deer is broadside then I always aim high shoulder. It will drop the deer every time.

I find the back of the front leg, follow it halfway up, pull the trigger.

I only hunt with a bow. I aim straight up the leg 1/3-1/2 way up the body. This shot takes out the arteries and veins at the top of the heart.

The biggest thing to remember IMO is to wait for the deers leg to be in front of it before shooting. Otherwise a shot that looks good might actually be in the liver or guts.

With a rifle, a high shoulder shot drops them like a sack of potatoes. Plants them every time. It is hell on the shoulder meat though.

With a bow, I try to get a quartering away shot and aim for an exit point that travels through the opposite shoulder. I almost never take a shot till I have that.

Honestly you should probably always aim for the vitals for the highest percentage if something goes wrong, but it is hard to pass on that shoulder shot if you need to plant them and not take a chance on them running any distance.

behind the crease of the shoulder blade

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