Headshots? Take them or no?

[gcreek]

Lungs always. No animal goes far without breathing and they are bled out internally when you get to them. Head shot, 100 yard walk, heart has stopped beating so worthless to cut the throat, carcass bleeds forever, poorer eating experience all around.

Could never understand shoulder shots either, have had a hunter shoot a big moose in the shoulder, broke the leg, I trailed him for three miles and shot him in his bed ( with a head shot ) There were no vitals touched inside the body cavity.

Each to his own.

[r106]

I've never taken a head shot, not against taking one depending on the circumstances. The boiler room is a bigger target and a guaranty its dead.

[Foxton Gundogs]

I haven't read all the comments but I do wonder how many animals you've seen personally that have had their jaw shot off vs legs shot off vs gut shot?

I've personally seen one very nice buck almost starved to death with no functional bottom jaw left my partner burned a tag putting it out of its mystery. I have never in 7 yrs of guiding and 61 yrs of hunting seen a gut shot or crippled animal that had gotten away to live suffer and die slowly. Boiler room always. Next question.

[338win mag]

Only time I shoot anything in the head is when I walk up and have a look, move back about 10-15 ft, shoot.

[bearvalley]

Last time I weighed in on the headshot issue a lot of drama came forth when I said “ a headshot at a moose running straight away at 300 yards was unethical”.
I still say the same.

[whitlers]

Took a head shot once on a buck. It was the only shot I had. I will never do it again. Had I not followed up with another quick shot I am sure he would have gotten away and suffered. When I got to him I noticed I had broken his lower jaw with the first round.

Never again..ever.

[Walksalot]

There are hunters who condemn head shots but don't have a problem shooting at an animal on the run. Which is higher risk to wound? Hitting a smaller target at close range or trying to compute distance, speed and hold over in seconds. When an animal is gut shot the gut pushes against the rib cage and for all intents and purposes seals the hole and the only time rumen is expelled, in many cases, is when the holes line up and that may only be a few drops. The hunter concludes a miss and the animal is left to crawl away and left to a slow demise. Personally, if the animal is under what I presume to be under 50 yds I will consider a head or neck shot but after that I go for behind the front shoulder. I have let some pretty nice animals carry on as I deemed them high risk to wound shots.

[mcmullmar]

Only time I would head shot, if the animal was already down I was was just finishing off at a very close range.

[Leaseman]

I have done a number of head shots..... never an issue.

You need to where your rifle shoots and your own capabilities. Period.

You know these and you are good.


Yes, I will continue doing them when the opportunity presents itself.

[Rieber]

Some of you are talking about 200+ yard headshots - in my opinion that is too much room for error.

My headshots have inside 60yards with the deer facing straight at me or straight at me but head down feeding. And when I say head I'm including the high neck. But if the animal is in a spot where I will still have him in sight and I know he's going to turn eventually, I take him broadside for sure.

My shots, for the most part, range from 25-80 yards and I'm always using a rest of sorts. No more freehand shooting for me other than grouse.