Headshots? Take them or no?

[Big Lew]

Not directing it any anyone in particular, but I've always wondered if those that claim
to be excellent shots would ever admit that they made a poor shot resulting in wounding
an animal. I've always admitted that I'm not a great marksman...average at best, so I
know my limits. Taking a risky shot isn't something I'll do and that's why I've let far more
animals walk than I've shot.

[835]

ironically .... I have meesed up and lost one deer and it was a Chest shot. maybe 150yards ... clear shot alright rest.... no idea what happened.... tracked it forever eventually stopped bleeding.

[wideopenthrottle]

I don't claim to be an excellent shot and when I was new to big game hunting I was scared to make a big mess of the boiler room but after gutting a couple I was no longer worried....DONT FORGET: water cleans everything off....one time, I shot the antler off my biggest WT buck on a follow up shot so I decided to never use a head shot except to finish off a wounded animal while standing beside it.

The 5x4 rack hangs in shame in the garage held together with wood glue and screws

[Ubertuber]

I've taken a few moose with head shots and only one deer. The moose were less than 30 yards away, quartering away, and about 30 feet below me. Right behind the ear, all of them dropped like a stone. The deer was a similar circumstance, it was very close and offered a shot suitable for behind the ear.
I took a moose with a neck shot once. He was 40 yards away and facing me. When he turned his head hard to one side, I could clearly see the lines from the vertebra in his neck, so I took the shot. He too dropped in his tracks.
Those are about the only shots I would do head or neck. Everything else is boiler room.

[Wild one]

Not directing it any anyone in particular, but I've always wondered if those that claim
to be excellent shots would ever admit that they made a poor shot resulting in wounding
an animal. I've always admitted that I'm not a great marksman...average at best, so I
know my limits. Taking a risky shot isn't something I'll do and that's why I've let far more
animals walk than I've shot.

I would not claim to be an excellent shot but I know my limits and stick well within them. I may be willing to take a head, neck, or tougher angles but almost all the animals I have shot are under 50yards. At that range it’s not hard to be good and it’s also easy to have a record that I have almost no misses either

In 29 years I have missed 4 big game animals and lost 2(chest shots went wrong) hunting with shotgun, muzzle loader, compound, rifle, crossbow, and recurve( have not let an arrow fly). 2 of those misses were from knocking out my sight during the hunt. Not perfect but I am far from a hot mess shooting beyond my limits

If I am going to be judged for taking a 20yard head shots on a calm animals oh well

[rocksteady]

Everyone has their own comfort zone based on experience and abilities.. i have taken lots of head shots (all succesful by the way) but at a distance where i was comfy with the firearm in my hand that i knew it was a slam dunk.. head shots are lethal.. if you are comfortable with them, take them.. if not, wait for a broadside..

[Foxton Gundogs]

I am not sure why everyone is stuck on the ability issue. It is NOT about ability, or caliber or whether your bullet is premium or not, it is about the X factor we have no control over #1 being the animal it's self, you are not aiming at an inanimate object that will always stand nicely wait to be shot. You may go your whole life and never have an oops moment or you could have several. The point is when it goes wrong it usually goes horribly wrong and the animal pays the price. Like Gcreek and others have said, an animal doesn't go far when they can't breath retain blood or blood pressure. They can go for days with no bottom jaw or destroyed sinuses.

[Norwestalta]

I've never lost a animal by head shooting. They've all dropped in their tracks. I have lost a bull elk by body shooting and have tracked numerous deer that were supposedly shot in the boiler.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Like Gcreek and others have said, an animal doesn't go far when they can't breath retain blood or blood pressure. They can go for days with no bottom jaw or destroyed sinuses.

I hate these thread because the holier-than-thou’s always get up on their high horses and it gets my blood pressure peaking but regardless here I am. So, answer me this old wise one, “how long will they go if shot in the guts?” I’ll answer it for you, a very long time.

Every shot on an animal poses a risk of a bad shot. That’s just the way it is because there ARE lots a variables. Shoot at enough animals and eventually you make a bad shot. Maybe it’s just a twig you didn’t see deflect the bullet slightly... I believe in making high percentage shots and under 50 yards in the thick timber hunting Blacktails a head shot is a dead deer every time, and I’ve made dozens of them. If you waited for the perfect broadside shot you wouldn’t get many deer in the thick stuff. Now out in the open at 150 yards a broadside shot is a no brainer, but it is every bit as hard a shot as under 50 yards in the head. The deer moves at the last second and it’s in the guts. Plus, even a perfect lung shot on a deer and it quite often runs for a bit. In the kinds of spots I used to hunt on the island you might never find it with 3 foot high salal. Anchor them where they stand with one in the brain and you won’t have to spend hours looking for them.

I spend my time at the range and I shoot from all positions when doing so. I see a lot of guys shooting that never fire a shot unless their gun is in the leadsled. So, the gun shoots great but the bozo shooting it couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn standing up. How often do you have a perfect rest when walking around? Now if you’re a road hunter, and I have nothing against road hunting, then ones always available when your sitting in the seat, but hiking around? Not very often and when in the timber 9 out of 10 times that deer already knows you’re there. Walk one more step after spotting it and it’s gone. In cases like that if I had a broadside shot I’d take it and if it was only a head shot I’d take that too.

The reality is some hunters, probably quite a few that have already posted on this thread, shouldn’t shoot at a animal regardless of what shot is available unless they were shooting from their leadsled because that’s all their good at shooting from.

[Looking_4_Jerky]

Well this turned out to be an interesting thread. What I learned from it was how many people are very narrow-minded. Like, "what I do is right 100% of the time".

As some have said, there are many different circumstances and each warrants its own assessment. I am of the firm belief that more animals die slowly from body shots gone wrong than by head shots gone wrong. And, particularly if you are an archery hunter and are against head shots based on ethics arguments, you need to reconsider. Your cleanest kills involve an animal running some distance after being shot. My cleanest kills involve an animal dying the second my bullet contacts it. Either one of our shots has the potential for error resulting in non-lethal contact and slow death.

Sometimes it is extremely important to park an animal in its tracks, like if taking a few steps means going down wobbly and toppling down a cliff or other steep ground that complicates retrieval. When animals go down where you shoot them, you can landmark them better, which is also important in tall vegetation. If an animal can run and you don't see where they die, you end up having to look over a large area.

Based on the above, it does surprise me that so many members are opposed. I would have expected a more even split of people for both sides.

For what it's worth, I will always err toward a quick death for the animal, meaning that I prefer headshots if they are "safe" (distance, from a solid rest, etc). Not saying it is always the go-to for every situation, but that at times it's a logical choice. You are the one best equipped to determine which way to go based on what's going on at the time. Don't buy the "it's not ethical" position.