Why you don't go for headshots. (Gory)

[scotslad]

While that photo looked horific, unfortunately things like that can happen when u take head shots. Like every thing u just have to be aware of exactly wot u are doing and wot can go wrong. It's also not really a head shot more a brain shot so wot ever the situation u have to be very confident in ur ability to shoot very accurately and the deer won't move its head, It's not a shot i've ever wanted to or needed to take

 

Possibly who ever took the photo didn't have stalking rights on the ground so wasn't in a position to put it out its misery.

 

Before everyone 1 jumps on the band wagon about never missing, who here shoots 100% with a shotgun. While not entirely the same thing

[welshwarrior]

He who has never missed has never shot.

[henry d]

I only use head shots as a last resort and try to keep the shot high so that any error is going to go over the head rather than hit the jaw etc. I don`t use headshots often but I am confident enough in myself and my rifles to do it when necessary.

 

Recently I posted about a limping doe which I managed to clip her ear first time I got a shot at her and I finished the job a week later. I have also used the 6.5 in dense woodland on a doe and the only mark on her head was a graze across the top of her skull, she went down like a rabbit with her hind legs extended and quivering and I had expected her to have half her head missing.

[rtaylor]

Looks like something out of Resident Evil

 

I usually go for a chest shot but prefer a head shot to reduce carcass damage but only when it's a shorter range and steady shot. I have found a short whistle just before taking the shot can work. The animal usually goes stock still and looks in your direction.

 

A whistle or a short shout often works well when lamping foxes if they are lamp shy and running.

Edited August 19, 2013 by rtaylor

[Will 1994]

Looks edited to me , the eye doesnt normally glow like that in the daytime i dont think ?

 

will

[kent]

This happens, the brain is actually a small target and the head is very mobile. It has very little to do with standards of marksmanship. I don't take sideways on brain shots generally as there is hardly a situation I can justify it. Rear shots I have taken the atlas joint / back of the scull many times, broadside on the only justification is a little meat loss v a lost and wounded carcass and its not worth it. Still the head can move as you release the shot even with rear on shots, the chance of serious wounding is still far lower (a miss over the top or an ear piercing is more likely)

Failing the shot you get a split second to correct the mistake and then its off at speed and has the lowest rate of recovery with dogs. On my old computer I have a picture of a recovered failed head shot that was correctly placed, the head was partially skinned via high impact speed bullet break-up occurred prematurely without ever passing through the scull effectively - the deer was very much alive when found

[kent]

Looks edited to me , the eye doesnt normally glow like that in the daytime i dont think ?

 

will

 

it can and any who have seen this sort of damage will verify that is exactly what it looks like. The deer unless found and finished will die from starvation or blood poisoning. Think on that a while

[humperdingle]

The pic looks real. Eyes can reflect daylight, too. Poor beast.

 

But it can happen, and does. It's our job to make sure we lessen the chances of it happening and 'fix' things quickly if it does go wrong.

[FalconFN]

Looks edited to me , the eye doesnt normally glow like that in the daytime i dont think ?

 

will

The camera probably had it's flash on.

[the pelt man]

A couple of points

 

First, the picture dosn't look right with no white bone showing and the noise just don't cut it for me.

 

Second,

Look at the nice head it is carrying. That is a nice buck and i don't know many stalkers who would head shoot a nice buck like that and not want the head.

 

Also,

I have head shoot many hundreds of Rabbits in my time and a number have been hit in the Jaw. All have had the same shot reaction, That being to go round and round in circles. Giving time for a second shot to finnish the job. I also have been told about a Muntjac that had the same reaction after a jaw shot and was finnished off with a second shot.

 

I nearly always chest shoot Deer apart from Muntjac which i neck shoot, the reason being to many times i've chest shot a Munty with what looks like a perfect placement but coz of the size of the rumen its still clipped/punctured the rumen.

[Dekers]

Whether it is a genuine pic or not is irrelevant, this sort of thing happens.

 

I defy anyone who has been involved in field work for more than 5 minutes to say they have never made a mess of a shot, yes sure, heart lung presents more leeway, but so does not shooting at all.

 

Get over it or stop shooting, doesn't matter where you aim you will injure one some day, I'm not trying to be callous, simply realistic!

 

...and didn't this have enough airtime in August!

[al4x]

The simple thing is dekers with more leeway for error you will cock up far less often. Headshots for me are fine in a park environment but they wouldn't be my first choice in most shooting environments

[mereside]

The simple thing is dekers with more leeway for error you will cock up far less often. Headshots for me are fine in a park environment but they wouldn't be my first choice in most shooting environments

 

I don't think this is the case at all.

leeway for error is wrong seen plenty of folk take a front leg off with leeway for error or gut shoot for both to make it a loooooooooooong way away. alot of people can not shoot its that simple.

I use a dog to make sure i can follow up and dispatch ,everyone at some point will **** up and if they say they havn't then they don't get out much or have shot few animals.

to say head shooting in a park but not anywhere else is daft, the situation dictates the shot and the guy pulling the trigger needs to think about that shot,atb wayne

Edited November 13, 2013 by mereside

[scotslad]

 

I don't think this is the case at all.

leeway for error is wrong seen plenty of folk take a front leg off with leeway for error or gut shoot for both to make it a loooooooooooong way away. alot of people can not shoot its that simple.

I use a dog to make sure i can follow up and dispatch ,everyone at some point will **** up and if they say they havn't then they don't get out much or have shot few animals.

to say head shooting in a park but not anywhere else is daft, the situation dictates the shot and the guy pulling the trigger needs to think about that shot,atb wayne

 

But that is the biggest problem too many folk read these internet sites and think head shhooting is wot the pro's do must be the best, but they do not have the skill or experience for it.

If u turned the clock back 20 or 30 years the only folk even thinking about head and neck shooting would be full time pro's with loads off experience and ur hobby stalker would never dream of it

 

In ur quote above u show some folk simply can't shoot and can miss a 4+" stationary target the chest but these are the same folk who are trying to head shoot as they think it makes them a better stalker or gives them bragging rights.

 

I'm quite boring i just wot wotever i shoot at down and dead wether fox or deer, head shooting not for me, if only shot i'll leave it for another day.

[Dekers]

 

But that is the biggest problem too many folk read these internet sites and think head shhooting is wot the pro's do must be the best, but they do not have the skill or experience for it.

If u turned the clock back 20 or 30 years the only folk even thinking about head and neck shooting would be full time pro's with loads off experience and ur hobby stalker would never dream of it

 

In ur quote above u show some folk simply can't shoot and can miss a 4+" stationary target the chest but these are the same folk who are trying to head shoot as they think it makes them a better stalker or gives them bragging rights.

 

I'm quite boring i just wot wotever i shoot at down and dead wether fox or deer, head shooting not for me, if only shot i'll leave it for another day.

 

Perhaps I didn't make it clear, I am not condoning or condemning head shots, everyone must make their own call.

 

Odds or not, leeway or not, nobody is perfect and heart lung shots go wrong as well, the picture could just as easily have been a deer with half his guts dangling on the floor, what would everyone have said then?

 

It's all very well talking about the % shot but things can still go wrong, the best % if you are that concerned is stop shooting!

[mereside]

 

But that is the biggest problem too many folk read these internet sites and think head shhooting is wot the pro's do must be the best, but they do not have the skill or experience for it.

If u turned the clock back 20 or 30 years the only folk even thinking about head and neck shooting would be full time pro's with loads off experience and ur hobby stalker would never dream of it

 

In ur quote above u show some folk simply can't shoot and can miss a 4+" stationary target the chest but these are the same folk who are trying to head shoot as they think it makes them a better stalker or gives them bragging rights.

 

I'm quite boring i just wot wotever i shoot at down and dead wether fox or deer, head shooting not for me, if only shot i'll leave it for another day.

scotslad you are right people just read all the hype and see the adds of people doing it and think its easy, alot of folk can't shoot it is that simple and should know there limitations like you say there is always another day rather than rush a shot most of the time people rush when there is no need to just chill and get set for that shot ,atb wayne

[al4x]

 

I don't think this is the case at all.

leeway for error is wrong seen plenty of folk take a front leg off with leeway for error or gut shoot for both to make it a loooooooooooong way away. alot of people can not shoot its that simple.

I use a dog to make sure i can follow up and dispatch ,everyone at some point will **** up and if they say they havn't then they don't get out much or have shot few animals.

to say head shooting in a park but not anywhere else is daft, the situation dictates the shot and the guy pulling the trigger needs to think about that shot,atb wayne

Gut shot or leg shot deer are far more retrievable than one with its jaw hanging off. No matter how good the dog you won't get the jaw shot deer unless you can put another bullet in it.

I know where you are coming from its just when going through the available shots on a deer I would choose a head shot as a last resort not first

[kent]

Guys Headshots are the least humane way to kill a deer, recovery rates from wounded head shots are appalling and its the same with high neck shooting. I am not talking guesswork here there are countries were all call outs to track wounded deer are recorded and analysed. Of course that's when the hunter actually admits he has not had a clean miss (its actually very hard to clean miss a deer's head at any sort of sensible range). Shot reaction from a fluffed head shot does not include a deer running around in circles (I know this because I have seen it more than once) the deer freezes momentarily longer than a miss then run off as if missed similar to high neck doing the throat a bad shot that fails to destroy the spine but clips it often leads to the deer that drops on the spot then legs it fast just as you approach or ready the knife. I once saw a Pro stalker take out the knife and commence to bleed a dead deer that decided it wasn't dead and ran off with the knife in it!. They can go for a long way and it takes some time for them to fall victim of their wounds (this is why the dogs often cant find them). Unless the deer falls victim to blood poisoning its highly likely death will come from starvation (through lacking a jaw or oesophagus both very common places to miss into).

 

Its not about shooting skill, its about knowing when this shot could be taken and a little about the biological knowledge to know exactly were to place the shot. The Brain is actually quite small within the head and things like the thickening to form antler growth in the male can and do deflect less than perfect shots, likewise missing the high spine (atlas joint area) is common through actually aiming at the wrong spot and a shot through the throat will not leave much sign.

 

Now here's the truth of what I personally have witnessed. One Professional serving sniper missing a Fallow high neck and shooting it up the Bum (he was a rev out on the turret after killing a number of long ones- yes really long ones range was not very far away either but it did drop like a stone though a very messy gralloch. A number of amateur stalkers who mistakenly thought as they could hit paper and various other non mobile targets that the high shot was easy- turned out different! The time it takes for your brain to communicate with the trigger finger and for that sear to trip is well enough time for the deer to move away from the ideal position it was formally in - watch a Roe do the head bob when its unsure what you are, its mostly unexpected and meant to catch you out. I well remember having an excellent well placed side on heat shot on a Roe doe releasing the trigger as she bounded forwards and got hit just in front of the haunch, someone was looking after me that day as I did one kidney and a major artery and she bled out within only a few yards internally SO IT HAS SQUAT TO DO WITH YOUR TRIGGER ABILITY I could sight down the barrel and place a shot better than that on an inanimate non mobile bit of paper.

 

I only take a head or high neck now if I am faced with a very steady deer facing away form me that is very much part of a cull plan or to deal with the only chance I might get at a wounded beast or in dealing with a coupe de grace. Yes I have had shots go wrong, its happened with chest shots when the beast takes a step at the wrong time or the bullet finds an unseen twig etc. also although the rarest from technical issues. - I cannot prevent that BUT I can mitigate it

[scotslad]

And that's wot most good exp pro's have in common, they may not be the best shots punching paper but they can read deer so will have a better understanding off wether a deer is totaly relaxed and likely to move.

 

Far too many people over exagerate how good they are. U only have to do a shooting test (dsc or for FC leases) and it's surpising how many folk need extra shots for wot should be an easy bread and butter shot

 

While i totally appreciate that chest shots can go wrong, but ur talking about a 4"+ target which is generally pretty steady to a pretty mobile 1" target, the brain, even ur high neck is a very small precise target and lower neck is not much bigger, althou less mobile but u also hae to know where the spine is in the neck depending on how deer is standing.

Edited November 16, 2013 by scotslad

[maxus77]

Looks photoshopped but makes you think :(