Neck Shot

I’ve shot a couple deer directly in the heart and they also drop in their tracks. Same result and much more room for error, just saying…

I have shot two deer in the neck (with a rifle) when the cover was too thick to take an ethical shot for the vitals. Completely different story with a bow. If I’m ever in a situation with my bow where the ONLY shot I have is the neck, that deer will live to see another day.

Had a large 10 pointer come in on a full run and stop 4 yards away staring straight up at me in full draw. Only thing to see is horns head and white patch on neck. I have a hard time believing anyone would pass that up. I didn’t. I was however surprised it made it over a hundred yards. Never seen a blood trail like that before. 2 blade rage. You could have put your fist in the hole. I don’t think I would attempt that if any other shot was an option.

I’m sure a lot have seen this video. Elk killed with straight on neck shot.

I’d never take a neck shot on a deer but there’s no reason not too with a straight on shot. Trachea straight middle, two very important carotid arteries on either side…all three running the entire length of the neck. Just like a typical vital area shot, shot placement is key.

Broadside neck shot with a bow…definitely not an option.

Neck roast = damn delicious!! Double lung is my choice every time if I can.

I’m glad we can put this 10 year old debate to rest…

The neck is a very poor choice for archery. In any other orientation except directly broadside, the neck presents a poor target profile compared to the vitals region and the anatomy of the neck does not present nearly as many “vital to life” areas compared to the heart/lung area.

There isn’t any comparison between hitting in the neck with a firearm and with a bow. The reason a deer dies so quickly in many cases with a firearms neck shot is that the shock of the impact of the bullet breaks the spinal column because of the sudden impact. It’s basically like putting your head out over the tracks in front of a train. Even if you had a helmet on, the impact alone would shatter your spine. An arrow hit has nowhere near the impact force of a bullet.

Looking at it from an archery point of view, the neck is a bad percentage choice as well. The neck of a deer is a mass of tough muscle. Anything other than a hit in the spinal cord area or the throat and surrounding arteries would almost be the equivalent of shooting a deer in the hind quarter.

Anything COULD happen, but the odds of a quick kill with a muscle hit in the center of the neck are dramatically lower than a hit almost anywhere in the vitals.

Also, getting a bit more subjective, I think the neck presents a poor target profile in any orientation other than directly broadside. If you want to prove it to yourself, just take a 3D target and try some shots with the deer quartering toward and away from you. Take a couple of shots at the vitals and an equal number of shots at the neck. Decided from that which shot you think is easier and produces penetration that is more likely to result in a quick kill.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The neck is a very poor choice for archery. In any other orientation except directly broadside, the neck presents a poor target profile compared to the vitals region and the anatomy of the neck does not present nearly as many “vital to life” areas compared to the heart/lung area.

There isn’t any comparison between hitting in the neck with a firearm and with a bow. The reason a deer dies so quickly in many cases with a firearms neck shot is that the shock of the impact of the bullet breaks the spinal column because of the sudden impact. It’s basically like putting your head out over the tracks in front of a train. Even if you had a helmet on, the impact alone would shatter your spine. An arrow hit has nowhere near the impact force of a bullet.

Looking at it from an archery point of view, the neck is a bad percentage choice as well. The neck of a deer is a mass of tough muscle. Anything other than a hit in the spinal cord area or the throat and surrounding arteries would almost be the equivalent of shooting a deer in the hind quarter.

Anything COULD happen, but the odds of a quick kill with a muscle hit in the center of the neck are dramatically lower than a hit almost anywhere in the vitals.

Also, getting a bit more subjective, I think the neck presents a poor target profile in any orientation other than directly broadside. If you want to prove it to yourself, just take a 3D target and try some shots with the deer quartering toward and away from you. Take a couple of shots at the vitals and an equal number of shots at the neck. Decided from that which shot you think is easier and produces penetration that is more likely to result in a quick kill.

Grouse

Fun and interesting subject. Attached is the best pic I could find of a deer’s neck. Anything between the two blue jugulars from bottom of neck to top is going to kill the deer…that’s actually a respectfully large kill target “if” you hit the neck (meaning, if you make a FRONTAL-not broadside neck shot, and connect, you probably put that deer down). Not saying its a large target to hit, but a large “killing” target if hit…little room for a wounded deer.

Again, it would be a very difficult shot and I’d personally wait for a broadside type shot. But I wouldn’t think a frontal neck shot with B&A would be unethical.

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Alagnak Pete wrote:

Not ruin any meat? The neck roast is my second favorite part of the animal. Screw trimming it out. Slow roast with a small chunk of pork, lipton onion soup and pick out any connective tissues that are very easy to identify after cooking and shred up for hot italian ‘beefs’ that melt in your mouth.

totally agree sir!!!!!!!!!!! and that is opening weekend supper!!!!!!!

interesting read, I’ve never really considered the neck as a shot with my bow. The amount of times I’ve had deer jump a string, I can’t imagine what would happen if I was aiming for the neck since it seems the head and neck move first.
bad idea with little margin of error imo

I find way too many deer dead while walking my traplines. Its a different perspective of what I see, because I don’t care about spooking deer and I am not “sneaking” into a treestand. So with the amount of ground I cover, I tend to come across more.

The majority of bow-kill deer I find that were never recovered usually has arrows in/through 3 general areas/ failures. 3. Mechanical broad heads that never expanded 2. neck 1. High-forward guts (usually grazing the diaphragm area missing the lungs).

No matter what, there will always be a level of loss. We try to be ethical and do our best. Yet sometimes we fail. I just hate to come across a live deer like I have a number of times with an arrow sticking out of it……

BTW – it was fortunate that I came across this deer and the hunter making an attempt to find it. They were almost a mile apart. Story was he hit a limb and the arrow glanced up. He knew he hit the deer, but couldn’t tell where. ya never know…..

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Saw this pic. Didn’t work out. I’ve taken one neck shot at a doe with a rifle. At 220 yards she dropped. But I don’t plan on trying it again.

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Randy, I hope that situation ended well?

Rage, do NOT aim for the neck withvan arrow. This idea is unethical. A bullet from a shotgun slug, rifle, or even muzzleloader kils bith through hemmorhage (bleeding) and through the wound channel causrd through the transfer of kinnetic energy. An arrow does not deposit this type of energy upon impact. You need to punch the lungs, severbthe heart, or a major blood vessel. I shoot deer in the neck sometimes with a firearm. Very effective. But I would never do so with a bow or crossbow. That would be a completely irresponsible act. As hunters, we have a responsibility to kill as efficiently as we are able to. This means passing up on iffy shots. Wait for a slam dunk shot. Do not be a hunter SLOB. Mistakes happen. Ive wounded deer and not recovered them. This causes me lost sleep and Ive even vomited thinking about it. It has haunted me. Be a good stewat of our natural resources. Kill ethically and share a proud story about a quick and ethical kill. That story you can proudly repeat your entire life. Not be haunted by a poor decision. Good luck and safe hunting. Hope to see a pic and read a great story here soon.

Remember, this thread is 8 years old.
DT

Pailofperch wrote:

Randy, I hope that situation ended well?

This one did. I ran into the guys searching earlier in the day. When I came across the buck in the ditch, we went back and got the hunter and all ended well.

deertracker wrote:

Remember, this thread is 8 years old.
DT

And yet it’s still relevant

Lol. Didnt notice the date of post.

I had no intentions of shooting a doe opening morning until one came trotting by with most of it’s head blown off and its jaw completely gone. I assume it came from the next closest hunters at about 3/4 mile away. Things like this get me a little irritated.

No Way on the neck shot!! I killed a deer back in 2004 that had been shot by someone else in the neck. He had a 2″ hole right through his neck meat above the spine about midway between his head and shoulder. When I first saw him at about 75 yards he showed no sign of any injury. I shot him in the lungs and he ran off and dropped dead. I discovered the neck wound after I got to him. He would not have died from the neck shot, but he may have “dropped in his tracks” from the shock. Only to get up and run away.

Perfect place for this.

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I have shot all of my deer in the neck with a gun and muzzleloader all of them have dropped right in their tracks and ive been doing it for over 30years now

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Nope, never ever!

Sounds like this apolitical debate 🤔

My $.02 I’ve seen all shoots go wrong and all go good it’s hunting injoy tour time in the woods and do as you all see fit every shot has a out come if good or bad
Now your equipment…

Regarding vascular anatomy, the carotid artery is only about 1/4″ in diameter. The heart and lungs are roughly 8″-10″. By my math, that’s 32x-40x larger.

Neck roasts = good meat

Heart/lung shot = no ruined meat.

Last 15 years. I’ve neck shot pretty much every deer with shotgun. 100% recovery. Longest recovery maybe 10 yards, most in their track. With that said. I hunt from a wooden blind on a trailer. From a desk chair, resting on a 2×6 padded window sill. Most shots 30 to 70 yards. Scoped shotgun, rifled barrel/sabots. Only take broadside, standing shots. I wouldn’t attempt a neck shot on a moving deer or offhand. I’m mid 60s, hunt alone on coal mine property that was not reclaimed. A 75-yard recovery would require a helicopter. To the original question, a neck shot with a bow would be for a very few archery hunters skill set.

My great Grandfather used to shoot deer in the neck. He always had two rifles with him in the stand, a scoped .243 and an open sighted 38 special. If the deer was within 50 yards, he used the 38 special and went for the neck. I only hunted with him for about 3 years before he died so I can’t say whether he was successful with his strategy over a long period of time.

I hunt with a scoped rifle and I would never even consider aiming for the neck. The vitals are a much safer and larger target for me personally. I’ve been deer hunting for 27 years and I’ve never lost a deer I have shot. Would a neck shot fatally take down a deer? I’m sure it would. But its a smaller target and for me its much riskier.

Neck roast is my favorite cut of venison.

Man I love how many people think there way is the only one way to do something.

Some of you would fight over the sky being blue…

Randy Wieland wrote:

The majority of bow-kill deer I find that were never recovered usually has arrows in/through 3 general areas/ failures. 3. Mechanical broad heads that never expanded 2. neck 1. High-forward guts (usually grazing the diaphragm area missing the lungs).

This is basically my first year bow hunting. How common is it that mechanical broad heads do not expand? I went to A1 Archery in Hudson last year and bought a bow (Matthews VXR 28″) and got the accessories package with it. They sold me Gold Tip arrows and a package of Rage 1.75″ two blade mechanical broadheads. They set the bow up at 57 pounds. Since they put the package together for me, and are a reputable shop, I figure the Rage broadheads should be fine. But reading Randy’s post has got me wondering.

Even if the blades don’t open, if it was a well placed shot, shouldn’t the deer expire quickly?