When it comes to killing an animal, most hunters would be looking to take it out with a single shot. Most people would train for months as a way of being sharpshooters so that they can do it correctly when hunting. It is also important to kill the animal with a single shot as wounding it will make it suffer in pain for long even before dying later on. Well, it is often easier said than done, as not most people would get that shot to kill a deer the first time.
Most of the time, it is because the hunters are shooting at the deer in the wrong places. So, someone might have the question of where to shoot a deer. We get to check out some of the best places to shoot a deer and immobilize or kill it easily.
1. Shooting the high shoulder
This is one of the best places to shoot a deer so that you can deliver a fast shot that will drop the target dead in an instant. The upper shoulder is often chosen as it is where the anchors of the deer nervous system and the spine meet. You can imagine that when a bullet enters this position the kind of damage that it can do.
The bullet going through this area will snap the spine and the nervous system and thus paralyzing the deer in its tracks. Get the shot right, and the deer will not move another inch again.
Another reason people would go for this region is that it has the rib cage enclosing the lungs and other important parts of the circulatory system. Giving it a good shot should break the ribs and thus leading to loss of balance to the deer.
Con:
As much as this part would be great for immobilizing the deer, many hunters do not like it. Most of them say that the bullet will cause a lot of damage to the shoulder meat. The damage sometimes can go slightly to the deer’s back meat.
2. Shooting the brain
Any hunter would prefer a headshot, as it will always give you instant results when it comes to killing. With a proper headshot, there is no way the deer can survive it. When taking a headshot, it is always a guarantee that it will hit the brain. We all know that the brain is what controls all the activities including the movement of the deer.
That being said, the brain is also small and hitting it for some hunters might not be easy. The brain of the deer is about three inches in size. You might have aimed correctly, but the deer suddenly moves making you shoot it in the jaw.
Con:
If you end up missing the brain, you are likely to hit other essential parts of the head. Sometimes the deer will escape and end dying later on a painful and slow death. The headshots are only good when the deer is resting or sleeping, but not when actively feeding.
3. Shooting in the neck
The neck is important for connecting the head to the trunk of the deer. It is always going to house some important organs necessary for the survival of the deer. If you can deliver an accurate shot to the neck, then you have high chances of killing the deer.
A shot to the neck will cut the important connection between the brain, spine, and heart. The damage would be that there would no longer be enough or no supply of blood to the spine and brain. The result is that the deer will be in massive shock that simply halts it in its current position.
Con:
Shooting in the neck might not be as simple as you think. The critical area in the deer neck is small, so you have to be careful too. Hitting it in the lower neck will just injure it, but not completely immobilize it.
4. Shooting the heart and lungs
For anyone who is still an amateur in hunting deer, this could be the most forgiving shot you will ever get. Shooting the heart and lungs does not demand having 100 percent accuracy to make it happen.
Taking a shot in the heart and lung area will do quite a damage to the blood vessels. With the blood vessels damaged, the deer would later die because the brain lacks oxygen important for its survival. Even if the shot deer tries to escape, it will not take long before it looses it coordination and fall down.
Below is a video with more tips about where to shoot a deer.
Conclusion
There are various options you could take when it comes to shooting the deer. The most important thing to do is choose a part and stick to it. You can always end up with the best hunting session if you can take out the deer with a single shot and end up not destroying the meat.