Head Shooting Big Game

[LongWayAround]

I have headshot a few animals and I'm with the majority here. Not a good game plan.

If it's works, great. DRT.

When it doesn't, it sucks.

I took what I thought was an easy offhand shot on a doe whitetail. She dropped. I walk up and she's still alive with half of her face blown off.
No bueno.

There's a time and place but it's not a first resort.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I’ll take a headshot on wounded game, but after seeing a deer with its jaw blown off the day after the muzzleloader season ended, it’s not a shot I will normally take. That deer walked right up to me while I was working on a tractor, jaw hanging by a thread. It stood there while I walked over to the truck and got the Nylon 66. Put one between his eyes and then gutted him. Seeing the look in that animal’s eyes, I would have liked to do the same to the hunter who took a headshot with a muzzleloader.

 

[eLightfoot]

That's a pretty cool rack on that buck, would enjoy seeing some other photos. Is this a CA muley, or one of the middle bucks closer to blacktail country they don't consider full mule deer? Either way, I like it.

Bzone wilderness. Pure blacktail

 

[RockAndSage]

Bzone wilderness. Pure blacktail

Wow. That's one of the nicest blacktails I've ever seen, what a great buck...

 

[eLightfoot]

Wow. That's one of the nicest blacktails I've ever seen, what a great buck...

We get into em. You’d like the ones that have made the wall

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I have shot a bear out of a tree over hounds in the head maybe a 10 yard shot. And 3-4 deer with head shots over the years those have all been at less than 20 yards basically looking straight down at them. When I do that I’m aiming toward the back of the head/beginning of the neck. They have all been DRT and I would not try it without a steady rest and deer that had no clue I was there.

When we tree bears we are always aiming for the head and then have a back up shooter ready for the case where it comes down alive yet. Don’t want dogs or people getting hurt. Have also seen a few bears head shots in cornfields but you’re talking a bear at 2-3 yards in that case.

Just dont do it if your not 100% certain it’s a going to hit where you want or beyond your capabilities.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Heads have a lot of sinuses. The only sure deal is at the base of the skull in the neck. An even smaller target.

 

[Hnthrdr]

We get into em. You’d like the ones that have made the wall

We might need to start a black tail trophy thread? Any takers? I’m strictly in muley country but would be fun to see some of these blackie bucks

 

[eLightfoot]

We might need to start a black tail trophy thread? Any takers? I’m strictly in muley country but would be fun to see some of these blackie bucks

There’s a whole blacktail sub forum

 

[KHntr]

the hunting party that I hunt with while deer hunting have a policy that under 200 yards standing shot on doe we shoot them in the head. Have shot many this way the last 15 years or so. Never had one get wounded or run off. The nice thing is if you miss they run away if you hit there is no tracking. That’s my experience

How do you know you missed if they run?

 

[Shortschaf]

Would you feel different if it was a leg that was blown off?

Yeah its different.
Don't blow off legs either, but you have to miss by a mile to blow off the leg, and at least you stand a chance finishing them off.

You have to miss by two inches to blow off a jaw, and they have all their legs under them to get away from you

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Would you feel different if it was a leg that was blown off?

Yes. That facial wound was so gruesome and the animal had lost all will to live. Realizing that it probably hadn’t been able to drink any water for 24 hours that really horrific.

I’ve seen a deer limping along on a broken leg. It’s not likely to survive, but it wasn’t as horrible as that facial wound.

 

[RockAndSage]

Yes. That facial wound was so gruesome and the animal had lost all will to live. Realizing that it probably hadn’t been able to drink any water for 24 hours that really horrific.

I’ve seen a deer limping along on a broken leg. It’s not likely to survive, but it wasn’t as horrible as that facial wound.

Would you feel different if it was a leg that was blown off?

I think the difference is about the prior choice - a dude taking a headshot beyond close-in is consciously choosing to take a riskier shot than one going for a vitals shot. Same innocent, unintentional miss, but a very different and unnecessary outcome for the animal.

It's similar to me for side-on neck shots. There's a relatively small window to spine the animal, compared to the rest of the meat of the neck. I've seen what happens with a low neck/windpipe shot, and it's nearly the same thing as a jaw getting blown off - buck just bounds hundreds of yards away, likely to die in a few days, from an unnecessary risk and poor judgement.

If someone is genuinely an elite shooter in field realities, and an animal is so close as to make it genuinely an easy shot, and they're making an ethical choice for maximum meat-yield, I have no problem with that. But it's worth pointing out that most people's answers here were geared towards a rookie hunter wanting info, for better judgment, not criticism towards a seasoned, high-skill hunter and shooter.

 

[ReddingArcher]

I’ll echo pretty much everyone else. Definitely not a shot I’d take unless under very specific conditions. I’ve killed a few animals with head shots, but they were sub 50 yards. The last one was a bear sub 20, I can’t remember exactly but it could have been 10 yards. Shot a pig with a super accurate 243 years ago on a trot just below the ear. It’s very effective but the margin of error is very small.

 

[wyosam]

Generally a bad idea-small target, and can result is a very long miserable death. I’ve done two in my life. First was a nice mule deer at 30 yards or so. He stood up, looking right at me and that was all I could see above the brush. I knew as soon as he turned to go there would be no shot. Second was a cow elk at about 100, had head between the fork of a tree, of hind quarter shot. Similar to the first, as soon as she decided to bolt, she’d be into cover. Had a good rest for that one. I wouldn’t take either of those shots today. I’m a lot more selective (and patient) than I was 30 years ago.


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[Castle Rock]

Head shots are ineffective and inhumane

 

[Shortschaf]

Head shots are ineffective and inhumane View attachment 988467

congrats. Ive seen them and can do them too but as rockandsage said:

it's worth pointing out that most people's answers here were geared towards a rookie hunter wanting info, for better judgment, not criticism towards a seasoned, high-skill hunter and shooter.

 

[KenLee]

Y'all would have shit a brick when I headshot dozens of deer with "Stangers" as a teenager. After shooting 2-300 coons out of tall trees in the dark each year, often seeing nothing but eyes, it was a cakewalk. I'll readily admit that at 58 with health issues, I'm not the same shooter anymore. Good light, calm animal, and on a somewhat steady day, the wsm still noggin pops some fat does.

 

[KHntr]

Y'all would have shit a brick when I headshot dozens of deer with "Stangers" as a teenager. After shooting 2-300 coons out of tall trees in the dark, often seeing nothing but eyes, it was a cakewalk. I'll readily admit that at 58 with health issues, I'm not the same shooter anymore. Good light, calm animal, and on a somewhat steady day, the wsm still noggin pops some fat does.

Not at all.

Big difference between shooting 300 raccoons between the blinkers, and shooting one deer and 5 grouse in total though.

 

[KenLee]

Not at all.

Big difference between shooting 300 raccoons between the blinkers, and shooting one deer and 5 grouse in total though.

I've never seen a grouse, but I'd bet I've noggined 30-35 deer with Stangers