The drop shot

[ztrumble]

Do you go for the spine and hope to drop them or go for vitals and risk only one lung?

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[catman529]

I would much rather a spine shot than a single lung. Deer can be very tough running on one lung but not so tough with a severed spinal cord.


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[ricky racer]

Attempting either is foolish. You can get lucky and hit the spine but that's a low percentage shot. One lung may kill the deer but chances are good you'll never find it because he'll die over in the next county. If you can't take out both lungs, wait for an ethical shot.

 

[jryser]

Do you go for the spine and hope to drop them or go for vitals and risk only one lung?

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Neither. If I don’t have a reasonable chance based on my skills at that moment (they wax and wane I notice even as I practice every day), I don’t want to take the shot.

I would not want to “purposely” try a spine shot or a one lung shot.


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[Deltahuntr]

I’m assuming you are talking about archery hunting and a deer almost under your stand location. In that scenario I would wait for the deer to offer a broader shot at the vitals rather than risk the one lung shot.

 

[elk yinzer]

I shoot deer right under me. The angle has to be right and you have to know anatomy well to get into the center of the thoracic cavity which takes out major arteries and possibly the heart. One lung is no bueno for sure.

 

[ztrumble]

I’m assuming you are talking about archery hunting and a deer almost under your stand location. In that scenario I would wait for the deer to offer a broader shot at the vitals rather than risk the one lung shot.

I'm just reading on the site here about people going up 25-30 feet. Seems like anything inside of bow range at that height gives a steep angle.

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[Deltahuntr]

I'm just reading on the site here about people going up 25-30 feet. Seems like anything inside of bow range at that height gives a steep angle.

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True, those steep angles do make the vital area a narrow target. We would have to be very confident in our ability and equipment to take a dedicated spine shot because a one lung is not going to be a higher percentage recovery rate.

 

[elk yinzer]

I climb as high as the situation dictates. That is very rarely over 20 feet.

 

[Catskills]

In hunter safety they mention that aiming for a spine shot is unethical. I'd have to agree

 

[mattsteg]

True, those steep angles do make the vital area a narrow target. We would have to be very confident in our ability and equipment to take a dedicated spine shot because a one lung is not going to be a higher percentage recovery rate.

Hills can make 20-30 ft lower (and higher). Climb to the best cover/visibility/location/etc. And take only the good shots.

 

[mattsteg]

I'm just reading on the site here about people going up 25-30 feet. Seems like anything inside of bow range at that height gives a steep angle.

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30 yards and 30 feet is only an 18 degree angle. 20 yards about 26 degrees. Obviously 10 yards and in you get into pretty tight angles, and you need to pay attention to your shot selection and execution, but longer ranges aren't that extreme. Very good reminder to review anatomy.

 

[ztrumble]

In hunter safety they mention that aiming for a spine shot is unethical. I'd have to agree

I think I'd agree with that.

 

[Deltahuntr]

It’s been 25yrs since I took hunters ed. I can’t say I remember the discussion of spine shot ethics. It is good to hear that the class has become more than hunters safety and regulation review.

 

[ricky racer]

I'm just reading on the site here about people going up 25-30 feet. Seems like anything inside of bow range at that height gives a steep angle.

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I rarely go over 20 ft. in a tree for that reason. You're better off hunting 14'-18' so you've got better shot angles.

 

[mattsteg]

It’s been 25yrs since I took hunters ed. I can’t say I remember the discussion of spine shot ethics. It is good to hear that the class has become more than hunters safety and regulation review.

It's been about that long since I spine shot 2 of my first 3 deer(rifle)! (One was a Lungshot that went a tad high, other dropped his head behind a log feeding with his spine lined up vertically, and it felt like a reasonable shot.

 

[Deltahuntr]

It's been about that long since I spine shot 2 of my first 3 deer(rifle)! (One was a Lungshot that went a tad high, other dropped his head behind a log feeding with his spine lined up vertically, and it felt like a reasonable shot.

A spine shot with a rifle is risky but considerably easier to pull off cleanly. I can not remember spine shooting one intentionally , other than in the cerebellum, with a rifle but I have shot high at longer ranges with a rifle. All those shots did contact the spine at the same time they severed the arteries underneath and were immediately fatal. I’m thankful to have never experienced the broke down deer in panic with a high spine paralyzing shot.

 

[Exiled in MD]

I rarely go over 20 ft. in a tree for that reason. You're better off hunting 14'-18' so you've got better shot angles.

Higher used to always be better...but that was before the saddle. Although it wasn't a shooter I moved around a tree the other day with my platform height around 18' unseen. I know in some cases 25' makes perfect sense but with a lot of leaves still on the trees in my area I'm hoping to avoid that decision.

 

[ztrumble]

I spined a buck with a bow out of a fairly high stand by accident once. His front legs were still going and he was doing donuts under my stand for a number of minutes while I climbed down and got into position to shoot him again.

It worked out okay, but I wouldn't do it on purpose. Definitely not a quick kill

 

[rambotogo]

I always try for a double lung shot quarterly away. High percentage shot works every time for me .