Pick a spot or pass

[Strut10]

Yellow 4 1/2 or 5 and let rip. No hesitation. Start filling out the tag. That deer will likely drop where he stands with that hold.

I get quite a big kick out of all the TV hunters passing shots because the animal was not broadside. Phooey!! There's more than one way to/through the vitals on every big game animal I ever saw.

[woolybear]

That deer will likely drop where he stands with that hold.

**** yeah, been there done that.

[Hunt or be Hunted]

for me it would be between purple 1 or 2

[GWSmith]

Providing I get that distance the picture appears to be(under 20yds) I'd kill that deer with Purple #1.

If that deer is much further I wait but even I can drill him that close...theres nothing but the recoil to forget about shortly after seeing him;)

[Zambo]

Purple 2. There would be two hits. The slug hitting his neck and him hitting the ground. No tracking. Turn out the lights, the party's over.

[Dakota]

Red 4, crunch bone and smoke vitals. Awesome game, btw!

Dakota

[elkoholic]

I'll play. Take the first good shot presented because if you wait for the "perfect" shot you could very well be eating tag soup. Yellow #5, as it gives a couple of inches of leeway in all directions should the burst of adrenaline cause a twitch in your trigger finger.

[Tominator]

I pass that shot.

[camocop]

yellow 4 with my .25-06

[The_Kat]

Purple three all day everyday. I've made 4 kills with that shot!

[92xj]

yellow 2.5

[fly]

Gotta go with yellow #4 because in my opinion it gives you the best opportunity to kill the deer if your shot is off a bit. I'd be slightly more concerned about grazing the shoulderblad and a richochete with the lower red. I'd take the shot, it's ethical with a slug gun and I wouldn't want to take the chance of him bolting instead of walking.

I like to take the highest percentage kill shot and if the hole is visible in the mount then that's just the way it is.

I don't rush my shots, but always take the first good shot I get.

I know hunters that take the white head shot, but with CWD problem a brain shot isn't an option for me.

[rookieee]

Yellow 4

[Washi]

Nah, I ain't busted, he'd already be gone. He does know I am there, but he does not know what I am. I will wait him out and when he eventually takes that first slow step to turn and leave, I paste him with a heart/low lung broadside shot. I am passing on this angle and waiting for the turn.

HB

Around here they don't take a first slow step to leave. They leave now. Plus there are trees on both sides he could easily get behind. With a rifle I have no problem with this shot. With a bow I'd have to wait and hope for a better shot.

[dbHunterNY]

I'd take that shot with a firearm. Personally, he could be sensing something, and if he whirls around I wouldn't have the time squeeze the trigger. I wouldn't take a pop shot in that whirling situation, things are happening too fast to aim small. I'd pick bottom yellow dot. It's not really into the shoulder blade but centered low in the test, which I think is a humane shot with the biggest vital area. I picked a lower spot, because at that close of a distance my gun is probably shooting about 2.5" high anyway. The hide for the mount can be fixed, but there won't be a mount if he gets away. One more thing I'd be aware of the limbs right there in front of you.

That's my take on things.

- Dan

[MichiganHunter]

OK LETS BE REAL,

This buck AINT 'NO' spring chicken, and AINT lookin at you to figure out "what you are", he knows you/something is up and is plotting his escape rout. I would guess you got 5 maybe 6 seconds till he turns, blows and burns, if your passin that shot your going home to tag city.

I have shot DOZENS of does like that, it's great no tracking and they die almost instantly.

If it were a doe I would be going WHITE all the way

Since it's a buck I'm going yellow or purple 4-5, that area is a total drop

Edited April 28, 2009 by MichiganHunter

[mike]

I would have to say purple 2 or 3 and call the taxidermist and tell him to start looking for a cape:cool: You pass up that shot on that buck your crazy! For most people that is a once and a lifetime buck right there, most will never see that one at that range.

[dbHunterNY]

....For most people that is a once and a lifetime buck right there, most will never see that one at that range.

That's for **** certain the truth. Where I hunt that's a buck that you only get once in a lifetime if you're lucky.

[woolybear]

Now that most have chimed in, be interesting to quote and pick apart some choices in shot selection. This was intended to be more of a learning post than a game.

Sometimes the angles throw us a curveball instead of getting smacked outta the park. Alot of opinions I agree and disagree with here.

Pick it apart and don't hold back on being too critical.

[layin on the smackdown]

Now that most have chimed in, be interesting to quote and pick apart some choices in shot selection. This was intended to be more of a learning post than a game.

Sometimes the angles throw us a curveball instead of getting smacked outta the park. Alot of opinions I agree and disagree with here.

Pick it apart and don't hold back on being too critical.

I'll go first...even though the majority here is not going to like what i have to say...

1.) ITs not an ethical shot, and not a high percentage shot, so i would not take it...

2.) When taking a head on shot, the vital area is rather slim, making for a very thin vital area, thus lowering the odds of making a clean kill shot

3.) Some posts seemed to be more focused on the condition of the head and neck after the shot, rather than the cleanest kill or highest percentage shot...i disagree with that attitude, and your number one concern should be what is going to put the animal down the fastest...then worry about your mount.

4.) there is a lot of room for error with this head on shot...

I understand that we have some outstanding marksmen on here, and im sure there are plenty of people who have taken animals with this shot, however, in retrospect, there is a much higher probability of missing or blasting out a shoulder and wounding the animal; ultimately yielding a "i wish i wouldn't have done that" thought process.

JMO

[wtnhunt]

Guess I will critique my own reply here. My experience that deer knows something is up, no doubt about that whatsoever, however you posted that your gun is on the ready so the deer will not be scared. There is a good chance that deer might turn, but we do not know all the details as to what brought the deer to alert. Hard to know the full situation without being there, did the deer just spot you, is there something in the tree behind you(squirrel or noise behind you from farm equipment), or did the deer catch your wind? Could be that the deer will stomp and look and then turn. You just don't know, each and every situation is different and without knowing what led up to the point where this deer came to alert it really would be tough for me to make the decision whether or not to take the shot while sitting here at a screen. If however I did opt to take the shot, I know that the neck shot will drop that deer where he stands, and I am very confident in my ability. The only other factor would be how comfortable I would be with that shot at that point in time, chances are I have him in my scope I am squeezing the trigger.

[MichiganHunter]

NO WAY IS THIS AN UN-ETHICAL SHOT, going by this picture with your gun in the set up you are saying, this means a 20 to 30 yard shot straight on. Also the kill zone you are presented with here is no different in size than the kill zone all of us should be aiming for with a broadside shot. If you go by the old standard of a paper plate is a kill shot than you can more than place that on this buck. If you don't think "you" could make that shot because of jitters or buck fever that is one thing, but a straight on neck to lower chest shot is an instant drop shot to "MAYBE" 40 yard run till he drops, but assuming everyone on here is comfortable with a MAX 30 yard shot (LOL) I think everyone is ok calling this an ethical shot......maby not for the taxidermist but thats ok....

[chaseasl]

if he is not about to spook, I let him turn, if he is, lowest yellow

[waterfowler]

i would let him turn.

[Ohiobucks]

Yellow 4 looks like it would do the job just fine.