Head and Neck Shots : Mental Block !

[Leec6.5]

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[Utectok]

High or low is best for neck shots just below head or where neck meets body. Also be prepared for a follow up if required. I shot a big stag in the neck last week as this was all I could see flopped like I rag doll walked up to him without rifle and he got up I had to run back get rifle and dispatch with chest shot! Stags in rutt are particularly difficult as neck thickens up a lot and missing bone is comparatively easy.

Also for high neck shots I only take them if the deer is looking toward me or away that way no risk of taking off a jaw! Having said that I’ve had a stag get up with half its head shot off if you shoot enough deer you’d be surprised! Easy to dispatch as I’m sure it wasn’t going far but gave me a shock.

 

[VSS]

Here we go again on shot placement !

Been stalking for 5 years (SGC 40+ and 1000’s birds). Just been through first FA renewal.
Cull to date
2xRed Stags
2xFallow Does
2xFallow Prickets
1xSika Hind
12 Roe
30+ Muntjac

All but a couple taken cleanly with engine room shots.

Here’s the rub! When presented with only a head or neck shot I pass, I don’t get stressy , I just pass . In my head I don’t want to screw it up and have a wounded animal running about on my conscience.

I am confident with the accuracy of my kit and mostly shoot out if a seat, occasionally off sticks.

A friend has asked me to help him cull out some fallow but wants them necked for the carcasses.

So do I just grow up and go for it ? One success then I am away?
Get a bit of coaching - maybe Corinium ? other suggestions welcome. I am Worcs based

Any body else had the same issue ?

Reading this again, I would say that it isn’t coaching that you need in order to build sufficient confidence in the job. What you need is more fallow. You've shot 4 fallow to date, which is great, but not enough to really know the quarry. It's a pity, really, that your friend is putting pressure on you with regard to shot placement, because I think that a large single-species cull is just what you would benefit from being involved in in order to really get to know the specific characteristics of the quarry and hence build the necessary confidence to undertake the required shot placements calmly and effectively.

 

[Dunwaters]

Completely wrong picture side on base of the neck at the widest point not face on base of the neck

There are 2 advantages to the placement I indicated.

(1). It is available from almost any angle.
(2). It works.

What you are recommending is a shot that is only available side on and is more upper chest than neck, carcass damage is practically guaranteed and there will be a higher proportion of down but not dead animals than with the placement I recommended.

 

[Norfolk Horn]

I've lost count of how many deer I've shot and it took me several years to move away from body shots.
I don't head shoot due to the chance of maiming a deer and subjecting it to a long painful death. Blowing off a jaw or the like

I do take neck shots but square on looking at me or looking away aiming under the chin or at the top of the neck, to my mind especially on the larger deer the chance of missing the spine or main blood vessels and hitting the oesophagus is to great when shooting from the side view.
This is just my take on it.

 

[Nimrod1960]

Reading this again, I would say that it isn’t coaching that you need in order to build sufficient confidence in the job. What you need is more fallow. You've shot 4 fallow to date, which is great, but not enough to really know the quarry. It's a pity, really, that your friend is putting pressure on you with regard to shot placement, because I think that a large single-species cull is just what you would benefit from being involved in in order to really get to know the specific characteristics of the quarry and hence build the necessary confidence to undertake the required shot placements calmly and effectively.

Cheers
Sage as usual.

 

[VSS]

Cheers
Sage as usual.

Not really sage.
However, I stalk almost exclusively fallow, and am also in the advantageous position of owning two park herds. Having this opportunity to study their behaviour in some detail has really made me appreciate how important knowing one's quarry is to building the confidence to take shots under a range of (perhaps less than ideal) conditions.
Put me on any other deer species and I feel like a total novice, but put a fallow in front of me and I'm right in my zone. Still learning of course, but very comfortable.

 

[Rutland lad]

Well done for having the humility to admit you’re not happy with certain shots.
Some stalkers would feel pressured to do it, then regret that decision when it goes wrong.
I tip my hat to you Sir.

 

[Tim.243]

Here we go again on shot placement !

Been stalking for 5 years (SGC 40+ and 1000’s birds). Just been through first FA renewal.
Cull to date
2xRed Stags
2xFallow Does
2xFallow Prickets
1xSika Hind
12 Roe
30+ Muntjac

All but a couple taken cleanly with engine room shots.

Here’s the rub! When presented with only a head or neck shot I pass, I don’t get stressy , I just pass . In my head I don’t want to screw it up and have a wounded animal running about on my conscience.

I am confident with the accuracy of my kit and mostly shoot out if a seat, occasionally off sticks.

A friend has asked me to help him cull out some fallow but wants them necked for the carcasses.

So do I just grow up and go for it ? One success then I am away?
Get a bit of coaching - maybe Corinium ? other suggestions welcome. I am Worcs based

Any body else had the same issue ?

Nimrod, 4 just came in all head shot....
Now where is @Hazlett so he can have a moan and get his chart out.

 

[Nimrod1960]

Not really sage.
However, I stalk almost exclusively fallow, and am also in the advantageous position of owning two park herds. Having this opportunity to study their behaviour in some detail has really made me appreciate how important knowing one's quarry is to building the confidence to take shots under a range of (perhaps less than ideal) conditions.
Put me on any other deer species and I feel like a total novice, but put a fallow in front of me and I'm right in my zone. Still learning of course, but very comfortable.

Well if you wont take sage, I always find your posts contain at least a nugget of that most uncommon of things - common sense

 

[Nimrod1960]

Well done for having the humility to admit you’re not happy with certain shots.
Some stalkers would feel pressured to do it, then regret that decision when it goes wrong.
I tip my hat to you Sir.

Every day a school day
Conscious incompetent : Generally safe.
Unconscious incompetent : Disaster just round the corner.

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

Nimrod, 4 just came in all head shot....
Now where is @Hazlett so he can have a moan and get his chart out.

View attachment 443498

Come on Tim , you often post some good content then you have a wind up moment and post just for a response and all respect is gone.

 

[25 Sharps]

Here we go again on shot placement !

Been stalking for 5 years (SGC 40+ and 1000’s birds). Just been through first FA renewal.
Cull to date
2xRed Stags
2xFallow Does
2xFallow Prickets
1xSika Hind
12 Roe
30+ Muntjac

All but a couple taken cleanly with engine room shots.

Here’s the rub! When presented with only a head or neck shot I pass, I don’t get stressy , I just pass . In my head I don’t want to screw it up and have a wounded animal running about on my conscience.

I am confident with the accuracy of my kit and mostly shoot out if a seat, occasionally off sticks.

A friend has asked me to help him cull out some fallow but wants them necked for the carcasses.

So do I just grow up and go for it ? One success then I am away?
Get a bit of coaching - maybe Corinium ? other suggestions welcome. I am Worcs based

Any body else had the same issue ?

Big calibre, soft bullet, think about where the spine will be and shoot it. Just don’t push the ranges.

 

[Tim.243]

Come on Tim , you often post some good content then you have a wind up moment and post just for a response and all respect is gone.

Well he is a moaning old and to be honest I gave one on the first response's to the OP's question, also the op has shot deer has a fac so made his mind up on a number of all the deer he has shot so that is the base line to work off with out asking "Us"
You have to accept the outcome of each shot made and sometimes it is not nice! Too many cooks, hit the MGB headlight bowl with one more flick of the spray gun and get a run, nick the gut with your knife, try to be clever and get the full muntjac bladder out thinking you wont break it.
I was chatting to a good friend yesterday afternoon as we were top and tailing those Fallow, he is much better than me at a field gralloch then he said.
That hoist you made me is the best bit of kit I have.
With that we concluded you just need to get on with things and do your best as you are the one doing it.

 

[Cyres]

What you need to do is when you get the chance on any deer is to watch it through the scope and then imagine the head or neck shot you want to take and just get yourself aligned up but finger no where near trigerr. Then jyst watch an adjust your position or aim pount as the animal moves. Your not going to taje the shot just observing the animal and think how best a shot your going to take. You may spend ages just watching an animal and observing it will enable you get confidence.
Critical thing I find is getting shooting position correct and positioning of sticks.
D

 

[User100]

Nimrod, 4 just came in all head shot....
Now where is @Hazlett so he can have a moan and get his chart out.

View attachment 443498

Haha, I wasn't expecting to be dragged into this one!

With that we concluded you just need to get on with things and do your best as you are the one doing it.

And that's fair enough for sure.

 

[homer]

Also for high neck shots I only take them if the deer is looking toward me or away that way no risk of taking off a jaw! Having said that I’ve had a stag get up with half its head shot off if you shoot enough deer you’d be surprised! Easy to dispatch as I’m sure it wasn’t going far but gave me a shock.

I have a slightly different opinion (not that yours is wrong), I wouldn't take a high neck shot if its facing me incase i clip the bottom jaw. I will only take high neck shots if facing away or sideways. Head shots are the same, only facing away or sideways.
In the end, every shot/stalker is different, and each shot must be gauged individually before pulling the trigger.
If your confident in your equipment and ability, crack on.

 

[Sol]

Personally whilst I've never taken one I would only be confident in off a bipod laying down, whilst people are happy too knock them down with sticks Its not for me.
I'd want my shot too be as controlled as feasible on my end laying down Is required at minimum with at least a rest that's correct height If there's no bipod.

What calibre would be used? I feel like over-gunning in that aspect is always better, however with that a gun your confident in shooting and wont flinch.

 

[Tim.243]

Personally whilst I've never taken one I would only be confident in off a bipod laying down, whilst people are happy too knock them down with sticks Its not for me.
I'd want my shot too be as controlled as feasible on my end laying down Is required at minimum with at least a rest that's correct height If there's no bipod.

What calibre would be used? I feel like over-gunning in that aspect is always better, however with that a gun your confident in shooting and wont flinch.

With a decent back stop your bi-pod (prone) shooting a Red in the head/neck your down elevation will have to be quite high (yes Scotland ) has big bits of high ground, using sticks the height advantage getting over cover compared to the mole hill in the way with a bi-pod.
Do the maths and the shot angle off sticks at a Red head vs a bi-pod

 

[Leec6.5]

With a decent back stop your bi-pod (prone) shooting a Red in the head/neck your down elevation will have to be quite high (yes Scotland ) has big bits of high ground, using sticks the height advantage getting over cover compared to the mole hill in the way with a bi-pod.
Do the maths and the shot angle off sticks at a Red head vs a bi-pod

Have you ever tracked a jaw shot red?

NOT FUN