Stalking Show - Head Shooting discussion

[Norfolk Deer Search]

And there are plenty of clients who decide, against all advice and even contrary to direct instructions, that they know better, and have a crack at a head shot!

I get nervous when a client arrives and starts telling me about all the amazing head shots they pull off. Roe at 400m off sticks blah blah blah.

No mate: you will be shooting them in the chest, off a bipod, at no more than 150m! Congratulations - you have just put yourself into the ‘can’t be trusted’ bucket.

The exact reason my clients are all women, their a different world to deal with, men are just ego driven pricks

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

If that was what I cared about I'd have chosen a very different career path, believe you me.

The reason I shoot deer is that I care - passionately - about being able to produce and supply meat from animals that I have killed and butchered myself. It's been my interest since I was a child, and I believe very strongly that it's the best way of doing things, for a whole host of reasons including animal welfare. But it can never be anything other than small-scale, and it will never make much money. The only thing that really matters to me is that I'm doing something that I enjoy doing.

If I was legally allowed to kill, butcher and sell my own sheep I would probably never have started shooting deer, and I would be just as happy and equally penniless.

So what are going to do when you slap a jaw on a deer that’s wild?

You’ve said before that you’ve never done it, what about the animal welfare in that case when it comes?

Which it will at some point I will assure you

 

[VSS]

So what are going to do when you slap a jaw on a deer that’s wild?

You’ve said before that you’ve never done it, what about the animal welfare in that case when it comes?

Which it will at some point I will assure you

I will log into SD and post a long, detailed and penitent write-up, just to give you the satisfaction of saying "I told you so".

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I will log into SD and post a long, detailed and penitent write-up, just to give you the satisfaction of saying "I told you so".

No, I’ve had a bit of late breakfast and thought about it a bit more, if I can shoot a fallow and waste 10 ounces of meat with bullet damage, then why don’t you do the same if you’re not driven by a financial gain?

Because if you’re worried about meat loss of 10 ounces you’re either using the wrong bullet to the job or worried about losing money one or the other!

And by Christ, if you’re worried about 10 ounces you are hard up!

 

[Mike1979]

Whilst I find it difficult to follow some of the recent posts as I have certain people on ignore ... I imagine this is following the usual path of name calling ..all men are idiots all women are fantastic ...which frankly does nothing to promote sensible, adult conversation

We all have our views and will never agree ... just need to curtail some of the self righteous preaching.

 

[VSS]

No, I’ve had a bit of late breakfast and thought about it a bit more, if I can shoot a fallow and waste 10 ounces of meat with bullet damage, then why don’t you do the same if you’re not driven by a financial gain?

Because if you’re worried about meat loss of 10 ounces you’re either using the wrong bullet to the job or worried about losing money one or the other!

And by Christ, if you’re worried about 10 ounces you are hard up!

Simply because the thought of choosing to unnecessarily waste part of an animal I have killed is anathema to me. That applies whether it's for sale or simply for the domestic freezer. I just don't like the ethics of it when, at certain times, there's a better option.
So I'll always opt for the least wasteful shot that's appropriate under the circumstances. Mostly it's not appropriate for me to take headshots, so I don't. But when it is, I do.
If I had the skill, I'd do it a lot more.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Whilst I find it difficult to follow some of the recent posts as I have certain people on ignore ... I imagine this is following the usual path of name calling ..all men are idiots all women are fantastic ...which frankly does nothing to promote sensible, adult conversation

We all have our views and will never agree ... just need to curtail some of the self righteous preaching.

All male clients ego driven pricks, I’ve been guiding since I was 26 I’m now 46 I’ve just about seen it all, heard it all and tracked them all!

Until you’ve done it and got 10 years under your belt and tracked the **** ups with a dog you’ve seen and experienced naff all!

 

[Mungo]

All male clients ego driven pricks,

Absolute nonsense.

While there are difficult male clients, they are a small minority. The vast majority are a delight to be out with. Interesting people who are out having one of the Big Days of their year, if not life. Enthusiastic, excited, curious and keen to watch and learn. Almost always eager to hear what you’d like them to do, and willing to do exactly that.

I have had far more (male) clients who impose strict limits on themselves than who ignore instructions. Several who refuse to shoot past 150m, no matter how glorious the stag at 200 looks. Or who are quite content to let a beast walk because they didn’t feel right about their position.

 

[Sol]

Neck shots are the ones most likely to go wrong, imo. I really don't like taking neck shots. Faced with a choice between head and neck I'd always go head.

I should of definitely sat and judged the animal a little more before attempting I dont think there would of been any issue with a head shot on my end, ended up being one large spike one small spike still in velvet that I left in the field regardless.

Will you try same shot placement again?

I admit in regards too shooting I'm a hard one too be turned off so probably yes, but obviously signifantly more conscious of placement and potential reactions.
I would rather just shoot them through the head 9/10 though If given the same choice and situation.

Considering Its a shot that isn't taken lightly in most contexts the shooter (If responsible) knows there limitations, the amount of injured deer should be very low and very infrequent taking up a mere small percentage, unfortuanaly for me I've just hut that situation near instantly but considering something bad happened near instantly, I'm probably much more likely too be considerate in the future since I know the risks outright, and not via video or word of mouth.

 

[cjm1066]

Don't chest shots bleed the carcase and produce better vension?

Just a thought.

 

[Mike1979]

Don't chest shots bleed the carcase and produce better vension?

Just a thought.

Agree to a point if you were to leave a head shot animal and not bleed it...but if I head or neck shoot an animal I make sure to bleed it as quickly as possible.

If you had the choice of 2 animals for home consumption 1 of which was head shot and one which was chest shot which would you chose? For me it would be the head shot animal as its a nice clean carcass with no damage.

Again not a criticism just an observation and opinion

 

[Sol]

Don't chest shots bleed the carcase and produce better vension?

Just a thought.

They do If your unable too bleed them, however chest shots for the most part are never consistent unless your purposely hitting them in the top back of the lungs.

I've had deer that are perfect with a tiny amount of bruising at the shot site right behind the shoulder, and deer I've pretty much had too condemn the entire front end with near identical shots, and then If they hit any sort of bone say goodbye too any of it.

 

[VSS]

Don't chest shots bleed the carcase and produce better vension?

Just a thought.

Theoretically yes, but in practice I'm not so sure. An awful lot of blood comes out of the head, it appears to me.
I've never noticed any discernible difference in the venison, but I do get my headshot deer hung up very quickly. It might be different if you were to leave one lying around for a while? I don't know.

 

[Mickeydredd]

I admit in regards too shooting I'm a hard one too be turned off so probably yes, but obviously signifantly more conscious of placement and potential reactions.
I would rather just shoot them through the head 9/10 though If given the same choice and situation.

So do you think it was a poor shot or did the animal move?

 

[griff]

All male clients ego driven pricks, I’ve been guiding since I was 26 I’m now 46 I’ve just about seen it all, heard it all and tracked them all!

Until you’ve done it and got 10 years under your belt and tracked the **** ups with a dog you’ve seen and experienced naff all!

Wow, what a statement!

 

[Brave Echo Niner]

Head shooting is like any shot, it can go wrong.

With any shot we need to be realistic about our position, the distance, the animals behaviour etc etc. There is always a million factors involved.

What is critical is we take sensible shots, whatever the placement and are prepared to accept when something just isn’t right.

If you don’t feel happy with a shot, then don’t take it. Often our so called ‘sixth sense’ is our subconscious brain noticing something our conscious brain hasn’t yet.

 

[Sol]

So do you think it was a poor shot or did the animal move?

Its possible, but without a recording we wont know.

It could just genuinely be a bad shot, but with my steadiness and how relaxed I was I'm unsure, there was a little bit of an occasional breeze perhaps it hut at the worst moment.

The actual jaw was split at the bottom no front teeth shattered It wasn't extremely high, but a light wind gust could of played apart of it, given the blood at the shot site the deer would of expired within 5 minutes an artery was clearly damaged, but I wasn't going too let it suffer any more regardless.

I know some people are afraid too post bad shots but I never have and never will be I will fully own up too crap shots and unusual shots, I dont think they should be normalized too the point there accepted, but they should be spoken about, especially a discussion about this topic It would be a disservice too hide when I'm engaging in the convo.

 

[HonestJohn]

They do If your unable too bleed them, however chest shots for the most part are never consistent unless your purposely hitting them in the top back of the lungs.

I've had deer that are perfect with a tiny amount of bruising at the shot site right behind the shoulder, and deer I've pretty much had too condemn the entire front end with near identical shots, and then If they hit any sort of bone say goodbye too any of it.

View attachment 473792

that’s one you hit with the landrover

 

[hendrix's rifle]

Head shooting is like any shot, it can go wrong.

With any shot we need to be realistic about our position, the distance, the animals behaviour etc etc. There is always a million factors involved.

What is critical is we take sensible shots, whatever the placement and are prepared to accept when something just isn’t right.

If you don’t feel happy with a shot, then don’t take it. Often our so called ‘sixth sense’ is our subconscious brain noticing something our conscious brain hasn’t yet.

You can't come on here talking common sense

 

[Sol]

that’s one you hit with the landrover

PFFFT does it count if I shot it out of it???

On actual note though, shot it at a little bit of an incline so up through the knuckle and It just spread shrapnel everywhere was a shame it was quite a big buck! only the loins and legs were worth actually cutting out.