Shooting deer when lieing down.( The deer)

Duncs

Well-Known Member
I know i am opening a can of worms, so if you wish to pm me the answer/advice i would be more than great full, but if you are brave enough to speak out....feel free.

Imagine that you have to reach a cull target. You are driving along, and a deer presents itself 20 yards away, and is looking straight at you., frozen. You can get your cross hairs on it, and it is a safe shot. Where would you shoot, time is not on your side, and the little beaut will not stand up. Advice please. Many thanks.
 
i remember once i was stalking with a fella who needed two more deer to reach his target on this paticular morning we stumbled upon a bunch of fallow does lay up in some fallen bracken about 50 yrds away, his only words were shoot the one on the left, the only shot available was a head shot knowing the fact my 243 was an inch high at 100yrds i new by aiming between his eyes this deer would not suffer and the deer did not as it dropped , all the deer now stood up and wandering what just happened the stalker now said shoot the dark one ,to my reply "i can only see it's butt" his reply "was i don't care just shoot it" just then it stuck it's head up and fell to a singe shot at the base of it's skull not a nice experience for me as a novice .
since then i hav shot many deer head and neck but choose my shots carefully and still chest shoot many .
the choice is yours what is the difference of head or necking a deer lay down or stood in tall wheat as long as the shot is safe and the rifle bullet combo is good it is all down to the person pulling the trigger if you are not happy or confident don't shoot .
dead is dead whatever the shot
 
Mark, I think that you will find that Duncs just ommitted to state that the vehicle was in a fenced designated deer park where shooting from a vehicle would be permitted. Didn't you Duncs!
I am going to give my honest opinion and then duck down for the crossfire!
If I could get a clear shot at the Neck without the bullet hitting the back of the beast behind, I would be tempted to take it below the chin and through the neck. Or also take it at the base of the neck and drill the bullet down into the chest from there if the angle allows. Depends really on the angle of the body.
Now I am going to put my tin hat on and get in the bunker!
 
In the past I have got myself in a good firing position and then after getting tired of waiting shouted at the deer to get up. Being an obliging young doe she did so. As the story goes the rest is in the chiller :D
 
but where did you shoot her when she got is the question? (answer honestly please MarkH)
 
I agree with you Stone. I would not usually take a head shot and only rarely take a neck shot but in the summer I stumbled across two roe bucks which were lieing in the stubble. They were at 50m and one presented his head to me. It felt good and I took the shot without hesitation. It just depends on what feels confortable at the time.
 
In my experience Mark's technique works very well. Deer can feel uneasy and prone to attack whilst lying down. I also shout 'oi' and aim at the space where the chest will be on a standing deer. Works everytime.
 
be fore anyone gets on my case to much, when i head shoot i only ever shoot when they are looking at me or directly away from me and everthing is at close range if i am not happy i change to a chest shot or do not shoot there is always another day as i am more experienced and not hav a cull total to acheive
 
Hi Stone,
Quite correct my friend. I would be more worried about trying to shoot a prone deer and the bullet deflecting off heavy undergrowth etc and really causing some damage. We are all grown men/women and if we take rash actions there is only one sure out come. I've regretted making some poor judgement calls, unfortunately I don't think they will be my last. I have neck shot a Roe Buck just as it was about to run off. The bullet strike was perfect. It didn't mean however that I do it all the time. Next time it may go wrong. I send alot of time practicing my marksmanship and as I have admitted in other posts still missed deer. It really is hard to judge other stalkers actions in this senario. I would not attempt to comment either way, its down to the individual.

This is a good thread with some very honest answers.
 
In answer to your question ,broadside top of heart. ie the beast is standing up.

Headshots and high neckshots are one of three options:
1. Extremly effective
2. Inflict terrible injury/suffering to the beast
3. Clean miss

You wont know the result until after you pulled the trigger. Better to either pass the shot and admire the animal or shout at it to get it standing.
I had a silver medal fallow buck couch up directly infront of my high seat in deep cover on and off for a period of three months until he stood up just before it got really dark oner evening. He's now on my dining room wall :D

Mark
 
Hi, thanks for all the replies. There is very little cover, so the cahnce of a deflection is limitted. So far I have ascertained that there is no safe chest shot whilst the deer is lieing down. Guess the neck shot brigade have a valid point about it being the same whether standing or lieing. Hell they are so close i think i will just lasso it and stick it... joke! Again thanks to all, and I will sleep on it. If the chance comes again, I will see how the shot looks, curse, swear and probably drive on by. Please keep replies comming. It has been a pleasure to see no "Tw*ts" have replied trying to force their opinions, and for this I thank you all...even the Tw*ts!
 
I am all for 1+3 number 2 can happen even when a chest shot goes wrong unessary suffering should be avoid at all times i once broke the law in aiding and abetting in finnishing of a fallow buck which was jaw shot and so emaciated it could hardly walk, two barrels from the 20 bore ended his suffering from 20 feet approx thank god.
We found out this beast had been shot over a week earlier and had gone nearly 7 miles from where he had been shot.
I hav lost 3 gut shot beasts in 3 years and that was to many so i hav invested in lab pup hopefully she will be ready for next august
By the way well done mark on your silver
 
Andy L said:
Mark, I think that you will find that Duncs just ommitted to state that the vehicle was in a fenced designated deer park where shooting from a vehicle would be permitted.

Deer law changed from 1st Oct 2007 ... to permit shooting from a stationary vehicle - on ground where you have permission! :)

Rgds Ian
 
i dislike neck shots, usually though not always i avoid taking the shot.
I only have two lost deer to haunt me one was a fallow that was rear towards me slowly making it's way further away from me along the edge of a thick plantation - i took aim from a well rested possion at the intersection of scull and neck and shot high, i think i forgot to take into acount the slope but it is a few years ago now. I then took a second shot aiming lower down the spine to comensate, i saw the head go down as the rifle re-coiled however after much searching and calling in another stalker nothing could be found. I still don,t know if it's head was going down to bolt or if it was from the stike of the bullet for positive.
The other was quite recent a yearling Roe Doe bolted but paused as it reached a small broken down wall turning it,s head sideways offering a chance at a high neck from a kneeling posision. i found were the bullet ended up found no hair or blood but it is still posible i shot through the asophogus or windpipe.
I regret taking both shots, with a chest shot they always go down eventually and nearly always leave enough sighn to follow up- sure they some times step forwards unexpectedly and take one a little far back, but i have been lucky enough to never loose one like this.
Neck and head shots realy are not a game of skill they are a game of chance as the deer can move when you are releasing your perfectly aimed shot.
 
Smashing stuff. Remember 20 yds is the distance, so any action to make the deer stand will probably lose any chance of a shot? 308 /150 bullet? Head? Neck? or leave?
 
At very close distances remember the offset on the scope to barrel , so you will have to aim a bit higher. The cock-up factor is high here, so I would say enjoy the view, say Good Morning and leave.
This morning I had three roe standing broadside too me at 20 yds but there was the two chickenwire sides of the pheasant pen in the way. I know people who would shoot through the wire but for me there is always another beautiful morning.

This is the voice of experience talking but most people only learn from their own mistakes.

Alternatively take the shot and I have some very good bloodhounds for sale :D :D

Mark
 
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