There are obviously several places you can shoot a deer to kill it, but if you’re interested in a quick, humane kill with a minimal or nonexistent tracking job, and a loss of minimal amount of meat, then read on for a super easy method for ideal shot placement. How can you use this information to enhance your 2018 firearms season? A little deer anatomy and shot placement lesson can go a long way. Importantly, there were no significant differences in the efficiency of firearms when grouped by caliber. Of the 493 deer harvested, deer shot in a vital area involving the heart and/or lungs ran significantly shorter distances than those shot further back. This study quantified the distance deer ran and the difficulty recovering them based on where they were shot. A South Carolina study published in 1999 had a nearly 100 percent recovery rate with the use of a trained dog. A United Kingdom study published in 2014 showed 97 percent of 2,179 deer that were shot with firearms were recovered. Thus, it was actually a 14 percent wounding loss to the deer herd.įirearm wounding rates are assumed to be much lower, but data is limited. However, it’s important to note in the traditional archery study, the deer were radio-collared and only three of the 22 (14 percent) that were hit died and were not recovered. Wounding rates for archers have ranged from 16 percent for modern archery equipment to 50 percent for traditional bows (recurves and longbows). What percentage of wounded deer aren’t recovered, and more importantly, what can we do to minimize the chance that will happen to us this season? Wounding Ratesįew studies have quantified the wounding rates for archery hunters, and even fewer have done so for firearms hunters. Losing a deer is a terrible event and has caused countless sleepless nights for hunters. They hit a deer with a marginal or poor shot, and then must endure a long and difficult recovery, or worse yet, they’re unable to find the deer. It happens to every hunter at some point in his or her hunting career. This simple shot placement technique will help you make more effective shots this season.

Where was the deer hunter filmed