[cc93crusier]

Well, Friday evening i was lucky enough to finally harvest my 1st buck after years of tagging along hunting trips..My brother and I have been going on hunting trips with my father for about 20 years, but have never really been serious about killing one ourselves.. We basically had tagged along on most of my father's successful trips up untill last year. Finally got some buck fever and decided I had to get a kill of my own..

It all happend Friday evening in the D5 CA hunting zone. It was a public land hunt. That made it extra special, because the deer I got, well let's just say it is a 5by5 monster:D. You just don't normally find people harvesting a nice trophy buck on public land oout here in CA.

I spotted the deer hiding behind a large tree stump. At first glance, all I seen was his large massive antlers and ears moving trying to hear where my noisey brother was coming from.:rolleyes:. I had my aim right on his head as that was all I could see. I had there for about 3-4 mins and taking a head shot ran through my mind. I starting panicing and starting to think that if I didn't do something fast, this deer was going to jump up and run away fast. The last thing I wanted to do was shot at a buck running through heavy brush/trees etc.. So I chambered a bullet, and pullied the trigger. Bam hit him right below the right-side antler about 75 yds.. Instint death, no suffering, although I still feel kinda weird about taking a head shot.

I didn't mind taking a shot at the head because I knew I was not going to send the full head to a taxadermist, to damn expensive... What I did want was the meat, and beautiful antlers, luckily nothing at all happend to the antlers.. I was wondering what you guys thought about taking head shots..? By the way here are a couple pics:

http://i38.tinypic.com/2rq235e.jpg

That is my son standing next to me.. When I killed the deer, I thought that this was probably a little too much for him because he is only 5 years old, but the first words out of his mouth when we finally walked up to him was, "Dad, I wanted to shoot him.":D
http://i35.tinypic.com/2w6xykm.jpg

[~z]

Nicely done, congratulations!
~z

[Deer Hunter]

Lucky you.

My first buck was a 3 point. It had an antler missing! But I was definantly proud of it.

[cc93crusier]

Head shot comments? Anyone...... And yes I was lucky.... That was actually the first buck we had seen all season long here in Ca public land....

[257WbyMag]

Well, you got your deer and he never suffered. A head shot on a deer isn't really standard practice but it isn't the first that I have heard of it happening.

I always try a shoulder shot. Gives the the biggest area to do damage and get a humane kill. Some would say to avoid the shoulder due to meat damage but I like a bigger area as this is more forgiving when you don't get your shot off in the perfect spot. I tried to get cute one day and took a neck shot. I missed. After that, I vowed to never do that again.

This is your first deer though and you got him good! Strong work!

[NCsmitty]

That's a beauty! What rifle did you use, the 300 mag? You had to take the shot that was offered, on a nice buck like that.

NCsmitty

[cajun 48]

YAHOO! Be proud my friend, be very proud! And being a good teacher too! wow! ajb

[Griz44]

Nice buck. Congratulations on a lot of great meat. Head shots are OK as long as you are sure of your shot, and don't leave a broken jaw deer to starve to death. I hunt heavy mesquite here in Texas a lot, so short shots are common. I have no reserve taking a neck or head shot at close range to save the meat. BTW, I have not shot anything with horns but a cull spike buck that the property manager asked me to shoot if I saw it in over 25 years. I prefer a couple of young doe each year for the sweet meat.

[Shawnee]

Congrats CC93 !!!!! Anyone would be proud of that buck !!!

Head shots mean DRT and no ruined meat and those are good things. Even if you wanted a mount you could simply ask the taxidermist if they could locate a doe headskin to use on your set of antlers. You could even stop by a local deer processor and pick up a headskin - probably for free.

Good Job !!!

:cool:

[cc93crusier]

WOW! Thanks all for the kind words... This is indeed what hunting is all about.. If you guys were all here I'd buy you guys a round of http://i37.tinypic.com/25p690i.jpg

[cc93crusier]

Yes I used the .300Win mag. The only rifle I own that is properly sighted and have confidence in taking a shot like this at the moment is my .300 mag win.. That is why a took that rifle for the hunt, or else I would have taken my 7mm mag, which is probably still too big:o...

[mio]

congratz thats a beautiful buck.

i take head shots on occasion if the range is right and im sure of it.

i dont think there is anything wrong with them as long as you know when not to take them.

[Art Eatman]

Nice buck! Congratulations!

I guess the main reason I try for neck shots is 'cause that's what my father and uncle said for me to do. Being an obedient young feller, I do like I'm told. :D

About the only reason I know of to not take a head shot is to not mess up the skull bones, for sawing off that frontal plate and nailing the antlers in the garage. (Or putting them on one of those little mounting plaques with the velvety stuff that covers the skull plate.)

And, of course, there are worse breakfasts than brains and eggs...

[Shawnee]

"And, of course, there are worse breakfasts than brains and eggs..."


NOT !! :barf:


:cool:

[paintballdude902]

nice deer

my first deer was a small doe and i got a head shot at 80 yards i dont have a problem doing it but if its a big buck i wont because i want a trophy

shawnee what about testicles and inards

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Congratulations on your first deer!

As for head shots, I am generally against them....I've seen too many deer with missing eyes, bottom jaws blown away, ect. If you connect, then you are good to go, but if you are off, even by a small margin, then you are potentially dooming an animal to death by slow means, and as hunters, that is NOT what we strive to do.
Congrats again.................

[swampshooter]

Congratulations on such a nice deer, especially for the first buck. I took a dozen before i got one that nice. Your firearm choice was excellent, the one you had the most confidence in. I definitely don't believe there is such a thing as overkill as long as there's some tasty chops remaining. Good job, thanks for sharing the photos with us.

[hobgob]

Congrats! I hope to take my first deer in kansas this year!

[ljnowell]

Looks like a very nice deer. You made a well placed shot with a reliable firearm and took down your game cleanly. You did your part well. We all owe our prey that.

[Shawnee]

"shawnee what about testicles and inards"


I have all I need, thanks !

:barf:

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Very nice; congrats! :)

[Mauserguy]

I bet you're a great dad.
Mauserguy

[cat9x]

gorgeous deer first off!

I wouldn't take head shots, even though yours was a good clean kill, its a small target and much chance for a miss or miss enough to maim the animal. You did good though, the animal did not suffer and you got your game.

Again congrats!!!!

[cottonmouth]

See those USMC digital trousers? If he earned those then that head shot was a piece of cake!:D Good shooting.

J.B.

[abrink]

Congrats! I'm looking to get my first ever buck this season as well. I'll post pictures don't worry!

[357sigRog]

Congratulations nice buck. That sure would make a nice mount on the wall though.

[whiskey]

Great Deer. Great shot!

What do I think about head shots? I think they blow the eyes out of socket!:what:

I like head shots on close range deer and hogs. They can lead to broken jaws and lost animals if they are not done correctly. What is more likely is that you either miss or you kill DRT.

[f4t9r]

Nice Buck !!
good shooting , as for the head shot sometimes you take what they give you

[mossberg]

Good for you willing to man up and take your potential head shot lumps. You even asked about it more than once. Nice deer by the way.:D

[Floppy_D]

All I see is a great shot on a great deer. You made the right call... pays to know your gun.

On another note, my 4yo son walked in and caught me butchering a button buck on my counter and said, "Wow dad, that looks delicious!" :D

[shortround60]

That is a beautiful animal and you are very lucky to be able to do that with your kid. Teach him well so that the hunting bug catches on.

[K3]

Great shot on a nice deer.

Now you're essentially ruined, having shot a big buck for your first. Didncha know you're supposed to start small and work your way up to deer like that? :D You'll probably now pass up otherwise good bucks hoping to get a bigger 5x5.... :D

Head shots - when we go to Mississippi, there's a biggest doe contest, and the guy that wins gets the $ in the pot. 10 extra pounds to the tally for a head shot.

[357Opus]

Congrats!!! Very nice deer.

As for headshots I have only taken 1 deer with a headshot (only 15 feet away.) I prefer taking a shoulder shot for the following reasons.

1. Larger target area and better chance of a clean kill.
2. A shoulder shot will allow the deer to bleed out better if you cannot get to it immediately to cut the throat.

I am probbably going to get raked over the coals for this one but the crowd that claims they only take headshots to "save meat" must believe that the ribcage on a deer produces more meat than a hamburger patty or two. If you can't be 100% certain of a clean kill you don't take the shot. A headshot at large distance can often result in an injured animal that you never find.

Congrats again on your deer.

[jc89]

what kind of rifle?

[caribou]

You did EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING Right.

I hunt for meat myself, and head/neck shots are easy at shuch short range, not trying to spook him up was right, 'cause if you had missed, he'd been up anyway.

And, but certainly not least, You brought your son. I bring all 7 of my kids, and they are in no way damaged, but enlightend to the realitys of life.

Teach him to shoot, as hunting is the proper use of a gun, and he'll always eat, get excercize, talk a good story and you'll have some tradition among your family.Your best friends are the ones you work with.