Killing an animal with a single shot is the goal of every good hunter. Not only is pulling this off a good show of skill, but it’s also the most humane way to kill an animal. When you successfully kill with just one shot, the animal in question feels a minimal amount of stress and doesn’t suffer.
When it comes to hunting deer, the one-shot kill is still the goal. That being said, it’s normal to wonder if it’s possible to kill such a large animal with one shot and, if it is, where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks.
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Is It Possible To Drop A Deer With One Shot?
It is certainly possible to drop a deer in its tracks with one shot. However, it’s not the easiest thing to do and beginners are unlikely to be able to achieve the one-shot kill.
To successfully drop a deer with just one shot, you need to have a good understanding of the animal’s anatomy. More specifically, you should have a good grasp on what the term brachial plexus means, which is something we’ll go over a little later on in the article.
Is It Hard To Drop A Deer With A Single Shot?
It can be challenging to drop a deer with one shot, but it’s not impossible. It also tends to get easier the more you do it and the more you hunt, as experience is key to successfully achieving the one-shot kill,
In addition, the closer you are to the deer, the easier it is to make the killing shot but along with this, the closer you are, the more likely you are to stress the deer out and/or to scare it away completely. So if you’re looking to kill a deer with a single shot in the most ethical way possible, you’ll want to be a good distance away when you do it. There’s no taking the easy way out here, unfortunately.
Effective Placement: Where To Shoot A Deer To Drop It In Its Tracks
There are a number of places on the body that are prime locations for making one-shot kills. Whether you’re hunting using a crossbow or a gun will determine which areas you should aim for.
Using Guns
Brachial Plexus
The aforementioned brachial plexus is the complex network of nerves, veins, muscles, and tendons that encompass both the scapula (shoulder blade) and the shoulder.
A shot through the shoulder damages the brachial plexus, which is part of the central nervous system. A shot here results in the animal being rendered immobile almost instantly.
The widest portion of the shoulder blade, a 3-inch round circle, is the best target for damaging the brachial plexus.
Ribs
If you’re aiming at a deer who is quartering away, a good target is the ribs further back on the body. When you hit this target, the projectile will travel through various organs and has the possibility of passing through vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver. It also increases bleeding, which makes for a quick death.
Brain
The brain is an ideal one-shot kill target because taking a hit through the brain will kill the animal in question almost instantly. This reduces suffering and stress. Hitting it here will also reduce the amount of meat lost to the bullets used to make the kill.
Lungs
The lungs are an appropriate target area in roughly 90% of cases. A correctly landed lung shot proves to be fatal almost instantly and 99% of the time. This being said, though, the shot must be landed correctly — that is, it will have had to pierce both lungs and not just one.
A deer can live a surprisingly long time with only one functioning lung, which not only causes it great pain and a slow death, but also makes it more likely that your game will get away.
Using Bows
Lungs
Like with bullets, hitting the lungs with an arrow is a fatal blow — as long as it’s properly placed and lands accordingly. Aiming for the lungs can incapacitate and kill a deer quite quickly if the arrow passes through both lungs. Only piercing one lung is unlikely to result in a kill.
Heart
Targeting and striking the heart will prove to be a fatal kill with a bow. The heart is best targeted from a broadside point of view. You want to aim roughly four inches behind the front shoulder and ⅓ of the way up the brisket area.
This can be a tricky target to land for inexperienced hunters, as being an inch or so off can have your arrow hitting a non-fatal location.
What To Do After You Drop A Deer In Its Tracks
So you’ve managed to drop your deer in its tracks. Now what? Unfortunately, the job isn’t over just because the deer is incapacitated. Regardless of whether you drop it using bullets or an arrow, the next course of action is to put a second shot into the animal or be ready and prepared to do so.
Sometimes, animals regain their footing after being taken down — especially if your shot missed and was not fatal upon impact. Having a second shot ready or automatically firing another will help ensure that the animal is really dead and prevent it from jumping up and fleeing, potentially becoming lost while simultaneously suffering.
In order to hunt big game, you don’t have to follow the second shot recommendation. However. To be respected within the hunting community, you’d be wise to do so. This is because it’s a matter of ethics, with most professional game hunters holding the belief that target animals shouldn’t go through any unnecessary pain or suffering at the hands of their hunter.
Read More: Why is it Illegal to Hunt Deer with a .22
Conclusion
Dropping a deer in its tracks is a skill all intself. To successfully manage this, it takes practice and a good understanding of the anatomy of large game. It also requires a certain amount of research, as you learn and attempt to remember the best locations to aim for when you’re trying to make a single-shot kill.
In addition, successfully landing a single-shot kill requires some planning, as you need to be ready to push out another shot should the animal still be conscious after your first shot lands. This isn’t required by law but it is an unspoken matter of ethics that most professional game hunters see as law.
