How to Kill a Deer

If you are a beginning hunter, learning how to kill a deer humanely enables you to be a more ethical hunter. Selectively choose your shots to ensure your safety as well as the safety of your fellow hunters and of other wild animals in the area.

Things You'll Need

• Bow and arrow
• Rifle

Instructions

1. Notice your target and what lies beyond it. To ensure the utmost safety while hunting, recognize when you spot a deer and then look beyond the deer. Make sure there is nothing beyond the direction you plan to shoot. This protects other hunters and animals in the area.

2. Identify inhumane or difficult shots. Certain shots are more effective and humane than others. Frontal shots, when the deer faces you, are too risky for both the bow and the rifle. Your goal is the most humane and ethical shot for a fast kill. Straight down shots, when you are overlooking the deer are also risky. Never take a rear shot, when the deer's hind end faces you. This severely wounds the animal and is very cruel.

3. Try for a shot when the deer quarters toward or away from you. This gives you an excellent shot. The deer is more angled so that you get a clean kill. The perfect shot, however is the broadside shot, when you have a completely unobstructed shot at the broadside of the deer's body.

4. Take your shot. Once you are sure you have the best shot possible for a quick and ethical kill, use your rifle or bow to kill the deer.

5. Find the animal. You have successfully hit your target. Observe carefully as the animal moves away. A mortally wounded deer does not usually travel more than 250 yards before it drops.