Culling : Shot Placement (1)
Aim
To take into account the anatomy of deer and the consequences of bullet damage when placing shots, with the aim of
- Achieving rapid death
- Minimising suffering
- Avoiding carcass contamination.
Move
Anatomy 1:
The key areas to familiarise.
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Anatomy 2:
roebuck displaying key anatomical areas. The diaphragm is cut away here to reveal liver underneath it.
Anatomy 3:
1: heart; 2: lungs (covering the heart); 3: liver (directly posterior to diaphragm); 4: large intestine (rumen or 'stomach bag'); 5: small intestine; note the spleen cannot be seen here (this being the off-side).
Anatomy
- Be familiar with the relative positions of the heart, lungs, rumen, spinal column, bones of the shoulder, upper foreleg and brain.
- Consider the angle from which the shot is being taken. The body is a dynamic, three-dimensional structure and the relationship of an internal organ to the external features can vary depending on the posture of the deer.*
‘Time to Death’ following shooting
‘Rapid’ death is caused by the combination of the temporary and permanent track wounds** of the bullet causing rapid loss of circulation leading to rapid loss of consciousness and death. A well-placed shot, with an appropriate bullet in the recommended target areas, will result in death in four minutes in 99% of deer.
‘Slow’ death results from badly placed shots, rupturing the rumen or intestines, leading to only a gradual loss of circulation.
‘Consequential’ death may follow after a non-fatal wound, such as a jaw injury, which leads to starvation or secondary infection.
Minimising Suffering
The quicker a deer loses consciousness following shooting, the less likely it is to suffer. Loss of consciousness from bullet damage is generally achieved through loss of blood circulation-either throug the heart being destroyed or through blood-loss. Instantaneous loss of consciousness can only be achieved if the bullet destroys vital areas of the brain.
The aim of good bullet placement should be to induce maximum blood loss and induce unconsciousness as swiftly as technically possible, rendering the animal insensitive to pain. Care should be taken to ensure the animal remains unconscious until there is a complete loss of brain responsiveness due to lack of blood circulation or blood loss.
Current knowledge on the onset of pain indicates that the acceptable time-to-death period is 5 minutes or less. The five-minute period should allow adequate time for the stalker take any further action necessary.
Bullet Path & Damage
The point at which the bullet enters the body and the subsequent path taken by the bullet through the body will affect the degree to which an animal suffers and the degree of carcass contamination caused by bullet damage.
| Angles of Bullet Path |
Minimising Suffering |
Minimising Carcass Contamination |
| Broadside |
The recommended shot as it presents the largest target area involving the heart and other vital structures in the chest |
The recommended shot as the bullet path through the body is unlikely burst the stomach |
| Frontal and Frontal oblique |
The diagrams in BPG Shot Placement(2) illustrate that the target area decreases as the deer moves away from the broadside position. In addition, practitioners should be aware that target size decreases with distance |
The diagrams show that as shots become more angled from the broadside position the possibility of the bullet bursting the stomach and causing contamination and/or damaging the haunches is significantly increased. There is no substantial difference in right or left frontal oblique shots |
| Left / Right rear oblique shots |
Left and right posterior oblique shots are not identical. Right rear oblique shots may pass through the liver before entering the chest. This causes substantial liver damage and extensive haemorrhage |
Left and right posterior oblique shots are not identical. The rumen occupies a large area on the left side of the abdomen and this influences the angle at which the target area in the chest can be approached. It is likely that the bullet will burst the stomach as shots become more angled from the rear, particularly with left rear oblique shots. In addition, the greater the angle of the shot, the greater the risk of bullet damage to the haunches |
| Shots uphill or downhill |
Shooting deer from above or below will have an effect on the direction of the bullet path through the body. Consideration must be given to the point of aim on the deer to ensure that the angled bullet path causes fatal damage to the main organs in the target area. (see illustration in BPG Shot Placement (2) |
The bullet path of a broadside shot from above or below is unlikely to burst the stomach. Shots taken from above or below but at an oblique angle however, will be subject to the same considerations as above. |
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