Dan Perez advocates for 'centerpunch' over traditional lung/heart shot

You should never try and "centerpunch" an animal to harvest it. I liked his second follow up video on the double lung shot, but the first video was seriously miscued big time even on the diagram of the deer. I have never seen a diagram ever like that. That is honestly the sorriest excuse ever in the first video of where to shoot a deer, I was taught the right way how to harvest an animal the most ethical and humane way possible like most of us on here and there is no way that I can agree with a "centerpunch" shot...its ridiculous.

 

Double lung if the deer is headed to your right and a surviving animal (more than likely) if pointing to your left.

The best policy in any case is to not be off in any direction on the shot.

 

Why's that?

 

Why Whut?

 

The facing right or left.

 

Every deer I've ever hit in the liver has died quickly. They were all bad shots imo though, I didn't hit where I was aiming and got lucky I hit liver instead of all gut. Why you would choose to aim at a smaller target with minimal margin of error? A spine shot or nech shot is pretty lethal as well but in now way would I attempt those shots on purpose. Not sure how this shot, even if executed perfectly could be argued to be more lethal than heart/lungs. Wth is he talking about?

 

He's trying to justify his inability to let a mature buck walk when the proper (heart/lung) shot doesn't present itself.

some hunters need a lesson in self control and doing what's best for the animal.

I have watched Dan hunt (on video) and I've never seen him "center punch" an animal. I guess I haven't watch enough of him. But in the end I do feel like he is an ethical hunter. I beleive he is trying to convey a message that is convoluted at best.

If he is saying "I'd rather shoot too far back than too far forward." That's pretty much common knowledge.

If he is saying "If I don't have a good shot, I will take a "center punch" liver shot because I believe in my abilities as a tracker to recover the animal." I would say that is a terrible line of logic.

Shoot the heart/lungs or let it walk. Yes, I'd rather miss back than forward too, but I'll never aim for the liver.

 

I think he was referring to the question of what would happen if you missed to the left when aiming at the shoulder.

 

I had not clicked on the provided link and seen the graphic so I didn't know the proposed orientation of the deer in the scenario. That being the case I gave an either/or answer.

Since I've seen the graphic, the answer is still the same for the appropriate circumstance I gave. The deer is facing to the right so a 3-4" off shot to the left of a heart target (as it stands) is going to just about deflect forward off the shoulder joint resulting in a deer that most likely would survive the injury.

I'm saying I would aim for the arm pit which should be about the right upper quadrant on the heart as shown in the graphic, where the heart and lungs meet (straight on shot), further back if quartering away and through the shoulder blade if quartering slightly to. (Assuming I'm 10'+ up in my normal ladder stands @20-30 yard shot).

Also may be worth noting that aiming at the liver on that deer quartering away actually falls in line with Mr. Perez's statement, for me personally given the scenario I advanced. (10'+ ladder stand @20-30 yards)

 

Great post and I have always noticed in many hunting shows they take whatever shot they get. They then show recovery footage from who knows when and are super excited about their "successful" hunt. It's only successful in the sense that you're holding a deers rack. I can understand that they are making a product and under a lot of pressure to score on tape but that is no excuse.

To me there is a huge difference between making a bad shot and taking a bad shot. If I make a bad shot and I do everything in my power to recover that deer or am lucky enough to find it the next day or later I have still failed in my mind. I made a bad shot that killed the deer but the animal is often wasted in that scenario and it's due to my mess up. If I take a bad shot then all of the above applies + I'm a d-bag.