I'll be going on my first bison hunt this November and am not sure where a good heart/lung shot would be. My understanding is the bison will be on "open" range and as such the shots may be 100-200 yards or so. Any input on shot placement would be helpful. Thanks in advance. Jim the Plumber

Broadside shot (wait for it, you'll have plenty of time), behind the shoulder, through the ribs and lungs. Wait a minute for the bison to drop.

I think you'll find it child's play.

[ 09-08-2003, 16:42: Message edited by: Johnny Ringo ]

Just like Johnny Ringo said. Broadside, just behind the shoulder bone, so the horizontal crosshair is not higher than one-third UP from the brisket. The same way you would shoot a moose, as explained below:

Alaska F@G, Shot Placement

Just remember the heart is right in the bottom of the front of the chest. It is REALLY easy to shoot too high as they are just not built like other animals. I might even go so far as to say that a shot 1/3 of the way up from the brisket is really risking a shot that will be too high (nothing personal Ray). This is because where the back of any other animal ends, the hump of a bison is just beginning thus creating the illusion that the cavity housing the vitals is taller than it really is. Also, remember that everything vital in a bison is pushed up to the front of the chest by its digestive system. Shoot what might be just a bit too far back on any other animal and you will have a gut-shot bison to contend with.
You can call the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources at (801) 538-4700. They have a class for all people who draw bison tags in the state and would wager they could email or fax you a diagram of internal anatomy. Custer State Park in South Dakota could probably do the same thing for you. Ask for a guy names Ron Walker as he is I believe the herd manager up there.

Best,

JohnTheGreek

[ 09-10-2003, 04:02: Message edited by: JohnTheGreek ]

A friend of mine just got back from a bison hunt and was told by his guide NOT to take the heart/lung behind the shoulder shot, but rather to shoot behind the ear to break the spine. The guide's rationale is that even with a perfect heart/lung shot a bison takes awhile to die and can cover a lot of ground in the interim.

For those of you who have made the heart/lung shot on bison, what have been your experiences (and with what cartridges/bullets)?

I'm embarrassed to say that I took my bison with several shots to the heart/lung area! I had just finished a mule deer hunt and I only had my .308 with me when a free range bison hunt suddenly became available. If I did this again, I'd plan to use something bigger. However, I should mention the first shot with my .308 layed him down, it just didn't put him out!

Interestingly enough, compared to the guide Slingster referred to, my guide would not let me shoot to the head/neck area, for fear I would damage trophy quality and taxidermy potential. (But maybe he was just afraid I'd miss!)
D. Nelson

I have been along on two Buffalo Hunts and all the Buffalo were felled INSTANTLY with shots placed 3" to the REAR of the ear and 3" BELOW the ear! No damage to the skull and no stampedes. Cartridges used were 35 Whelen, 30/06 and 45 Long Colt (300 grain bullet hot loaded!).
Good luck on your Buffalo venture!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

John is correct. The Yukon Fish&Game Dept. teaches that centering a bison would result in a shot to high. The heart lung area is large, but not in purportion to a bison's height or depth. A shot in the bottom 3rd will result in a clean kill. It works for me. Of coarse head shots work, but unless you are close, I would not recomend it. I don't see what the problem is with a heart lung shot. Where is the Bison going to go? So he walks aways and falls over.

Daryl

Since Daryl said I was right, I'll return the favor . . . Your best bet I think is to pay your insurance up front and shoot a round or two into the heart/lung area and then get fancy with the spine/neck shots. Make sure the thing is gonna leave a decent blood trail and die first and THEN deal with possibly stopping him in his tracks before he gets to some nasty cover that might make recovery difficult. The margin of error in the neck shot is just too small if you are hunting these things under free-roaming conditions and risking the loss of a great animal.

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

Jim, if you do not shoot him from horseback riding along side with one hand holding a lever action I will personally ridicule you. Just kidding of course. Where is this hunt?

You are correct, JohnTheGreek about shot placement. A bear's heart, is a little low and closer to the brisket, just like bison.

On moose I place the horizontal crosshair just above mid point of one-third UP from the brisket, and the vertical crosshair just by the shoulder bone (almost touching the back edge of the bone). If I miss the heart, at least the bullet goes right below the mid point of the lungs.

Most hunters, including myself tent to shoot a little higher, but "just a little lower," through the heart, works fast.

Jim, I shot a young heifer in the shoulders with a .375 H&H and she went about 20 yards before going down. My girlfriend video'ed the shot but it didn't come out so great. I'm not sure how this link will work, you will need to sign in, but you should be able to see a video of the shot at:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4289152221

I also did a Shoulder shot on my Bison hunt in '00 and it was the only shot. I used a 375 H&H and the shot was about 50 yards away. Probably the most easier hunt I ever did.

Saludos.