Bottom line up front: Does the high-shoulder shot really kill instantly (or even within a couple minutes as does a proper heart-lung shot)? If so, how? Does it matter if shooting from an uphill or downhill position or from an elevated stand? (And for those who say “the deer was dead before it hits the ground,” how do you know?)
The “Deer and Deer Hunting” channel on YouTube posted a video to explain how the high-shoulder shot kills a deer “on the spot.” In the video, the quick kill is attributed to taking out the five nerves of the brachial plexus. If you look up the five nerves mentioned in the video, you’ll see that none of them are necessary for life. They control movement of and sensory perception from the shoulder down to the foot (or hand in humans) and everything in between. I didn’t find anything about them affecting heart or lung function or otherwise affecting the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain.
It seems as though destroying these nerve connections - but not also taking out the spinal cord in between the front shoulders or producing a significant wound to both lungs - would paralyze the deer without killing it, lungs still drawing air & heart still pumping blood through the lungs to the brain, potentially without sufficient bleeding to kill within a few minutes as with a traditional heart-lung shot.
(1) I’m not disputing the validity of reasons to drop a deer on the spot, i.e., proximity to water, cliff, property line, etc.
(2) I’m not saying such shots don’t often/usually/almost always result in a quick kill.
(3) At a minimum, though, it seems like the explanation - destruction of the five nerves of the brachial plexus as mentioned in the video - can’t be all there is to this shot re quick kills. Seems like it would also require bullet &or bone fragments to penetrate the spinal cord & lungs.
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Search results included:
“No, the brachial plexus does not control lung or heart function; it is a network of nerves that primarily supplies the muscles and skin of the shoulder, arm, and hand. Heart function is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, specifically through sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers. The phrenic nerve is the primary nerve that controls lung function by innervating the diaphragm, the main muscle responsible for breathing. Additionally, other nerves from the cervical and thoracic regions also play a role in regulating the muscles involved in respiration.”
"The musculocutaneous nerve primarily provides motor function to the muscles in the front of the upper arm, including the biceps brachii, allowing for elbow flexion. It also has a sensory role, supplying feeling to the skin on the lateral side of the forearm."
"The axillary nerve primarily controls the deltoid and teres minor muscles, enabling shoulder movement such as lifting and rotating the arm. It also provides sensation to the skin over the lower part of the deltoid muscle."
"The median nerve is responsible for both motor and sensory functions in the forearm, wrist, and hand, allowing for movements like bending and straightening the wrist and fingers, as well as providing sensations such as touch and temperature. It innervates several muscles in the forearm and hand, playing a crucial role in hand coordination and grip."
"The radial nerve primarily provides motor function to the muscles in the back of the arm and forearm, including the triceps and extensor muscles, allowing for movements like elbow extension and wrist extension. It also delivers sensory information from the back of the hand and forearm to the brain, helping you feel sensations like touch and temperature."
"The ulnar nerve controls movement in the forearm, hand, and certain fingers, particularly the pinky and half of the ring finger. It also provides sensation to these areas, helping with fine motor skills like gripping and writing."