LonesomeOrneryMean

Hi,

I am a novice hunter and was wondering how shot placement affects the quality of deer meat. Will a shot that stops the heart result in better quality meat than a head shot or a hit in another part of the body?

Thanks.

DBerrard

Nope. Smaller deer sure are tender though.

lethalconnection

If you make a bad shot and the animal is able to run for a while before expiring they will produce lactic acid in the meat therefore makin it taste more gamey and tough, so the fast you drop it the better.

DBerrard

Hmm I thought that was a myth *shrug*
Lactic acid is natural at death, no?

skeeter 7MM

I have had young deer tougher then old deer, had relaxed deer tougher then none relaxed deer, does tougher then bucks, farmland deer tougher then forest deer,etc. Other then a poorshot ie: gut shotI think it is more the hand your dealt when it comes to venison in many cases. Saturday I shot a mature mulie dry doe, she was chalked full of fat and was already starting to stink. Honestly i figured she'd beheaded straight for the grinderbut in deboning it tonight I found it hard to cut as she was so tender. My partners was a younger doe and she was nothing like mine. Both deer were relaxed, standing, never travelled a step after the shot, same food sources and care after the shot. Sometimes you are the butt, while others your the boot. Though i certainly believe a clean harvest is always the best and as such the vitals IMHO are the best shot placement to ensure this.

An importantfactor is the care after the shot quick cooling of the carcass(FD, skinned & hanging asap), relax period of 24hrs (if temp allows), debone, remove fat, silverskin, hair,etc. When it comes to cooking rare is best and no more then med rare. Remember meat continues to cook after it is pulled off so factor this in your meal plans.

Enjoy and best of luck this season.

savage3006

You certainly do not want to shoot in the guts because that will be messy and spoil the meat.

bigcountry

Whatever makes them drop in thier tracks makes for good meat. Longer they are stressed, and longer they run, the wilder the meat will taste. The faster you can make the animal's blood pressure to shoot down, the better. I have hit deer in the neck and they bleed out quick. And if you hit that artery just right, they will bleed out so quick, they will fall within a few steps. I don't do the neck shot anymore. Second deadly shot is the femoral artery. I have seen deer die within seconds of hitting it, and they get out alot of blood quickly.

I still just aim for the lungs.

savage3006

Check http://www.tnoutdoorsmen.com/killzone.htm for the deer anatomy. If you are a beginner just go for the heart/lung area. That will maximize your chance of success.

wihunter32

Another flash deer shot placement/anatomy thingy: http://www.justinwp.com/article_26.html

Steve863

Eventhough most hunters are men, I think there are more "old wives tales" in hunting than in most other things! I surely would think that it's best to make the quickest, cleanest kill possible, but I don't think anyone has ever proven for certain on how the meat of a deer killed instantly to one who may have lived for a while before it expired really differs. I don't think it could really be done, mostly because NO two people cook it up the same way(even the same person, on different days) and as with humans I am sure the muscle mass of any two deer will differ considerably which in turn will have an effect on taste and texture.

I also have never bought into the theories that aging the meat, draining it in milk or ice, or any other special procedure will make it any better than just simply cutting it up and freezing it promptly after it was butchered in a clean environment. Again for the same reasons I mentioned in my first paragraph, I don't think anyone can prove that any special handling of the meat will improve it.