Word of wisdom from a deer processor

[Tim Ault]

Having worked processing deer for about the last 10 yrs just a word of advice . If you actually want to maximize the amount of meat you get back DO NOT shoot that deer in the front shoulder ! More than likely your gonna take out both shoulders . Aim slightly behind the front leg ! All you guys that have never had the skin off a deer and cut your own would be shocked and amazed at the amount of ruined meat a shoulder bone/blade hit will cause all that shattered bone is pulverized and is now little chips in a 3-4" radius into the meat(Mmmmmm crunchy but delicious) not to even mention all the blood shot blackish jelly like goo in an even bigger area . You wouldn't want to even feed it to the dog ! Prob 75 percent of the bucks we did this week so far were hit square on the shoulder with a loss of around 10-15 lbs of meat or more! not bad on a 180 lb buck But with does being legal tomorrow and average wt a lot lower your gonna get a lot less back . So don't blame the processor if you blow both shoulders up and bitch that you only get 40lb (maybe) of meat back from your little doe..... be safe and shoot straight just not at the shoulder or other edible parts .

[bortle]

I learned this the hard way years ago. Little chips of shoulder blade all through the meat. Now I aim back and down a little. Heart/lungs and they don't go far with no meat loss.

[27hand]

I learned this the hard way years ago. Little chips of shoulder blade all through the meat. Now I aim back and down a little. Heart/lungs and they don't go far with no meat loss.

When I was young and stupidly shot at running deer, I did a front shoulder hit that went through to.the other shoulder and essentially ruined all the meat in those 2 areas.
My neighbor cut that deer up and asked what in the hell I hit that thing with.
Lesson learned.
Good advice.

[Walleye Hunter]

This request is predicated on the notion that the hunter is capable of placing the shot in a specific area of his choice. I'd like to know what percentage of hunters can actually do that.

[DukeConnor]

Apparently 75% can hit the shoulder.

[27hand]

This request is predicated on the notion that the hunter is capable of placing the shot in a specific area of his choice. I'd like to know what percentage of hunters can actually do that.

I took these just to show my friends kiddos on shot placement.

entry

2017-12-02_06-17-16 by poofy27, on Flickr

exit

2017-12-02_06-16-45 by poofy27, on Flickr

This was using a Savage in .300 WinMag ( third rifle used after 30-30 and .06 earlier this week) in a sitting position from 70+ yds. Deer was almost broadside presentation. Took out one lung completely and partial second lung as well.
Doe ran 25 ro 30 yds after hit.

You don't always get this type of presentation.
Full frontal, quartering to or away and everything in between changes where you try to place the shot.

[MARINE DIVISION TWO]

Good Advice ! May I add that when field dressing deer use caution on the intestinal track cut loose the anus so as to drag out the rest of intestines without spillig feces onto meat and if your hanging deer for any lenght of time remove anus it can sour the meat and rest of deer.50 years experience field dressing deer,sure i made mistakes early on and passing on these tips to other hunters !

[Tim Ault]

This request is predicated on the notion that the hunter is capable of placing the shot in a specific area of his choice. I'd like to know what percentage of hunters can actually do that.

It's up to that hunter at that moment he pulls the trigger . I'm sure some guys were taught from day one to aim and hit the front shoulder so the deer don't run one single step . Hey that works and bingo dead deer . But situation vary with hunting is it standing ? Running ? What angle is the shot ? How good a shot is the hunter ? Some aren't so good and are lucky they can hit a deer offhand at 100 yds ....! But for the majority of hunters it's just as easy to aim and hit behind that front leg instead of right on the blade or round bone . My post was just from the view of a guy that throws away a lot of ruined meat and let those who may never have even gave it a second thought or are aware how much of his deer is tossed in the scrap bin because of such a shot placement . Believe me every year there's lots of guy that get there meat back and say is that all there is ? Damn that deer was heavier than that ect ect ! And forget oh yeah I blew up both front shoulders .

[heatheroo]

a hit here causes the heart to look like this

doe 12-2-2017.JPGheart liver 12-2-2017.JPG

[Rosco the Iroc]

This request is predicated on the notion that the hunter is capable of placing the shot in a specific area of his choice. I'd like to know what percentage of hunters can actually do that.

YO!