Does bleeding out virsus just gutting have anything to do with meat quality?

[Big Lew]

I've taken neck shots on game animals, but when doing so, have always immediately
cut the throat to enhance 'bleeding out'. On heart and lung shots I don't bother because
there's always extensive bleeding. For those that have taken head or neck shots resulting
in very little bleeding, do you cut the throat right away, or just gut the animal? I ask because
I wonder how much blood actually leaves the meat once the heart stops pumping, especially
if there are no open veins and arteries. My experience with cutting the throat on neck shots
has been the release of high quantities of blood. I've also found that meat not bled out is
quite strong and gamey tasting. Thoughts and experiences?

[DarekG]

I don't know if there is any truth to this because I am a relatively new hunter, but from what I've heard if it's not an instant death the animal releases adrenaline into the bloodstream and other things into the muscles that can "enhance" the gamey taste to kick it into survival mode. I can see some truth to that, but maybe its BS.

Personally I always try to end it as quickly as I can.

[moosecaller]

It's kind of hard to bleed out without the heart beating?? It's just a bit of a old wife's' tale! Some guys do it really has no bearing on taste.

[rocksteady]

Once it's dead.. it's dead.. won't bleed out if it's dead

[eric]

Like others have said, the heart still has to be beating for the animal to bleed out..
If it's dead, whats the point.
If the animal has been lung shot, it will bleed out inside..

[Dannybuoy]

While I don't know the effects on the taste of bleeding an animal versus not , I will say that I always cut the jugular and get the head pointed downhill . It has been that way in slaughter houses to get the blood out , every animal that I have done has had pints if not quarts of blood drain this way ..... blood will drain out as it is liquid

[srupp]

Hmm interesting g question Dave....I've never seen the point..i don't. .just punch th tag..gut, clean, wipe, bag.
Can't remember a single animal in 30 plus years ..cool.it down get that hide off.
Cheers Buddy
Steven

[Dannybuoy]

Does anyone know the reason why domestic animals are bled out ? If blood isn't detrimental to the cuts if meat why not leave it in ?

[Big Lew]

As I said, I really don't know the answer. Like many my age, I was taught to cut the throat
immediately, but I know it's pointless if the animal was hit in the lungs, heart, or liver because
it bleeds out inside the cavity right way. I also know that when dispatching cattle by shooting
them in the head, cutting the throat produces huge quantities of blood. I also know that an animal
shot in the neck and has it's jugular slit produces little or no blood when gutting it. Never tried
to gut an animal shot in the neck without cutting it's throat to see if there's a lot of blood produced
during the gutting process.

[Onesock]

Animal are bled in a slaughter house because that's how they are killed. Bleeding a head shot deer is pointless if it's heart is not beating. Blood can't be pumped into the meat if the heart is not beating. If you wound an animal and cut its throat to kill it it will bleed out as if it was in a slaughter house.