First Whitetail down... excessive damage or normal?

[Panzerfauste]

Hey guys, just got back from solo hunting and took a big old doe... This is my second season hunting and second deer ever. She is almost twice the size of the other does I saw, so imagine she is a few years old for sure.

https://imgur.com/a/ynAXM5O

I was hunting a pressured area and I finally figured out what people mean by using the pressure to your advantage. I found a spot in a large clearing on the side of a hill with
patches of trees through out, there are 2 roads running along this clearing (one at the top and one at the bottom) and due to the topography, you cant see the middle of this clearing from either road.

I snuck into the middle an hour before shooting light and found some cover by some brush and fallen logs then waited...I waited 1.5hrs and my patience was wearing, thinking I picked the wrong spot.

Nope... a few min more goes by and the trucks start rolling in one after the other and I can see a few deer scattering off in all directions, though none are giving me a good shot then this doe comes barrelling straight towards me, completely unaware of my presence... I have to stand if Im going to take a shot at her and as I stand she stops 50yds away for a brief second as she sees me and boom. I shot her right in the middle of the chest as she was facing directly towards me, she runs about 10yds and collapses, as I walk over, my thoughts are of how badly gutshot is she going to be.

I inspect the damage, there is only an entrance wound and no exit... I open her and both lungs punctured, both rib cages are shattered, I found the bullet lodged in the liver and very very minimally gutshot, the stomache is not punctured and hasnt deflated, but there is a small amount of mushed up food in the bottom of the cavity. What happened to cause all this? Im shooting 30-06, 150g Federal Powershok

After getting home and quartering, the meat on both shoulders is badly bruised and will likely have to trimmed out, as well as all the meat around the shattered ribs on both sides. (No smoked venison ribs for this guy)

I obviously wouldve preferred a broadside shot, but I took the oppurtunity I was given.

Is 30-06 too much bullet for this short of range? Should I have taken a neck shot instead in this situation?

My first deer was taken with a shotgun (12GA 3in 00Buck) from 10yds and there was waaay less meat damage which surprised me.

My first thoughts are to get a smaller caliber strictly for deer hunting and just make sure the shots are well placed.

I didnt have time to hang before quartering and I have a lot of coagulated dark blood on the outside of the meat, any tips for cleaning it off the meat?

I would love to hear your thoughts on what I should do differently for the future

[RackStar]

If I nick a shoulder by accident. I always say better to loose a couple pounds then have no deer. 30-06 is a great deer round. Almost all my deer have been shot with one. I use 180 Nosler partitions. I’m thinking your bullet exploded on impact as your using a soft point bullet. I shot my deer this year with a 300wm... it’s just what I was packing for elk all season so I kept toting it. Bullet choice I think is critical. You can always get a 243 6.5 7-08 for a deer gun If you want a new gun? Lol

[RackStar]

Nice doe. They taste like the best.

[two-feet]

It happens. The damage you describe caused a quick humane kill, better that the deer running and not being recovered.

[Wild one]

Nothing wrong with a 30-06 and some shot angles are just prone to more damage. Ammo choice can give different results but I don’t use a rifle enough to give good advice on bullet selection

Sitting for WT is often deadly but don’t forget sometimes you really have to put in the hrs. 1.5hrs is a very short sit so don’t let your mind get the best of you. You have to trust your location and ride it out

But this go you did not need to sit long congrats lol

As for shock damage all you can really do is trim and clean till you are left with what is good meat. It’s part of hunting with a firearm. Only way to solve shock damage is to use a bow/crossbow then you can eat right up to the hole lol

[Rieber]

At that close range the hyroshock is devestating. Just think, at 50 yards that little body absorbed 3000ft lbs of energy. The shock wave through the body did what it was designed to do and that was to kill.

At that close range I personally favor a high neck or head shot depending on what was presented. You don't have too much gun - it did exactly as it was designed to do but when you hit a thick part of the deer you get bloodshot.

Excellent strategy on ambush point. Well done.

[Dirty Steve]

Head shot.... no meat damage. I got a little meat buck yesterday, spike Mulie with my 7mm and almost surgically removed it's brain.... Granted I don't have a rack to hang on the wall but I'v never seen a spiker hanging on someones wall. That white tail doe will be very tasty! Trim all the blood shot out and toss it, try to pull all the fat off the muscle groups and trim as much silver skin out as possible.... My wife now LOVES white tail steaks more than beef! The secret is get rid of all the fat and silver skin...Just red meat!

[Gateholio]

Close range shot with standard (soft) bullet will lead to some shrapnel and bruising. What does the recovered bullet look like ?

[KodiakHntr]

Soft bullets moving fast = bloodshot.

Slow down your impact velocity and/or choose a different shot/angle and you will usually have less bloodshot meat. A smaller caliber/cartridge rifle won't necessarily lessen the amount of bloodshot.

[walks with deer]

mix vinegar and water and scrub..

[Salty]

The cartridge you use has virtually nothing to do with the amount of damage that will be done or not be done. The type of bullet sure does though. Winchester 'power shock' is basically a cheap cup and core bullet that will come apart in many pieces in a pretty violent manner. My first deer was with el cheapo Winchester power points (same thing I think). Actually my second was too. Then I started to learn more about different types of bullets and how they behave. You can most certainly reduce meat damage by choosing the type of bullet accordingly. Get out a good sharp knife trim off all the jelly and messy bits and enjoy what's in tact. As said one thing about explosive type bullets is it usually results in a quick kill. Usually.

[Panzerfauste]

Close range shot with standard (soft) bullet will lead to some shrapnel and bruising. What does the recovered bullet look like ?

A small crumpled up ball... I didnt think to inspect it too much, just tossed it in the garbage with my dirty nitrile gloves

[cptnoblivious]

Always better to have a deer down than to have to go look for one and perhaps not find it.

I've shot numerous deer with the Federal blue box stuff but always broadside and they were effective with good penetration and always exited. I like that round.

Given that your round didn't even reach the guts, would agree that you hit a bone & had it shatter.

[ryanonthevedder]

I use a 150g in 30 cal moving at 2500 ft/sec and it hasn’t had a deer go more than 20 yards. If you have a choice bring a little less gun or reduced loads for close quarters. I have an old 99 in 300 savage for anything 200 yards or less and a 30-06 if I think I might need to shoot further out.

[338win mag]

I use a 150gr bullet in a 30-06 for all my deer hunting, from 20ft to 300yds, if you handload then a premium bullet can be used to minimize the "splatter effect" of some bullets. Bullet placement is crucial to easy field dressing, cut and processing the meat etc.

[twoSevenO]

Headshots for the does bro, no wasted meat ..... old HBC tip!

Just dont post pics of them after lol

[snipersights]

Yeah I’d agree go for the head with a shotgun though. Reason being using a scoped rifle on a deer head most likely with hands trembling in excitement at 50 yards could be an easy miss. Wish i could use a rifle on does here on the island whelp. Nice job getting in early and holding the spot. Lots of guys give up if they don’t see immediate action

[dellis]

Head shots are risky. Seen deer with jaws blown off from attempted head shots.
Slower bullet of heavier construction will tear up less meat. Or wait for a better angle to minimize carnage.

[Wild one]

Head shots are risky. Seen deer with jaws blown off from attempted head shots.
Slower bullet of heavier construction will tear up less meat. Or wait for a better angle to minimize carnage.


This is is true ^^^

under perfect conditions and within the shooters skill level head shots are fine but it is a smaller target that has a habit of moving

Head shots no doubt save meat but come with disadvantages. Most animals taken for meat are chest shot doing to lower risk of things going wrong

[findlyflats]

i did the exact shot but absolutely no damage, 30-06 with 180 grain. just lucky the bullet was dead centered passed right through into the body.
Was going to shoot for the neck as he was laying down at 125 yards but he stood up and i took a very quick chest shot.

[HarryToolips]

Well done, congrats, should be tasty..

[barry1974w]

Nice job, glad to hear your plan worked. Head on is a tough shot, lots of potential for meat damage or a big mess when you open them up. But, sometimes you’ve just gotta take the shot you’ve got. I’d advise avoiding head shots, too much potential for disaster. The brain in a pretty small target.
Keep in mind that the path of the bullet and the crosshairs only meet twice, so if you’re trying for brain shots you’ve got to be really familiar with your trajectory and know the range

[J-F]

Head shots are difficult, the target is small. And a running deer with his jaw half-hanging... give all hunters a bad rep., and lets an animal suffer unjustifiably.

The last muley I shot was about 80 yards, and a frontal shot like yours. I use 150 grains TSX flying in the 2900-2950 fps. range. The deer dropped on the spot. The bullet entered just inside the left shoulder and finished at the top of the right tenderloin, leaving every organ in the chest in jelly.

I would take that shot again, anytime.

Meat loss? not so bad. Besides, you lose some of the meat quality if your game dies slowly and stressed out. And if your deer runs wounded… you lost even more meat!

Good shot and enjoy!

[SaintSix]

I’m surprised on how many recommend the head shot on doe’s. I Do Not. I have seen a doe missing her bottom jaw because somebody missed the brain. There was a story not that long ago of a guy bear hunting who came upon one that was starving to death because someone did the same to him. In reality it only takes a second for a animal to move their head. Your caliber is fine no need to change. If your worried about the fragmentation of your bullet you can switch to a bonded bullet like a nosler accubond or brass like the Barnes TSX. Or you wait for a broadside shot with minimal meat damage. In the grand scheme of things you do your best to be humane but sometimes your going to loose some meat. I know a guy who lost his moose because he didn’t want to shoot it a second time. Thought the first one was good and figured it would drop shortly. Got into thick bush and it was never recovered. So don’t get hung up on ruining a bit of meat.