What is the best way to assure the meat you’re about to harvest is reaped with the least damage possible? I would like to hear your thoughts on this but first, of course, I’ll share with you mine. I’m the one with my hand raised every time saying, “Me first! Me first!” I know, that’s me does that annoy you because if it does, than it does.
We’ll do this in a top five manner, what are the top five ways to harvest an animal with the least amount of meat damage. Are there five ways? I don’t know so let’s get started!
Top Five Methods to Harvest Game/Meat
5. Rifle, pellet or other.
4. Slingshot
3. Archery
2. Blow Dart
1. Bare Hands
Calm down because we are going to discuss this. Just know this is my blog, but for you there is a convenient section to enter your comments/opinions below and you know I love it when you do.
Method Five
For the fifth method I chose a rifle; rimfire, centerfire, or one of those air powered rifles like the Air Venturi Avenge-X. Keep in mind there are some variables that make all the difference so pay attention.
- Caliber, you should use the appropriate caliber for the type of game
- Projectile, for less damage you’ll want a quick and sharp projectile
- Shot placement, head shot would be the best place to preserve the meat, (unless there’s something there you’d put on your plate).
Method Four
The fourth method I chose is a slingshot, and this again depends on projectile and shot placement. The larger the projectile the more damage. When using a slingshot appropriately, like the Umarex X-Shot may send a blunt object like the Umarex Steel Ammo perfectly to the kill spot of any small game. Yes, I said may because it depends on the shooter and the animal. The opportunity is there to harvest with a slingshot but, depending on the size of the ammo to the size of the game, some meat bruising may occur.
Method Three
The third method is our favorite, archery! I heard you, “What? Archery should be the first!” It will be, (at least in our minds), once we go over the “top” two. Why did I choose archery as the third? Again there are variables that will determine the outcome of your harvest.
- Appropriate tips, (yes taking tips from the Bow Bully is helpful, but I’m not talking about those kinds of tips.) arrow tips.
- Shot placement
If you attach the TruGlo Titanium-X Big Game Broadhead to your Victory RIP XV Gamer Arrows and harvest a squirrel, those back straps, well there’s a good chance they’ll be dog food. Too large of a projectile for the size of the game again leads to more damage. Better to use a field tip and with good shot placement, a hole the size of an arrow shaft is sufficient to take down most small game without damaging much if any meat.
Method Two
The Blow Dart is the second best way to harvest an animal without much meat damage. Most hunters will not choose this method because it may take some blood relation to Tim Wells to put meat on the table. The old phrase, “Timing is everything” it really is! Don’t get me wrong, it is in every fashion of hunting, some approaches will need to be more fine tuned than others. A dart is small, leaving less evidence of penetration and more meat to be harvested!
Finally Method One
For the top method of hunting, the one that will preserve the most meat, do this…hunker down in a perfect hiding place awaiting your target game’s arrival. You must be quiet, still your breathing and relax, put off the thought of intent to kill, the animals can sense your intentions. When the wild boar rounds the tree you’re behind, quickly grab his ear and give him a firm uppercut to the throat, now you’ve got bacon and backstrap.
Archery Is Number One
I told you once you read what the “top” two methods were you’d agree archery is our choice for the number one way to harvest meat with the least amount of damage. If you’d like to put the time and practice in with blow darts, by all means please do but first get a DNA test done to see if you have any of that Wells blood in your veins.
If you or your friend want to attempt taking a wild boar with an uppercut, know I, the Bow Bully, do not recommend it, animals are pretty tough and they’re not generally going down with one solid uppercut. Man has many inventions to assist you in safely harvesting that bacon, don’t get outpigged.
Hey Bow Bully,
You don’t know about: snares, traps, fells, gigs, spears (aka javelins) Pikes, Hammers(the throwing or hitting kind) not the ones for for nails, Axe, Sword, Bat’leth (how did that get in there?) Slings, Discus (if you are real good ShotPut) and last but not least netting.
You are definitely missing out…far too Bow centric!
shootski
Shootski,
I’m aware there are a plethora of methods but in order to keep it short and a blog, I chose the methods above. That would make for a very long blog if I included all the methods. I appreciate the additional methods you’ve added so others can be aware of them as well. Maybe they’ll give them a go.
As far as being bow centric…of course I’m The Bow Bully and it’s a great sport. It is one of the best ways to harvest meat with little damage to it.
Thanks again!
-The Bow Billy