The amount of tissue damaged by bullet wounds and thus unfit for human consumption averaged 13,9% of the total carcass weight. When carcasses were grouped according to the locality hit by the bullet, it was found that shots through the neck and ribs produced significantly lower percentages of damage than the other shots, whereas the popular shot through the shoulder resulted in high losses. Most animals shot through the neck collapsed instantly, whilst animals shot through the ribs or shoulder were frequently subjected to prolonged suffering. Determinations on the meat colour and waterbinding capacity indicated that the ante-mortem stress caused by the death struggle and frequently by chasing wounded animals might have a detrimental effect on meat quality.