welcome and good luck , let us know how you do on this next hunt.

When hunting anything get yourself up to date by researching weapon, scent killers, clothes, animal behavior, baits, and anything else you can think of off the top of your head. Unless you have someone with a lot of knowledge hunting with you the first couple years it's pretty much a major learning experience. Whitetails like all in the deer family have excellent noses and can smell you if you are not taking the right steps. A rifle at that range will for sure down anything in it's path but like you said it can mess up a lot of meat. These are just things all us hunters learn. Shot placement is another key to hunting and perhaps the most important imo. Hunting also takes a lot of patience. Just because your first experience went really well, doesn't mean your not going to be stumped in the future. There's been years I've seen 30 deer and years I haven't seen any deer. I'm glad your going with a knowledgeable guide who can help you. Soak up the knowledge and learn to become a great hunter.

Patience is the biggest key to hunting ...imo...but 2nd is trigger time....if you got a .22 shoot it...alot...it will help get all the basics down and they become automatic...if your gonna bow hunt...bow time is essential cause the fact is the more time you spend practicing the less time youll be concentrating on the basics and the more time youll be concentrating on the animal...and all that means is ....shot placement.

And remember this ...your target animal lives there and has all day....and they dont have to be where you are WHEN you are...patience......good luck on all your hunts!

In my opinion the person you paid to hunt should have given you more pointers, did he know you where very new to hunting? I just think that if a guy is new to hunting and is hunting on my place im going to help him as much as possible because 1. It makes it a whole lot more fun knowing what your doing. 2. If it was me i would want someone to help me out. and 3. I would not feel comfortable having someone hunting alone on my place who is new to hunting, it would just make me very worried haha. well anyways, if you have any questions about stuff dont hesitate to PM me! and welcome!