Hunting, So ya got a deer...now what?

Post by **WLLady** » Wed Oct 19, 2016 12:54 pm

Hey folks,

i had typed these up for new hunters i have mentored in the past...maybe they'll help some of you....
the hair on tanning protocol is a method for tanning your own furs with stuff you can easily get at the bulk barn for cheap.
The gutting pdf has graphic photos - step by step on field dressing your deer.

Post by **thegawd** » Wed Oct 19, 2016 1:26 pm

what a wealth of knowledge Kathy! thank you very much for sharing! I've field dressed and butchered 1 roadkill deer the night before Gage was born, 4 1/2 years ago. I had a veteran hunter guide me through the process, the gutting was the worst part, well just the first initial cuts really, after that you get used to it fast. when it came to butchering he did one side to show me and I did the other.

I've been playing that night through my head over and over recently cuz I sure hope to get one this year. this guide is perfect and really helps me out a lot!!!

thank you very much and happy hunting!

Post by **Killerbunny** » Wed Oct 19, 2016 1:54 pm

Awesome, I've saved it.
You missed the part about driving to the Timmies in Huntsville because the butcher can't take it for an hour. Return to vehicle to find blood trickling out of pickup into a puddle as per crime scene photos. Leave parking lot asap.

Post by **WLLady** » Wed Oct 19, 2016 2:06 pm

yeah, and the part about what to do when the yotes reach the deer before you....LOL

Dominion Link · Post by **Dominion Link** » Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:32 pm

Humourous side note. About 20 something years ago I harvested a deer on the final evening of the shotgun season. I was by myself and about 3/4 of a mile away through hardwoods, across two fields and over two fence row fences to my truck. And it was dark by the time I got to tagging and then gutting the deer. No problem though... I was young, relatively strong and I had my Mini Maglight to help illuminate the job. I ended up holding that flashlight with my mouth for the entire job, and it was getting pretty sore by the end. But I go the job done and then dragged the deer to my truck, cursing the fences that I had to get it over and the solo lift into the back of the truck. Once that was all done I went home and crashed for the night.... The next morning the muscles in my jaw and temples were so sore that it felt like I had taken head shots from George Chuvalo. In the decades since a good quality headlamp and spare batteries are packed for every big game hunt...... We use headlamps around the farm pretty much every night from October to April as well.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:50 am

This document is invaluable Kathy! Thank you. I've printed it off and put in my hunting folder and saved a digital copy.

Post by **WLLady** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 8:21 am

Dominion Link wrote:.... The next morning the muscles in my jaw and temples were so sore that it felt like I had taken head shots from George Chuvalo. In the decades since a good quality headlamp and spare batteries are packed for every big game hunt...... We use headlamps around the farm pretty much every night from October to April as well.

OMG, i am not the only one!!!!!! LOL. My hubby got a really nice buck, right at dusk, so he took the muzzleloaders back to the house, and got the atv while i stayed behind to do the gutting (i was faster...lol). We didn't know at the time, but someone else had winged this guy so he was going out anyways, all full of massive infection etc, fever, hot. I was working with the flashlight in my mouth and heard leaves scrunching and looked up and saw EYEBALLS...pairs of them....and the darned coyote/dog crosses had been following this poor buck around waiting for him to keel over. So i have flashlight in my mouth, my arms are covered in blood, just hauling pieces of liver and lung and stuff and throwing it down the hill as far as i can to get them to go away and eat that....they were and then coming back and i'm running out of bits to throw to them, and i'm covered in blood and all i have is my hunting knife LOL how many ways could this turn ugly i'm thinking....i'm trying to yell into the 2-way radios but have this flashlight in my mouth, and hubby is on the atv and can't hear the radios....just trying to get him to hurry up and bring the guns back!!
finally he arrived, the headlights scared off the coyote/dog things and we loaded up....but the atv couldn't handle 2 people AND the buck, so i hauled butt at a dead run as fast as i could straight through the corn all the way home....covered in blood.....i beat the atv home (he had to go around the edge of the field so he didn't run down any corn)....i woke up the next day and the HEADACHE from the muscles in my face was awful!!!! LOL. I could barely chew my food! once i remembered the flashlight then i figured out why my face hurt so badly LOL.
:Shark:

That's one hunt i will NEVER forget.....LOL. and i don't really want a repeat either....

Dominion Link · Post by **Dominion Link** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:47 pm

When you get real serious about hands free, night time, illumination you get something like this:

http://shop.kelleysk-lightsupply.com/

Post by **thegawd** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 3:24 pm

now that is one serious head light! I have a camo hat with leds on it, 2 low beams, 2 high beams and all four. i friggin love it. but am always worried that the sun might reflect off of the bulbs so I usually take 2 hats depending on how n what im hunting. LOL

Dominion Link · Post by **Dominion Link** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 4:19 pm

Modern Coon hunting lights are incredibly bright. At the highest intensity you can literally shine tree tops hundreds of yards away for the yellow glow on coon eyes.