[Brian.Hama]

Hello. I have yet to actually go hunting, though plan to soon. Many times, especially during high school, I have stalked several deer to the point that I could have killed them with my knife, if I so chose. I have a bolt-action .30-06 (Rem. 770) which I would say I can shoot fairly well at range. I am also learning to proficiently use a bow and arrow.
That said, I have the means and abilities to hunt a deer. This brings me to the part that I don't know. What do I do once my round/arrow takes a deer's life? How does one get the deer body out of the forest? I have a local butcher shop that says they will clean the body and provide me with the meat.
Thanks in advance,
Brian.

[D Winkler]

That's a good question. I would say that there is no right or wrong way to get your deer out of the forest. You will have to field dress the deer first(as this cuts his weight down quite a bit). I know several guys that use ATVs and also have drug may carcass' out myself. If you're going to drag him its always nice to have a buddy. If the terrain is steep with thick underbrush you may want to quarter him up and take him out pieces at a time. They sell packs you can strap the meat to.
Hope that helps.

[birdman]

Brian,

First off welcome to the site. I'm glad to see you're interested in joining the hunting community. The after shot process, many times is far more rewarding than the animal itself. Take for example elk hunting in the high country. It's basically a glorified hike / scouting mission until you pull the trigger. Once you get that animal down, the real work begins.

The importance of proper care for your harvested game is imperative to maintain the quality of your meat and prevent contamination / spoiling. The first action to accomplish is to field dress your deer (i.e. eviscerate, gut, etc.). There's pretty good detailed instruction on the web, even some You-tube clips / videos to help you familiarize yourself with this process. You'll want to pay close attention to your work to prevent fecal, urine, and/or ingesta from coming into contact with your meat. Prevent this by ensuring you don't rupture the stomach, intestines, or bladder. Once you remove the viscera, tilt the animal on it's side an drain all blood from chest cavity and prop open with a stick. If the ambient temperature is 40°F or less, get your kill to the processor as soon as possible. If it's warm out, make sure and pack the chest cavity with bagged ice to lower meat temp and prevent spoilage.

If you can, it's much easier to hang a deer from a tree to complete the process. Items which you'll need are several very sharp knives, skinning knife, a bone saw, rubber gloves (helps with grip).

Good luck

[oucorry]

All the fun ends when you pull the trigger

[Brian.Hama]

Thanks for the good info. Well, good in the sense that it is helpful. Bad in the sense that I am not sure I could do it myself I'd better bring an experienced (and stronger stomached) body chopper with me on my first several hunts.

[wolfsong]

With my first post here, I'm going to bring up a few points.

First, don't take the shot if you can't bring the game out with you. There will be times that you have hunting partners along to help you, and there will be times when you are on your own. BEFORE you head out in to the field, be SURE that you have studied and researched and studied and asked questions and read and studied and asked more questions until you reach the point that you know each progressive step by heart. I cannot stress it enough - educate yourself first! And remember the first rule - SAFETY FIRST!


Gutting a deer is simple. Notice that I didn't say EASY. As already mentioned, there are videos and books galore that can walk you through the process. Run off a copy or three of a diagrammed step-by-step illustration and carry it with you in your fanny pack or day pack. I'm not going to go into all the nuances of field dressing your game. It's better if you buy and read some books on this subject. And read them over and over. A sharp knife is a must, along with a small stone or ceramic\steel sharpening rod to keep the edge on. You won't need a Rambo survival knife - a 3 to 4 inch blade is plenty big enough and easy to control. I have more fancy, expensive, even custom made knives, but I've found that my 110 folding Buck knife works just fine. Don't get carried away or caught up in all the latest and bestest gear.
Keep it simple and within your budget.

Always try to shoot your game when it is uphill from you! . This makes bringing it down much easier! Just kidding. But you should always be aware of your location and the game's location and what lies between the two. It's no good shooting that monster buck when he's across the river canyon from you. Knowing the terrain and being familiar with it BEFORE you hunt is imperative. Get out early in the year and scout. At least teach yourself how to read a topo map of the area you plan on hunting. I don't bother with GPSs - just more weight to lug around. I'd rather take up that weight with more drinking water. And a map is much lighter. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned in books about field dressing is this. how to get up the side of a mountain or hill etc. I've found that the best way to make progress with the least amout of effort is to zig-zag from side to side, instead of charging straight up the trail. It's easier to deal with gravity when you take a sideways track rather than straight up, even if it means adding extra feet\yards\miles to your trip back to camp. More than once I've climbed up the mountainside to the road or preferred destination before bringing my game up. Why, you may ask? To drop off my rifle, day pack, jacket etc so as to lighten the load. I then go back down and start my zig-zagging. Sometimes it is necessary to drag the deer so many feet, leave it there, clear a path through the brush or downed timber, go back and get the deer and start zig-zagging again. Go another 20-30 feet and start the process all over again. (note: when you have completed the gutting of the deer at the bottom of the mountain, or anywhere, for that matter, be sure you've tied some strapping, rope, bungee cords, duct tape, parachute cord etc around the split opened carcass\trunk so that dirt and debris don't get inside the cavity. And by the way, if you do stash your gear at the top before dragging your deer up, be sure to mark the trail so that you can find your gear again. One tree looks just like the other rock, especially when you're all tuckered out.) If you aren't going to quarter it and backpack it out, invest in a two shoulder dragging harness. That way, you're walking in a fairly normal position instead of sideways or backwards. It makes a difference, believe me.

I'm going to leave it at that for now. There is so much more that is involved after that milisecond it takes from the time you pull the trigger and the bullet impacts. Are you sure you still want to do this? We haven't even touched on skinning, butchering, wrapping, storing your venison yet. And don't forget about brain tanning the hide yourself, stuffing and smoking sausage, drying jerky, and favorite backstrap recipes. And the weather, we haven't mentioned the weather yet. I'd better stop now - I've almost talked myself out of hunting next year!

As you can see, I'd love to share more of my thoughts on this, if someone doesn't tell me to shut up.

But remember - safety first, which goes hand in hand with any quality education you seek out for yourself. Knowledge is power. Be strong.



Peace and God bless, Wolfsong.

[oucorry]

Thanks Wolfsong, I just sold all my hunting stuff!! Just kidding but you do bring up a ton of good points and the one people can't stress enough is SAFETY!! Please, everyone be safe out there!!