Deer hunting season approaches

[Don Corleone]

Hi gang,
Well, now that I've moved home to New England again, I can actually get out and hunt a deer or two this Fall, fill up the Corleone larders and freezers with some venison. Not having been in a very long time, and having been young when I was out last time, I'm leery of trying to gut a deer by myself. Can anybody give me any tips for getting through the pubic bone without rupturing the colon and making a mess? Also, not being young, strong and foolish as I once was, I'm kinda nervous about having to take the deer out of the woods after I field dress it. Any thoughts on what a maximum distance I should plan to drag the thing will be?

Thanks! Just out of curiosity, how many folks out there have bagged a deer in the past year or two? Anyone?

[Reverend Joe]

Say, Don, since you seem to be hunting for meat rather than antlers: do you usually hunt does? it seems like it would be much easier to hunt does, and the neighbors (with large gardens) will certainly thank you.

[Don Corleone]

Yes, in fact doe permits are a fraction what buck permits are. I don't think Mrs. Corleone would allow trohies in the house (antlers or heads) as she has made me promise any meat that comes in the house will be cut to steak/fillet size and will be wrapped in butcher paper. She had a traumatic experience as a kid when her father bled and field dressed a deer in her barn and forgot to tell her.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I don't want anyone posting here disputing the ethics of hunting deer, or hunting in general. If you want to do that, make a thread in the backroom.

[Mooks]

Have fun. As long as you eat the deer afterwards, no point in killing it and leaving it to rot.

[Ser Clegane]

A colleague of my wife regularly goes hunting and we often buy deer or boar from him. Some roast venison is a great occasion to invite some friends over in for in fall.

[Don Corleone]

Have fun. As long as you eat the deer afterwards, no point in killing it and leaving it to rot.

Well, that's kind of the whole point... reducing the food budget for Mrs. Corleone, Jillian and myself. My yahoo days are long past. BKS, should I have put this in the backroom? I figured since I'm asking for knowledge & the like it wouldn't be too controversial, but if you'd rather move it, feel free.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

No, this is the right place for it. That's why I told people not to come in and bash hunting. You're only asking for advice, after all.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Just remember: Deer don't wear red hats.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I always will remember,
'Twas a year ago November,
I went out to hunt some deer
On a morning bright and clear.
I went and shot the maximum the game laws would allow:
Two game wardens, seven hunters, and a cow.

I was in no mood to trifle,
I took down my trusty rifle
And went out to stalk my prey.
What a haul I made that day!
I tied them to my fender, and I drove them home somehow:
Two game wardens, seven hunters, and a cow.

The law was very firm, it
Took away my permit,
The worst punishment I ever endured.
It turned out there was a reason,
Cows were out of season,
And one of the hunters wasn't insured.

People ask me how I do it,
And I say "There's nothin' to it,
You just stand there lookin' cute,
And when something moves, you shoot!"
And there's ten stuffed heads in my trophy room right now:
Two game wardens, seven hunters, and a pure-bred Guernsey cow.

[Oaty]

Why drag em, most deer are'nt too heavy and it's easier to put them over your shoulder.

[Duke Malcolm]

Mmm... venison... I've not yet been hunting here, but shall try to get some shooting done sometime...

The Duke of Atholl has a myriad of trophy antlers across Blair Castle. The Great Hall is filled with them... I wouldn't mind them as long as I got the venison too...

[yesdachi]

My grandpa was a butcher in the military, during deer season when I was growing up it would be pretty common to spend a weekend or three with a few frozen deer laid out on the kitchen table. Grandpa slicing and dicing while grandma cleaning and preparing them for the freezer and us “kids” putting our mussels to work on the hand grinder making sausage and brats. BTW grandpa has a big farm and lots of surrounding woods perfect for hunting.

We would typically drag the dressed deer to a two track (plenty thru the woods) then give it a ride with a 4 wheeler back to the barn where it would hang (and hopefully freeze) till the weekend. Don’t forget to shut the barn door, if the dogs get in there and take apart the deer grandpa will kick your butt.


We had a similar plan for wayward travelers, door to door salesmen and those delicious persistent church folks.

[professorspatula]

Edit:What did I just say?-BKS

[Don Corleone]

<EDIT> BKS specifically asked for no debating the ethics of hunting. Sorry BKS.

[AntiochusIII]

OH MY GOD! YOU KILLED BAMBI'S MOM!



It's old, I know. But I can't just help it.

By the way, where are you hunting them, Don Corleone?

[Ronin]

don´t know about the gutting part....but about the carrying part....I suggest you forget about the rifle...just use a big van...then you have something to carry the animal back in

Listen to the wise words of Ron White :

My cousin Ray on the other hand thinks that killin' a deer with a deer rifle is like magic in the forest. And now, I would like to do for you now my impression of my cousin Ray after the big kill. "Hell, it was four in the mornin', 22 degrees outside. 'Course, you weren't there. Pussy. I'm in a camouflaged deer blind. I've got grease paint on my face and deer urine on my boots. I'm not sure why." I made that part up. "I've got a 30-06 with a laser scope. This baby will fire a bullet 2200 feet per second. When that deer looked up to lick the salt sucker I hunged from the danged ol' tree... caught him right above the eye."

Yeah, well, I hit one with a *van* goin' *fifty-five* miles an hour with the headlights on and the horn blowin'!....'That´s an elusive little creature!'

[Banquo's Ghost]

I don't really have any sensible advice for you Don, except that maybe if you live in a hunting area, your local butcher would have some good tips? It's been a long while since I've hunted anything big like a deer, and even then we used to have a lad or two to do the butchery. We just chased after it with the dogs and then had a pleasant drink.

I mainly shoot grouse these days, and fish the local rivers - some riding to hounds. I miss hunting the foxies and stags over in the UK's Exmoor a great deal though.

Have fun and stay safe.

[KukriKhan]

It's been 6 years since my last deer hunt (in New Mexico, where Mrs. Kukri's family lives). The crew I was with used techniques similar to those shown here , for field dressing. Key: very sharp knife and twine. And speed. Tip: don't be afraid to take some meat along with the rectum; you're only "losing" at most a quarter pound. but you're insuring sanitation.

As you already know, the quicker you can get it gutted, transported and cooled, the better. We used a travois to move the carcass (head down) the roughly 1 mile to our vehicle - I don't mind telling you I was winded from that little exercise; that's the only time I envied the guys with 4-wheelers. Once at the pickup, we had bagged ice & old bathtowels waiting to pack into the interior. We left the hide on, because we were taking it directly to the butcher in Vaughn (nearest town). Your local logistics will dictate whether that step is necessary.

Hope that helped, and sorry if I covered stuff you already knew.

[Fragony]

Ah hunters, a special breed. Only rabits to shoot here, it's a good thing because balance pwns. Shame about the bird of prey they kill because they rather balance the rabbitpopulation themselves

Deerhunting sounds like fun though, the stalking and that sort of thing. Couldn't bring myselve to killing them, they are so cute, but sneaking up on them to paint their asses red just because I can, awesome.

[Strike For The South]

Hmmm, deer hunting what a great thing. The most American thing you can do IMO. God I wish I could do it more...

[Strike For The South]

Hmmm, deer hunting what a great thing. The most American thing you can do IMO. God I wish I could do it more...

[King Henry V]

Ah, venison. A most excellent meat, especially braised with some forest berries. Though I don't think I would enjoy hunting myself (I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to that sort of thing), I do find game to be an excellent and most delicious type of meat, though only if cooked properly, as stuff such as pheasant can be very dry.
Good hunting!

[Samurai Waki]

I usually try to make a two week trip up to Montana every november to fill my Buck and Elk Tags on my Uncle's Ranch. But I don't see that happening this year *sadness*

Oh well I guess humpin' it up the side of a mountain in two to three foot snow in 0 degree weather doesn't sound as fun as it used to be when I was in better shape.