hunters, how do you handle your deer once it is down?

[Eterry]

Down here, after quartering, I keep the meat on ice for 3-4 days. Keeping the water drained and ice refreshed. Then debone and process.

That's the way we do it here, after getting it home. I put the cooler on North side of house..."The place of Darkness", ice stays longer.

 

[Century to late]

I've hunted many times in 80 degrees plus. Camo underwear is popular here for MANY reasons... .

Yep seen it from t-shirts and flip flops to multiple layers with hand and toe warmers. Just gotta deal with it.

 

[45man]

Once the deer is down I CUSS, here we go again, I take my time getting my pack there and take out the tools needed. It does get old after all these years.
My neighbor takes over an hour to gut and then he drags it to the trail 12 yards from my machine, then asks me to back up to it. I told him NO, it is only a few steps, drag it here.

 

[TDM]

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to secretly hoping that nothing worth shooting walks out at the last minute of an evening hunt. I’m usually tired by that time and now I just don’t want to fool with cleaning one after dark. If I had one of my Sons with me it wouldn’t be much of a chore, but seldom do.

 

[Rawhide67]

I've hunted many times in 80 degrees plus. Camo underwear is popular here for MANY reasons... .

That's something I've never done. A warm day during early bow season might hit 70.

 

[BackDraft]

I've hunted many times in 80 degrees plus. Camo underwear is popular here for MANY reasons... .

think I found my dream hunting partner…

 

[TDM]

think I found my dream hunting partner…
View attachment 226333

I would find that hunting partner too distracting. But in a good way.

 

[Eterry]

That's something I've never done. A warm day during early bow season might hit 70.

Down here on the Muddy Red, the struggle is REAL!! HAHAHA.

 

[büchsenmacher64]

I hunt on public land in CO. I’m never where I can drive to them. Mostly in higher country. It’s almost always cold or at least cool. Often snow on the ground. After a few pictures I lay out a clean tarp, I keep in my pack, and start work. I use my shooting tripod and a piece of rope to hold up the leg. I skin and quarter a side putting the meat in bags on the tarp. I use the hide to roll it over and do the other side. I pack what I can carry down in my pack and hang the rest in the tallest juniper tree I can find. I leave my tee shirt at the bottom of the tree. I’ve heard it scares the coyotes. I’m not sure but I’ve never had an issue. Come back the next morning and get the rest because that’s all this old fart can handle in a day. It’s not ideal but I don’t have horses and that’s the way I have to do it. I grew up hunting in Louisiana where we could drive up to our deer and load them on a OHV. It definitely makes you appreciate the animal.

 

[mikesto44]

I hunt with my son. I shoot it and he guts it, drags it and loads it in the truck.
My job is to carry the guns or bows back to the vehicle. Life is good.....lol

 

[Enfield58]

Let’s stop and think about this for a second. Who needs to field dress or clean any game animal?

Isn’t that what the ladies are supposed to do? If they don’t know how, just show them.

They will be grateful for the instruction and opportunity to help.

Follow me for more tips to get people to fall in love with you.

 

[büchsenmacher64]

Let’s stop and think about this for a second. Who needs to field dress or clean any game animal?

Isn’t that what the ladies are supposed to do? If they don’t know how, just show them.

They will be grateful for the instruction and opportunity to help.

Follow me for more tips to get people to fall in love with you.

I like the way you think!

 

[BS2366]

I gut the deer. Save the heart to eat. Do my best to keep dirt and debris out while hauling to truck. If it's warm, I pack with ice. If it's cold I take straight to the processor. Never had any tainted or gamey meat from deer I've killed.

 

[SOLANCO]

Start fire /get bed of coals going while gutting /find log for seating (how ever many were involved in the hunt ) extra long log and eat till you pass out (huntings hard ) !!/Ed

Been a good long while since I went for deer. Used to do similar to above. If I was alone I'd prop the gutted carcass open to cool while I cooked and ate the liver. Depending on how far I had gotten from my vehicle I would either drag it or butcher off select cuts to pack out.

 

[Billy Boy]

65 years ago, I was taught, the first thing was to cut the jugular, then remove the glands, then gut the animals, and even pack the cavity with snow to help cool off the carcass. No I have to admit, I never had to trail a deer (maybe I am more fussy about shots taken) Deer were always down inside 50 yards. Normally I was to them within a minute or two and usually while they were still dying. I seen some pictures of deer on line with descriptions, like this is the buck I shot last night, I had to track it since last night. Yet the guy is clearly on the back of his truck, in daylight and next to a house and the deer hasn't even been gutted yet. On another forum, it seems the older hunters are fussier about bleeding and gutting a deer asap, than younger hunters. Some claim they would rather drag the deer home to keep the abdominal cavity free of dirt. I just remember an old Austrian butcher who ranted terribly about how American hunters ruined their venison with sloppy treatment during the first few minutes. (He provided game meats and dressed game birds to the embassies in Washington, DC.) My record was once shooting a doe at 7:10 am, having it skinned and hanging in a cold garage by 7:35 and still changed and made it to work at 8:00am.

My dad was a county game warden here and 60 years ago, they would often check harvested deer. He and his deputy checked a guy that shot his deer upstate the previous day, slung the deer over the hood of his car and drove a couple hours toward home. And still had not gutted it.

How do you handle them?

No need to cut the throat, the pumt is shut off. I cut the tarsal glands off , gut with a different knife. I don’t cut the pelvic bone till I hang them, it just flops them open to collect twigs, grass etc. Then i like to roll in the warm gut pile, wolf like…
,

 

[Mike in FL]

I've been in FL 7 years and have yet to go hunting here. Even winter is too warm. I go north to SC or VA. Being too old to drag a deer very far, I butcher in the woods, keeping only edible parts, which are placed I side a duffle bag lined with garbage bag. Rear hind quarters and back strap are all of a deer I want to fool with.

 

[appalichian hunter]

think I found my dream hunting partner…
View attachment 226333

I would take the rifle, the other looks like trouble in the long run especially to your wallet.

 

[büchsenmacher64]

I would take the rifle, the other looks like trouble in the long run especially to your wallet.

 

[Marshhawk]

South Carolina. Deer season on private land starts August 16. It is HOT! Stays that way until November. Cools a little by season's end (Jan. 1st). So I go light on hunting wear. Usually a Capilene T-shirt, summer military pants with lightweight bug suit over all that. Deer goes down (I do hate night tracking in the swamp) I go check on it. Give a little nod to St. Hubert and the deer. Pack the gun back to the truck and pick up the game cart. Deer goes into the truck bed and I head straight to the processor, unless the wife wants to ride along.

 

[Okie Hog]

Most of my deer are shot from stands or blinds. i like high shoulder shots and high just behind the shoulder shots. i cut the deers throat, hang it head down from my truck hanger and field dress the animal, then off to the processer. The owner of the butcher shop says few hunters cut the throat. She said bleeding the animal makes a difference in meat quality.