Hi, not only am I a new person to archery but I am even newer to hunting. I don't think I will have a problem letting the arrow go. I just don't have a clue to what happens after the tracking. My concern is that they might be over an hour away from me.
I talked to a gentleman nameed Mike at my local archery club that is a hunter and he has offered to take me out with his group.
I like to be prepared on what to do after the finding the deer. I don't have a clue to what to do or what is done after i get to the deer.Could someone recommend a good book or maybe a video?
I know I will need a bow, arrows and have the clothes but what else should I have? I know I could ask Mike but would like to also ask the guys here.
Thank you for your time.
Robert
I should of stated i am going to go out with Mike, my 1st time I just wanted to have a clue and know this is the right place to get it.
I would suggest googling how to field dress your deer. There is a lot of information on the web on this. Remember to fill out you game tag and attach it to the carcass before moving it.
The 1st thing I do is pray (but I am one of those Jesus people)
The next thing I do is soak it up...really! Don't worry about what is next but rather just enjoy the moment. Spend some time with the the gift you just received...it's a special time!
Next I pull out the camera (If you want to photograph it) and begin taking pix and cleaning up the animal.(wiping up blood, tucking it's tongue back in, etc.) Don't even think of pulling out your knife if you want quality pictures.
The rest of the steps you can google on the net but these are the ones that you may not find there and regret not doing. Best luck afield...Ryan
After you locate the deer, the first time you touch it should be putting on the tag making it legal. Then you need a good sharp knife for gutting. Agood strong rope for dragging or a cart for hauling it out. (ATV)
pics #1
gutt it#2
get it out#3
get it cooled#4
age or butcher it#5
taxidermist #6 actually cape it before #5
The first thing you should do is tag the animal. Make sure everything is legal. After that you can field dress, pictures, etc.
oops, ya do that.
tag it, take pics, and throw it in the truck
I'd like to add something to add to the top of the list; First thing is make sure the animal IS DEAD! Taint no fun to have one start moving as you grab it or start to gut it out!!!
Dennis
Always have a 8 foot long piece of para cord on your belt to tie back the hind leg when you dress them out.
I always take a moment. And I always try to be careful in how I handle the deer. I don't make a big deal about it and anyone there wouldn't even know- I don't light candles or form a peace circle -I just try to be respectful getting it out even when hefting it around.
Joshua
Call my buddy on the radio and Whoop & Holler!! :p Then tag,pics,gut,and by then my buds there and hold his bow while he drags :biglaugh:
Track,find,look at shot placement,field dress, tag, take home,butcher, eat back strap, sleep,get up, hunt again.
Cut out the heart and drink some blood, thus completing the circle and forming the bond....
...just kidding, do what those other guys said and good luck to yah man :)
I just poked through my modest library and the single best book on bowhunting and field dressing was "Bowhunting for Deer" by H. R. Wambold (Stockpole Books, 1964). LONG out of print but maybe you could find it on the web.
Here's a link to several used ones from $4.00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000K5SH32/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
Here is my check list..
1 give thanks
2 take photos
3 field dress it. I bought a video how to field dress a deer in about one minute.
4 go back to the truck and get the game cart.
5 grunt my deer back to the truck.
then
6 get it in a tree and skin and bag it ASAP.
7 get to the meat guy ASAP.
If it is an elk I substitute, gutsless bone out the meat, for field dressing....
QuoteI just poked through my modest library and the single best book on bowhunting and field dressing was "Bowhunting for Deer" by H. R. Wambold (Stockpole Books, 1964). LONG out of print but maybe you could find it on the web.
I will get it
Thank you guys for all of your answers.
Robert
1) look at it and feel proud
2) roll up the sleeves and gut it
3) tag
4) start dragging
5) hang it up and leave it hang a few days (unless its hot then i skin/qauter it fast and get it in a cooler
field dressing isnt to hard, first time is a little tricky.
what i do is cut open it up ( avoid cutting the stomach), split the pelic bone, flip over the deer and lift it up (most of the guts ect.. will come out, put on ide and pull out the remainder of guts then cut the diaphram, reach way up in thier and cut the windpipe and pull out the lungs. doesnt take much time. you can just watch a few youtube vids and see.
I allways take a few pics, then Gut it as soon as you can , I also like to skin as fast as possable to cool the meat as fast as I can especially if it's warm out (thank the archery Gods) I never go hunting without a saw and rope and of coarse a good Knife,, :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :archer:
Some of what happens when you walk up on your first big game kill will be a totally natural reaction. You will see what we mean by this when it happens.
As already stated, make it legal before you move the animal. Make sure you take pictures...lots of them.
Learn all you can on your own about field dressing, but when the time comes, I think it`s best to have help with you, from someone who is experienced. Proper care of a downed animal becomes your next priority.
A clean field dressing job, and proper care of the carcass will allow you to try red meat the way nature intended.
Every experience will teach you something more for many, many years to come.
1. Thank God
2. Thank the Deer
3. Fill and attach the Tag
4. Get to work field dressing
If I may add this to the list of advice..
Read up on blood trailing. Sometimes this can be the most difficult part after the shot.
Some deer bleed profusely and are easy to find, some deer fall within sight after an arrow has punched through both lungs, some deer are related to mummies and barely spit any blood from their wound, some deer pull energy from beyond and may run hundreds of yards after a moderate to bad shot.
Been there done it on all kinds of tracking jobs.
Tracking is an art in a sense. It's a beautiful thing walking up on a deer that you've spent hours tracking. Kind of bitter/sweet. You wish you would have double lunged it and only taken 5 minutes to find it, but it's rewarding after looking for so long and putting your hands on it after a strenuous tracking job.
Gutting a deer isn't so bad. My step granddad gutted my first deer for me. Told me to pay attention because that 4pt would be the first and last he did for me! LOL!
You'll need a knife that can shave gnat's hair. Makes life so much easier! You want a "soft hand" for the initial "unzipping" of the deer. I always start from the brisket and work down to the anus. Some guys do it the opposite. Doesn't matter. Once you get the deer opened up, you'll notice the diaphragm muscle separating the viscera from the heart/lungs. Cut through diaphragm and fold it out of the way.
Now for the fun part! LOL! You need to reach up into the chest cavity and find the deers esophagus. Grab it firmly and cut through it. This will free up the heart/lungs. Now for the "Guts" Don't cut the stomach or intestines. You might end up emptying the contents of your stomach next to your deer. lol!
You'll need to cut the tissue holding the guts in place along the top of the deers back. Work your way down slowly. After doing this, everything should just roll out, leaving it's "poop tube" still clinging to the rest of it. I normally grab it and stretch it as far as I can out of the deer and cut it near the bone where it's bladder is sitting under.
Some guys like to saw this away, but it's just extra work that's not needed if you ask me.
It helps if you lay the deer with it's belly facing down hill. Gravity will help out.
Once you roll the insides out of the deer, the only thing that should be clinging is the part of the diaphragm you haven't cut away. Cut it off and your done! Then pick it up by it's front legs (doe) or rack (buck) and pull the deer up right and flop it over on its belly. This will help drain the excess blood that has pooled up in the deers cavity.
Then on to the processor or the skinning rack.
Maybe someone else can post up about the skinning/quartering out process if you choose to go that route. lol
BuckyT made a good point in saying to start at the brisket and cut down to the anus. This way you are cutting with the directional flow of the hair and don't make nearly the mess avoiding getting deer hair all over the place!
Approach from a direction that will allow a follow up shot if needed. Make sure the animal is dead. Give thanks in a way meaningful to you. Dress it out and get it cooled as quickly as possible. Take pics through out if you didn't forget the camera(I always seem to make kills when I don't bring one)
I have learned as I get older to enjoy the moment. No beating around the bush I hunt to kill stuff. I enjoy the outdoor experience and go home happy without meat a lot but I go to the swamp for blood. No nice way to put it.
When I walk up to an animal I`ve just killed I sit back against a tree and thank the Lord for the whole adventure.From a Wife that understands to a critter laying dead.I may sit there ten minutes soaking it all up inside. Then I take a few pics and get started. I think my short wait helps keep it safe because when I pull out the knife I`ve had time to calm down and will go about the field quartering a whole lot safer.I don`t drag anything unless I`m hunting really close to the house. Then I get my Son...he`s strong as an ox.I field quarter the critter put it in the backpack and head for the truck/boat. Usually walking out I`m thinking about where to hunt next.RC
Mason and I always thank God FIRST before we do anything. After that we try to remember to fill out the tag before all the excitement gets the best of us.
Hint on gutting does and bucks you do not plan on mounting..... when you get to the sternum, ( the bone the ribs connect to on each side ), move over off center slightly till you find where the ribs connect with cartilage. Your knife and knife sharpener will thank you later ! You can then seperate the ribs from the sternum easily without messing up your knife's edge. This allows you to gut the deer further up toward the base of the throat then simply reach in and cut the esophagus. Stick your fingers in for a firm grip and this is your handle to pull toward the rear taking everything along as you go.
I thank God. Light a cigar and savor the moment (bring a cigar and lighter). Call a friend to help drag, depending on how far and how heavy (bring a cellphone). Take pics (bring a camera). Field dress it (bring a field dressing kit to every hunt that includes cord, a couple pairs of gloves, paper towels, baby wipes, gallon ziplocs for heart and liver, sharp knife and sharpener). Fill out tag (bring tag, Sharpie, a piece of wire and small ziploc). Drag it out (bring a heavy drag rope). Put it in my car (bring a tarp). Tag it (Indiana doesn't require tagging animal until it is transported). Check it in (bring a list of the check stations, as required). Take it home and butcher it. That's a whole 'nuther subject.
QuoteOriginally posted by LongStick64:
1. Thank God
2. Thank the Deer
3. Fill and attach the Tag
4. Get to work field dressing
This is my approach with the exception that I fill out the tag before opening the carcass but do not attach it until the drag is done. In NY you don't have to attach it until you're at a road. I also sit myself down and have a candy bar before gutting. That gets the sugar in my system for the drag without the need to rummage around with fatty/slick hands . . . and also gives me a chance for "the shakes" to pass.
Another important step - if the arrow has broken and you haven't found the broadhead - is to locate and clear the broadhead carefully out of the animal BEFORE you lunge in. My favorite processor asks archers to bring their broadhead - of if you're a regular to promise him you found it.
Another thing I've learned, and expanding on John Scifres post, is to lay everything out ahead of time. If you have the organ bag ready and open with the edge rolled back it will keep blood out of your daypack (I keep the heart & liver). Anything you have to dig around for with bloody hands will be a mess and need cleaning when you get home or back to camp.
The best addition to my kit in the last 30 years has been the resealable travel packs of wet (baby) wipes. Post-gutting cleanup and really great TP!
The "find the broadhead" suggestion from Stump is a great one! I've shot elk and moose far enough back in the hills that I've thought about sitting and eating for a couple of days to ease the pack job.
when you are first starting out, having a good friend or mentor goes a long way. It is easy to forget things when you are caught up in the moment.
Sounds like this "Mike" will fit the bill.
Good luck :thumbsup:
What Manitoba Stickfinger said.I always kneel down and give thanks to God.I know it's His gift to me.
QuoteOriginally posted by Manitoba Stickflinger:
The 1st thing I do is pray (but I am one of those Jesus people)
The next thing I do is soak it up...really! Don't worry about what is next but rather just enjoy the moment. Spend some time with the the gift you just received...it's a special time!
Next I pull out the camera (If you want to photograph it) and begin taking pix and cleaning up the animal.(wiping up blood, tucking it's tongue back in, etc.) Don't even think of pulling out your knife if you want quality pictures.
The rest of the steps you can google on the net but these are the ones that you may not find there and regret not doing. Best luck afield...Ryan
Well said and same for me. The tagging part is a legal necessity and obviously needs to be done, but for me it is about appreciating the gift. Also, good point about taking lots and lots of pics...with digital cameras there is no film to be developed, just shoot away. You'll never look back and say "I took too many pictures".
Thank our maker for the bounty
1) Fist pump
2) pictures
3) high fives
4) one more fist pump
Thank you guys for all of your input, I have read took notes buying a book..
Hopefully sometime in the near future I will have some pictures to post.
Robert
we just drag ours back tothe club house to butcher and take pics, mke sure you have a good sharp knife, thats very improtant. a rope drag handle always comes in handy too
Wait................at least 30min. before you track, and that's on a perfect hit. Lousy hit wait accordingly, too far back? Back yourself out......of the woods that is. Give the animal a good 4-6 hours then come back and track.
After recovery I do pretty much the same as everybody else. Poke it in the rump with the tip of your arrow to make sure it's dead, but be ready for a follow up if it gets up.
Then I start thanking the Lord for the gift of protein and allowing me to be able to hunt his wonderful critters.
Take some pics if I have a camera which I normally do because the cell phone pulls double duty as a field camera.
Then I gut the animal before I tag and drag. I lost my tag one time because it came off while I was dragging it out, so now I wait till the animal is either up on an ATV rack or it's been drug back to the truck.
We have to notch our tags now like some other states so that will be done first and foremost when the animal is recovered and that voided tag makes it a legal kill.
Best advice is to go with your buddy Mike on one of his tracking jobs and help with the field dressing, get in there and get your hands bloody. That's the best teaching experience you can get.
Be sure and take care when field dressing to keep leaves, sticks, and other debris out of the cavity. The cleaner job you do now will save you lots of clean up time later, or a happier processor whichever you decide to do.
Keep it hanging someplace cool and out of direct sunlight.
Lastly, if it's a wall hanger buck......dont' hang it by the rack! It stretches the cape and your taxidermist will cuss you for it. Get the caped head to the taxidermist as quickly as possible or freeze it immediately. If you let it sit around for several days not frozen the hair will start to slip and fall out.
Best advice if you get a wall hanger......call a taxidermist as quickly as possible and they will walk you through the process of storing the head and cape properly.
One last thing, if it is a wall hanger......don't split the hide any further up the brisket than the rib cage. Too far up the cowel under the buck's neck will mean more stitching/repair work for the taxidermist later on and even more cussing.
Good Luck!
Let's see. The last elk I shot was four miles from the truck and it was getting dark fast. I walked to the edge of the ridge and made sure I knew the best way out. Then I went back and made sure it was dead. It was on a steep side hill and I had cut all extra weight from my pack. I had to use my bowstring to keep it from sliding down the mountain (next time don't remove the rope). Get out the headlamp with the extra batteries and the paper towels and the game bags. When you get all bloody you don't want to get back in the pack. Put on the extra layer because it will get colder fast. Then start the job. Gary
QuoteOriginally posted by SEMO_HUNTER:
Then I gut the animal before I tag and drag. I lost my tag one time because it came off while I was dragging it out, so now I wait till the animal is either up on an ATV rack or it's been drug back to the truck.
We have to notch our tags now like some other states so that will be done first and foremost when the animal is recovered and that voided tag makes it a legal kill.
You can cut a pouch in the front shoulder of a doe, if it's a buck and you want to mount it, do it on the back ham, and fold your tag up and shove it in the "pocket" you've made in the hide.
The tag won't come out. Old fella at the processor showed me that trick when I was a kid. He asked me where the tag was for my doe and I pulled it out of my pocket. It had been torn off by briars during the drag and I had to go back and find it..
#1 Bask in the glory! It is a wonderful thing to bring meat home. Then pictures, pictures, pictures!
Get a book titled Finding Wounded Deer by John Trout JR. This is a handing book to have. It goes over the signs to look for when tracking a shot deer. Hopefully the deer will drop in sight, but if not knowing the signs to look for will make tracking a lot easier.
Good luck! I'll be watching for your hero picture.
First thing you should do IMHO is notice how your deer reacted to the shot did you hit him well did he run away with the arrow sticking out of him if so how deep was it
Keep your eye on him mentaly mark where he was when you shot him and the last place you saw him
Play it over in your head that will tell you how long to wait so you do not push the deer
Better yet sit for an hour climb out stay away from trail call someone with expierence tracking and get some help the first time.
To loos e adeer is a very hard thing your first can be very frustateing .. But be prepared everyone looses deer it is the nature of the game do your best and learn
QuoteOriginally posted by see:
What Manitoba Stickfinger said.I always kneel down and give thanks to God.I know it's His gift to me.
:thumbsup:
Every deer, I say thanks for. I thank God for giving me a full freezer and thank the deer for giving his life to feed us.
Next, scream your fool head off!! Yes you can both respect the animals and let emotions fly at the same time. ;) I think it would be an injustice to bottle up the mixture of emotions.
Tag that sucker!! It's good for karma and keeps the game warden happy.
Drag it far away as you can from your hunting area to gut it. I'm superstitious about gut piles, mostly cause it attracts coyotes.
Feel the bottom of your sternum in the middle of your ribcage. Nice and soft there huh? Same on a deer. I suggest newbies start here cause most I know are too squeamish to start in the genitle area.
Lay the deer on it's back. Step on each back leg of the deer spreading them out. I can break the pelvic bone if I'm lucky, makes it easier to deal with.
Poke under the skin at the base of the sternum with your knife and keep the edge of your blade facing up. Try not to puncture the stomach or any guts. Slide the blade towards the butt in a "zipping" fashion.
Remove genitles and cut right up to the butt.
Now stick you hand into the chest cavity. MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO BROADHEADS IN IT FIRST!!!!! Grap the windpipe and esophagus with one hand and sever them with the knife.
Pull the guts towards the butt. On older animals there is a membrane attached to the guts, like a gut sack. Cut it as you go and pull everything to one side. Roll the animal over and let everything drain.
Trust me your first couple animals will be tough, don't worry. :thumbsup:
i NEVER field dress. i am fortunate to hunt where i can get a fourwheeler/gator or pickup to the harvest with minimal dragging. i then hang the animal by back legs, skin and gut it allowing all the mess to fall in a large plastic bucket.
this is usually very clean and i can then strategically place gut piles with in range of my 22 250:)
Make sure it's dead. Then field dress.
Find a deer processor and ask him if he needs some free labor. If he allows you to do it let him train you on the art of butchering a deer.
Well, if he runs and dies on the neighbors property, I drag him as fast as I can back on to mine !
As Darren mentioned
"Well, if he runs and dies on the neighbors property, I drag him as fast as I can back on to mine ! "
So it's good to be familiar with your game laws. Most people would let you track onto their land no problem (after you ask) but if you're in an area where boundaries are tight know the laws. In NY for example if you shot a buck and it crossed onto an angry stubborn or anti hunter land owner you just call the game warrden (because all wildlife belongs to the state) and they can go with you on the land to retrieve your trophy. So be familiar with the law and your rights before you go out. Happy hunting
I usually kneel down beside the deer and stroke it's fur and clean it up nice. Then pray, thanking for the opportunity to share this moment with all.
Field dress it and remove it form the forest.
Moose on the other hand get special treatment. I'll admire and talk to it softly then begin the dressing process. Only I can carry the antlers out of the forest and anywhere between the kill site and camp. Once there, I'll pray to the moose god and rub every inch of antler while doing that. Once that's over, then my partners can handle the antlers. They understand and don't ask.
Oh Boy.....Bear track, that last moose you killed when we hunted moose together...... I forgot to thank you for letting me pack out that whole moose, less the antlers. Your such a pal. I prayed to, But Jesus never showed up with his pack frame !!!! Man That was a big bodied moose. I would do it again in a heart beat for ya buddy ;) This is going to be a good year !! As for my last comment, the land owner next to me is NOT a nice guy. He thinks all the deer and land are his. As for our local game wardens. GOOD LUCK finding one. Far and few in this Province.
rluttrell, What part of CA. you at ??
Tagging sounds like such a simple process. Make sure you read your state game book, before you head out to hunt, and understand the requirements. Read it every year because the rules do change on occasion. Next,make sure you can attach the completed tag in a way that it will not be lost when your transporting your critter. I now carry a few longer, plastic ties and a pen in a zip lock bag in my pack every time I go out. Unfortunately, I had the experience of dragging a TX buck out to my truck and in the process I lost my completed tag. I backtracked and was fortunate to locate it in a cactus/mesquite thicket. Didn't get a ticket but could have. The rest of the process has been very well covered above.Good luck and enjoy the experience.