ORIGINAL: hunting101

Hi, I'm new here. And to hunting. And to proccessing. Well, quite inexperienced all the way around as far as hunting in general. I did harvest my first deer this year. I tried a couple of years ago with a shotgun. Unsuccesful. However, this year I attempted with archey. Day 1 = Deer 1. I did have a friend with me that harvested a few himself in the past. So field dressing the first one wasn't so hard. I'm going out tomorrow, by myself. If I am blessed enough once again I'm sure it won't be quite as easy this time around. But I hope I'm wrong. I did butcher the first one with the help of another friend. Though time consuming, not too difficult. My wife and I think quite a bit alike. So utilizing every part of the deer was quite successful also. This included making and canning stock from the bones (spine, legs, ribs, and joints) after which we were able to remove all other pieces of hard to get meat. This actually made for very good BBQ, homemade sauce of course. Like I said her & I think alike. I decided to do this after asking around and finding out that to have a deer processed in my area ranged in price from $80 to upwards of over $200. Now I know this all depends on what you want to have done with the meat but come on. Plus like I read in earlier postings there was never a guarentee as to what or who's deer you might recieve in return. Now I know I said there was a friend helping with hunting and a friend that helped with the butchering, I still was completely clueless. The hunting part is something I can study up on, but until I actually went out in the field and start hunting I just simply didn't have a clue. The same went with butchering. I wasn't raised to hunt or butcher. By the time my father started hunting we had no relationship to speek of (problems from earlier on in life). Our realtionship started to mend over a couple of years (2003- early 2005). Just in time for him to pass away. Never got a chance to hunt with him. I don't say that for sympathy. I just hope anyone reading this will take their family out as often as possible. In the past year I have managed to get my 9 now 10 year old son through a hunter's safety course and liscensed. I was able to get my wife out deer hunting this year (handgun). I was also able to take my son squirell hunting a couple of times. Neither my wife or son were succesful this year. However, that hasn't stopped them both from wanting go back out next year. I have purchased a 20ga. shotgun for my son and a Ruger .454 casull handgun for my wife. You would just have to understand her. That's one reason why I love her. Anyway any help, advice, tips, etc. that can be thrown my way would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone reading, Ryan

GREAT POST!!!

My advice is to read EVERYTHING you can get your eyes onto, and then re-read it all.  I rotate my old Field & Streams and Outdoor Life in with the new issues throughout the year.  When it comes time for scouting, or just hiking, I try new things, notice different things, and learn something new each and every time.  Now that you're into it, it'll only get better.  When you stop learning is when you die.  Before that happens, pass on what you can.  Sounds like you're off to a good start.

Congrats and good luck in the future.

T.T.,
 
I'm staring to drive my wife nuts with all of the magazines and hunting shows. I think she realizes the importance though, so she doesn't fuss too much. I like most of the hunting shows. Especially Jim Shockey and Roger Raglin. Though they don't alway have a tendency to focus on deer hunting I still enjoy them. For the deer I like watching any of the shows from guys from around the midwest (IL, IA, etc.). I live in Illinois. We have many deer, many elusive deer. As far as magazines, I read Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Illinois Hunter, and just about anything else I can get my hands on. My mother works for a hospital here so she is forever bringing over hunting, shooting , and fishing magazines. Never a shortage in that department. I am lacking in the scouting however. Is there a specific time of year this should be done? I will make a concerted effort this year to get as often as possible. One problem that I run into alot here is that I hunt public land. So when the firearm season rolls around the deer don't keep any normal daytime patterns. But there is still much that can be learned these situations. It's pretty hard to find anyone willing to let you hunt there private land. I guess too much liability involved. I don't give up on asking though. If I can gain access to some private land that would be like finding a gold mine. The pressure on the public land in insane. Opening morning sounds like a war zone. My main focus is hunting for meat. But, if a good buck walks by, tag permitting, I will eat the meat and have the have the head mounted. Thanks for all the advice and anymore that can be shot at me.

doubletaper,
 
Thanks for the advice. The deer fat will be removed!

The "fish" are inside the body cavity, on either side of the spine, starting at the back of the rib cage and ending at the front of the hind quarters.
... and I always cut up my own deer. I took one to a processor, years ago, and swore it would never happen again. I got 1/2 the meat, and it had hair all through it. (No butterflies, either, even though it had been a heart shot and never touched the spine, shoulders, or front legs.) I do take the meat to be ground to a processor, and I watch while he grinds it.