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I think I shot a deer

O

one-eyed Jack

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Friend of son in Mass, first time hunter and with a bow , calls my son in NH. I think I shot a deer. Where are you? In my stand. What do I do now? Wait an hour and go look for blood. Hour goes by. It's a 7 point buck and he's dead. Now what? Gut it out. Don't know how. Can you help me? No, I'm on a job hour and a half away. Take it home and watch Utube on deer gutting. How do I get it to the car? You have a rope? No. Drag it by an antler and put it on your car. I have a Charger, no truck. Get it in or on the car somehow or go buy some rope. Did you tag it? No. Tag it now. I have no pen. Buy a pen also. How do I butcher it? Look. Just get it home, gut it, hang it up and call me in the morning. Where do I hang it. You figure it out. Watch Utube on deer processing. Keep it cold. Won't fit in the fridge. What do I do with the guts? Good night. This is a true story. Can't wait to see how it all ended up. Jack.
 
Realtor MA said:
How did he know what a deer looks like?
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He's an OK guy, I know him. He just did no pre-planning and wasn't prepared for what could happen. No mentor or hunting buddies. Hope won't let the buck spoil. I would have gone (same town) with my truck and helped him right away, but not with my back issue. If it were not for that, my son would have called me to help him. Jack.
 
MisterHappy said:
You know, I think I'll print out Jack's post, and use it in Hunter Ed classes.

We tell the students to bring a pen, when they go hunting - easier than sharpening a stick, and using Bambi's blood. Also, MassWildlife gives all students a pen. [rofl]
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My guess is that if he didn't have a pen and drag rope, he probably had no knife. Jack.
 
Not good. Especially for a bowhunter. Gotta know what your doing....this is why a lot of states require a bowhunting course.

The first statement of "wait an hour" could have been a disaster if he gut shot the deer. He could have kicked it up and would have never found it.

Glad everything worked out OK....but he was lucky it did.
 
Mark from MA said:
Not good. Especially for a bowhunter. Gotta know what your doing....this is why a lot of states require a bowhunting course.

The first statement of "wait an hour" could have been a disaster if he gut shot the deer. He could have kicked it up and would have never found it.

Glad everything worked out OK....but he was lucky it did.
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Well, Mark, Maybe at least a half hour. The hunters in my family have taken many deer with bow and have never lost one. (Knock on wood). In NH they keep the contact #s of the guys with the "Tracker dogs" on them and have actually had to call one who's dog found the deer in a bog where they never would have recovered it. The deer was down but alive. The dog hollered like hell till they arrived, and meanwhile held the deer down with a grip on it's neck. I don't know if there are trackers in Mass, but it's a good thing to know for hunting NH. Jack.
 
HorizontalHunter said:
Not legal in Massachusetts or Connecticut IIRC.

Bob
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Too bad. I guess that they'd rather have a wounded deer finished up by the 'yotes. From what I've been told, the NH trackers are guys who have the time, train and keep their own dogs, need to pay for a license and are not allowed to charge for their service. In this case we got the home address of the tracker and mailed him an envelope with some cash in it. I guess or at least hope that others do the same. Jack.
 
one-eyed Jack said:
Too bad. I guess that they'd rather have a wounded deer finished up by the 'yotes. From what I've been told, the NH trackers are guys who have the time, train and keep their own dogs, need to pay for a license and are not allowed to charge for their service. In this case we got the home address of the tracker and mailed him an envelope with some cash in it. I guess or at least hope that others do the same. Jack.
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Mass makes a lot of stuff simple, by saying, "No."

Dogs are not allowed for hunting deer. Hunting is defined as pretty much anything more invasive than looking at, from a distance. Therefore, no tracker dogs.

I helped a bunch of falconers one day, by walking around with a ski pole, whacking brush piles, to scare rabbits (didn't find any). That was hunting without a license. Of course, the EPO that I was (after the fact) discussing this with, said, "We leave falconers alone, because they're all crazy,"
 
... "Gut it"....
... " I don't know how...."
Start with the butt hole, slice up the middle with the blade out, cut in at the chest plate, reach in for the wind pipe and cut, yank out all the plumbing.
Like I told my son, Poop pipe to food pipe, everything in between is all connected. Doesn't matter what critter it is.
And try not to cut anything near the back half or the meat will taste like shit.
 
one-eyed Jack said:
Friend of son in Mass, first time hunter and with a bow , calls my son in NH. I think I shot a deer. Where are you? In my stand. What do I do now? Wait an hour and go look for blood. Hour goes by. It's a 7 point buck and he's dead. Now what? Gut it out. Don't know how. Can you help me? No, I'm on a job hour and a half away. Take it home and watch Utube on deer gutting. How do I get it to the car? You have a rope? No. Drag it by an antler and put it on your car. I have a Charger, no truck. Get it in or on the car somehow or go buy some rope. Did you tag it? No. Tag it now. I have no pen. Buy a pen also. How do I butcher it? Look. Just get it home, gut it, hang it up and call me in the morning. Where do I hang it. You figure it out. Watch Utube on deer processing. Keep it cold. Won't fit in the fridge. What do I do with the guts? Good night. This is a true story. Can't wait to see how it all ended up. Jack.
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These are the usual types that are the subject of search and rescue missions.

There's no excuse for that level of ignorance and ill preparedness in today's world......NONE.
 
Uzi2 said:
These are the usual types that are the subject of search and rescue missions.

There's no excuse for that level of ignorance and ill preparedness in today's world......NONE.
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He was in Acton, only about 100 yds from his car. That helped. In my 70 yrs of hunting, I've seen a LOT of dumb stuff. One time in NH we had a newbie hunter with us. He was on leave from the army, new to the area, so we told him to stay on the logging trail so as to not get lost. He saw a deer, did a low crawl with the rifle across his arms, just like he was taught and took a rest on a stone wall. Held his breath, squeezed and dumped a goat that was tied to the corner of a shed. We heard the shot and went to check it out. When we got there, the lady who owned the goat had taken his rifle from him and was trying to beat him to death with it. We resolved the situation by giving the lady a bunch of cash to buy two new goats to save his life. And we sent him home. Then there was the guy who tipped over a domestic pig with his '06 and took it to the check-in station. That's another story. Jack.
 
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I wouldn't feel right about taking an animal's life in hunting and not knowing how to then process it properly (or at least have a game plan). If that meat spoils or gets contaminated, then congrats! You just killed an animal for nothing.
 
ReluctantDecoy said:
I wouldn't feel right about taking an animal's life in hunting and not knowing how to then process it properly (or at least have a game plan). If that meat spoils or gets contaminated, then congrats! You just killed an animal for nothing.
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First few times I went I went with friends that were there to teach me. They let me dress out a deer they shot with their instructions. That's how I learned.
 
whacko said:
First few times I went I went with friends that were there to teach me. They let me dress out a deer they shot with their instructions. That's how I learned.
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This is what I'd try to do. I posted that more for myself than to virtue signal. I've never hunted. Would like to, but would also like to do it right with both a humane kill and to make the most of the game. That means I'd educate the sh*t out of myself on the topic first, and then also go with people who know what they're doing. If I ever get to the point I'm calling in phone support for "what do I do after I kill it", I dun F-up.
 
ReluctantDecoy said:
This is what I'd try to do. I posted that more for myself than to virtue signal. I've never hunted. Would like to, but would also like to do it right with both a humane kill and to make the most of the game. That means I'd educate the sh*t out of myself on the topic first, and then also go with people who know what they're doing. If I ever get to the point I'm calling in phone support for "what do I do after I kill it", I dun F-up.
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Once you field dress one deer you'll say damn that's all it is? It is easy
 
whacko said:
Once you field dress one deer you'll say damn that's all it is? It is easy
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In my family every deer dressing becomes a debate. One guy wants to split the pelvic bone, the other just wants to core out the bung hole. One will wait till someone comes along to help pinch off the bladder at both ends. One wants to leave the heart and lungs in to try to sneak the weight up at the scale. Another wants to leave the heart in to keep it clean. One wants to wipe the inside clean with leaves. Another will drag the deer forever to find a stream to wash it. Another will wait till there is a garden hose available. They will argue forever about washing or not washing the inside. One wants to split the sternum all the way up to the chin to get all the wind pipe out. The one who whacked the deer usually wins the debate, but then the others will stop helping and just find fault with his methods. Then of course comes the issue of how long to hang it, at what temp. and head up or down. What a bunch. Jack.
 
one-eyed Jack said:
In my family every deer dressing becomes a debate. One guy wants to split the pelvic bone, the other just wants to core out the bung hole. One will wait till someone comes along to help pinch off the bladder at both ends. One wants to leave the heart and lungs in to try to sneak the weight up at the scale. Another wants to leave the heart in to keep it clean. One wants to wipe the inside clean with leaves. Another will drag the deer forever to find a stream to wash it. Another will wait till there is a garden hose available. They will argue forever about washing or not washing the inside. One wants to split the sternum all the way up to the chin to get all the wind pipe out. The one who whacked the deer usually wins the debate, but then the others will stop helping and just find fault with his methods. Then of course comes the issue of how long to hang it, at what temp. and head up or down. What a bunch. Jack.
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No debate with me. I split the pelvis....its easier. And I split the ribs open to cut the windpipe. I have fat hands and the beginnings of arthritis......it just makes the task easier. Once dressed it goes in my truck and straight to the butcher. Done.
 
This is how I felt when I got my start hunting, lots of nervousness and dumb questions. Didnt have any hunters in my family to teach me as a kid so I relied on friends and coworkers to teach me as an adult.

....I blew it out of proportion
 

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