ORIGINAL: WalMart
Poking it in the arse or even an eyeball is to make sure the deer is dead. I've heard of dead deer getting up real quick, and gorging the hunter with it's rack.
Some hunters are too uptight.......so what if someone in your party touches your deer first. If it was some stranger....that would be a different story.
Poking it in the rear gives you no indication if it's dead, it might even tolerate that and still git up...that's my point but you brought up a good point..poking the eye is the only way to verify life without taking it's pulse.
As for touching the animal, so I'm uptight, I've been called worse but I guess you just don't get it....but your entitled to your opinion as am I. It's a sacred moment and one I take seriously.