I can relate. I took 8 years off all hunting when I met my wife. I' m just now getting back into it like I used to be. She' s a city girl and doesn' t understand the hunting/fishing/outdoor addiction.

The first thing you might have to do is track the deer. Be prepared in case the shot doesn' t drop the deer in it' s tracks. Once you' ve recovered your deer you' ll want to tag it. Here in PA we' re not allowed to move the animal until it' s been properly tagged. Next decide where you plan to gut the deer. Gutting the deer in the field will save some weight when dragging. At that point I drag mine back to camp and hang it to cool down. If I' m hunting close to home I' ll just take it right to the butcher.