Am I the only one doing this?
 

For the last 3 years I haven't drug a deer out of the woods even though I have shot 10. Here in IA, wehave been having unlimited doe tags for $11 after the 1st one at $26. I have a landowner that is overrun with deer and wants me to shoot does and I am happy to do so. When I shoot a deer, I go back to my truck, leave my bow behind, and grab a backpack with a hoist, gambrel, rope,rubber gloves, and a trash bag. Where the deer lies I gut it, tie the hoist to a nearby tree with the rope, lift it, skin it, and bone it, put the meat in a trash bag, and place it in my backpack. I can skin and boneout a deer in 20-30 minutes. I have no deer carcass to get rid of and I'm not skinning out some week old, cold or frozen deer like 90% of the guys around here do. :)

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

That's a great way to do it. Wish I could do it that way but that would be illeagal here in Mich. We can not alter anything that would prove the sex of the animal.

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

we have to leave it intact too. Plus, I kind if like butchering deer and drinkin' a few beers on a sunday afternoon.:D


Actually, hardcore, I think our law is more like you said, but with certain limits, but I don't bother with it.

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

Can't you have the genitals attached to a piece of meat or hide?

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

I do the same thing if I have a long hike back to the road. Except... I leave the deer on the ground, skin out all four legs, ribs and backstraps without having to gut by doing one side at a time. You can get the inside tenderloins if you're careful and then drag the entire remainder of the carcass away from the stand. I carry cheese cloth and put the cheeseclothed meat in a GI duffle bag for the hike. I'm sure you don't... but I wouldn't leave the meat in a trash bag for a long period of time because lots of bacteria prefer oxyegen poor environments.. It takes about twenty minutes to complete after you get the hang of it.

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

When I get home I wash the meat and soak it in salt water for 3-4 days; changing the salty water every day.

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

Mich. dnr has alot of dumb rules and we still have a ton of violaters. They think you need the whole deer to be able to tell the gender.

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

Good deal they aren't in charge of an elk herd there; you guys would all have back problems.:)

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

I've done it on several occasions in certain instances and places. The place we've hunted the past few years is surrounded by yuppie anti homes with dogs. We always try to low key it and show a low/no profile. The last thing we need is some bow wowzer dragging home a hide. They'd have an investigation and all sorts of things into the murder.[&:][8D] Until this past year we had to take the WHOLE deer, minus guts, to a check station. Well, we were suppose to anyway.

RE: Am I the only one doing this?
 

Well, where I hunt you can call in to an automated system and check in your deer. So that would work. I don't shoot much anymore but a friend of mine hunts where he can get his truck to the deer. Gets them home guts an all then pulls his meat and dumps the remains on his back forty for the critters.