Hey all, just joined the site. I have a couple of questions. I am new to hunting whitetails and having multiple tags. I grew up hunting mule deer and elk. I am in Arkansas right now and am hunting on public land. I was wondering if you guys field dress a deer when you find it or if you move it. I wasn't sure if that would hurt any future hunting in that are. The next question I have is I have never hunted from a stand and have been just still hunting on the ground. I have had a few come close but not close enough. Is this ok hunting or do I need a stand? Lastely I am moving to Anchorage, Alaska in May and was wondering if any of you know the prime hunting and fishing spots up that way. Sorry this is so loaded but these have been some pressing issues. Man I have been losing sleep. Thanks

Personally I usually don't filed dress my deer, unless it's been a while since I shot it and it needs to be done. I'll just take it home, dress it out and throw the carcass and guts away at the house. Usually in a pit we cover later, or in the river for catfish.

Usually with whitetail a stand will get your scent away from them.
However, I've killed just as many on the ground as a stand.

When it comes to field dressing it depends weather or not I can get the truck to him. If I cant pull the truck up to him then I will field dress him on the spot, if I can pull the truck up then I will load him up and take him to the "processing facility" by the lodge. The bigger bucks I wont even gut sometimes, I'll just drive them straight to the taxidermist who will do everything.

I hunt out of all kinds of deer stands but my favorite method is sitting on the ground, I've had a lot of success both ways.

I gut em where they lay, Why drag the extra weight? Also you want it to cool down as soon as posible. I used to still hunt alot and came close alot, but didn't get my first deer till I got a stand.

Personal Preference on whether to hunt in a stand or on the ground. However being elevated helps to keep your scent away from deers noses and you have increased visibility. The ground has its advantages too though, I have found that it is much easier to make a one time hunting spot on the ground and for a quick setup you generally have more shooting lanes. Both techniques work well.

As for when to gut a deer, it all depends on you. If you plan to hunt the area again I would wait until your away from your hunting ground, as I have had expierences where a blood trail left from a wounded deer will upset your whole hunting area and your deer sightings will decline greatly.
Good Luck!

I always try to field dress away from where I'm hunting if at all possible... for that low impact approach. However, I've seen deer ignore a gut pile left by other hunters too. Just depends on the animals mood I would presume.

Either hunting method works well... although I prefer the elevated vantage point if there are trees that will accomodate my climber. If not and the area is just too good to pass up, I'll pick shooting lanes, check the wind and adjust to the ground cover accordingly. No one way is really a "better" way IMO.

First off I gut them where they lay for a couple of reasons. ! I let my deer hang before processing it. 2 I hunt aways from the house 3 to get the chest cavity cooled down ASAP.

Hunting from the ground can be done but you have to play the wind right. Your scent is a bigger factor on the ground because it is right at nose level with the deer. I hunt mostly out of a stand but a couple of my favorite spots I cann't hunt from a stand. Also you need to conceal yourself better on the ground. I make make shift blind from limbs and use blind material to help. Hunting from the ground can be done but you cannot get away with the things you can hunting from a stand.

Gut it on the spot and hunt on the ground since I was disabled

I gut my deer where they lay as well,don't worry about it affecting the area you hunt because it doesn't bother the deer ,I've had deer come and smell the gut pile and it doesn't seem to bother them.
Second ! hunting from the ground is o.k. but maybe you should get yourself a ground blingd with scent loc to keep your scent hidden ,when your in a tree your able to see much better what's moving around you and your scent is up off the ground .But if you use the proper scent eliminating spray's you'll be fine .

nubo