Deer Hunting Question
 

I am a novice deer hunter, (I have only been deer hunting twice and only saw a deer on one of those hunts. And we did not come home with a buck!) I have a question that I have heard debated a couple of times. After you shoot the deer do you need to gut him and skin him right away or can it wait until you are back in camp. I have heard others say if you wait that the meat will be ruined. So tell me what do you need to do and what can wait until later. Thanks!

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

ddog, welcome to the forum. You asked a question that can have several answers: you should not have to gut and skin your deer qiuckly after killing it UNLESS it is pretty warm outside .My version of that is 65 plus degrees outside. It really depends on how hot or warm it is .
Hope this helps some.
Beulahboy

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

I agree it really depends on how hot it is outside. If its hot you need to try and do it right away if its cool you can wait until you get back to camp.

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

I always gut on site....before moving it pretty much

but i dont skin until after i let it hang for awhile

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

I drop the guts ASAP to start the cooling process and obviously to remove any matter that may have been distrubed by the shot. Equally I like the hide off as soon as possible, usually not until I am at location it can be hung and free from dust, etc. If it is warm outside you have less time to perform each process. If the animal can not be hung where the temperature can be maintainedat no higher than the 40's, I will debone or quarter then place in a fridge or on ice to ensure it is adequately cooled and no loss. One of the toughest things is cooling the entire carcass down, so the use of stick to open the chest cavity or frozen milk jugs inside the cavity can help in this regard.

Handling and care of your game is the single biggest factor to meat quality. Unfortunately it has many facets such as: clean harvest, cooling of the carcass in a timely fashion, handling of the carcass, removal of any stomach or intestinethat may have been distrubed, cleanknive/saw/etcand care when butchering (removal of hair, silverskin and fat).

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

Being from Florida I gut immediately for 2 reasons.
1. Main reason ,it is esier to carry out with the weight of the intrals gone. Where I hunt you can not een use a cart. I have to put an orange vest over the deer and carry that puppy out. I did last year. I fell down 20 some times but I made it.
2. I was just brought up that way.;)
Once in the WMA check station, most guys skin immediately ,1/4 the deer and put him in the cooler.

Chuck

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

Field dress the deer (gut it) first thing. Why drag guts ? Yes, down south where some clubs run dogs, and the deer can be on the small side. They like to bring the deer out whole and the pictures do look better. Don't skin him, until you get back to camp and the weather gets warm.
Oh ya, what are you going to do with guts when you get back home ?

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

I gut immediatetly for the same reasons as already mentioned; it gets the cooling process going, and it lightens the load. We have a rack (looks like a big swingset) at camp that we hang them from. I'll hang it then wash the cavity with a hose which both cleans and continues the cooling. I'll typically leave the hide on for a couple days if the weather is cool enough.

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

All my life with my club we have sent guys out from camp to meet the guy at this stand site. We have a location on one of our farms that has become the "gut spot" after years of habitually going there. We usually have it done within an hour. I have never tasted any bit of difference in a deer we gutted immediately on the drive, or waited awhile after shooting it out of a treestand. Personally, I don't want to be guttingin an area anywhere near a standsite i intend to hunt.

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

Chuck, I have hunted Aucilla,Citrus and Green Swamp and they asked us to bring the
whole deer to the check station. Somtimes the state is conducting specialsurveys of
deer internal parts in differentWMA's. They use to have gut pile areas to dispose of
the parts they were not interested in.The Aucilla area had an Ice Housethat charged
$4.00a day. It is easier to butcher when chilled 3 or 4 days.

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

Most people said it can wait if its cold enough and i agree with that. But if you dont want to kill yourself gut it right there. But since you said your a novice hunter just asking how old are you. You should still probably have someone hunt with you. It took me four years till I hunted by myself. Anyways even with 2 people pulling out a deer that hasnt been field dressed is still hard work. I had to pull my doe up this steep hill about 30 yards up to my grandpaw could grab on and help me. Thats how steep it was I had to leave my gun and all my gear down there. Also its good having someone with you that knows what they are doing when you field dress them. There just like a big rabbit. But its still some hard work. It was over 60 degress when i got that doe and when I got my grandpaw we gutted it right then and there. Took us about an hour to get it checkd and to the process center. When I got it back it was the best deer meat I ever had.

Trust me when you get your first deer you wont care what it is. Mine was a button buck I thought was a doe. Still happy as can be about it. Maybe this year ill get my first big buck. And dont get disapointed if you dont get one soon.I got mine on my third deer season. GOOD LUCK!!!

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

Rebel,
You are correct. Last year it was an option as far as the intrals. I'm glad. I shot mine 3/4 mile in the swamp. Thanks for the imfo.
Chuck

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

I gut mine right away! just the way i was taught! I once forgot my knife, i had opened a broad head and feild dressed it with that! Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!:D

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

[1]put ur tag on him [2] than gut right away - i hunt up in canada where it's cold in nov. !! my brother shot a buck in the morning , we only found him the next day around 3.00 pm . he was gut shot also he was swollen and smelled terribly ..we did not eat venison that year ...[3] gutting ur deer is part of the hunt ...

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

I gut as soon as it's tagged, starts it cooling and makes the drag easier. Last year a friend of a friend was hunting with us, he shot a doe at about 2 in the afternoon and let it sit as he wanted another. He didn't gut it till 5:30 and it stunk to high heaven. Glad he wasn't driving home with me. This was gun season and the temps were about 35-40.

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

Well I think it is best if you gut your deer right away but it can wait a for a period of time but i would try to have guted it by the 3 hour but thats just me

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

wait for what ???????????????/ gutting the deer is part of hunting ..

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

FIrst thing I do is tag the deer. Thats the state regulation.. I drag the deer about 150 yards from where my hunting spot is and gut the deer there. Once the deer is gutted I make great time leaving the woods.

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

definately try to gut it right away if possible unless you need help. It is part of the hunt. The guts should stay in the field and be out as quick as possible as they are the biggest contamination source for the meat no matter the temperature. The skinning though can be done later depending on the temperature. Most people I know would either laugh the arse off or scratch their head if a hunter came back with a non-gutted animal ( unless he was a complete novice or their was some scientific request by the dnr or whatever)

RE: Deer Hunting Question
 

i will field dress the deer where it lays. when i get back home i will then skin and 1/4 the deer placing the 1/4's into a fridge over night. then i will process it the following day.

several years back when i first started hunting i would hang the deer in the garage/barn for several days if the weather was cold enough but as of late our november seasons temps are to radical to do that.