JC-1

Here's where I really show how much a newby I am... :-(

I was stalking in the deep brush looking for squirrels this weekend and happened across an 8 pt shooter. Needless to say - he was gone before I could do much more than gape at him. hehe...

I spent the rest of the afternoon looking for his routes .. and additional squirrels of course. Found a rub next to a small stream and his bedding area where I fist saw him. Going to make one more trip out there to try and find a good ambush site for when gun season opens up on 11/2.

HOWEVER - I am a very new hunter. Not new to guns - just new to hunting. Therefore, I have a few most likely basic questions.


Assuming - I manage to get a shot at him and hit him. Then what?

1.) Are there any online tutorials on tracking? I've read the tracking threads but not sure if they are all inclusive. Are there any gotchas I can avoid?

2.) Do I gut and clean him right then and there?? [stupid question] Ok, so what equipment do I need to have in my pack to accomplish this properly?

3.) How do I get him out of the forest without filling the carcass up with leaves and stuff?? I have a golf bag carrier so I'll use that to carry him on but it still leaves a lot to be desired on contamination prevention.

4.) My vehicle is a Firebird. How do I get him home? Do I cut him up and stick him in a cooler? Or do I need to find a buddy with a truck? And yes, I'm pricing out a jeep to purchase asap.

5.) How do I get him butchered? I don't have a walk-in cooler or anything even close. Where would I go to have someone do this? How much would it cost?


Sorry about the simplistic questions. I know it's not a scientific debate over the size of the bullet or a comparison about the volume of the bang - but it is information I need and haven't found yet.


Thanx...

Clark





Houston, TX

mauser06

you did good finding the sign your first time out...tracking is an art all on its own...i duno if there is anything online...just something your either good at or terrible...my dad knows how but cant see jack so he taught me and i can find tiny pieces of flesh and bloody hairs ect...after the shot id say wait atleast 20 mins after the shot unless you watched him fall..empty the shot shell and put in one and be ready...if you can see him walk to him and be ready hi may get up...crack him again if he does...if not poke him with the muzzle in the eye if it doesnt blink hes expiered...if you didnt see where he fell wait atleast 20 mins and then walk to where he was when you shot...look for blood..hair..pieces of meat...ect...and follow his trail to where you last seen him...always keep your ears open and look up ahead of yourself to help look for him and make sure u dont bump him out and make it an all day thing...when you loose the trail make circles from there until you pick it up again...gutshot deer are said to head towards water if you really loose it and cant find anything...if no water look in the thickest cover you can find...yes its usually best to gut them on sight of where they are...all i use is a knife with a 3 inch blade or so....leaves never is a problem for me and i drag mine on the bare ground..if they are a problem rinse with good water when you are home(water you wouldnt mind drinking) hose water from your house should be fine if you drink your house water...i put a pretty big doe in the back of a geometro and it fit fine...the front legs were tied to the neck though(easier to drag like that) if it wont fit in your trunk even if u leave it open and tie the trunk down i duno...id say throw him on the roof but that can damage your car bad and he wont stay there without being secured good...he should fit in the trunk...(definently hard to get him there yourself! good luck there)throw a drop loth like youd use to pain a roof in your trunk to help clean up....there should be a butcher around you look in the phone book...ask around guys at gunshops or looking at hunting gear at a store or a friend that hunts...or call the game commision they may be able to help.... good luck on the buck!

timbercruiser

If you have any friends, relatives or neighbors that hunt or are semi-outdoorsmen I would carry a cell phone with me hunting. If you get a good shot, call them to help you out. If you have never gutted or helped gut a deer you probably will need a little help.

eddiee

Poking the deer in the eye and if he doesn't blink he is dead. I DON'T THINK SO. Two years ago I did just that to a nice 8 point I just shot. Well, he did not blink. So I proceeded to Pick up the antlers to check them out. Then he started kicking, luckily I was standing on the other side or I would have taken a few hoof shots to the groin.
Eddie

Edited by - eddiee on 09/30/2002 19:18:12

JC-1

Unfortunately, all my family is from the EXTREME religious right. Guns, hunting, illicit sex, alcohol, and tobacco are definate NO-NOs. That's why when I graduated from college - I joined the USMC, shot guns, hunted Iraqis in the desert, had pre-marital relations with stippers, drank, and smoked. hehe... Ahhh.. the memories....<img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

I'm in the computer industry so most of my friends are a little on the light side of physical activity. I can't get them to go skydiving with me much less hunting. I've got almost 500 jumps.

Sheeesh... I even had to have one of my son's friend's grandmother show me how to gut the squirrels we shot this weekend. When you're done - looks a lot like chicken!

I have a cell phone so that's not a prob. It's just that they are gonna be 2+ hours away. Unless I can find some Houston area hunters who are gonna be in the same WMA and are willing to help a new guy out - I have a funny feeling I'm gonna be on my own.

hehe... I can see it now... I'm hacking this deer away into pieces so I can fit him into the cooler in my car... blood dripping everywhere... deer entrails strewn all around.... a fresh cup'o blood sitting on the roof for drinking... all around a sports car with skydiving stickers on it...

Wonder what would be the first thought to enter a GW's mind?


hehe..

Clark

Houston, TX

mrfishy34

first off i dont know about tracking. all i can say is make sure after you have hit em weere he was. use a land mark to remember. like a tree, rock somthing of that nature. then look in the direction he went if considering if he didnt drop on the spot. then its a must to clean him right away. and then wash out the carcus. then you dont have to worrie about some leaves gettin in the carcus or even alittle dirt. because you should have water back at the car also so when you get done draggin him you can wash him out agin. when we do it we just gut him out and then take him back to the house and hose em down with the hose. all you need is a sharp knife. i have a saw. i am not sure what it is called but it is a little saw and i use it to saw the chest bone. but if you have a sharp knife it will cut the chest bone to. as for the car i dono about how to haul him. i have a pick up. just find a local butcher to have him butchered. i have one in a town by me and he charges $100. but i have 2 other people in my family (uncle and aunt) that do it them selves and i have been helpin them so i think i know how to do it myself.
<blockquote>Shoot Em, Eat Em, Mount Em
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deernut

If you ever see that deer again, and if you get a shot at him and if you hit him, watch the direction he takes off in, wait a reasonable amount of time(10 or 15) especially if you didn't see him fall or stumble hard as he ran off. Catch your breath, try to stop shaking, smoke one if you got-em. Before you leave your stand pay very close attention to marking some sort of landmark in your mind where he was when you took the shot, Because; if you are in a tree the landscape is gonna look completely different once you are on the ground and moving. when you find him be very careful I read a story once in field and stream about how they found a hunter dead alongside him was a puddle of deer blood, a trail of blood where he had dragged a &quot;dead deer&quot; from the woods, apparently the hunter unloaded his gun then was about to dress out the &quot;dead deer&quot; when suddenly the &quot;dead deer&quot; jumped up and proceeded to puncture the hunter's lung with one of his antlers the poor guy bled to death before he even made it into his truck,
anyway skipping to the end of my discourse before everyone falls asleep, put him on the trunk of the car feet forward tie a rope to the front legs and thread it through the cars passenger compartment out the other side and then tie it to his rear legs. Good luck, hunt safe, enjoy

spinefxr

JC-1: I'm also a jumper- a little over 400 jumps. Blue Skies-

JC-1

Thanx guys!! I think I'm starting to get a mental picture on how to make this work!!

Let me clarify for my own thoughts.

1.) Shoot the 12pt trophy buck or everything else is moot. [Hey.. you know how these stories go - he'll be a 16pt after I have another beer.]

2.) Watch and make a note of a landmark and direction that he ran. I have a GPS so I'll simply mark a waypoint where I shot him and go in the direction he ran. Look for blood or other disturbances to indicate which direction he headed to next. I also have some orange tape to help with this as I go.

3.) FOUND HIM! Lock-n-load ready for a follow-up in case he tries to have a detrimental effect on my family planning. I'm guessing a few good pokes and maybe a kick or two to ensure he's completely harvested? I suppose you can't take a pulse on a deer? <img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>

4.) Gut him. I found a How-to online so I guess I'll just follow those instructions. Since it'll be my first time - and I have no clue what I'm gonna be doing - it'll prolly be bloody as hell. So maybe should gloves should be included in my pack.

5.) Travel back to the car and get the golf cart buggy thingy and a gallon of H2O. Rinse him out, bag him, and load him on the buggy for the ride back to the car.

6.) Put protective tarp in the car and drag him in and tie him down.

7.) Call everyone on my phone list going WOHOOOO!!!!!!!


So is this about the gist of the process??

Time frame is what would concern me. He was about 1.2 miles into the forest so we're talking about appx. two hours before I even get him to the car. Then it's about a 2 hour drive back to Houston. Then factor in the butcher delay and I may have some inedible meat. How long is too long???

Whew!! It's starting to look like I'm gonna be packin' a full rucksack again. I've got an equipment checklist started and soon will be humpin' it in the woods again!! But THIS time - I'll be HOPING I find something to shoot at! hehe



Can't wait!! Getting excited already!


Clark


Houston, TX

Edited by - drache on 10/01/2002 00:49:58

JC-1

WOHOO!!! Spinefxr!!

If you're ever in Houston - come on down to Skydive Houston! We'll hunt in the morning... make a few jumps around noonish... and hunt till the sun goes down! Then.. NIGHT JUMPS!!

Ahhh... a perfect weekend!


Clark
D23955

Houston, TX