Cultural practices vary. For some it involves offering deer a drink of water or last bite. For some tobacco and a prayer offered. Thanks for deer gifting itself. In Europe a branch tip dipped in blood and worn in hat(some interesting ceremonies with some of their hunts too)seems closest to blood on cheeks here.

I'm pretty sure the blood smearing thing comes from the Indians. Everybody wants to be an Indian.

Back when I started deer hunting in the early 70s, it was the "norm" to have your buck tied to your vehicle in some fashion for folks to see on the way home. It really was a different mind-set back then.

Diving into those warm guts and blood with both arms seems to be enough initiation for most. Generally, I end up with plenty of blood stripes without even trying to put them on.

But traditions are cool!

Forever as I can remember, when someone from my family kill's a deer! We gut, drag, butcher, and eat? Nothing complicated! After all, it's delicious & nutritious.

If that's your tradition....I say stay with it...I always thank God for my harvests. I do my best to never take a shot that I cannot make....but everyone messes up sometimes....I don't have a truck anymore so my deer ride home on a hitch rack out there for all to see. I have never had a problem...in fact I have had many people taking a look or two...it does help I live in the country.

As for the blood on the face...its similar to the movie Red Dawn...they do that and drink the blood....nope not gonna drink the blood but for a kid to get some blood on them...I think that is a good thing...kinda brings things full circle as to what just happened...you took a life...The deer died...it is a happy and sad thing...but if it makes it understood that it is ok to be happy about a kill and still respect and use the animal you just killed, then I say go for it.

that's my 2 cents lol

+1

What more can you say


BTW C.Davis ~ Great Avatar

Our tradition: Once the deer is hangin', dann ist es bier und gemütlichkeit.

no thanks...

our right of passage is you get to gut your first deer and get your hands bloody.