Meat in the freezer!!!

D

Deerslayer71

Joined
Aug 23, 2006
Messages
313
So.. not necessarily a "survival" topic, but more of sharing an accomplishment. With an uncertain future at work and not having a job lined up, I've been trying to prepare for a tough (financially) winter. This buck came in by my stand through the thick brush and bedded down about 15 yds away. It was amazing how the thing just dissapeared. It stayed there for about and hour, got up and wandered into a lane I had cleared through the brush. It was about 25 yds away and I actually shot it through the heart. (I have pics of the removed heart but it's a bit gruesome.
It only ran about 20 yds before crumpling up. Not an impressive rack by any means, but it's actually a big bodied deer. I'll trophy hunt next year maybe. I had to get meat in the freezer.



This is my second deer this year so with the potential lack of job, at least I'll have something to eat.
I've hunted for years and this is the first year that I've hunted with the real need for the meat. (may not have the funds this winter) It adds a very intersting dynamic to my time in the woods. If I added up my time in the woods before getting my first deer (as if I hunted straight) it would be about 5 days. If my survival depended on procuring meat, I'd have gone hungry for a while.

Since this is BF... This is the knife that did the dirty work. It's a knife made by me under the direction of G.L. Drew. ( he stood over my sholder, watched, and told me what to do next)

 
Congratulations on your freezer-filler. That should take some worry out of the equation. Nice looking knife, too.

Doc
 
Horns don't count when you have a family to feed. Congrats on the deer! I've fed my family lots of winters on venison.

I have a yearling hanging in the shed tonite. The new Becker Necker did the honors. And it is as sharp now as it was before it gutted and skinned the deer.

Codger :thumbup:
 
Thanks guys...
Troop, I love your wisdom in your signature. My wife and I recently met a couple at church that was new to the area so we invited them over for dinner. They agreed to come. The wife called the day after the invitation and said she was a vegitarian and she would not be eating meat. I thougt "oh great I've invited the "enemy" ;) (closest tounge in cheek smiley we've got)into my home!"
During dinner, I asked her about her decision to refrain from meat. She said it was basically a decision to not support the cruelty shown to animals that are raised for market purposes. She then said she supports hunting as a means for procuring meat.
An interesting point of view I thought.
 
Nice buck! Good to hear you can still eat for awhile longer. Congrats and eat well.
 
Well... some saute'd mushrooms and a salad with them would be nice. Although learning from DOC CANADA and Coote as well as others around here I guess I could find those as well.
 
Codger_64 said:
Horns don't count when you have a family to feed. Congrats on the deer! I've fed my family lots of winters on venison.

I have a yearling hanging in the shed tonite. The new Becker Necker did the honors. And it is as sharp now as it was before it gutted and skinned the deer.

Codger :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Ya, to hell with the horns, no meat on them. Good job!
 
Nice deerslayer, how much meat do you think that you harvested from the buck, and did you field dress it and carry it out of the woods or did you just drag it out by hand or what?
 
I wholeheartedly agree. This is a survival topic. Your ability to supplement your family's food supply with a good bow and skill and patience is very much a survival skill.
 
Not only did you provide food to eat, you accomplished it in a way that did not attract any unwanted attention.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
fixer27 said:
Nice deerslayer, how much meat do you think that you harvested from the buck, and did you field dress it and carry it out of the woods or did you just drag it out by hand or what?
Click to expand...

I usually don't weigh my deer when I check them in just because I don't want to take the time. I'd guess he field dressed at 130 lbs. Meat is probably around 80 - 90 lbs. Just a guess though.
I know from previous years that two average sized deer will get me through an entire year so I'll be duck & pheasant hunting the rest of this year.:)

Normally I field dress a deer right where I find it dead then break off a stick, tye it to the head and start pulling. In this hunting location I have to cross a stream. In previous years I've field dressed like normal and dragged through the stream. The meat has tasted a bit "gamey" having done this. This time I drug it across the stream then field dressed it. ( about 200 yds total) I've heard that water can taint the meat so I'll see if this makes a difference.

The doe I shot earlier this year was probably 100 - 110 lbs. I made a good shot - through both lungs just above the heart - and still had to track it about 1/2 mile. Of course in the opposite direction of camp as always seems to happen. My family was camping at hoosier nat'l forest and rules there say you cannot leave a stand out over night. I also had somehow left my rope back at camp so I took the lace out of my boot and used it. So... I dragged her about 3/4 mile with my pack, my stand, my bow, one boot without a lace in the dark. (east is difficult to find in the dark) I got back to camp and my parents, brother, his wife, my wife and all the kids are sitting around the fire eating dinner. I come in bellowing something like... "You know... a fellow not showing up a couple hours after sunset might be a hint he needs some help or something!!!" My dad says" we figgerd we'd finish supper then come looking".
Beer never tasted so good after something like that. :thumbup:
 
Congratulations on making meat. Now if you can try to stock up some on beans and rice to go with it that would help. Also, potatoes and onions if you have a way and a place to keep them for awhile. Add in some pasta, some Ramen noodles, canned tomatoes to cook with, and you'll get along OK this winter. Just a thought, but if you live near enough to a UPS center you might go put in an application real quick for temporary Christmas help. They hire a lot of people in most cities, big or small, and the pay is good from what I hear. There is probably other temporary Christmas jobs to be had, too. Good luck to you! From the looks of your knife, you may want to make a few more to sell. :thumbup:
 
Good suggestions on the UPS job Dr. Mudd. Actually, I work for an onion farmer. Currently have a 4000 sq ft warehouse chocked full of the things. French onion soup anyone?? (with venison steaks of course).
I lived in Lima, Peru for three months and loved the rice and beans. I could live on those forever. It's my wife I'm more concerned about.
I know in the spring I can find work. My background is in construction. With winter coming on there's just fewer jobs. UPS is a great idea. we have a hub about 15 miles away. Thanks!
 
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