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Some Beginning Hunter Questions
- Thread starter Wabajack
- Start date
troutfisher13111
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2006
- Messages
- 2,482
The only big game I have killed is whitetail deer. I can tell you that I never split the pelvis bone. The reason being that if you do you will be exposing the inner thigh meat to air and it becomes very dry. I just cut around the anus and pull out everything thats in there.
As far as staying a few days out there with a dead animal, I would advise against it. You would be better off getting the animal out as soon as possible and either let it hang a few days(if the weather is cold enough) or start processing it.
As far as tools go, for smaller big game animals(deer, black bear) you only need a good knife. For larger I think you can get away with a good knife and a small saw to cut through bone.
Hope I helped. Good luck with your hunting!
As far as staying a few days out there with a dead animal, I would advise against it. You would be better off getting the animal out as soon as possible and either let it hang a few days(if the weather is cold enough) or start processing it.
As far as tools go, for smaller big game animals(deer, black bear) you only need a good knife. For larger I think you can get away with a good knife and a small saw to cut through bone.
Hope I helped. Good luck with your hunting!
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2007
- Messages
- 47
The important thing is to keep the meat cool and clean as possible. I know of guys that have forgot their knives and field dressed a whitetail with the broadhead of their arrow. this was only done because it was unseasonable warm and needed to be dressed asap. I certainly don't suggest this, but any decent sized knife will do.
You can actually split the pelvis bone of a whitetail with a knife. You have to wedge your knife from the top directly in the middle where both "halves" come together (be careful not to slip and cut yourself). You will notice a little notch in the bone and this is where you place your knife. This way there is not any bone chips or "dust" from a saw.
This is how I prefer to get this last portion of the intestines out, but as others have noted there are other ways of doing this without splitting the pelvis. I just find this to be the fastest method for me.
I forgot to mention that I like to use plastic gloves that are used to artificially inseminate cattle when field dressing. They go all the way up your arm to your shoulder. They are relatively inexpensive and help keep your hunting clothes blood free. You just pull the glove off inside out and roll it up in your pocket when you are done.
You can actually split the pelvis bone of a whitetail with a knife. You have to wedge your knife from the top directly in the middle where both "halves" come together (be careful not to slip and cut yourself). You will notice a little notch in the bone and this is where you place your knife. This way there is not any bone chips or "dust" from a saw.
This is how I prefer to get this last portion of the intestines out, but as others have noted there are other ways of doing this without splitting the pelvis. I just find this to be the fastest method for me.
I forgot to mention that I like to use plastic gloves that are used to artificially inseminate cattle when field dressing. They go all the way up your arm to your shoulder. They are relatively inexpensive and help keep your hunting clothes blood free. You just pull the glove off inside out and roll it up in your pocket when you are done.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2006
- Messages
- 313
I had An old Jeep in my youger days that I attached a saying to which was "never drive it farther than I wanted to walk" I repaired it more than I drove it!
Same goes with hunting Big game. Always be aware of where you are and how far from Good help you are (friends truck horse ATV etc...) Sometimes this means you need to pass on a kill.
The buggers ALWAYS run down hill away from your destination (Murphy is to blame for that).
My Dad, and a friend and I shot an elk in Idaho years back. The arrow hit the front leg bone so there was poor penetration. The thing ran 3miles AWAY from the truck before we caught up with it (we were already 2 miles from the truck). We quartered it that evening, Hung it in a tree, walked out in the dark, and spent the next day packing it out. We made 3 trips each. We boned the meat and left the bones in the woods. THat evening we brought the meat into a Processor and had him put it into a cooler until the end of the trip.
While in the processor's shop a couple guys brought in an elk they had shot the day before which was quartered. The meat was spoiling and the processor scolded the guys for the condition of the meat. The said " it was close to a mile from the road" They just weren't prepared for what needed to be done.
Have a plan for what you are doing and if the situation does not allow that plan to be executed. Pass on the kill. It's tough especially when it's a bruiser and you're all geeked up, but you will feel good about the decision.
'Slayer
Same goes with hunting Big game. Always be aware of where you are and how far from Good help you are (friends truck horse ATV etc...) Sometimes this means you need to pass on a kill.
The buggers ALWAYS run down hill away from your destination (Murphy is to blame for that).
My Dad, and a friend and I shot an elk in Idaho years back. The arrow hit the front leg bone so there was poor penetration. The thing ran 3miles AWAY from the truck before we caught up with it (we were already 2 miles from the truck). We quartered it that evening, Hung it in a tree, walked out in the dark, and spent the next day packing it out. We made 3 trips each. We boned the meat and left the bones in the woods. THat evening we brought the meat into a Processor and had him put it into a cooler until the end of the trip.
While in the processor's shop a couple guys brought in an elk they had shot the day before which was quartered. The meat was spoiling and the processor scolded the guys for the condition of the meat. The said " it was close to a mile from the road" They just weren't prepared for what needed to be done.
Have a plan for what you are doing and if the situation does not allow that plan to be executed. Pass on the kill. It's tough especially when it's a bruiser and you're all geeked up, but you will feel good about the decision.
'Slayer
A couple of animations regarding the animals you mentioned.
Compiled by this gentleman for teaching new hunters.
from this site: http://bearseast.proboards34.com/index.cgi
( lots of Canadiens there
)
Quote :
You can use my name ,,
Anthony Santamarina
I teach Hunter Safety Courses with the NYS DEC.. I used them for teaching
tools. So I'm not looking to make any profit.
I just like to teach the importance of safety and respecting game animals...
End quote
Deer
Elk ( should be similar to a moose ) if not I don't mind being corrected
Bear
My opinions :
Make sure you practice with your rifle a lot. Not just from a bench ,but ,
from actual field positions at varying ranges. I prefer to not shoot unless I'm 100% confident that I can make a clean shot. I'd rather watch an animal walk or run away than take a chance on wounding it.
1. field dress asap . Be carefull .
2. The meat needs to cool quickly , A deer has thin skin and little fat , as
mentioned above ( but bears repeating ) below 40 F high temp ( you convert to metric ) you should be ok
3. Bears , thick hide , coat , and lots of fat . If you can , skin it out soon.
The fat and coat hold the heat in for a long time. If the temps are well below freezing , you should be OK for a day or two with it dressed and hanging.
4. Lots of people use a cheese cloth type bag to keep flies off thier skinned
critters. :thumbup:
Re. tools , I had no problem field dressing this bear
With this knife ( the wood handle gets slippery but I like the looks of it )
I hope this helps , these are only my opinions , offered freely , take them for what you paid for them
Phil
Compiled by this gentleman for teaching new hunters.
from this site: http://bearseast.proboards34.com/index.cgi
( lots of Canadiens there
)Quote :
You can use my name ,,
Anthony Santamarina
I teach Hunter Safety Courses with the NYS DEC.. I used them for teaching
tools. So I'm not looking to make any profit.
I just like to teach the importance of safety and respecting game animals...
End quote
Deer
Elk ( should be similar to a moose ) if not I don't mind being corrected
Bear
My opinions :
Make sure you practice with your rifle a lot. Not just from a bench ,but ,
from actual field positions at varying ranges. I prefer to not shoot unless I'm 100% confident that I can make a clean shot. I'd rather watch an animal walk or run away than take a chance on wounding it.
1. field dress asap . Be carefull .
2. The meat needs to cool quickly , A deer has thin skin and little fat , as
mentioned above ( but bears repeating ) below 40 F high temp ( you convert to metric ) you should be ok
3. Bears , thick hide , coat , and lots of fat . If you can , skin it out soon.
The fat and coat hold the heat in for a long time. If the temps are well below freezing , you should be OK for a day or two with it dressed and hanging.
4. Lots of people use a cheese cloth type bag to keep flies off thier skinned
critters. :thumbup:
Re. tools , I had no problem field dressing this bear
With this knife ( the wood handle gets slippery but I like the looks of it )
I hope this helps , these are only my opinions , offered freely , take them for what you paid for them
Phil
A couple of animations regarding the animals you mentioned.
Compiled by this gentleman for teaching new hunters.
from this site: http://bearseast.proboards34.com/index.cgi
( lots of Canadiens there
Quote :
You can use my name ,,
Anthony Santamarina
I teach Hunter Safety Courses with the NYS DEC.. I used them for teaching
tools. So I'm not looking to make any profit.
I just like to teach the importance of safety and respecting game animals...
End quote
Deer
Elk ( should be similar to a moose ) if not I don't mind being corrected
Bear
My opinions :
Make sure you practice with your rifle a lot. Not just from a bench ,but ,
from actual field positions at varying ranges. I prefer to not shoot unless I'm 100% confident that I can make a clean shot. I'd rather watch an animal walk or run away than take a chance on wounding it.
1. field dress asap . Be carefull .
2. The meat needs to cool quickly , A deer has thin skin and little fat , as
mentioned above ( but bears repeating ) below 40 F high temp ( you convert to metric ) you should be ok
3. Bears , thick hide , coat , and lots of fat . If you can , skin it out soon.
The fat and coat hold the heat in for a long time. If the temps are well below freezing , you should be OK for a day or two with it dressed and hanging.
4. Lots of people use a cheese cloth type bag to keep flies off thier skinned
critters. :thumbup:
Re. tools , I had no problem field dressing this bear
With this knife ( the wood handle gets slippery but I like the looks of it )
I hope this helps , these are only my opinions , offered freely , take them for what you paid for them
Phil
Very good advice here.
Practice practice practice. If you have a .22 practice offhand with it at a minimum of 50 yards. It will help with your hand eye coordination. After MUCH practice you will KNOW if your shot was good or not. You gotta put the game on the ground before you can process it. Shot placement on game is something you will need to consider to. I shoot my deer in the lungs when I can. I have a theory on that, a good lung shoot seems to take the breath away from an animal. Like when you cant catch your breath, you cant do nothing. The slower the bullet the less breath it takes away, the faster the bullet the more breath that is snatched away. Heart shots can allow a deer to go up to 200 yards, maybe more, a long way downhill. With the 7 MM mag that I use now they just drop in there tracks. With the 30.06 they would go 50 yards max. I never needed to track them, I always heard them fall to the ground after running off allowing me to mark the spot and walk right to the animal.
Good luck!
troutfisher13111
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2006
- Messages
- 2,482
1894, thats a beautiful bear!
So i got an infraction.......... is it good or bad.
I cant belive that only one person got the joke...... what this world is comming too?????????????????
Got to laugh at life........... Now everyone go to a mirror and make a monkey face. If that wont make you laugh i give up.
sasha
I cant belive that only one person got the joke...... what this world is comming too?????????????????
Got to laugh at life........... Now everyone go to a mirror and make a monkey face. If that wont make you laugh i give up.
sasha
The guys looking for some advice for cleaning game and someone starts saying anti hunting sounding stuff. I joke around here alot and I thought it was a rant myself. I personally did not think you were going to shoot someone, but as a moderator, you can't take any chances. Some things you cant joke about anymore.
I guess you are right Magneto. Where i grew up no one went shooting people. You had a problem you might have gotten in a fight. I made a few friends this way too. We got in a fight ( no one to break it up ) after this you end up helping each other up sit down and talk. Just to find out you had more in common then not.
I guess i should keep my twisted laughs to my self.
Sasha
I guess i should keep my twisted laughs to my self.
Sasha
Thanks guys..... i actualy would love to try hunting my self. Just no idea where to start. So if anyone in LA area wants to show me the ropes im all for it. Last camping trip i had Thumper for dinner, i hung his body over hot coals with lots of garlic. Who knows next time it might be his friend Bambi. Heck im willing to do the cooking if someone is willing to help me do the shooting.
Sasha
Sasha
No wait, he's good to go, I thought you was talking about Brer Rabbit. with some garlic Brer rabbit would go down just as well. Now if i could catch the smart one BUGS BUNNY. The mistake i made with Thumper was i should have boiled him first so he wont be so tough. I dont drink but i heard that if you put some beer over him they taste much better. I need to go and get Thumper family one by one and eat them. No one said that we HUMAN were nice. If you think about it we are worse then Goblins. But hey somone has to do it ...........YES IT WAS A JOKE JUST IN CASE.....
Sasha
Sasha
My bold . We did not climb to the top of the food chain by being nice
If you are sincere , helping another new hunter , should feel like a privilage
to the rest of us that do. Lots to learn from others experiance .
Phil
Hi Phil yes i would like to do some hunting. It just that i dont know where to start. I guess that as soon as i get more time im going to take the safety class. Maybe get more advice from who ever teaches it. Start small with a .22 and see how i like it.
sasha
sasha