New member here with a couple of questions...

[PelaPapas]

How's it goin everyone? New member here from Tucson! I'm heading out to my first Whitetail hunt (On my own) in October and would like some advice/help on a couple things. I used to go out hunting with my Grandfather, Father, Uncles and cousins every season when i was younger up until I was about 14 or so. Since then I havent gone deer hunting and have been out of the "Loop".

 

When I was younger I never hunted myself because it was my Uncle/Grandfather with the tag, So I was basically just tagging along for the expierience. Now I'm getting back into it. My questions are mainly about field dressing, packing out, skinning/cutting meat. being that I dont really remember how this party went when I was younger.

 

So my questions are....

 

After kill, I tag, then start to field dress. Is it better to take to processor or just to skin and cut meat myself?

 

If I do skin/cut meat (I have no expierience in meat cutting) how should I go about doing it? Any sites with certain cuts?

 

If I skin/cut meat myslef can I keep head and antlers so I can keep and take home skull/antlers?

 

What do I do with the bones and skin after I'm done skinning/cutting meat? Do I just leave it there?

 

Sorry for such a long read, I just want to make sure I do everything correct being that I havent gone out for deer in a while now. Any input or help is greatly appreciated.

[AzHuntingAddict]

Welcome to the site! Everyone is different when it comes to processing, as I enjoy doing it myself, others might have a place do it since they don't have the tools or a place to do it.

 

You can look up some info on the web on what cuts are done, or you could just hack away (not rcmd). Off hand I don't recall the place I found info.

 

The head and antlers are yours! Congrats on tagging out, this is your trophy.

 

I boned out my deer last year and scattered the bones and hide around our camp off a ways so it would not attract other animals. Be cool about it and don't drop the stuff off at the local mccdonalds trash bin.

[CouesWhitetail]

It just depends on your preference. Some people (like me) cut their deer up themselves but others prefer to take to a processor. It also depends on where you are when you kill the deer. If you are a ways from a road, you might just bone out the deer and just pack the meat (plus head and antlers) out rather than the whole animal. that is usually what I do. And yes, you can leave the skin and bones out in the field as long as you are not wasting any meat. You can also take some bones home and give them to your dogs (I usuallly do!).

 

I also suggest you get on YouTube and watch some field dressing videos. There are lots of instructional videos online. Sometimes they are about elk rather than deer, but it's all essentially the same. I also think you might want to try out the "gutless field dressing method". You can google it or search on youtube and find videos about it. It's cleaner and easier than traditional field dressing. I also sell a field dressing DVD here in the store you might like.

[kimberx2]

Good questions.

It depends on a couple different things.

How close your downed animal is from a road, and how comfortable you are

preparing the meat yourself.

If your downed animal is close to a road and not too far from a processor, I would recommend

you gut it and hold the chest cavity open with a stick. Get it in your truck and haul butt to a processor

as fast as you can. Let them skin it and process the deer for you.

If you can get it to camp easily but a processor is far away, I would gut it where you get it, then hang from a

tree at camp and skin it, cover it with a game bag or cheese cloth. If it is cooler than 40 degrees let it hang

overnight and take it to processor in morning. If warmer get it in an ice chest.

If it is down far from road I would do the non-gut western method. You start by skinning 1/2 then removing that side and

Backstrap, front leg, hind leg and cut as much meat as you can from the neck area. Putting all meat in hanging game bags to cool. Fold the skin over the cleaned side and roll the deer over. Repeat on other side.

If you want you can cut the abdomen open and cut out the tenderloins. If I'm in a hurry to

Get out before dark or other reasons sometimes I'll just leave tenderloins.

You can then pack out the smaller bags of deer legs and meat and the skull

and cape. If colder than 40° let hang. If warmer than 40° put all parts in ice chest.

There are many videos at stores and on web on gutting, skinning, and the no gut method.

I'm sure there are lots of different theories on this but without much practice I would try

to get the gutted deer to a processor as quick as possible.

 

[PelaPapas]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in. Everybody was very helpful and I will have to see what my situtation is when it comes down to it for the processing. I'm heading out to 34a. Anybody know of any spots to check out, not looking for anybodies honey spots, just trying to figure out a good area. This is my first time out to 34a. I've always gone out to 36a.

[CouesWhitetail]

You can find a lot of suggestions on the AGFD webpage for each unit. here is the one for 34a:

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hunting_units_34a.shtml

[PelaPapas]

Thanks. I'm mainly looking for a good spot to set up camp.

[tjhunt2]

Welcome to the best huntin web site in the world for whitetail and just about anything else you might want to hunt here in az. Good luck on your hunt. Some good advise from everyone. Take lots of pictures and can't wait to hear how your hunt goes.

 

TJ

[PRDATR]

If you have a Whitetail tag and bone it out in the field you should end up with about 40 pounds of meat, which with a decent pack you can haul it out yourself.

When you setup camp stop in at other camps and introduce yourself to other hunters before the hunt. Most will be more than willing to help you out if you need it.

[PelaPapas]

Thanks everyone! 1 more question... Where can I buy a Forest Service Map?

[azshtr]

Thanks everyone! 1 more question... Where can I buy a Forest Service Map?

 

Look up the FS office. Or if they have them in Tucson REI, or a hiking store, or a map store like wide world of maps (in phoenix, don't know about your town)

[PRDATR]

This is for Tonto but put the National Forest you are looking for in the Search box in the upper left of the screen.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto

 

If you need a BLM map go to their office and get them there for less than you would at REI or Wide World of Maps.

[bigorange]

FS office is downtown Tucson in the federal building...300 W Congress on the 6th floor. Otherwise REI, Summit Hut, or Tucson Map and Flag at 1st and Ft Lowell.

 

You want the Coronado NF map, Sierra Vista and Nogales districts. Get the color map as well as the black/white road map. Both are very handy.

 

A buddy of mine hunted 34a last year and camped off the Casa Blanca Rd. I went down for the day and there were a couple of other camps there too.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[Antmo23]

34A huh? I took my first buck in there, we used to hunt it every year, I have a couple of good spots in there. Can't tell you where they are though, that uofa avatar won't let me, lol.

 

GO DEVILS!

 

But good luck on your hunt and let us know how you do!

[couesbowhunter1]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in. Everybody was very helpful and I will have to see what my situtation is when it comes down to it for the processing. I'm heading out to 34a. Anybody know of any spots to check out, not looking for anybodies honey spots, just trying to figure out a good area. This is my first time out to 34a. I've always gone out to 36a.

 

Pm sent