Author Topic: Hunting help for a beginner? (Read 798 times)

romo23 · « **on:** September 19, 2011, 05:13:41 PM »

Hey all,

So this year I'm going to try my hand at hunting, I have never had the chance to go as my family doesn't partake. I'm going to stick with a deer hunt I think and i can travel to anywhere within about 4 hours. So any advice on zones would be greatly appreciated, unit 39 would be nice but from what i read its thin pickings. Also any advice on a processor, should i get lucky, would be appreciated. thanks guys.

NWO · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:15:20 PM »

First time I started out here I just hiked uphill for an hour... and there were the deer. You'll always see guys down low hoping to find a young, dumb buck and sometimes they do, more often not. But hike up, not out, for an hour, and you should start seeing them.

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2011, 10:56:13 AM »

I think the guys down low are just waiting for you uphill folks to push the deer down to them.

Find some public land you like, get a topo map, look for shady areas with water. Get to those places. The further from the road, the higher your chances of finding something. But be aware of the temperature. No point shooting a nice buck 5 miles from the nearest road in 80 degree weather; it'll just spoil.

Also decide whether you want to walk and look for stuff, or sit in a good spot and wait. The latter is usually more effective. But I get too bored/cold, so I just start walking.

If it's snowing out, start driving to your spot. You'll have the mountain to yourself, tracking is easy, and you have a built-in meat cooler. BRING TIRE CHAINS.

And if you don't have someone to go with, try to flag someone down when your first animal is on the ground. Or if you pass by someone with a freshly downed animal, ask if you can watch/help with the dressing. Gutting is easy, but I never found reading or watching it to be terribly useful in doing it. I spent hours and hours reading/watching the process, and was stumped when I had my first dead animal in front of me. Five minutes of watching/helping someone on their deer was worth more than all the pre-study combined.

Maybe we can setup a group hunt this year. A week or two into the season and most of the family obligations/secret spot hunting is usually out of the way.

romo23 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2011, 11:04:55 AM »

thanks guys, yeah the only thing i was not fully comfortable with was gutting/dressing, so i will ask someone if i can help if i get the chance.

DCR · « **Reply #4 on:** September 25, 2011, 10:19:24 AM »

Bring string - like shoelaces - to tie off the bladder (both ends) and colon (both ends) before delving too deep into the gutting.

Tying those two things off greatly reduces the chance of accidental spoilage.

romo23 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 25, 2011, 08:00:53 PM »

how well do those zipper knives work? i saw one by kershaw made for cutting up the belly.

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #6 on:** September 26, 2011, 08:55:14 AM »

Very. Nothing your finger behind the point of the blade can't do, but the gut hook type blades are very quick and easy. I prefer the kind with disposable blades:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Wyoming-Knife/732392.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D5100002%26Ne%3D5100002%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dwyoming%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_st%3DSearchRefinements%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3Dwyoming%26searchTypeByFilter%3DAllProducts%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=wyoming&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #7 on:** September 26, 2011, 09:45:33 AM »

And speaking of knives, make sure to bring a sharpener, or spare blades, or two knives. If you end up cutting more hide than you have to (a virtual certainty your first time), the first knife will be duller than a butter knife super quick.

And as much as I love my fancy knives, there's nothing you can't do with a wyoming knife and a mora clipper.

romo23 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 26, 2011, 11:14:52 AM »

I plan on bringing a stone although i have little skill on it. Are their any decently priced sharpeners tha tset the angle for you or all those all crap and i should just refine my stone skills?

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #9 on:** September 26, 2011, 11:39:49 AM »

fj40mojo offers sharpening services over in the swap meet. Great pre or post-season. The spyerco sharpmaker is highly regarded, and much easier to use than a stone. I use this for touch-ups at home. I use a crappy benchmade v-sharpening thing if I end up with blades that are too dull in the field, then fix the edge later with an edge pro and/or belt sander after the season is over. I always have two knives plus the wyoming knife, so I don't usually have to resort to that.

In general you'll open the hide with the gut hook/zipper, use a regular knife to gut (doesn't take much cutting at all), and then skin back in camp, where you can grab a different knife from the truck.

I also keep an old sawzall in the truck. Makes short work of certain tasks.

egress81 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 26, 2011, 11:40:08 AM »

Anything knife related I would ask FJ40mojo

ETA : beat by a few secondz

fj40mojo · « **Reply #11 on:** September 26, 2011, 03:27:30 PM »

Thanks for the kudos guys! On the subject of knives for hunting I've found that starting with a truly sharp knife (or 2) is the first and best thing you can do when it comes to field dressing a critter. I've gutted and skinned several deer with the same knife without need to touch up the edge in between uses simply because I start with a razor sharp knife and minimize the hair I cut with it. Deer and elk hair is very hard on the edge of a knife but you can minimize the amount of hair you cut by working from the inside out. This will save not only your edge but prevent large amounts of hair being stuck all over your meat when it comes time to start butchering. I start by cutting around one side of the critters junk (leave evidence of sex attached if you are taking your kill out in more than one piece) then down and around the anus and this is the only time when I cut through hair from the outside in. At this point you can use a piece of shoe lace to tie off the urethra before cutting it. Next I put the blade through the hole I've created edge up with index and middle finger on either side of the blade inside the hide. I prefer drop point blades for this operation, they allow you to ride the back of the blade on the abdominal wall while you split the hide from pubic bone to the sternum with your fingers inside the hide guiding the blade. An up-swept tip will drag and cut through the abdominal wall sometimes unintentionally cutting into the guts. Next you go through the abdominal wall and locate the diaphragm or muscular division between the abdominal and thoracic cavities. When you find it cut it loose from the rib cage all the way around, be prepared for a lot of blood and gore at this point if you've made a good heart lung shot. Once the diaphragm is loose all the way round reach in as far as you can locating the windpipe with your weak hand pulling it down towards you while cutting through it with your strong hand and hopefully still razor sharp knife. Be careful this is all done by feel! When the windpipe is cut you can yard the whole works out and you're done. If you've properly freed up the anus and urethra they will pull into the abdominal cavity through the pelvis and come out attached to the gut pile.

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #12 on:** September 26, 2011, 03:51:37 PM »

Great info fj40. The only thing I'd add is that I usually cut the windpipe from the outside. A butcher once told me that it's the hottest part of the animal, and will sour the neck meat quickly, so I sever it up near the chin with a one knife blade width incision. Aside from that, my method is similar to yours.

And when you get to the part of grabbing the windpipe (feels like a garden hose), you will have to pull HARD. Once the hear/lungs start tearing away from the ribs, the rest comes out fast.

romo23 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 26, 2011, 04:42:41 PM »

sweet guys thanks for the info and i planned on having fj resharpen my knives after the season but was just wondering for during the hunt. All great info and that's why i love this forum great people great knowledge.

fj40mojo · « **Reply #14 on:** September 28, 2011, 02:37:01 PM »

Quote from: NoviceHunter on September 26, 2011, 03:51:37 PM

The only thing I'd add is that I usually cut the windpipe from the outside. A butcher once told me that it's the hottest part of the animal, and will sour the neck meat quickly, so I sever it up near the chin with a one knife blade width incision.

Ah the old "You must slit the throat." legend.

Just that, a legend, total BS perpetuated by taxidermists and the like to jack the price of their services. If you do this you destroy the cape and then the taxidermist will sell you one at an exorbitant price to replace the one you've damaged. Not that I'm any trophy hunter, I have no heads hanging in my home, but if you shoot a large buck, which I have bagged several, and know how to cape the head you can sell your cape to a taxidermist to replace a cape with a slit throat. This applies to any mature buck or bull. The last time I shot a buck worthy of being caped (over 10 years ago) I got $50 for the cape and if I remember correctly elk capes were worth $100 at that time, with inflation they ought to be worth a small fortune now. I lost count of all the deer I'v shot or been present when shot and I've never slit the throat on a single one and have never lost any meat do to souring from the windpipe. I remove the remainder of the windpipe when I skin the critter out. Yes, I agree it does need to come out as it is a source of bacteria which can grow out of control without the deer's immune system to control it, but I've never seen it happen in the time it takes to drag a deer out of the woods and get it home and skinned-up to a week in several instances when hunting away from home. Keep in mind that the majority of the bacteria that are present in the windpipe and capable of causing problems are going to start dying off as soon as the body temp starts dropping under normal. They thrive in a warm moist environment and aren't gonna fair well when those conditions drop below normal.

In warm weather I split the sternum to allow more airflow and cool the critter out faster. If I were really concerned about spoilage I'd bone the animal out and pack the meat in ice at the earliest possible convenience. Just sayin. If you find it's necessary to slit the throat on all your game animals I will continue to sell capes to taxidermists to replace the one's you destroy.

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #15 on:** September 28, 2011, 03:19:48 PM »

No worries, I don't keep any trophies. Passing along what a *butcher* told me.

But I can't say as any deer before I began that practice had neck meat issues, so I can't say as you're wrong, either.

FALex · « **Reply #16 on:** October 05, 2011, 12:12:50 PM »

hey folks, I'm completely new to hunting, if anyone wouldn't me tagging along, I wouldn't mind going...I keep hearing 39 is heavily hunted due to the proximity of Boise, but I don't mind, I just want to learn anything else I can about hunting, signs, possible areas, etc...me and a buddy (who also knows diddly squat about locations and hunting) have been flaked on twice already by individuals who said they would go out with us. Thanks.

neby98 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 05, 2011, 03:47:57 PM »

How long will a deer stay good hung up in 60 degree weather during the day and high 30s at night?

fj40mojo · « **Reply #18 on:** October 05, 2011, 04:12:08 PM »

Quote from: neby98 on October 05, 2011, 03:47:57 PM

How long will a deer stay good hung up in 60 degree weather during the day and high 30s at night?

You've got to keep the blow flies off of it, but as long as you get it opened up and cooled off it will be fine for 2-3 days.

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #19 on:** October 05, 2011, 04:47:15 PM »

And keep it out of the sun. But those are pretty decent temp conditions.

romo23 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 06, 2011, 02:56:58 AM »

thanks for al the info and advice guys, leaving tomorrow morning for the trip 7 days should be good.

NoviceHunter · « **Reply #21 on:** October 29, 2011, 09:10:26 PM »

How was your trip?

romo23 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 30, 2011, 04:27:48 AM »

It was decent the first place we went turned out to be recently purchased and private and all the idaho maps still said public. we then went down in zone 41 and a guy i was with say a deer he could have shot but he got confused about what was legal so he was safe rather than sorry. then my sleeping bag zipper broke and it stormed pretty hard tearing down our tarps and letting everything get wet.

so, no deer, but we had a chance.