First deer for me in Suffolk

[GreenHunter]

Rookie hunter here

scouted some public land in Suffolk and browsed onX and had a good idea where I think they’d be....saw a group of 3 does while scouting and used the same area to hunt around a month later.

 

bought a summit climbing tree stand very recently and got up in a random safe tree by 7 am...group of 4-5 does rolled in and I got a nice chance to get one within 20 yards...on one side I went through his ribs and the other side i don’t know how to describe...kind of thought it was a gut shot but all that was comming out of that wound was a little swelling “bubble” type that wasn’t leaking much blood...which I’m curious if anyone has an idea what happened there....

 

Heard the doe drop within 20- 30 seconds about 10-15 yards away from where it was shot so I’m happy in that sense.

 

So I took up hunting solo so I was a lot of emotions when I approached the downed deer and things got real, real quick in my surreal state of now having to face quartering the deer up. I’ve been researching hunting and watching quartering videos and trying to prepare but here was the test...

 

I didn’t like dragging the deer by the legs, it really wierded me out so I tied it up and dragged it with a rope to my tree and started cutting....got over the grossness real fast after the first couple cuts...got the guts out and then strung it up and started quartering.

 

i know I’m gonna get a lot of crap for how much neck meat and I’m sure a lot of other meat along the spine I might have left....but for my first time really bow hunting deer and killing my first deer within a couple hours; tree stand was up just before 7 and the doe was shot about 8:15.- I’m proud I got it done and brought meat home to my family and succeeded in hunting by my own learning, research, and practice..and of course that nice tree stand I just bought which absolutely made the difference....My big day out away from it all was over by 11am and I was home by noon with the kids pulling on my leg  But you couldn’t take the smile off my face eating that over cooked backstrap with some beers.

Im very happy with the result but im disappointed how much I underestimated caring for the meat afterward....a experienced deer butcher would probably laugh but cry at how much I left and how bad I did...when I got it home I broke the meat down to the small pieces before going in the fridge to “dry age”. In retrospect I think I should have kept the quarters together in big pieces and put that in the fridge rather then me breaking it down....I’m on day 5 and now seeing the pieces harden on the outside and how much I have to cut away from each individual piece leaves me feeling wasteful and that I didn’t do enough to maximize my meat harvest....I have much to learn and hope this is just the first of many more to come! Thanks for reading and appreciate all the comments in advance!

 

 

 

Only took 2 bad pics and didn’t have any urge for a selfie.

[cdbing]

Most hunters just gut the deer and take the rest of the carcass home or to a processor. You are already getting feedback from your other posts about aging meat, which hopefully is helpful. Two schools of thought on aging. You will figure out which works for you.







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[turkeyfeathers]

Congrats on your deer !! Bubbles in blood means lungs. Nice shot. She expired quickly and humanely   Along the spine is back straps the finest cut of meat there is. You done good pilgrim. Way to go 

[BowmanMike]

Hey,if you dont have anyone who learn from directly it is gonna take a bit to figure out what works for you.. You got a nice clean kill,that is one of the most important things. You will get better at the meat processing part,ask around on the forum and if you have a chance to talk to other hunters.

I was clueless but lucky enough to have a friend that is a lifelong hunter show me just about everything..He even gutted the first deer for me.

You are well on your way to becoming very self reliant in this hunting thing.

[turkeyfeathers]

I post on another thread about my first deer. Before cell phones with internet I shot my first and no idea how to field dress it my brother once said cut out anything you don’t want to eat. That’s precisely what I did. Bet it took me an hour. Now down to 10 minutes taking precious care of my harvest. 

[grampy]

Congratulations! Ya done real good! And did the best you could with the meat. Though she looks pretty clean in the picture. 

Each deer will get easier, and you will learn more from each one as well.

You should be proud of yourself! Way to go!

[doebuck1234]

Out of likes and couldnt have said it better than the rest.job well done!

[squirrelwhisperer]

Congrats Green!! I am also in Suffolk. The man that mentored me (God rest his soul) was a retired butcher. Showed me how to treat an animal well. Maybe we can hook up somehow, sometime. Bubbles are always good. When they only go 10-15 yards even better! For future ref...save her head. Zip tie the tag to her ear and bring it to the biologists at Ridge checkstation. They will issue you a bonus tag for another doe. Yes, we can basically take an unlimited number of doe here in 1C. There are just way too many. BTW...the BEST part of the deer are the tenderloins which are on either side of the inner spine.


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[cdbing]

I am also in Suffolk and hunt only public lane. I can
be a resource similar to Squirrel...for whatever that is worth. I am no expert, but may have learned a thing or 2 over the years mostly from my mistakes. I understand wanting to do it on your own though.

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[GreenHunter]

1 hour ago, squirrelwhisperer said:

Congrats Green!! I am also in Suffolk. The man that mentored me (God rest his soul) was a retired butcher. Showed me how to treat an animal well. Maybe we can hook up somehow, sometime. Bubbles are always good. When they only go 10-15 yards even better! For future ref...save her head. Zip tie the tag to her ear and bring it to the biologists at Ridge checkstation. They will issue you a bonus tag for another doe. Yes, we can basically take an unlimited number of doe here in 1C. There are just way too many. BTW...the BEST part of the deer are the tenderloins which are on either side of the inner spine.


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1 hour ago, cdbing said:

I am also in Suffolk and hunt only public lane. I can
be a resource similar to Squirrel...for whatever that is worth. I am no expert, but may have learned a thing or 2 over the years mostly from my mistakes. I understand wanting to do it on your own though.

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Thanks everyone appreciate the positive feedback!

 

and thank you squirrel...that’s news to me with getting another tag if you keep the head..and makes me wish I posted on this board the same day I hunted so I could have went back for the head

 

so much info to take in

[GreenHunter]

2 hours ago, BowmanMike said:

Hey,if you dont have anyone who learn from directly it is gonna take a bit to figure out what works for you.. You got a nice clean kill,that is one of the most important things. You will get better at the meat processing part,ask around on the forum and if you have a chance to talk to other hunters.

I was clueless but lucky enough to have a friend that is a lifelong hunter show me just about everything..He even gutted the first deer for me.

You are well on your way to becoming very self reliant in this hunting thing.

 

2 hours ago, turkeyfeathers said:

I post on another thread about my first deer. Before cell phones with internet I shot my first and no idea how to field dress it my brother once said cut out anything you don’t want to eat. That’s precisely what I did. Bet it took me an hour. Now down to 10 minutes taking precious care of my harvest. 

 

2 hours ago, grampy said:

Congratulations! Ya done real good! And did the best you could with the meat. Though she looks pretty clean in the picture. 

Each deer will get easier, and you will learn more from each one as well.

You should be proud of yourself! Way to go!

Loving the support

 

yea if I didn’t have YouTube and Steve rinella walking me through cutting it I would be there all day

[Keith Scanlon]

I live in Suffolk as well, I always make sure to take advantage of the bonus DMP’s. But you no longer have to bring in the head to a check station. You still can but starting I believe last year if you email DEC with a photo of both sides of the tag and I believe your hunter ID number and address they will send you another one in the mail.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/10001.html

[First-light]

I just could imagine the ticks you had on you from doing that in the woods? Congrats on the doe harvest!

[GreeneHunter]

Nice deer and congrats !

[rob-c]

Now that was a DIY hunt, congrats on your hard work paying off. Yeah you may not have butchered it the most convenient way but you sealed the deal, and got it done. 

[greensider]

Get yourself a hand truck they are better than most deer carts a couple of ratchet straps and an easy haul out I have used one for over 50 deer I keep it in my pickup all season 

[Robhuntandfish]

Congrats on that great hunt . You may be green but sounds like a good start to me.  We all started there for sure. Nice job and it's always a learning process but that's what keeps it interesting

[GreenHunter]

On 10/12/2019 at 5:35 AM, First-light said:

I just could imagine the ticks you had on you from doing that in the woods? Congrats on the doe harvest!

Believe it or not I didn’t get a one....sawyers is the real deal

On 10/12/2019 at 5:43 AM, GreeneHunter said:

Nice deer and congrats !

Thank you sir!

On 10/12/2019 at 6:07 AM, rob-c said:

Now that was a DIY hunt, congrats on your hard work paying off. Yeah you may not have butchered it the most convenient way but you sealed the deal, and got it done. 

Thank you rob.....mention of diy made me happy haha

On 10/12/2019 at 6:16 AM, greensider said:

Get yourself a hand truck they are better than most deer carts a couple of ratchet straps and an easy haul out I have used one for over 50 deer I keep it in my pickup all season 

Had a backpack, tree stand, and 2 sacks of meat I hauled out in one trip like a hammerhead....definitely need to consider a better way to get it out on my back

On 10/12/2019 at 6:18 AM, Robhuntandfish said:

Congrats on that great hunt . You may be green but sounds like a good start to me.  We all started there for sure. Nice job and it's always a learning process but that's what keeps it interesting

Thank you sir I’m enjoying the journey of learning!

[GreenHunter]

On 10/12/2019 at 5:10 AM, Keith Scanlon said:

I live in Suffolk as well, I always make sure to take advantage of the bonus DMP’s. But you no longer have to bring in the head to a check station. You still can but starting I believe last year if you email DEC with a photo of both sides of the tag and I believe your hunter ID number and address they will send you another one in the mail.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/10001.html

Keith your the man! Thought I was done til November thank you so much

[First-light]

21 minutes ago, GreenHunter said:

Keith your the man! Thought I was done til November thank you so much

Hey get out there in the January shotgun season its a blast. You walk like your bird hunting kicking up deer. Last year last week of season I kicked up two big bucks holding horns. 

[The Engineer]

Congrats, you did everything right and nothing wrong. My first deer was a gut shot then a heart shot. It was a mess and I was alone in a valley upstate. But we stuck with it. That's the difference. I live in Suffolk too. I'll see you out there in January. Right now its been upstate at the  cabin every weekend getting ready for November 2nd crossbow and the 16th for opening day 

[Steuben Jerry]

Just caught up on your thread and wanted to say Congratulations Green! Nothing like your first deer is there? You did great, and you’ll learn more and more with each deer. Now go get a buck and take that selfie with it!