Preparation . . .

[Dstone001]

I'm getting ready for my third season and, dang it, I really want to get something this time. But I realized I need to do some prep.

Let's see I get a deer and dress it in the field. When I get back to my house, I need to hang it, right? How high does it have to hang? I'm in Dutchess County, so there aren't a lot of coyotes or bear, but there are some.

Is there a maximum temperature for hanging? I.e., what do I do if it's 60* outside? Just go ahead an start butchering?

[Elmo]

I'm in the same boat and even worst, I have no place to hang the deer so I plan to field dress and quarter on the spot. Another question: assuming I get a doe. I remove all the meat and dump into a meat bag and I leave the head behind. Where am I sticking the doe tag? Do I just fill it out and leave it in my pocket? I recall in hunter's ed that it needs to be attached to the deer immediately.

[G-Man]

Unless you have a walk in cooler, the sooner its butchered the better. Aging meat will tenderize it but i doubt many of us can control the temp at 37 for any legnth of time.Dont hang if its warmer than 45 or so unless you can keep ice in the body cavity, it should only hang long enough so that you can butcher it or get it to a butcher!! Most gamey meat i have had comes from hanging it under less than optimum conditions. If you cant process it right away, hang out of the sun and fill the body cavity with ice! get to a processer as fast as you can or learn to do it yourself(there are good video's out there), Hanging it is the way to get blood out of it, i usually hang by the neck unless its a good buck and i intend to get it mounted(it will stretch the neck and damage the fur) hanging by the hind quarters inless the head /neck is removed tends to fill the body cavity with excess blood/fluid. not a big problem but i like to grind up the neck for burger. the hight will depend on dogs/yotes, bear ect. best place to hang is in an unheated shed/garage that can be closed to predators.

Edited August 29, 2011 by G-Man

[ny hunter]

Elmo I was told to leave the tag in the bag with the meat.We quarter the deer at camp and then go home.When we passed a deer check the troopers told us leave the tag with the meat.

[Fantail]

A buddy of mine is obsessed with hanging deer. Don't get me wrong it's nice to have them at a good height for processing, but if you don't have a spot, tree or garage for that then get one of those colapsable plastic tables you can adjust height with. Bending while you process will kill your back after a while.

Durring bow season last year I took a buck and that day it got up to 60 at least. Now I have a pully system at camp but the point is I knew what had to be done and the rest of the day was processing. If you get into that situation it helps to have the table, a spare cooler, rinse water, ice etc.

[nyantler]

Remember if you quarter it in the field you must have in your possession something that tells the sex of the deer.. even tagged you can get in trouble for not having evidence of the sex while taking it out of the woods.

[Dstone001]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'm getting permission to hunt a friend's 150 protected acres this year, so hopefully I'll get my deer. I've been watching youtube videos on processing. I'm feeling positive.

[BizCT]

simple....shoot the deer, gut it out, load onto car/truck and drive straight to the butcher!

[steve863]

I'm in the same boat and even worst, I have no place to hang the deer so I plan to field dress and quarter on the spot.

Reminds me of someone who lived in an apartment in Queens. He shot a deer and brought it up 3 flights to his small apartment and skinned and butchered it in his bathtub! LOL Where there's a will, there's a way.

Edited October 5, 2011 by steve863

[hb270deermanager]

Your in dutchess not far from my shop 70.00 for the

processing.I offer jerky,sausages,brats.I also make

corned venison.Anyway willing to help I have a cool

place to hang your game and be careful transporting

your game watch the laws on transporting especially

if your partically processing before leaving the field.

[RangerClay]

Be sure to get the hide off it as soon as possible to get the heat out of your deer. Leaving the hide on for too long can also cause problems with the meat.

[Venisonguy]

I butchered a deer in my bathtub too! My wife wanted to shoot me. Oh yeah, the elevator ride was a piss too!

[Venisonguy]

Just butcher the deer as soon as you can.

[steve863]

I butchered a deer in my bathtub too! My wife wanted to shoot me. Oh yeah, the elevator ride was a piss too!

LOL!! The guy I heard about carried the deer up 3 flights of stairs! I guess his drag up hill didn't end in the woods! LOL

[Elmo]

Hmm...I could hang it inside my dad's garage. Just have to figure how to transport it back to the city. Drive a Chevy Malibu and Toyota Camry. Not going to stuff a dead bleeding deer into the backseats. Maybe stuff it in a heavy duty garbage bag and throw it in the trunk?

[Doewhacker]

Elmo, just buy a 6X8 tarp, a deer will fit nicely in the trunk and if you are carefull there will not be a mess.

Or if you are like me the next time you buy a car ask if the scotch guard stuff works on bloodstains and see what reaction you get...lol

[nyantler]

You guys need to get a pick-up truck!!

[Doewhacker]

I have a Suburban and a little car for all the miles I drive for work (500-600 a week atleast), with gas prices being high and having to drive to hunt sometimes a car is better. Not always though, like when there is more than just me and one other person going, then a bigger vehicle is better.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Maybe stuff it in a heavy duty garbage bag and throw it in the trunk?

Been there, done that. Wanna see the pics?

It was a Chrysler Sebring Coupe though, with 2 bows, a climber and some clothes in the truck with the deer.

[BizCT]

why not just tie it down on top of the trunk or roof......no need for tarp, etc.....just hose your car down when your down.

[Paulie]

I'd love to see the pics of that!! My wife drives my Durango....the one i bought with the sole purpose of hunting,,haha and now i drive a honda accord (my commuter car). I've been itching to shoot a deer so i can figure out how to transport it in the honda. I leased it sight unseen.....all i asked the salesmen (who i know) was, can i fit a deer in the trunk? He didn't respond.......I said well i guess so, or i will make it fit!!

[bubba]

all I can say is I love my truck

[WNYBuckHunter]

Paulie, Ill upload the pics from my server at home tonight.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Heres the first pic, how we tied the deer up to get it small enough to fit...

Here it is going into the lawn bags. We duct taped the bags closed...

And finally in the trunk, along with my climber and a bunch of other stuff...

[sodfather]

Reminds me of someone who lived in an apartment in Queens. He shot a deer and brought it up 3 flights to his small apartment and skinned and butchered it in his bathtub! LOL Where there's a will, there's a way.

Only in NYC (LOL)