My first buck (a dead animal thread)
- Thread starter Eric Bailey
- Start date
dhershberger
Active Member
I'm glad you asked. Right up until I took the shot, I was debating about it because I knew how much work I had ahead of me. I really didn't relax and feel happy until the meat was at the processor. That is when I finally felt a sense of accomplishment. Up until then I was scared that I would waste the meat of the beautiful creature whose life I had taken.
I got him about 5 miles from my jeep and I had never seen a dead deer before. Thank goodness for YouTube. I had watched quite a few videos about the "gutless method" and pretty well memorized what I needed to do. I started skinning him just behind his front shoulder. I got all the skin off of his rear quarter except evidence of sex. Finally got that quarter off, put it in a game bag, then in a white 3mm thick contractor bag, tied it up and put it in a shaded pool of the nearby creek. Then, I took off the backstrap, front quarter, and neck meat and got them in the creek. Then I rolled him over and did the same for the other side. Finally, I cut open his stomach cavity, shoved the guts out of the way, and reached up to get the tenderloins. The whole process took me about three hours. I know it takes some of you less than one. I felt very lucky that there were not more than a dozen or so black flies buzzing around me until the end when I was joined by yellow jackets, butterflies, and even clark's nutcrackers. The thing I was most concerned about was all the hair I got on the meat. Because I did the skinning and quartering more or less simultaneously, I did get a fair amount of hair on the meat. After I got home I cleaned each quarter in the sink before taking it to the processor.
The real work was carrying him out. I took half of him (the first two bags were already pretty cool by then) plus most of my camp and rifle on the first trip. I was about 3/4 to a mile of steep nasty stuff from a trail. Then about 4 miles on the relatively flat trail back to my jeep. In my jeep was a 120 quart cooler with gallon jugs of frozen water covered with an old sleeping bag. The ice held up really well. By the time I got to my jeep, it was 7pm. So, I tossed him in the cooler and spent the night at a hotel in Leadville. I came back the next day for the second half which was much easier but still very hard work.
I left his head and antlers on the mountain. My wife said she didn't want any trophies in the house. Up until I came back from this trip, she was actually downright against hunting. Luckily she understands that we are different people and that this was important to me. So, she sent me off with good wishes. Now, she is proud of me and can't wait to eat the lean healthy meat. I know where I left his head, so I'll go back for it in the spring. Even if I can't mount him, I can at least keep him in the garage as a memento (married guys here know you have to pick your battles). In the meantime, I keep looking at the pictures of him on my phone and growing increasingly proud of my hunt.
Thanks to everyone here for your congratulations. They mean a lot to me.
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
Timberstalker
Veteran member
Great job on your fisrt buck! Still hunting is becoming a lost art, I love that style of hunting. I agree with the others, go get those horns, they are great reminders of the hunt. I have all but one or 2 sets of mine, I still look at my first set from 30 years ago.
BucksnBulls
Member
Old Hunter
Banned
Great job Eric. Was I right about still hunting? Fun wasn't it?
You need to study up some more on the gutless method. If you do it right the hair won't get near the meat, and there's no need to gut it to get the loins. It's done from the spine side.
You need to study up some more on the gutless method. If you do it right the hair won't get near the meat, and there's no need to gut it to get the loins. It's done from the spine side.
Thanks, Pete. It was great fun. I look forward to doing it again next year.
I definitely did some fumbling around which I won't have to repeat. I don't think I would have got any hair on the meat if I wasn't so tentative about skinning him. I had it in my head that the tenderloins were right underneath the backstraps. I didn't realize they'd be so far back. But I still can't imagine getting them out from the spine side. So, I'll watch another gutless video. I have plenty of time until next year.
If I hunt the same unit next year I won't bother carrying binoculars. I thought you were crazy for saying that. I almost packed a scope and tripod too. But with a muzzleloader in the type of country I was hunting binoculars were just extra weight swinging around my neck.
I definitely did some fumbling around which I won't have to repeat. I don't think I would have got any hair on the meat if I wasn't so tentative about skinning him. I had it in my head that the tenderloins were right underneath the backstraps. I didn't realize they'd be so far back. But I still can't imagine getting them out from the spine side. So, I'll watch another gutless video. I have plenty of time until next year.
If I hunt the same unit next year I won't bother carrying binoculars. I thought you were crazy for saying that. I almost packed a scope and tripod too. But with a muzzleloader in the type of country I was hunting binoculars were just extra weight swinging around my neck.
Old Hunter
Banned
kesand72
Active Member
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
That's nice advice about moving slow. It sure looks like it payed off well for you Eric. Well done and it sure had to be a great feeling going out solo to get that buck. There are some upsides and downsides I suppose to solo trips. I'm glad you had a successful one. That sure sounds like a trip you will remember.
Last edited:
gonhunting247
Veteran member
- Jan 21, 2014
- 1,220
- 795
Topgun 30-06
Banned
***Click on this link below and read the thread. That's where the OH ban took place and you'll see why.
http://www.eastmans.com/forum/showthread.php/5774-Ist-Rifle-Season-over-2nd-starts-Saturday
I read a lot of the threads, but not all of them. Thanks for the clarification.
Eberle
Veteran member
I actually miss OH. I know he could be a pain & disrespectful at times. He did have alot of good knowledge. You got a be respectful, bottomline!
Very cool dude! Very impressive of the for thought and planning you put into taking care of the meat, that speaks highly of your character as a new hunter and gives hunters all around a good image. I rarely hunt our early season archery here in TN for whitetail because its always too dang hot and you must be quick to save the meat, so when I help a new hunter out that is the first thing I stress about early season hunting. Kudos to you man.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing
Musket Man
Veteran member
Thanks, MM. I appreciate it.
I doubt many of you on this forum have the same problem. My wife was downright anti-hunting and had a hard time understanding my new found interest. She did not want me to be successful and even after I got back from my trip, she didn't want to hear about it.
It wasn't until I was describing my hunt to a friend that she changed her mind. She heard me mention that I thanked the buck and the wilderness for their gift to me and my family. After that, she understood better that sportsmen revere and protect the animals they hunt. She has since really enjoyed eating mule deer and she hopes I get an elk this fall. However, I don't think she'll be ready for a shoulder mount in the house anytime soon.
I'll never forget how beautiful my first buck was. I have thought about the experience literally every day since. I'm sure that is a problem we all share! I don't need his antlers around to remind me. That is not a nock on trophy hunting. If circumstances were different, he'd be hanging over our fireplace. My wife just really doesn't want that, and the meat and experience were far more important to me anyway.