Two firsts: first deer hunt, first buck!

[Flecko]

Here is to a successful D8 Hunt!

I spent last week in the wilderness, solo, 12 miles away from the car (or any roads for that matter). I set up a basecamp and scouted from there. Mornings and evenings I spent huddled up on a couple of vantage points, and the days I spent scouting for deer activity. Being hyper-alert is exhausting just in itself!

The morning of my 4th day out, I spotted this 3x1 buck entering a meadow at 9,300' elevation. I lifted the rifle, pulled the trigger, and watched him drop. I had spent the entire time out there without seeing any deer (or people) until that morning. Just a few bears. The moment after pulling the trigger and watching him drop, I had a rush second to none! All of my effort (and I could go on here...) was culminated in this one proud feeling.

Being my first deer hunt, I was not sure what to do next! I was 15 miles away fro the car. WTF was I thinking? I was so anxious to get a deer that I didn't think beyond bringing him down. I started field dressing the animal, left only the spine and entrails, and hiked my buck's meat all the way home... I will never attempt to carry that much meat and gear solo again. I learned my lesson (my feet were hamburger)!!! It was a life changing experience though. I now have roasts, loin chops, and sausage waiting for me!

 

[8SteelTown]

Friggin awesome man!!! That's a great 1st timer story! Great job!

 

[Flecko]

I forgot to mention that I had scoped D16, finally saw a couple of bucks, but when I went to get a tag, they were SOLD OUT, and EARLY! I then shifted attention to D19, but then the area that I had hoped to hunt nearly entirely burned down. I checked out D8 and really liked the country. It was beautiful out there! It seems like D16 will be a premium hunt next year, right?

 

[Lungpopper]

Yes D-16 will be a premium tag next year.
Congrats on your hunt, sounds awesome except for the pack back out. I'm sure you will have a hunting buddy with you next time. Just make sure you shoot the deer so he can help you pack it out.

 

[breacher]

Congrats Flecko! Cool story. You'll quickly forget the physical pain you felt and will go back for more. All the experience is what it makes it so memorable. Nice job!

 

[Bonejour]

That's a great story! Good on ya for carrying everything out. 8)
Not everyone would do that once they realized they had a long hike out with the meat.
That said, now that you have an idea of your "end game", next time should be easier.
I've been scouting D16 for the first time this year. Some spots I've been to are interesting and show plenty of sign, but getting the meat back to the road would be difficult.

 

[Boudroux]

Awesome man. Congrats!

 

[breacher]

Did you have a bear tag?

 

[NBK]

Great job Flecko - Way to make it happen. I like your style!!!

 

[Elcazador.Mz]

Congrats flecko!!!

 

[BuckHunter]

Welcome to the forum Flecko. Great start. You're hard core and that's what it takes to be successful when you are just starting out. There are lots of new hunters that think you can walk 10 minutes from the road and get lucky and it just doesn't work out that way most of the time. I have a bear story like yours that I will never forget, and it was only a mile in the dark and with a buddy. I'm to old for 12 miles solo. Keep up the great work and looking forward to hearing more from you on here.

 

[josecasillas]

congratz man! great job and great story!

 

[El Matavenados]

Strong work! I've done solo trips before (only 7.5 miles in), and it's certainly not my preference. By day 2 of not seeing any bucks, my tendency is to head for home!

Sounds like you're way ahead of the game though. It took me about 10 years of hunting before I got my first- shows what a poor hunter I am. Now that you've got your first, consider a couple things. You mentioned that you left only the spine and the entrails. That means that you carried out the hide and the leg bones. Unless you're going to mount it, or want to make leather out of the hide, leave it behind. If you're going to mount it, cape it out (leaving a generous amount for the taxidermist), but leave the rest. If I'm near the road, I'll keep the leg bones for my dog to chew on. Otherwise, all the meat comes off the bones, and goes into ziplocs. If I need to cool the meat, I can dunk those ziplocs in a creek or lake overnight before packing out.

Finally, perhaps you have already done this, but read up on ultralight backpacking, and apply the principles you learn to your backpacking/hunting gear. Reducing pack weight is an ongoing learning process, but the more you work at it, the more efficient you become, and the more enjoyable the trip. On my last trip, when packing out 40 lbs of meat and antlers, on top of a 40 lb pack, I felt like I was about to die. But getting a hunting pack down to 40 lbs. can be quite difficult!

Again, strong work.

 

[Flecko]

Did you have a bear tag?

I had no bear tag. If anyone wants to nab a huge blackie, I saw one in the same place as I passed this meadow three times, at 12:30 exactly. It looked to be well over the 300lb mark. (Photo attached). It was about 5.5 miles from the car, but with a couple of guys, it would be rather easy... Let me know if you're interested! It's in D8.

I was worried to field dress the meat too much because I had a hard time keeping the meat out of dirt and grass. I left the hide on the rear quarters because I hoped to keep it clean and to keep it from spoiling on the 2 days back to the car... But when I butchered the animal back home, the bones probably weighed at least 25lbs. Does anyone have any tips for boning out the animal in the field and keeping the meat sanitary? I might use a space blanket next time. Also, I have always heard that I need to keep the meat dry and cold, but another hunter that I bumped into at a gas station told me that he always keeps it wet to prevent it from drying out. What's the deal?


@El Matavenados: Like you, I value light weight gear! Give me a moment to brag a little about my gear, cause it took a long time to assemble! I used to work at a mountain shop and I got great industry deals. I am geared up like no other. Some gear I took with me: Arcteryx Sidewinder jacket, Arcteryx Gamma MX, Arcteryx Arrakis 65 backpack, MSR Whisperlite International stove, Vargo Titanium woodstove (backup), Sweetwater water pump, Steri Pen (backup), All Icebreaker underlayers, Patagonia Puff Jacket... on and on... Like I said, it took me a long time to build up this arsenal of gear! I am a very fortunate to have access to this stuff at manufacturer prices. It is all light weight and excellent quality. I carried backups of the important things like my stove. All of this gear was important and needed for such a long trip. STILL I weighed in at 65lbs dry (w/o water), rifle included. Please don't take this as arrogance or anything, I just am proud of the toys I have accumulated with only modest means!

On a general note about ultralight, ultralight gear is generally not durable enough to survive many years of use (and the newest ultralight stuff makes the old ultralight go out of fashion rather quickly). For example, DAC aluminum tent poles have been scaled down to be extremely light weight, but soooo very brittle. The Big Agnes Fly Creek tents are REDICULOUSLY lightweight (Just over 2lbs! CRAZY!), but a broken pole would be terrible when you need a shelter. I can't afford to buy a new tent every other year. This may be a topic for another thread. I would like to offer my 10+ years experience in the outdoor industry, if anyone has any questions on backpacking gear.

My favorite piece of gear was my Vargo Titanium woodstove ($30+/-), which folds flat and is smaller than a salad plate. Best of all, it only requires sticks for fuel. I attached a picture!

I guess what I am saying is that when in the backcountry, I completely agree, lightweight quality gear is suuuper important!

What I really need is a mule, or a friend who can carry a load like a mule...

 

[stikbrandon]

Man that is awesome that u get out there like that and hunt solo! There is a show on the outdoor channel called SOLOHUNTERS, if u haven't seen it check it out !dude do the same things u did and film it them selfs

 

[MJB]

Nice job!
The gutless deboning is easy I cut along the backbone peal the hide down to the ankles then debone and lay the meat on the hide or after deboning one piece of meat drop it into a gamebag or plastic bag. I like plastic to keep the bugs/dirt out and the blood in. Then I get back to camp and wash and dry or just drop into a cooler.

As far as wet or dry as long as it's not more than a few days ice cold water can be your friend. It helps to get the blood out and cools the meat evenly but debone, the meat can rot from the bone outward due to the bone holding heat and other decomposing issues.

 

[Bonejour]

Very cool discussion and advice from all sides. Flecko, you are hard core! 8)
MJB, do you keep the heart, kidneys and liver?

 

[MJB]

For the dogs

I'm not a fan of organ meat but I've been told deer liver is great

 

[Bonejour]

For the dogs

I'm not a fan of organ meat but I've been told deer liver is great

Deer liver is great sliced and sauteed with onions, pretty easily done. Just don't confuse it with the spleen. The heart and kidneys need to be brined overnight before cooking, but both are good for braising/stew.

 

[breacher]

Cool pictures Flecko. Sounds like you have a wealth of knowledge to share about gear and backpacking. Congrats again on a hard earned animal!