1911 guy
Member
Where are you hunting? There is a list of willing mentors here on the site. It's a sticky at the top of the "Hunting" page.
While not something I "enjoy" I've slit the throat on almost every deer I've ever shot. Necessary or not, it was how I was taught, and just consider it step one of filed dressing usually. Was there something "bad" about your friend's experience (deer got up, etc) or was it just new, therefore, unsavory to him? I just can't see the ordeal being overwhelming to a seasoned hunter....Buddy of mine had to finish one with a knife once. Said it was his worst experience of his whole hunting career.
"Cows are raised to be killed. Deer grow up to play in the woods and be free"
Etc.. etc.
I didn't think it would be anywhere CLOSE to this big of a deal.
That said, your first hunt went pretty badly. You didn't put that deer down with a good shot (understandable, stuff happens, but still bad). Then you kept jumping that deer for miles. Then you finally found the deer, but you didn't have the proper tools to quickly and humanely finish it off. So you had to resort to strangling it. That's bad. Really bad. If someone had filmed that on a cell phone, PETA and the rest of the nut jobs would be going crazy with showing it. And the game warden might not like that, either. I understand ya gotta do what ya gotta do, but you need to use another bolt, or a gun, or at least a knife to finish one off.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but this is why new hunters need mentors. Don't mean to offend you, I'm just offering a different perspective.
Forgetting my knife was a really bad mistake. I couldn't take a handgun or bow with me because I had to enter adjoining land to track - needed to leave weapons behind. If that weren't the case I could have finished the deer the first time I spotted it.
Check your local regs too...in some places you are not allowed to have any type of firearm with you during bow season.
I'd hate for you to be trying to fix one problem and end up in another.
Check your local regs too...in some places you are not allowed to have any type of firearm with you during bow season.
I'd hate for you to be trying to fix one problem and end up in another.
Still appreciate any tips on gear, etc. I'll be making a checklist for next time, so I'm better prepared.
Tell us what is in your current loadout...what do you take to the woods with you now?
Your being turned around & reluctantly deciding to follow the compass in spite of knowing it is wrong brings back fond memories.Gear lists will vary based on type of hunt and type of land. I mainly deer hunt on private land that I know like the back of my hand. You can drop me off anywhere on that 1,000 acres in the middle of the night and I'll get back to the barn easily.
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The compass will always point north...no batteries and no cell signal needed. So for example, if you know that you are hunting to the north of a major road and you get lost you can at least navigate south, hit the road and walk back to your truck. More than once I SWORE the compass was wrong...I mean I KNEW it was wrong. In the end I reluctantly relied on the compass and turns out...it was right. I was so turned around I was actually arguing with the compass...it's usually right and it's a simple lightweight piece of gear that can save you a cold night in the woods.
Keep it light, just bring the basics...but know ahead of time where you are. Study the map and know some major landmarks. A compass, a flashlight, a piece of rope and a knife are basic but powerful tools that I don't go without (a lighter or matches couldn't hurt).
The explanation was that these were "poison sacs" and if a dog got to the carcass, it could die from the poison.