So my wife gave me a Marlin 336 for deer hunting...now what?

[GPossenti]

I've never hunted before. I've taken the hunter's safety course, and I've got my camo, etc.. I need some hunter orange and a good knife.

How does one learn to hunt? I've read books about deer rubs and scrapes, masking your scent, deer anatomy for targeting, etc.. I don't have any family or friends that hunt, so I'm kinda on my own.

What do I do with the deer once I shoot it? I read a story on TFL about a hunter who came upon another noob hunter who was trying to drag a deer that wasn't field-dressed, so I figure minimizing the amount of weight to carry is a good idea. I'm just not sure how.

Any pointers, advice, ideas?

[johnwilliamson062]

Struggling through the process right now. If you don't have family that hunts it is very difficult. I have read up a bit on all the stuff and feel that was relatively useless outside of helping me know what questions to ask.

You really have two options:

1.Get to a range where some hunters shoot. Follow all the safety rules. Show that you aren't dangerous in a controlled environment. If you are talking to anyone mention your wife bought you the rifle to hunt with and you are just getting started and are lost. It has taken me over a year with this approach but it is starting to pay great dividends. If you have a hunting/fishing club in your area try to join it. If you can go on one of their trips that will accelerate the process I imagine.

2.I am in the market for an Marlin 336, although I am leaning toward the Browning BLR. Is yours the stainless 30/30?

[Pahoo]

On Field Dressing:
You will find that every hunter has his or her own special way. I guess I have not seen a truly bad way, just not my way. Try not to get any feces on the meat. The important point here, is to open the deer up as soon as possible and get the hot guts out of there. Then Prop the cavity open. Got to start cooling the deer down as soon as possible. The decay process is already starting to set in. I was called out to open up a deer that had been hit 1/2 hour earlier and it was already starting to bloat. Remember that this is a learing curve and just be patient with yourself.


Be Safe !!!

[Tuckahoe]

There is not enough space here to give all the details. Have you thought about going on a paid hunt? There are likely several places in your area that allow you to hunt with a guide on private land. This would cost you but you will learn more than reading all the books on the subject.

[davlandrum]

Mod - maybe move the the hunting forum? Might get more responses.

GP - Go to the hunting thread and use the search tool. There are several threads that asked this very thing and got a ton of excellent input.

Dave

[Tuckahoe]

Pahoo, How hot was the weather that day? I have never seen any deer bloat that fast. The guys here who take a nice buck will ride em around all day in the bed of a truck. I just don't see a deer swelling up that quick. NC is not known for real cold weather.
It is a fact that the quicker you chill a deer the better the quality of the meat. Guts and hide hold lots of heat.

[GPossenti]

johnw, it's not the stainless, it's the blued steel.

[wpcexpert]

As far as field dressing...it's not as necessary to do it immediately as some say. In WV, my family has done it where the deer fell. But the guts are eaten by the next day and/or frozen. But down south (South Carolina/Arkansas), I and everyone I've hunted,have waited until we got out of the woods. Have waited as much as 4 hours before the guts were removed, if the situation deemed it so. Never had any problem with ruined meat.

For example, you shoot a deer and you don't have a very good blood trail. It may take 1-2 hours to finally find the deer. Now, the deer has been dead for at least 90% of that time if not sooner. Do you leave the deer because the meat is bad, NO. Would I go ahead and field dress it there, yes. Because it is now out of my immediate hunting area and poses no threat to ruin my spot. That is the reason for waiting until you either get to a cleaning station or back to your house to clean it. I don't want those rotting guts to destroy my spot for weeks.

The meat will last a lot longer than some folks think.

[Pahoo]

Tuckahoe: Pahoo, How hot was the weather that day?
It was late August and not sure of the temp but it was far from cold. With my first cut into the cavity, you could hear the gasses venting. I have to ask why you would drive around all day without gutting the deer? The only advantage I see, is that you don't want to get the truck bed, bloody. It's their deer but I just recommend cooling down the deer as soon as possible. Now, I have seen blow flies, on fresh meat but never seen meet go bad on a gutted deer when processed in a timely manner, regarless of the temp. On another occasion, helped a buddy track down an arrow shot deer, in very cold weather and sadly, the land owner found it on the third day, no more than 50 yds. from where it was hit and yes, we kept tracking it that long till we lost the trail. The meat was bad !!!

You know, another question that might be asked, is: "how do you know when the meat has gone bad?"

Be Safe !!

[scottycoyote]

there are a ton of great books on deer hunting, as well as monthly magazines. Id read a couple of those so you can get the basics such as scouting, bedding and feeding areas, deer behavior, etc. You can find plenty of articles with step by step and pictures on how to field dress a deer. Make yourself a gut kit (gloves, drag rope, guthook/knife, liver bag), put it all in a big ziploc bag along with your field dressing directions you printed out, and you got it all right there. have fun

[Buzzcook]

Most hunting is sitting on your butt, either in a tree or a blind, and waiting for bambi to wander by close enough to put a hole in him.

Finding the right place to put your butt is the hard part.

[MacGille]

I carry a small set of pulleys and some parachute cord in my backpack. As soon as I get to the deer I hang it from the nearest tree and gut it. Then I cut off the legs at the knee, skin the carcass but leave the head on. (necessary for the game warden) Then I pull a deer bag over the carcass and carry (never drag) the carcass out. When gutting, tie a string around the urethra and another around the anus before removing the guts. This keeps waste from the meat (never tastes good). Hang the carcass in the bag to keep flies off and prop the cavity open to help cool it.

I am constantly amazed at the treatment some hunters give their kill. If you shot a cow in the guts, let it die in the sun, dragged it behind a truck for a mile, then gutted it and let it lay in the dirt for a day, you would not pass FDA inspection and you would probably swear off beef. I've known a number of wives that won't eat venison because of the gamey taste. Its not gamey hon, its spoiled.

If you don't know how to do these things, get some instruction. There are usually meat butchers in most rural ares that can help you to preserve your kill. Ask 'em.:)

[ronto]

Install and sight in a receiver peep sight...Find an experienced hunter to go with...Then aim for the brown.

[Wildebees]

Hear ye, hear ye, all wives! Take note! Take time and read about guns! Take some money from your skin care budget and save it! Buy your husband a gun for his birthday, each birthday!

[ringworm]

does that mean your proud she bought him a rifle or that your not enthusiastic about the choice?

[Tuckahoe]

A gut shot deer will stink (sometimes beyond belief) on dressing. I cut the hams shoulders and backstrap from a gut shot deer and throw the rest away.

[Kreyzhorse]

Just a suggestion, but have you called your local game warden to see if he has any suggestions? Perhaps he could hook you up with someone for hands on lesson with someone. Perhaps even a hunters ed class would help.

A gut shot deer will stink (sometimes beyond belief) on dressing.

A gut shot deer is bad. A gut shot antelope is really bad.

[Wildebees]

Good for him on any count!:)

[Kawabuggy]

As was mentioned above, finding a PLACE to hunt will be the hardest part-everything after that is easy.

If you already have a place that you can hunt, I would start by scouting the area. When you are out scouting, think about how you would get a deer out of the woods if you shot it. Is the terrain rocky? Is it hilly? Is it a lot of mud? Can you use an ATV to get in to where you hunt, and to carry a deer out?

You can find videos on you-tube as to how to clean one once you have it on the ground.

Have you had any firearms exposure before? Know how to safely handle a fire-arm? What type of rifle & ammo, or hand-gun will you be using? Are you accurate with that weapon out to 100 yards? If not, better start by spending some time at the range practicing! You better be able to bring that gun up to your shoulder without taking your eyes off the deer, and then be able to put that bullet exactly where it needs to go.

Post any specific questions you have, and I'm sure someone will be able to help you out.

[screenerglenn]

i too am very new to the hunting sport. i've been shooting at a local range and have shown my fellow shooters that i can be very safe and careful. as a result, when talking about hunting i recieved several offers to join in hunts with these experienced hunters. the post earlier that suggested this is right on the mark. good luck

[rixret]

The wife's a keeper. Does she have a sister?

[guntotin_fool]

Make a new post here about hunting in louisiana.... ask for some help from the locals.


Gutting a deer is more or less like gutting a fish, only bigger and heavier,
There are a few very good videos out there about the way to do it....

This is a youtube link to one way to do it......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKm42ql7NSw as you can see, there are several others on there. Its a bit awe creating at first, but its really pretty easy.


I really dispute those who say that you can let them lay around all day and clean it when you get home, If you want prime good tasting venison, you want to make sure you get it dressed as soon as you can, get the cavity opened up and cleaned out with really salty water, and get it cooled off fast. WE use a pump up garden sprayer to wash the cavity out as soon as we get the deer hung up, we fill the garden sprayer one hand full of salt to 2 gallons of water, this helps get the meat clean and helps neutralize any body fluids left behind. (note: this garden sprayer is purpose bought for water and saline and never ever has chemicals in it. we like our kids with one head, so we try to keep the poisons out of our wash water._)

Practicing shooting is a good thing. As far as a good knife, you do not need a big blade, a 2 inch blade will do all your work except cutting the chest open, for that I use a small safety saw.

[jhgreasemonkey]

Lol. Thats what I was going to say. I think of it like gutting a big fish.

[flyboy14]

Start asking around, talking about hunting, I bet you will be surprised how many people hunt. Most people who are into shooting and hunting love to talk about it. Ask lots of questions, and look as mentioned above get a hold of your local gamewarden. When trying to find somewhere to hunt ask first about helping landowners thin out doe herds, and management deer. It's easier to get on a place when you aren't trying to shoot the trophy bucks. I don't know how much public land there is where you live, but thats your best bet to start. Most hunters understand that we need to help start new hunters if we want our sport to grow. good luck, flyboy

[45Marlin carbine]

take that 30-30 out and practice with it until you can hit a saucer size target offhand at 50 yards every shot - and a plate at 100.
before going into the woods wipe off all oil from your rifle, deer can smell that a mile away.
have a sharp folding knife and some cord along with you to field dress with. and a heavy zip bag for the heart and liver, they are good eating. lay deer near a bush/sapling and tie legs on side up in the air to access the abdomen to open up. talk to another hunter about dressing.

[22-rimfire]

The place to hunt is the hardest part. Once you have a place to hunt that has a deer population, it is a matter of doing some scouting. Don't worry about all the little details for now concerning deer behavior that the magazines and books are full of. Do some scouting and find a spot where you can see reasonably well to shoot. Valleys, draws, and hollows are natural funnels for deer that are moving. Same goes with the spot where those hollows meet the top of a ridge. That is a good spot to park yourself.

Get to your spot as early as you can (before daylight if possible). I sometimes place plastic flagging discretely on a few trees where I can find it with a flashlight if I'm not real familiar with a property. These clue me in to turn off a road, prod me along that I'm going in the right direction etc. It is not the end of the world if you don't make it to your spot before daylight. IF you can't for whatever reason, just stop where you think you can see and wait for daylight. Then after a half hour of so, move slowly and quietly to your chosen spot. It is good to have alternative spots chosen.

I have a habit of scouting after lunch for a couple hours and then moving back to my "spot" at around 3:30 or so to watch for deer and wait for dusk.

A pair of good binoculars are quite useful especially if there are other hunters around. Hunters don't like to see you scoping them with your rifle.

Do the field dressing chores immediately after shooting your deer. As mentioned, there are videos and most state game entities will often have directions on their websites. It is something that looks daunting, but is not really very difficult. Just take it slow. It is not a race. It is nice to be able to clean your hands after you're done. Knowing where water is located is useful.

Take at least one very sharp knife with you. I generally take two, a fixed blade and a folder. If you are buying new, keep the blade length under 4" and you are good to go.

I take a deer cart with me. After I shoot a deer and do the field dressing, I quickly hike back to my truck and get my cart. A cart makes it very easy to haul your deer out unless the terrain is very rugged and so forth. Dragging a deer can be quite a chore at times, especially up hill. Be sure to take some rope with you; 12 feet should be enough.

As far as what to do with the deer after you score.... I spent time locating a butcher who does deer. I just haul my deer to him and they take care of the butchering and so forth. They will have freezers and coolers to store the deer and cut up meat. Deer hamburger is quite good. Have the butcher mix in some pork fat with the venison. There is very little fat on a deer.

If you don't want the meat, you can probably give it away. Some homeless shelters accept deer meat. Spend some time at the local gunshops and ask about who butchers deer in your area. Then, find them, and know how to get there. It is just a matter of driving then. You don't want to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what to do after the kill. Do it before.

Be safe and have fun. You will continue to learn every time you go out. You don't have to be an expert to shoot a deer.

[ronc0011]

Having grown up in Southeast Texas and coming from a family that has been in this area since the mid to late 1800s, hunting is sort of genetic at this point. In fact, until seeing this thread this dilemma has never really occurred to me. I was probably 7 or 8 the first time I ever went hunting with my dad and that was on a lease with 3 or 4 other seasoned hunters so proper handling of the deer was never really a problem, those more knowledgeable just sort of naturally stepped in to lend a hand.

I don’t think I have ever seen anyone clean a deer on the spot. In this part of the country deer hunting is typically done from a stand, whether that’s a good spot in a tree or an actual structure of some sort. On any lease I have ever been on the hunt usually consist of taking a camp or ranch vehicle (Usually an old truck or jeep) and taking everyone to their stand. At some point, which may be partly determined by how many shots have been heard, or how light or dark it’s getting, morning or evening, the truck comes and picks everyone up and we all go back to camp with what ever deer we have.

Once back at camp the cleaning begins. I’ve seen this done every way from just stringing the deer up in a tree and start peeling him to stringing him up and attaching a winch to him to peel him. The first time I ever went hunting the camp was just a cabin in the middle of nowhere, thus the hanging the deer from a tree. Later hunting trips were on ranches where there were better equipped facilities. My uncle had this rig that was a horizontal bar with hooks on either end to put the deer’s legs when you strung him up. My Mom and step Dad had a place in Uvalde on the Edwards Plateau where he had an old slab from a garage or something and he had a metal A-frame set up with a winch mounted off to the side and a pulley set in the floor so he could hang the deer up and attach the skin to the winch. This affair could skin a deer in about 15 seconds. Saves a lot of time especially if you have 3 or 4 deer to clean. BTW you do gut the deer before you skin him.

In this part of the country hunting season starts right around Thanksgiving and the weather is usually pretty cool at least if not actually cold and of course later in the season it is cold. A very typical scenario is that you shoot your deer, then you go get your deer and get him back to the road and wait for the truck to come around and pick you up. Of course in this part of the country we have South Texas white tail, these are small deer so hauling them around by hand isn’t such a big deal. In areas where they have Northern Whitetail and other larger deer I suppose there is probably good reason to at least gut the deer on the spot if only to lighten the load.

I lived in Eugene Oregon for a few years, lots of black deer and elk, very large animals, also lots of very inaccessible country. No doubt packing a deer out of there is quit a challenge.

[lockedcj7]

There is lots of good advice here but I'll throw in my .02 anyway.

Start here:
http://dnr.louisiana.gov/

Locate the nearest DNR office and go pay them a visit if you can. See if you can speak to a game biologist. Take him/her to lunch and pick his/her brain. You want to know the areas with the best populations of deer and fewest hunters. Game Wardens are usually good guys but they are primarily law enforcement. There is no guarantee that they know anything about wildlife and many have never hunted or fished. (Of course, some are avid hunters but many are not.) At a minimum, the game biologists have a B.S. in wildlife management, and usually a Master's degree. They are virtually all avid hunters and they all recognize the legitimacy of hunting.

If you have land to hunt on, then you're halfway home. If not, you want a map of the public land open to deer hunting in your area. You also want to know what special permits (if any) are required to hunt big game on public land. Obviously, you want to know when the seasons open and close, shooting hours, bag limits and if, how and when does can be taken (if you're open to taking a doe.) You also want to know how the game must be handled. Some states have rules about field-dressing near roads, streams or on public land in general. You want to know if the animal must be tagged, how and if it must be taken to a checking station. All of these questions are usually answered in the regs booklet published by the state but some are more confusing than others.

Next, you want to go and scout several likely spots but avoid doing so during bow or muzzle-loader season. A "likely spot"' could be a terrain feature that tends to funnel deer like a narrow patch of woods bordered on both sides by fields or water. It might also be a narrow spot on a lake, river or canal where deer would find it easier to cross. Deer also like edge habitat where two or more types of cover converge. Fields, pine plantations, bottom land timber and mature oak-hickory forests can all hold lots of deer but only at certain times of year. An area that combines them all will hold some deer all the time. Try to get as far away from roads and parking areas as you can. If the area is only accessible by boat, so much the better. I use a mountain bike to ride the closed fire roads because ATVs aren't legal on gated roads in my state. I lived in Memphis and drove 1.5 hours to my spot then hiked for 45 minutes to get away from the crowds. I never saw another soul in my spot. I saw a few on the way in and out, but never as far back as I went.

To narrow it down to a specific spot, you obviously want to look for rubs, scrapes, droppings and tracks but you also want to key in on food sources, travel lanes and bedding areas. If you find a white oak tree with lots of sign near it, back off as far as you can down a game trail while still being able to see the tree. For a first-timer who is self-taught, that's going to be about as good as it gets.

Buy a good, comfortable, lightweight climbing stand (such as the Summit Viper SS) and practice using it in the daytime in a controlled environment. Practice with it after dark and with your hunting clothing and gear. If you have private land to hunt, use a ladder stand that you set up a minimum of two weeks in advance. Lugging the climber in and out of the woods gets really old. Above all, wear the safety harness and use a haul rope to get your gear and unloaded gun up to you. Settle in 1/2 hour before legal shooting hours and wait, and wait, and wait. If you don't kill a deer your first time out, don't be discouraged. I was largely self-taught and I hunted many years without seeing deer, much less killing one. It's harder than you think.

Oh yeah... If I can get the deer to the processor within an hour of going down, I pay the extra $7 and let him gut it. If not, I field dress (actually, I hog-dress). I've never had a problem with the meat tasting strong. I also request that no fat is added. I like the natural leanness of it and some processors add waxy beef tallow which I don't like.

[Huntergirl]

Wow, you need to thank that woman. I had a VHS from Cabalas on how to gut a deer, but have sinced tossed it. Maybe they have a DVD out?

[TPAW]

From the time you gut the deer to the time you get it home, have you every gotten deer tics on you, your family or pets?

[HuntAndFish]

What do I do with the deer once I shoot it? I read a story on TFL about a hunter who came upon another noob hunter who was trying to drag a deer that wasn't field-dressed, so I figure minimizing the amount of weight to carry is a good idea. I'm just not sure how.


This is a pretty good book on that subject:

Dress 'em out book on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Dress-Em-Out-James-Smith/dp/0883171074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219889538&sr=8-1)

Covers dressing, prepping and transporting big game, upland and water fowl. Even Alligator. Tools commonly used, some survival procedures, and a few recipes.

[davlandrum]

From the time you gut the deer to the time you get it home, have you every gotten deer tics on you, your family or pets?

TPAW - We usually gut them where they are then get them either to camp or close to the vehicle if we are day-hunting. We haul them up with a rope over a tree limb and skin them right there. Slide a deer bag over and done.

This gets any ticks off with the hide. As the body starts to cool, the ticks will start looking for a new home, so I would not haul a deer home with hide on.

[hogdogs]

Here in the deep south I rarely (never) come across Deer ticks... Most often I cross the "Lone Star tick" with a white dot on his back... Here is a pic of what I get when hog doggin at night.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y267/hogdogs/P6240054.jpg
From seed to juvenile/young adult... I have plucked them off myself many MANY MANY times. But when I had to get one off from behind my loving wifey pooh she put the hammer down and insisted me and junior strip out side and leave our clothes outside...
Brent

[the_right_reverend]

nobody seemed to mention ......... TAKE HER OUT FOR A REALLY NICE DINNER:D

[Yellowfin]

1. Start reading articles about local deer hunting.
2. Look around yard sales and paper classifieds for the stuff you need. At very least you will need a good tree stand (preferably climber), good knife or two, saw, and some freezer space. :)
3. Hang your camos out to air out, then stuff in a ziploc with pine needles or whatever local tree grows there to de-scent them.
4. Practice with your rifle religiously. .30-30 is cheap and loads of fun to shoot.
5. As mentioned above, thank your wife and treat her extra nice.

[lon371]

Welcome to your new addiction. Hi my name is Lonny I am a Huntaholic :)

Your half way there, you have the rifle and live in a good area. I would hit up your local sporting goods stores. Talk to the guys in the gun and bow departments. See if they can hook you up with some of the local people. If you talk to enough guys you will find a hunting partner. If you have farm lands around you, talk to them about the local hunters. Around southern Indiana I can walk up to most anyone and ask if they know any hunters. The reply would be yes. Ask around work, I have found some people hunt but just don't advertise.

Post in the Hunting section here, that you need a hunting partner and list your town you are from.

Be safe and good luck.
Lonny

[rp85]

hello;

have 3 marlins and all shoot good.

save your money and buy a good scope, suggest 1.5x4.5/2x7 range. have a 1.5x4.5 on one, 2x7x on another, and a 3x9x on another. mid-way has the lyman peep for the 336 on sale, $30.

good knife, e.g. bark river model (3" drop point) from a.g. russell knives. a gut hook model is good when or if you ever learn to use this type of knife. have the bark river and 2 gut hooks, a small puma drop point gut hook from sportsmens guide and a custom made gut hook.

in louisiana there are 3 options on where to hunt. you own the land, a la. management area, or hunting club. tenn.???

fact of life deer hunting is not cheap.

time in the woods is a great teacher. if the wife would like to go, take her. if you have children, take'em. make no difference if your child is a boy or girl. take'em!!!

have a 11 year grand-daughter that loves to deer hunt. we take her only to food plots where her shots are 100 yards or less. she does not miss.

good luck, have a good time.

rp

[Swampghost]

Ask around. Finding someone who will take an adult rookie into the woods is going to be tough and it's getting late into this season. I'd take you on but it's still pretty early here, best to practice for next year.

What is your time frame and fortitude? Day? Weekend? Week? 2 Weeks?

You may want to start with some camping and just roaming around in the woods just to see if this is for you. Hunting is not everybody's cup of tea. The kill may seem glamorous, it's most often not unless you're a trophy hunter and slaughtering an animal in the field requires some expertise.

BTW, I'm a meat hunter. Not a single rack or fish on my walls. I'm also part Lakota, Cherokee and Blackfeet and respect my kills.

[ckatsura]

do people still stalk deer? or is it all sitting and waiting these days? It would seem funner to search for them and shoot them.

[ringworm]

stalking is really still hunting. it involves being more still than anything else. in pines i walk 5 steps lean on a tree and wait for 1 min at least. then 5 more steps.
you have to move at a pace that is so slow its uncomfortable. remember to watch behind you as well.

[lockedcj7]

"spot and stalk" requires open land and usually rolling terrain. It's more of a prairie and western thing. This involves using binoculars or spotting scopes to locate a herd or specific animal and then attempting to stalk to within shooting range. Very hard to do in the east since there is so much timber and properties tend to be chopped up and small.

"still hunting" is what ringworm is talking about. This is a matter of moving like molasses through the woods and trying to make as little sound as humanly possible and he nailed it.

"deer drives" or simply "driving" is having a group of hunters (drivers) start at one end of a linear terrain feature like a finger of woods jutting into a field or lake, an agricultural field that hasn't been mowed, etc. and one or more 'standers' at the other end. On a signal or pre-determined time, the drivers begin moving toward the standers, hopefully pushing the deer toward them. The specifics vary based on the traditions of the group or legalities of the area. Sometimes the drivers make lots of noise, sometimes they let scent and natural noise do the pushing. Sometimes only the standers are allow to shoot, other times everyone is armed. It may sound unfair but deer have a way of staying put and letting drivers walk right by them. Others sneak between drivers. Other times the deer fly past the standers and nobody gets a shot.

Stand hunting is what I usually do, although I have taken part in drives and still hunted. Stand hunting involves scouting and finding a suitable place to set up either on the ground or in a tree. Ground blinds can be simple or elaborate and one can always just sit with their back against a tree. I prefer the tree-stand since it gets your scent up above the ground level to some degree. It also takes you out of a deer's line of sight. If they see a lump on the base of a tree that wasn't there yesterday, they often spook and movement is a big no-no. Deer don't normally look up to scan for danger but they will if they see movement or they've seen another hunter up in the same tree. Using a tree-stand isn't just ambushing since they can see and smell you from a long way off if you don't do it right. You also have to know their behavior well enough to pick a spot with some reasonable chance of success.