Keeping Cool

[creekwalkr]

Sept. 29th is the opening day of archery deer season in Ohio. . . with a 2 month drought. It is supposed to be extremely hot upper 80's and lower 90's. What is the best method for keeping deer meat cool during field extraction, tag in, and the 45 minute trip to the processors?

Need to know soon! I was planning on taking a couple bags of ice in coolers and post gutting put the ice in the rib cage.

Any help is greatly appreciated! !

[Glen]

This weather report will help quite a bit.

http://www.weatherunderground.com/cgi-b ... y=Saturday

I gut mine immediately then haul butt to the nearest convenience store which is about 6 minutes from where I hunt. I get 2 of the large bags of ice stuffed inside. I also like to lay the deer on it's back across the bed of the truck so heat can escape. When I get home I dump the ice out & wash the deer out with the garden hose making sure to use plenty of water. This also helps cool the deer. Then I keep it stuffed full of ice in the truck in the garage out of the sun until I can get it to the butcher shop. HTH

[Hotshot]

Best thing for cooling down your big game animal is to get the hide off.

[creekwalkr]

I appreciate all comments. Unfortunately, Saturday's hunt was a bust. I had some two old does a yearling doe and two fawns just outta spots cross the field at 'bout 200 yds. but something behind them kept their attention and they moved on quick.

The evening hunt failed too. I had found a good spot that I had not hunted before (80 yds from a busy highway. . . . and a busy deer highway too!!) I hadn't been in the tree an hour when a car pulled up on the road, a guy got out and started to walk the tree line!

Once I was on the ground and after a good chewing, he quickly got his belongings that he had left from the morning hunt and made his way home up the road. He was polite and seemed honest about his mistake. Except for the fact that he was a mile and a half from where he was supposed to be.

[Glen]

Would you point a loaded gun at another person?? There is no difference here. This is copied from the Ohio Hunters Safety Course. It can be found online & I can provide a link. I copied & pasted the italicized portion from that manuel.

Safety First
Bow safety rules are just as
important as firearm safety rules.
Remember the four basic rules of
firearm (archery) safety.
1. Keep the arrow pointed in a
safe direction.
2. Never point a bow and arrow
playfully or otherwise at
anyone or anything you are
not willing to shoot.
3. Always be sure of your target
and beyond.
4. Don’t draw an arrow until
you are ready to shoot.


Nuff said.

[WrzWaldo]

I let him get into a shooting window and came full draw. I sternly let him know he was in the wrong and that another step could be his last. (I wasn't gonna shoot. . . that's not what I wanted. . . ) After a couple of seconds of head bobbing trying to find me, I shouted again and upon him spotting me, I let the bow relax. All color left from his skin.

Say what!?!?!?

That's gotta be one of the stupidest things I've ever seen posted here!

[WHISTLEPIG]

This is not the first time.

[creekwalkr]

yes. it was not in accordance to the book. yes. it is not a genius move. while hunting on my own property, i have encountered several poachers. . . few see me and make a run for the border; some wait to see if i spotted them, then run; and quite often when i confront them (regardless of what i have in my hands stick or steering wheel) i receive major problems. I've been shot at and threatened in many ways. i have attempted to be nice in all situations. . .nice but stern. the local law enforcement has been to the property assisting me at times.

when i'm in a tree with nowhere to go confronting a guy on the ground with the abilitiy to pick me off like a squirrel (should he be armed). . . . . i prefer to protect myself. i like to give each the opportunity to prove me wrong, that they are not here to harm me. . . the fella saturday was clearly shook up and knew he was not in the right location. If i was to see him again, i would apologize for drawing on him and thank him for be so polite when we conversed in field.

[creekwalkr]

this saturday is suppose to be 90 degrees. i'll see you all at the tag in station.

[WrzWaldo]

while hunting on my own property, i have encountered several poachers. . .

Wow seems like this would have been worth mentioning in you last post... It still don't make it right!

I had found a good spot that I had not hunted before (80 yds from a busy highway. . . .

Hmmmm seems like you would have said something like...

I found a spot on my place that I had not hunted before...

You must own a load of property!

when i'm in a tree with nowhere to go confronting a guy on the ground with the abilitiy to pick me off like a squirrel (should he be armed). . . . . i prefer to protect myself.

Guess what, had of someone on the ground wanted to "pick you off" they would probably have done so at a range at which you would not been able to shoot back from.

If i was to see him again, i would apologize for drawing on him and thank him for be so polite when we conversed in field.

Well that certainly makes what you did alright then!

No matter how you try and sugar coat it what you did was wrong! It's hunters like you that give the rest of the shooting community a black eye!

[creekwalkr]

170 acres heavily wooded with patches of small fields and a couple of ponds.

turkey season is when I encounter most poachers.

Black eye. . . There are worse "ethic violators" than myself. True, there are 101 different ways things could've been done. Results would have been the same, worse, or better.

Does my post educate another beginning hunter on this ethical issue? Did I make the whole thing up for the educational benefit?

Hate me if ya want to.

Saturday is supposed to be 90 degrees. how much is a bag of ice?

[WrzWaldo]

There are worse "ethic violators" than myself.

True, you could of accidentally/purposely let the arrow fly. Short of wounding/shooting someones pet it don't get much worse!

I don't hate you, I just think you're a little misguided.

[creekwalkr]

thank you waldo. wounding a pet. . . . . I remember!! yes, the dog is still alive the last I saw of him 3 months ago. Limping a little, but alive. Since then, I've made some improvements to the gun and the shooter so that such a wounding event won't happen again. The dog may have started as a pet. . .but then became a nusiance and dangerous canine.

Also, a neighbor called me a few weeks ago asking if I owned a chow/shephard mix. I guess the dog couldn't get enough of my fenced in critters and thought someone else's chickens would taste better.

arrow flight

Results would have been the same, worse, or better.

I was, at a point in time, more sensitive regarding my response to unauthorized hunting. Over time, with various encounters, I have become a little callused.

I do appreciate everyone's comments. Constructive criticism.
Misguided, mislead, misrepresented, misused, misunderstood.