First Youth Hunt - Question

[ZENYO]

Hello,

My son passed his CORE this year and I'm taking him out this weekend for his first youth hunt (He's 10). I'm excited to say the least, and a little nervous but he's been hunting with me for 3 years now so he knows the drills...

I've never hunted this early in the season, It's seems too hot to hang the deer... Where I'm going there will be highs of 20-24. do I need to pack up camp and come home when he gets his deer?

Thanks

[coach]

You will want to make sure the animal is well cooled. This can be done by quartering and hanging in game bags over a creek or in a shady area. At 20 plus degrees, flies and wasps can be an issue so the game bags will help. Take a large cooler with ice or cold lacks and transport that animal in that once you have it parted out and cooled. Make sure the meat doesn't sit in water in the cooler. A piece of plywood between the meat and ice can help with this.

Not sure where you are going but I drove to Hope and back yesterday and temps on the okanagan connector were as low at 3 degrees around 9pm.

Good luck to to you and your son!

[ZENYO]

Tanks for the tips Coach... We'll be in the Cache Creek area...

[Steeleco]

If you are fortunate enough to get game later in the day it should cool well overnight and stay cool if you can hang in shade of near a creek. My kids have done very well in the youth season and never lost any meat to the heat.


The net shows it as 9*C there right now. Your only issue in my mind is a mid day buck.

[epicZERO74]

Sounds like a fun trip! I'm heading for a youth trip this weekend as well. Where abouts are you going?

[Daybreak]

While these points haven't been specifically by Coach or Steeleco they may have implied implied the following:

Gut it and get the windpipe out asap, have a gallon of water available to rinse and wipe out the body cavity. Once gutted and rinsed throw a block of ice in the cavity and pack some cubed ice in the neck and other voids. Get it in the truck and find your coolest, shadiest place to get it hung and get the hide off asap. Once that is done you can rest easy knowing you have done about as much as you can and should have no problems. Sometimes it is best to let it hang in the shade during the heat of the day and do your travelling at night once it cools off.


The way I see it, early season deer are great, however it does require a little extra preparedness in terms of a cooler dedicated to a block of ice and some cubed along with a gallon or two of water all specifically intended for the deer. I do believe the key to good tasting venison is clean, iced and hide off asap.


Good luck on your hunt.

[coach]

Great points, daybreak. Especially about the jug of water. It sure makes keeping things clean a lot easier. A tarp for gutting or deboniing the animal also works to keep dirt or mud off the meat. Preparation is always key anytime we go hunting.

[Daybreak]

Thank you Coach. Sure is nice to see you back. My old man once told me to put my dog in a kennel while I travelled out of country. He said the dogs joy on my return would far offset his angst while I was gone. Welcome back.

[M.Dean]

It's too bad you won't be a bit closer to my place, my walk in coolers running right now, I've got my Grandsons WT Buck in there, and it's a balmy 36 "F". And, I was just thinking, if there's any guys taking there kids out close by here, 3-27 and the young hunter does shoot a buck, I'll let him hang it in my cooler for free so you don't have to pack up camp and try to get home before it go's bad. As long as it's only a few days and not a week or two, no problems! Ph.# is 250-573-4271, or 3084 Pinantan Pritchard Road, Pinantan Lake, ask for Marv. And, I think this go's without saying, but, I do have to see the canceled tag and put the hunters name and address in my Cold Room Book. And, the Dad's can even show the young guys how to skin it out here, wash it, dry it, then roll it into the cooler(long as you clean up your mess)!Also, I put in a 110 volt winch above the monorail so even I can hang animals by myself again! And good luck out there!

[dmaxtech]

Wow M.Dean ! What a generous offer. I wish I was taking my son out this weekend.

[kaptin]

What an awesome offer. True gentleman.

[ZENYO]

That's Awesome M.Dean! Very nice offer!

[HarryToolips]

You will want to make sure the animal is well cooled. This can be done by quartering and hanging in game bags over a creek or in a shady area. At 20 plus degrees, flies and wasps can be an issue so the game bags will help. Take a large cooler with ice or cold lacks and transport that animal in that once you have it parted out and cooled. Make sure the meat doesn't sit in water in the cooler. A piece of plywood between the meat and ice can help with this.

Not sure where you are going but I drove to Hope and back yesterday and temps on the okanagan connector were as low at 3 degrees around 9pm.

Good luck to to you and your son!
What he said is bang on....good luck!

[M.Dean]

When worse came to worst, I can remember taking a tarp and spreading it out in the back of the truck, putting the deer or moose quarters in there, then drive like hell to the closest place that sold ice, lots of ice! One or two bag's inside the animal, and pack some ice around it. Back then if it was too warm day and night, we cut the animal up as soon as possible to avoid bone sour, never had to throw any meat out, so we did something right. And yes, my offer still stands, if there's any Youth Hunters around my place in 3-27 and you get a deer, please feel free to drop by and I'll let you use my Walkin Cooler, for free. I am Marv Dean at 3084 Pinantan Pritchard Road, Pinantan Lake. Ph. # 250-573-4271. And Good Luck to all the Youth Hunters out there, and a hunting tip from a old hunter, Don't get "Buck Fever" until after the animals on the ground! My Grandson's taken quite a few Deer with me, and when I went to give him a hug after the WT was down last week, his hands were shaking like it was his first hunt! And, I find I still get the shakes after the shot on some animals too! I don't think it ever leaves you, and that's a good thing! Good Luck, and hope to see you!

[ZENYO]

Thanks for the advice everyone... our usual camp has a hang in the shade and it got pretty cold overnight. I had game bags, two coolers and 4 blocks of ice ready (although I've never quartered a deer before, I've never hunted this early and always hung them and brought them back whole). None the less, we didn't need them...

He had his chance at a nice 2 point on the last morning but didn't take the shot right away because there was a smaller 2 point right beside him. He chose to wait until they separated enough that there was no chance of a freak accident and hitting the other buck. At that point the only shot available was a freehand shot, he missed the first and just wasn't comfortable to take the second without a rest. We tracked them for a bit but they disappeared into the thick stuff... He was pretty happy to experience just that though, it was almost like he got the buck! lol... He's 10 and has a lot of time to get his first!

[Getbent]

Great offer there by Mr. Dean!
Too bad you guy's didn't connect Z, my son connected the night of third just after we set up camp, we were in the Cache Creek area and it froze overnight, we decided to stick around another night and on Friday night it went down to -6, it was plenty cold to tack it up..

Maybe you guys will get another chance later in the season...