Two post-hunt rookie questions!

[BCKyle]

Question 1: so hypothetically, you get your deer home on a tarp and ice blocks, back up to the garage and discover that the latch for the back hatch on your jeep cherokee has chosen precisely this moment to stop working forever. In the epic sweaty frantic tussle that follows (involving your girlfriend, who hates blood and the thought of killing animals tugging desperately on the antlers) you get pretty rattled and stressed out about the skinning and dismemberment to follow, this being your first time with a deer. So you forget to cut out the scent glands until well into the skinning/quartering process, and being so far and that the whole deer is hanging from those points on ghetto garage rope, you just finish the job and saw off the leg above the glands.

Let's say this all just happened: Now I have four quarters hanging out with ice, airflow Allowed around them and a fan to help them stay cool. Gonna carve em up tomorrow. Have I screwed up any meat by forgetting the glands? This would really make me pissed at myself.

rookie question 2: now I have a couple of garbage bags full of hide, deer shins and bloodshot/soiled meat scraps. Where do I take this? That's something a guy might just not think of until he has a bunch of meat and a couple bags of blood and crap sitting in his garage. Hypothetically.

On the bright and awesome side, got my first deer today! With help from kevin, from lumby! thanks kevin! Now it's time for a long hot shower to get the smell off so my girlfriend will look at me again.
'

[lorneparker1]

IMO the meat will be fine, may be a bit gamier then if it wasnt rubbed in the glands but defintely edible and still tasty im sure. Cut off a piece and toss it on the barby and see? IF its to gamey for your liking. grind it, and make some pepperonis. Enough pork fat and garlic/spices will smarten up any meat.

As far as all your left over crap. take it back to the bush off the road and dump it there. (granted there is zero grabage and only deer stuff)

Great story and congrats on your first deer.

Lorne

[kyleklassen]

^^^^^^^what he said

[quadrakid]

Congrats on your first deer,sounds like your doing just fine,maybe suffering from post adrenilin rush. A picture of said deer would be nice.

[Jagermeister]

As long as you did not in any way touch the glands, with hands or utensils, and then touch the meat, you should be all right.
I presme that the temp in the garage is about 40°F or 4°C, then you should be good to go. The longer that you leave the meat to hang, the better the aging process. Of course, if it is quite warm in your garage, you have two options, cut it up or take it to a locker and let it hang there. The locker will want to cut it up for you.
The spoils. I guess the local landfill would be the order of the day, however, if you descretely dispose of it in the hinterland, the animals will take care of it for you. The hide will take much longer to disappear and that is when threads about slob hunters start.
The taste of your first deer will determine how much you like venison.

[lovemywinchester]

Good job and good luck getting the smell off. After cleaning two deer on the week end and another with a buddy on Tuesday I can still smell the deer. Dogs can't get enough of me. People keep asking me if I have a dog because their pups are all over me. Looks like sofa city for you. Oh yea, wait till you shoot one in November!

[coach]

Your meat should be just fine. The rut is still a few weeks away. Most landfills won't accept the leftover from your deer carcass. Dispose of it in the bush - well back and preferably downhill from the road. It came from nature and belongs in nature - just not in plain sight of other people enjoying the outdoors.

Congrats on getting a buck! Now post up some pics.

[Darksith]

I have never really concerned myself with removing the scent glands prior to skinning transporting a deer, they have all tasted just fine. You will get lots of peeps say that a deer in rut is way gamier than a deer taken in september, I don't believe that nor have I experienced that. Good eats for sure. Don't take the waste to a landfill, and don't dump it near a campsite ;) other than that you should be fine. Whatever you do, definately don't take the legs and head out to a high snow bank on the side of the road and stick them in the bank like a deer is buried up to its neck with the front legs sticking out!

[lorneparker1]

Whatever you do, definately don't take the legs and head out to a high snow bank on the side of the road and stick them in the bank like a deer is buried up to its neck with the front legs sticking out!


GHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


Lorne

[Deeboe]

If you can keep them cool enough, I would let the meat hang for a few more days until it develops a hard "skin". Then u can carve off that layer of skin and have nice clean meat to work with. If u don't have an easy means to get rid of the hide, bag it and freeze it till garbage day. Good job on your deer.

[Buckmeister]

Yep, scent glands are always the first thing I take care of in the field. I use a seperate knive and cut those suckers off and toss them FAR away. Then I change knives, put on some latex gloves, in case I got any glad on my hands, and then go to work.
Anyways, too late for that now. I agree with the others, let hang for as long as possible. Also, take a propane tiger torch and lightly go over the carcass with the flame burning off any loose hairs. This will help from tainting the meat during the butchering process. I've shot bucks in full rut and used these methods and the meat turned out great.

Congrats on your hunt!

[The Dude]

In future, take the lower legs off (All four, below the knee) and leave them at the killsite with the gut bag. Discard the head if you don't want that at the time as well.
leave on the hide and evidence of sex if you're leaving the head.
Take the glands off at this time.
I actually save some off my larger bucks, and vacuum-pack them.
Keep it clean, and get it skinned and cooled ASAP.

Congrats on the deer, you'll be fine! :D

[lovemywinchester]

In future, take the lower legs off (All four, below the knee) and leave them at the killsite with the gut bag. Discard the head if you don't want that at the time as well.
leave on the hide and evidence of sex if you're leaving the head.
Take the glands off at this time.
I actually save some off my larger bucks, and vacuum-pack them.
Keep it clean, and get it skinned and cooled ASAP.



Congrats on the deer, you'll be fine! :D

Make sure you keep the head if its 4 point season.

[bosca]

First off...congratulations on your first buck. Good on you for throwing yourself into the task at hand with determination.

Even with the sunny days temps have been decent for hanging over the last couple days (in my location) especially if you can keep it in the shade. As for the glands...Take a good wiff of the meat on your quarters and if it smells like meat and not musky pee smell then you should be good. Usually this far away from the rut you should not have too much trouble.
Out of curiosity...what are you doing with the ice blocks?

[BCKyle]

Thanks to everyone for the replies, feeling a bit better for sure. I was worried I'd really &@$&ed up some meat. They smell ok, just like meat with maybe a hint of... 'Deery-ness'? Around the hip joints on the back legs. Stoked to have made it through the process, it got stressful there hauling the carcass out of the front door of the jeep (2door).
enough soap (3 lathers) and shampoo (2 rounds plus conditioner) and I managed to get off the couch... Things are looking up.
i'm afraid I don't have any pictures... He was really tiny and it would have felt weird. He was a healthy looking spike fork, with a tiny second point starting up. Hopefully tender and delicious! Tenderloins are in the fridge and will be getting fired up tomorrow I think.
it's been warm around here and so I took the ice blocks with me in a cooler. When I loaded the deer up I had a tarp then two logs with a couple of ice blocks between them. The logs were to prop the carcass up for airflow and the ice did the same thing with added bonus cooling. It was pretty warm at this point (I shot the deer at about 10:40am) so I also tossed a block in wedging the ribcage open. Then the free end of the tarp loosely overtop to keep sun off it while I drove and the AC blasting and I ripped home.

Stopped to check on it twice and wipe out any drips from the ribcage ice. Next time I will have frozen water in 2liter bottles... That will take care of the dripping and extra moisture issue. I think I read that technique here on HBC somewhere!

[greenhorn]

Congrats man! Never forget this feeling of your first deer! Remember the rush and uncertainty of trying to get the animal out and home!!!
Your girlfriend will likely get over it :)

[greenhorn]

PS - Since you're worried about spoiling meet during cleaning - be sure not to let any urine or stomach juices onto the meat by careful gutting - if you slip up and pierce the bladder or stomach a bit be sure to clean the animal out quickly. I carry a few bottles of water in my pack incase this happens. If you don't need them for cleaning the inside of the deer, they come in handy for washing your hands!!

[Allen50]

you dont have to cut the scent glands off, just leave them on till you skin it,, cutting them off lets the blood that causes the gland to work now has a way to get on the meat, leaving them on does not hirt the meat,, as the gland is on the out side,, i never cut them off till home to skin or where ever im skining it out,, as for the hide if no holes in it, ill take the hide, but i think your to far to giveit to me,,and if you cut the feet off all you need is a knife, thats all i use,, anyway good luck with your deer,, and if anyone is arounf the cowichan valley area i will sking and hang your game and cut aand wrap as well, have cooler cutting room,, been in the butchering more then 10 years,, have my owne shop at home,, send pm if you like to know more,, thanks,,

[Shooter]

I also never worry about taking the scent glands off in the field or at home for that matter. And as long as I remove ALL fat when trimming the meat up then I have never had a gamey tasting deer in my life. The key is removing every bit of fat. But a good tip is what that Dude said. Save a gland or 2 from a stinky buck you or someone you know gets. During rut you can tie them to your boots so they drag on the ground a few inches behind. A GREAT cover scent.

[5 spike]

no problem it will be fine and you could get a fir coat and mitts made for your gf out of the hide. Congrats.

[Darksith]

One thing no one has mentioned is the ice...how far from home were you? You don't really need to be worried about packing ice with you to get the meat cooling instantly. Granted it can only help things, but it could be a headache ya know? Its not necessary if you are heading straight home. We have done the same as you, but we kept hunting all day and it was in sept and really hot. As long as the temp outside is 20 or lower you really don't need ice even if you keep hunting. Just get it skinned and cooling as soon as you get home. But like I said it can't hurt either, so just depends on the indavidual.

Your deer will definately be tender and tastey, there is no shame in taking any legal deer, good eats is good eats. My first deer was a spiker whitey and its entire horn is now a pendant on a necklance, it was about 2" long and we had to dig down a bit to get it that big ;)

[Grousedaddy]

I agree with Darksith, if its legal there is no shame what so ever!!! My first buck was a little spike fork aswell and i have pictures if him because he was my first and special to me. Not everybody on this site is a trophy hunter so next time take a pic and post it up! Congrats on your first buck and enjoy the meals to come !!

[BCKyle]

Wow just fried up a couple chunks of blackstrap mid butcher hot damn it's good! Not gamely at all

[skibum]

BCKyle you are bringing back memories of my first deer and all the worry I have about getting good meat. It was a spiker too and tasted f'n awesome. Had to call my dad a crap on him b/c he was telling me how bad deer meat tasted.

Congratulation man

(and I think the sent gland thing is overblown outside of the rut although I was worried about it with my first deer)

[mr7mm]

congrats on your first deer and dont worry about your girlfriend she will have a wiff of some steaks cooking and she will be stoked to get out hunting

[dd3boss]

Congrats on your deer. And the memories of it you will laugh about for years!

[Glassman]

Yes, using 5 or 6 frozen 2 liter bottles filled with water/ice works good in early season. Don't use a plastic tarp though. Get a cheap white king size bed sheet to wrap up deer.

[jsheff]

Sounds like you learned one thing for sure..... your girl friend really must love you!

[300H&H]

Don't worry too much.
I hear this alot, hunters saying you MUST remove the scent glands.
I never do and have never had a problem.
I've take bucks on opening day and last day of the season.
If you have any concerns then just remove them first but use a different knife to do the gutting/skinning.

Save the glands and hide them in your neighbors mail box...should be funny.

[BCKyle]

Thanks to everyone; deer is delicious and it a went smoothly enough all things considered... You guys set my mind at ease and I have definitely learned some key things for next time. And there will be a next time!

[Buffalo Bills]

Congrats on your first deer. Mine was a spike and I couldnt get enoyugh pics of it...hell I'll shoot a spike tomorrow if I get the chance cause my freezer is empty! My dad always took the scent glads off the deer. I have only done this on one of mine and it was heavy into the rut. Your lucky to have a woman to help you do the dirty work. My wife won't even look at them. I love it when I am cooking her store bought steak and I lay my deer steak beside it. Her stuff looks like pork and mine is dark and rich............damn I'm hungry

[Duidery]

I would take the leftovers and put them out in the middle of the cutblock where you have good visibility. Maybe some wolves or coyotes would find them.