Thanks everyone!
Tye - I'm still using up my old jakhammers. With wound channels like that one it's hard to convince myself there's any need to switch!
Ben - I might even convince my son to try the tenderloins!
This deer was a real challenge to get out tonight. The landowner's tractor battery was dead, so I took my truck in to haul it out. We've had plenty of rain and it was muddy! I have a 2 wheel drive Ford Ranger but I put a new set of mud & snow tires on recently and this was a real test for them! The biggest problem was keeping the front end from sliding as I came up the dirt path on the way out. A steep uphill grade and I hit it fast and kept moving
I had to rush to get the deer to the check station before closing time.
My son held the light while I gutted it, and he did good until he got a really good whiff of the aroma. I thought he was going to get sick, but I told him to back off a little and explained to him that was all just a part of making use of the meat the deer has given us. The odor is different, but it is part of the experience. He did fine for his first encounter with witnessing the killing shot and the process of caring for the meat. It was too dark to do a thorough autopsy, but I'd say from the doe's reaction to the shot I probably clipped the heart. There was plenty of blood inside, and of course I managed to get it all over my pants leg.
Sure glad the recovery was easy, and the trail short. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting to introduce Michael to the experience of what it is to kill a deer. I think it's important for a youngster to see that it is important to wait for a good shot opportunity, to give the deer time to expire, and to learn what to look for when following it. He has been questioning me on how long it takes for one to die after the shot, and how far they will run before they fall. Now he has learned the answers first-hand.
As I said, tonight we had to rush, but tomorrow evening I will take him back and we can do a (Shawnee) ceremony to show our respect for the deer, and to ask Creator to care for it's spirit. The deer gave up it's spirit, but it's meat will nourish our bodies and it will live on in us. I feel it's important to instill respect for the game we take and to make use of what we kill. I know most (if not all) of the hunters who post on this forum have high ethical standards for themselves, and although they might practice different beliefs, they understand the respect due the game we hunt!
