W.Va. Department of Natural Resources releases new hunting guideline changes ... WOWK - Cara Perry - ‎ There will be a special controlled black bear hunting season with dogs December 7-31, 2009 on Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area Illinois hunters hoping for successful firearms deer season Quincy Herald Whig - Matt Schuckman - ‎ According to Paul Shelton, forest wildlife manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, bowhunters are taking more and more trophy bucks. ... Grizzlies On the Move, Back On to the Wide-Open Prairie New West - Jason D.B. Kauffman  Residents of the rural grasslands, including Mike Madel, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park's Region 4 Grizzly Bear Management Specialist based in Choteau, Coastal elk hunting is cold, wet and rewarding Seaside Signal - Don Anderson - ‎ (For more information on elk hunting regulations and other resources, go to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website at www.dfw.state.or.us.) Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Respect landowners this modern gun deer season Amplifier - Lee McClellan - ‎‎ ... Wildlife Resources. “If you treat their land disrespectfully, not only will you not be allowed back, but you've effectively barred others from hunting ... Venison, drugs and pigs have more in common than you may think Pointer Online - Jessi Towle - ‎ ... “State wildlife officials are encouraging hunters who have small game licenses heading out for Wisconsin's traditional nine-day deer hunting season to ... New Forest stags are put off their rutting by a horde of intruders Times Online - Simon de Bruxelles - A spokeswoman for the Wildlife Trust said: “When people become inspired to get out and experience our natural environment it is fabulous, ... Scott and Austin Rogers bring home a big deer StarNewsOnline.com - Amy Hotz - ‎ Scott Rogers almost didn't make it to his hunting site last week with his son, Austin, 11. After leaving work, he picked up son in Wilmington, High Deer Numbers Await Hunters in Buck Season West Virginia MetroNews - Chris Lawrence - ‎ It is by far the most popular and most anticipated hunting season of the year in West Virginia . The West Virginia DNR estimates more than 280-thousand ... Drawing results for 2010 spring hunts now available Officials Say Deer Harvest Will Be Smaller WISC - ‎ Wisconsin wildlife officials are warning hunters they'll probably take fewer deer than last year. Keith Warnke is a big game ecologist with the state ... Hunting Midstate Porkers Georgia Sportsman Magazine - John Trussell - ‎ It was hot and steamy in Oaky Woods Wildlife Management Area along the Ocmulgee River swamp bottom and sweat trickled down my brow

Care of Big Game

Equipment

To assure easy handling of your deer, proper equipment should be available. Equipment needed includes: (a) a sharp hunting knife; (b) a small hatchet; (c) 12 to 15 feet of light rope or nylon cord; (d) 2 or 3 large plastic bags; (e) a clean cloth; (f) cheese cloth to wrap the carcass if the animal is killed in hot weather, thereby requiring skinning and wrapping for proper cooling.

Bleeding

After the animal is shot, approach with caution. Avoid standing near the legs until you are certain the deer is dead.

A deer with warmth in the carcass should be bled. Insert the hunting knife in the base of the neck a few inches in front of the breast. The blade should be inserted about 4 to 5 inches with the blade pointed toward the tail. Cut sideways to sever veins. Thoroughly drain blood by elevating the rear portion of the deer.

Dressing

The deer should be dressed promptly and carefully. Viscera is easier to remove if the deer is hanging by the head or lying on the back with rump downhill. If a tree is nearby, the animal may be hung, using a rope .

Remove sex organs first  Cut along the midline of the body from the breast to the rectum . Avoid puncturing paunch or intestines by holding them back with back of the hand and guiding the knife between the first two fingers with the cutting edge up. The pelvis should be split where the hind legs are joined by making a cut with the white membrane that separates the two rounds. At the pelvis fusion point it may be necessary to use the hatchet, particularly if the deer is older .

Cut around the rectum and remove all viscera . Save the liver, heart and tongue. Place these in plastic bags and cool.

Wipe out the body cavity with a clean cloth. It is best to use no water, since it may speed spoilage.

If a particular part is mutilated or bloody from the shot, it should be removed immediately and soaked in a weak salt solution (one-fourth pound salt to one gallon of water) for 24 to 48 hours. This will make the meat suitable for boiling or grinding. Badly mutilated parts may be used for dog food.

Split the breast bone and the aitch (pubic) bone. This can be done with a knife unless the deer is very old. Then you may have to use a hatchet or saw to split the bones. Cut around the anus, loosening the bung so that it will come out with the rest of the guts. Now cut the diaphragm free of the rib cage. Reach forward to cut the windpipe, gullet and blood vessels.

Then pull the lungs, heart and guts out of the animal . Save the heart and liver if you like variety meat. Finish cleaning the deer by removing any remaining viscera and drain all excess blood from the body cavity. Wipe dry with a clean cloth and hang the deer up by the head to hasten cooling the carcass. The scent glands on the inside of the legs at the hock can be removed at this time or left intact . Research at Utah State University indicates that the scent glands do not cause off flavors or odors.

Skinning

If the weather is warm, it is better to skin the deer in the field because the insulating affect of the skin hinders proper cooling. In this case skin the deer. It is usually easier to skin by hanging the deer from a tree. After skinning, sprinkle black pepper on the carcass and wrap in cheesecloth. Provide plenty of air circulation around the carcass to allow for cooling

During cool weather it is preferable to leave the skin on the carcass. The skin will protect the carcass, keep the meat clean and prevent excessive shrinkage during aging. Some people prefer to have a locker skin, hang, cut, wrap and freeze the deer.

Transporting

The carcass should not be placed over the hood of the car where it may be exposed to exhaust fumes or excessive heat. If the car has a luggage rack, this may be the preferable place for hauling the carcass. A clean trunk or truck bed is also acceptable.

Cooling, Hanging and Aging

It is important to remove the body heat from the animal as soon as possible. Aging carcasses at refrigerated temperatures for 10 to 14 days tenderizes the meat. Animals killed when temperatures are over 65 degrees Fahrenheit should be handled differently than those slaughtered at cold temperatures. At 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the carcass tenderizes much more quickly and requires less aging. Perhaps no further aging would be needed at this temperature. Care should be taken in warm temperatures to avoid spoilage of the meat and prevent loss of flavor. It is best to cool the meat as rapidly as possible.

Carcasses from animals shot in cold weather should be aged at 34 degrees Fahrenheit for about 14 days.

Field Care of Big Game 

• Kill a game animal instantly, preferably with a shot to the heart and lungs or neck area.

• Eviscerate soon after the kill. After evisceration, clean and wipe the body cavity and hang the carcass in the shade to cool.

• When transporting a carcass, keep the meat as clean and cool as possible.

• Aging a carcass makes the meat more tender.

Cutting Up a Big Game Carcass 

If weather is cold, postpone skinning until immediately prior to butchering.

Small animals may be made entirely into ground meat; large animals may be made into steaks, roasts and other cuts.

Quick freeze meat at 0 degrees F after wrapping for the freezer and eat within six months for best quality

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