Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting First Buck!

I think this is my first post in this forum, so I'm happy to finally be able to contribute. I took a week off of work this last week of general western deer season hoping for the first time to outsmart a blacktail.

I hunted a walk-in only area of commercial timber land here in Oregon for three days. On the third day, after diligently following tracks and slowly creeping along overgrown skid roads all morning, I had enough, threw in the towel and headed out for the day. I was walking at a careful pace, but know thinking about dry clothes and hot coffee instead of deer. My thoughts were interrupted by a very crisp grunt from the dense brush to my left. I stopped, but honestly expected a hunter to walk out, the grunt sounded like it came from a tube... Another grunt followed, then out popped a 4 pt blacktail. Before he turned to look at me I pulled the trigger on my 30-06... dropped like a sack of potatoes.

I should have known it was going to happen like this. I did't spot him from a stand, or rattle him in from the brush, I unexpectedly happened along his path at just the right time. I guess that's how it works though.

It took about an hour to gut him out, I'd never done it before and have seen it done once years ago. I was a quarter mile from the truck, so it was an easy drag even though I was alone. Part of the trail I hoisted him on my shoulder, took about 20 steps and realized it wasn't going to happen... It was for the best though, because I found three ticks on me when I got to the truck, probably would have found a lot more if I had continued the whole way.

Here's what he looked like. My uncle pointed out I didn't have a slit his throat due to where I shot him, and usually it is slit much lower on the neck to preserve the upper neck and head for mounting... but I wasn't thinking about that, like I said, it was my first buck and I had never done it before





I wish he was a little younger though... fried some butterflied back strap last night and it was super chewy. If anyone has any cooking suggestions for tough meat, I'd love to read some.

Nice buck, congrats.

Congrats, nice deer!

Well done - blacktails are tough to get so all bucks are a real trophy and the weather sure has been wet!!

Very wet here in the valley. And 60 degrees most of the day... Not very comfortable hunting conditions. Can't wear rain gear because it's too loud, and can't wear wool because it's too hot. Of course due to the conditions there weren't a lot of other hunters out, which is a rarity in these parts

One very big secret in cooking blacktails is NOT OVER COOKING IT. I have shot a truck load of them and usually let them hang as long as possible. That helps tenderize the meat, in my experience.

Another thing about red meat, is to "age" it well. When hung in the "round" for seven to ten days at 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit, it's surprising how even the toughest old bull or buck seems to "break down" and become pleasantly palatable.

a hobart cuber will get it real tender. congrats on the first of many .

Congrats on the nice deer!


The only thing I can add about letting the meat age for a few days is that if the weather is too warm to hang your deer or you have no facilities for such, you can quarter it up and pack the meat in ice in a cooler for a few days and accomplish much the same thing. Just drain the melt water off each day and refresh the ice.

As for now, you can use Adolph's original meat tenderizer, or use the meat to make stew or crock pot dishes that are cooked low and slow with liquid. You might want to try taking the next piece of back strap and letting it thaw out in your refrigerator and sit there for 3 or 4 days, preferably unwrapped and covered by a cloth towel, periodically draining off any bloody water that comes out. That sort of restarts the aging process. Then, slice it up, sprinkle on some Adolph's and "cube" it by hand with a knife or a meat mallet.

Yes, the ice-cooler trick will definitely work in a pinch and especially if night-time temps aren't going below 70 degrees. I've used another trick when it's really warm, too; leaving a carcass or quarters open to air during the night - when temps are in the 50s - and then wrapping the carcass or quarters with a heavy canvas tarp during the day in order to retain the night's chill within the meat itself. Of course, meat should always be hung in the shade and on the north-facing side of a tree or building or rock formation (promontory/cutbank).

Looks like you have some good info already on ageing. Overcooking will toughen up any deer as will cooking it too fast.

As for cutting the neck and bleeding, once they're shot, they've suffered massive trauma and they're pretty much "bled out". Cutting the neck does nothing further IMO.

edit: By the way, congratulations on a nice buck!

Right now the quarters are in our game fridge, lightly covered. I have to butcher it today due to my schedule, but I was going to leave the meat in the fridge for a few more days before I freeze it. I assume the steaks and hamburger will age the same as the uncut quarters as long as they are unwrapped?

I bought a foodsaver earlier this year in anticipation of filling a tag, as well as a presto pressure cooker... I was going to vacuum seal packages instead of paper wrapping them for longer term storage, and I heard though risky, properly canned meat is super tender and pretty tasty. Anyone use these methods instead of meat paper?

Congrats on your first Deer!
Sounds alot like my first Buck MANY years ago!
and we share the same first 2 names!
AMRA

Congratulations.

Good goin. Love seeing the blacktail.

Benjamin,

I live in Oregon and have killed quite a few blacktails over my long life. My friend, yours is a really fine blacktail and you are totally justified in being really, really proud & happy with him.

He is a gorgeous buck.

I wish you many years of enjoyable and successful hunting. Guaranteed, however, that you will ALWAYS remember this wonderful buck ... as you absolutely should

God Bless,

Steve Timm

Good job, great deer!

You can tell your uncle he doesn't need to be slit at all... if he is dead, the heart isn't pumping, if its not pumping you don't "bleed" em out. Thats an old timers thing....

Awesome. Great job! I'd be proud of that buck!

Eric

Congratulations. That's awesome.

Good job and great post. Yes, don't bother with the neck slice. Dead is dead and the heart is no longer pumping.