The best venison comes from hunters who follow the seven-step program:
1. Shoot calm deer. A dying burst of adrenaline isn't good, and a wounded, gut-shot deer is worse—for the sake of the deer and your meat.
2. Shoot clean. A neck or spine shot kills instantly and wastes almost no meat, but a heart/lung shot behind the shoulder is more reliable.
3. Recover and cool quickly. Traditional field dressing is adequate below 32 degrees (F). The hide protects meat from dirt. Above freezing, skin and perhaps quarter to aid cooling. You can also place ice within the body cavity. Seal ice in plastic bags to keep water off the meat. Hose out the cavity if it's dirty , but then air dry it.
4. Remove tenderloins right away. Don't let them dry out! Hang and age the rest of the carcass in clean, dry, 35- to 45-degree (F) shade for up to 14 days—your option. Keep creepy crawlers away with cheese cloth.
5. Skin in a clean environment. Remove thin silver skin with a fillet knife. Fillet backstraps and slice for butterfly steaks. Trim steaks, roasts, stew meat, hamburger free of bones and waxy fat.
6. Cook steaks rare to medium. Who wants to eat boot leather?
7. Eat. Savor your free-range, renewable, locally grown, organic protein.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Get Muddy Commercial Contest is Back!
The Muddy Commercial Contest is back!
This year you can enter a 30 or 15 second commercial. We have a grand prize winner, as well as 3 winners in each category. Prizes include cash and a Muddy gear package.
PACKAGE INCLUDES STICKS, HUNTER HANG-ON, HARNESS, OUTFITTER CAMERA ARM T-SHIRT AND CAP.
Contest closes December 20, 2011 at midnight. Winners to be announced at the 2012 ATA show.
Click Here for details and conditions.
This year you can enter a 30 or 15 second commercial. We have a grand prize winner, as well as 3 winners in each category. Prizes include cash and a Muddy gear package.
PACKAGE INCLUDES STICKS, HUNTER HANG-ON, HARNESS, OUTFITTER CAMERA ARM T-SHIRT AND CAP.
Contest closes December 20, 2011 at midnight. Winners to be announced at the 2012 ATA show.
Click Here for details and conditions.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Seven Mistakes Your Taxidermist Can't Fix
Taxidermy is an art form. The word comes from the Latin taxi, which means "movement," and derma, which means "skin." So the taxidermist moves skin from what was once a live specimen to a form that can be preserved and displayed in a lifelike way. Your part is to provide lifelike raw materials for him to work with. Here's what to avoid if you expect your taxidermist to give you first rate work:
1. Handling carelessly in the field. Treat the animal with respect. If you must drag a deer, drag it on both sides. Otherwise, the animal may look worn on one side. Better yet, drag it on a plastic sled or a tarp. And for goodness sake, drag it with the grain of the hair, not against it. Yes, I've seen hunters drag deer by the back legs, and it ain't pretty.
2.Being a show-off. Yes, you should be proud of that trophy, but don’t get carried away with showing it off. Get some good photos and make a few phone calls, but don’t drive all over town with your buck. If you must haul a deer very far in the back of a pickup truck, stop somewhere and roll it over to make sure heat isn’t trapped on the bottom. Protect it from the wind – you don’t want to drive airborne road grime into the hair. Also, deer hair is hollow – it kinks when it bends and it’s easy to break. Same goes for turkeys – feathers are especially easy to ruin. Get it to the taxidermist as soon as possible.
3.Leaving the skin on. A deer hide traps heat, and heat stimulates the growth of bacteria. Once bacteria get into the hair follicles the hair will begin to slip and your trophy will be ruined. Warm weather accelerates the process. So, skin him as soon as possible. The meat and the hide will cool more quickly – better for eating and better for mounting.
4.Slitting the throat. That’s just one way your knife can ruin a trophy. I saved a newspaper clipping from the local paper of a proud hunter with a high, wide 8-point. You could see, just below the buck’s white throat patch, where the hunter slit the throat to “bleed it out.” Never do that. You’ll cut through hair and it will be impossible for the taxidermist to fix without replacing that section of hide. Besides, putting a knife to the throat of a live deer is a good way to get badly injured. Antlers and hooves hurt. And if he’s dead, you can’t get more blood out of him any other way than normal field dressing. If he isn’t dead, shoot him again.
5.Going cheap. Some guys shop around for the cheapest taxidermist, unaware that inferior materials might be the reason for the lower price. Other hunters have a buddy do it for just the cost of materials. No criticism of your buddy, but you need a taxidermist experienced in measuring so he can get the right size form and put eyes, ears, and antlers into proper relationship. A fledgling taxidermist might be doing you a favor, but down the road he’ll probably hope you don’t tell anyone he did it.
6.Getting knife crazy. Improper skinning can damage your trophy. At best, it gives the taxidermist extra work. At worst, your mount will show seams that make it look unrealistic. So, don’t make any cuts in the head and neck. Definitely don’t cut up the front of the deer’s neck. Never cut from the outside in; always cut from the inside out. When you separate the head from the carcass leave plenty of skin. Then let your taxidermist skin the head. He knows how to do the eyelids, nose and lips.
7.Being ignorant about taxidermy. Actually, this is something your taxidermist can fix – if you stop by his shop before going hunting and ask him for advice on how to handle your animal from the field to his shop. Take his advice, and he’ll give you a better job.
Ideally, the relationship between the hunter and the taxidermist is a two-way mutual admiration society. If he admires the raw materials you bring him, you’re more likely to admire the mount he returns to you. And so will others when they see it on your wall.
1. Handling carelessly in the field. Treat the animal with respect. If you must drag a deer, drag it on both sides. Otherwise, the animal may look worn on one side. Better yet, drag it on a plastic sled or a tarp. And for goodness sake, drag it with the grain of the hair, not against it. Yes, I've seen hunters drag deer by the back legs, and it ain't pretty.
2.Being a show-off. Yes, you should be proud of that trophy, but don’t get carried away with showing it off. Get some good photos and make a few phone calls, but don’t drive all over town with your buck. If you must haul a deer very far in the back of a pickup truck, stop somewhere and roll it over to make sure heat isn’t trapped on the bottom. Protect it from the wind – you don’t want to drive airborne road grime into the hair. Also, deer hair is hollow – it kinks when it bends and it’s easy to break. Same goes for turkeys – feathers are especially easy to ruin. Get it to the taxidermist as soon as possible.
3.Leaving the skin on. A deer hide traps heat, and heat stimulates the growth of bacteria. Once bacteria get into the hair follicles the hair will begin to slip and your trophy will be ruined. Warm weather accelerates the process. So, skin him as soon as possible. The meat and the hide will cool more quickly – better for eating and better for mounting.
4.Slitting the throat. That’s just one way your knife can ruin a trophy. I saved a newspaper clipping from the local paper of a proud hunter with a high, wide 8-point. You could see, just below the buck’s white throat patch, where the hunter slit the throat to “bleed it out.” Never do that. You’ll cut through hair and it will be impossible for the taxidermist to fix without replacing that section of hide. Besides, putting a knife to the throat of a live deer is a good way to get badly injured. Antlers and hooves hurt. And if he’s dead, you can’t get more blood out of him any other way than normal field dressing. If he isn’t dead, shoot him again.
5.Going cheap. Some guys shop around for the cheapest taxidermist, unaware that inferior materials might be the reason for the lower price. Other hunters have a buddy do it for just the cost of materials. No criticism of your buddy, but you need a taxidermist experienced in measuring so he can get the right size form and put eyes, ears, and antlers into proper relationship. A fledgling taxidermist might be doing you a favor, but down the road he’ll probably hope you don’t tell anyone he did it.
6.Getting knife crazy. Improper skinning can damage your trophy. At best, it gives the taxidermist extra work. At worst, your mount will show seams that make it look unrealistic. So, don’t make any cuts in the head and neck. Definitely don’t cut up the front of the deer’s neck. Never cut from the outside in; always cut from the inside out. When you separate the head from the carcass leave plenty of skin. Then let your taxidermist skin the head. He knows how to do the eyelids, nose and lips.
7.Being ignorant about taxidermy. Actually, this is something your taxidermist can fix – if you stop by his shop before going hunting and ask him for advice on how to handle your animal from the field to his shop. Take his advice, and he’ll give you a better job.
Ideally, the relationship between the hunter and the taxidermist is a two-way mutual admiration society. If he admires the raw materials you bring him, you’re more likely to admire the mount he returns to you. And so will others when they see it on your wall.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Nebraska Game and Parks Hosts Deer Workshops
2011 Deer Hunting Workshops
Get ready for deer season by attending one of our upcoming free workshops. Spots are still available - sign up today!
The 2011 rifle and muzzleloader deer seasons are coming up soon! To help you prepare for a safe and successful hunt, the wildlife and outdoor education staff at Nebraska Game and Parks have scheduled free deer hunting workshops.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Yanney Heritage Park - Environmental Resource Center
611 Kea West Road
Kearney
Monday, November 7, 2011
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Lancaster County Extension Education Center
444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A
Lincoln
Whether you are new to the sport or have been hunting for years, you'll get practical information and tips on how to prepare your equipment, plan your hunt and have a better experience in the field. Learn the basics of firearm deer hunting, including:
Get ready for deer season by attending one of our upcoming free workshops. Spots are still available - sign up today!
The 2011 rifle and muzzleloader deer seasons are coming up soon! To help you prepare for a safe and successful hunt, the wildlife and outdoor education staff at Nebraska Game and Parks have scheduled free deer hunting workshops.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Yanney Heritage Park - Environmental Resource Center
611 Kea West Road
Kearney
Monday, November 7, 2011
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Lancaster County Extension Education Center
444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A
Lincoln
Whether you are new to the sport or have been hunting for years, you'll get practical information and tips on how to prepare your equipment, plan your hunt and have a better experience in the field. Learn the basics of firearm deer hunting, including:
- Strategies for success (scouting, shooting from tree stands, still-hunting and calling and rattling)
- Equipment (firearms, shooting accessories, game calls, blinds, tree stands, scents and clothing)
- Deer biology and behavior (food sources, feeding patterns, bedding areas, rutting activities)
- How to predict deer movement
- Game Care (field dressing/gutting, equipment, getting photographs of your hunt)
- Future of Nebraska's deer herd From hunting regulations to animal behavior to strategies for success, these workshops will get you up to speed for your upcoming hunting trips!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Brooks Releases the Pure Project Collection
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