Record Quest: The Montana Freakshow Mule Deer
Outdoor Life Editor and Record Quest host Andrew McKean finally hung his tag on a dandy Montana mule deer.
Outdoor Life Editor and Record Quest host Andrew McKean finally hung his tag on a dandy Montana mule deer. But how he hunted this old veteran, and what he discovered when he put his hands on the buck are nearly as interesting as the animal itself. AdvertisementRelated PhotosSUBMIT YOUR PHOTOSADVERTISEMENTAdvertisement |
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Comments (10)
great story Andrew, and thank you so much for exercising excellent hunting ethics in putting this buck out of its misery. I hope someday to hunt all of the northwest states, and given the opportunity, take some very nice muleys, blacktails, and whitetail deer.
I cut the hams out of him. They seemed pretty clean. We ground them with some other venison and they were fine. I am pretty particular about the meat I feed my family, so I was careful, but your concerns were exactly the ones I had. Most of the carcass, including both front shoulders, fed the coyotes.
I would second what elkslayer said, if the meat looked or smelled at all "off", I would not eat it. I hate "wasting" an animal as much as anyone, but I would not want to take the chance of making myself or my family sick. Just drag it out into the woods, and let the scavengers make use of it.
I would be very hesitant to eat any of it. I know that I would have taken the time to take it home and examine the meat. If I found it to be as you described "stringy and rank" I don't think I would eat it. Even though much of the meat is away from the wound, the same blood flows throughout. I would take the carcass out in the woods and leave it for the scavengers rather than risk my family's health. If you hadn't shot him he was going to the scavengers anyways. Most of my pleasure from hunting comes from taking a meat package out of the freezer and reliving the hunt before dinner so it would be a big blow to loose the meat but in this case it is not worth the risks.
If there was more time left in the season I would notify my fish and game dept. of the circumstances and request another tag to shoot some meat. (I would do this before leaving it in the woods so that the fish and game could examine it and verify my story.)
I also like to tan my deer and elk hides for various uses, so I would use the hide to make some buckskin so that I could still use part of the buck.
Hey elkslayer - I was actually in a real quandary about what to do with the meat. On the one hand, I hunt for food, and the thought of not eating an animal I have killed is really, uh, distasteful to me. But that old buck was both fevered and emaciated, and his meat was totally stringy and rank. His backstraps were about as skinny as hot dogs. I didn't want to sicken my family. But I didn't want to waste him, either. So before I answer, I ask you: what would you have done?
mckean
Are you concerned about eating the meat of this deer considering the gangrene in the tongue and the potential infectious bacteria that could be present due the other wounds?
Gorgeous buck Andrew. But why no pictures of the weepy eye?
This is a good reminder of how difficult the life of a mature buck (or bull) can be.
huntfishtrap - the final shot WAS the luckiest of my life. The first shot, when he was bedded, was the best. As it turned out, I probably didn't need to take that final shot - he was going down anyway - but I wanted to end in an instant the suffering that he had been experiencing for weeks.
mckean
Andrew, I am curious why you say your final shot was the best of your life, when it was nowhere near the chest, which is what I assume you were trying to hit? Sounds more like it was the luckiest shot of your life.
I don't fault you for taking a 400 yard shot under the circumstances, but I would just add the observation that there's a good chance he was injured in the first place because somebody took too long of a shot/shots at him.
Interestingly, I shot 180-inch 14 point whitetail last year with my muzzleloader that had been shot by a poacher through both jawbones with either a .22 Magnum or a small .22 centerfire, but it was all healed and calcified around the bullet, so it must've been years before. I don't know how he survived that.
That's a nice buck, Andrew. You and your partner did a favor for both of these deer. They would have died miserable deaths.
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Andrew, I am curious why you say your final shot was the best of your life, when it was nowhere near the chest, which is what I assume you were trying to hit? Sounds more like it was the luckiest shot of your life.
I don't fault you for taking a 400 yard shot under the circumstances, but I would just add the observation that there's a good chance he was injured in the first place because somebody took too long of a shot/shots at him.
Interestingly, I shot 180-inch 14 point whitetail last year with my muzzleloader that had been shot by a poacher through both jawbones with either a .22 Magnum or a small .22 centerfire, but it was all healed and calcified around the bullet, so it must've been years before. I don't know how he survived that.
huntfishtrap - the final shot WAS the luckiest of my life. The first shot, when he was bedded, was the best. As it turned out, I probably didn't need to take that final shot - he was going down anyway - but I wanted to end in an instant the suffering that he had been experiencing for weeks.
mckean
Gorgeous buck Andrew. But why no pictures of the weepy eye?
This is a good reminder of how difficult the life of a mature buck (or bull) can be.
I would be very hesitant to eat any of it. I know that I would have taken the time to take it home and examine the meat. If I found it to be as you described "stringy and rank" I don't think I would eat it. Even though much of the meat is away from the wound, the same blood flows throughout. I would take the carcass out in the woods and leave it for the scavengers rather than risk my family's health. If you hadn't shot him he was going to the scavengers anyways. Most of my pleasure from hunting comes from taking a meat package out of the freezer and reliving the hunt before dinner so it would be a big blow to loose the meat but in this case it is not worth the risks.
If there was more time left in the season I would notify my fish and game dept. of the circumstances and request another tag to shoot some meat. (I would do this before leaving it in the woods so that the fish and game could examine it and verify my story.)
I also like to tan my deer and elk hides for various uses, so I would use the hide to make some buckskin so that I could still use part of the buck.
I would second what elkslayer said, if the meat looked or smelled at all "off", I would not eat it. I hate "wasting" an animal as much as anyone, but I would not want to take the chance of making myself or my family sick. Just drag it out into the woods, and let the scavengers make use of it.
That's a nice buck, Andrew. You and your partner did a favor for both of these deer. They would have died miserable deaths.
Are you concerned about eating the meat of this deer considering the gangrene in the tongue and the potential infectious bacteria that could be present due the other wounds?
Hey elkslayer - I was actually in a real quandary about what to do with the meat. On the one hand, I hunt for food, and the thought of not eating an animal I have killed is really, uh, distasteful to me. But that old buck was both fevered and emaciated, and his meat was totally stringy and rank. His backstraps were about as skinny as hot dogs. I didn't want to sicken my family. But I didn't want to waste him, either. So before I answer, I ask you: what would you have done?
mckean
I cut the hams out of him. They seemed pretty clean. We ground them with some other venison and they were fine. I am pretty particular about the meat I feed my family, so I was careful, but your concerns were exactly the ones I had. Most of the carcass, including both front shoulders, fed the coyotes.
great story Andrew, and thank you so much for exercising excellent hunting ethics in putting this buck out of its misery. I hope someday to hunt all of the northwest states, and given the opportunity, take some very nice muleys, blacktails, and whitetail deer.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)