A Look To The Past: Deer Hunting in Oklahoma

A buck killed during rifle season. November 1994.

Smoke rose into the air as the flickers of a campfire nestled in a clearing cast a shadow against the walls of surrounding timber. The sounds of conversation and laughter are heard among the occasional hoots of a great horned owl perched nearby in the darkness. The air is cold enough, it chills you to the bone but the warmth of the fire provides comfort. This is deer camp. Where tales of the past are told and stories of the future are born. Where hunters escape back to our primal roots close to the land.  While this scene remains relatively unchanged for lifetimes, the pursuits that bring us here have evolved drastically over the decades. 

Meat Sweats

A bead of sweat rolled down from the band of my hat making its way to my brow and down the bridge of my nose until finally dropping down to the forest floor from fifteen feet up. The lone drop hit the early fall ground, breaking the afternoon silence. Temperatures hovered near 90 degrees, not uncommon for early October in Oklahoma. While the deer were non-existent, the buzzing of flies and leftover mosquitoes from summer filled my ears as the afternoon dragged on. Evening would be here soon, but the temperatures would remain on the warm side. That dreaded thought in the back of my mind started to make its way forward. Two words; meat spoilage. 

Meat spoilage is among the top concerns of every hunter out there. Especially in the early part of the season where temperatures can be downright miserable. You could just wait on the cooler weather but I have a hard time waiting nearly nine months not hunting just to wait some more for temperatures to cooperate. Besides, it may be November before the cooler fall weather we all long for makes an appearance. Preparation for meat care is at the utmost of importance for hunters, regardless of if it’s 30 degrees or triple digits. Obviously, cold weather allows for some forgiveness where it would make sense to leave a deer hang overnight if temperatures are below freezing. Anything above freezing and the clock really starts ticking. This is classified as the "danger zone". The warmer it is, the less time you will have. 

So, you’ve toughed out the heat and got the opportunity to take a shot on a nice buck. First, let’s talk about that shot. If temperatures are not in your favor, let that buck get closer ensuring that a precise and ethical shot can be taken. Preferably, lungs or heart. Why take a less favorable shot and risk wounding the animal? Quick clean kills are a key here. An arrow to the liver, or worse, the gut can leave an animal wounded for several hours before expiring. A good hunter will wait several hours before even tracking if a deer is hit in an undesirable spot. When the temperatures are warm, meat begins to spoil at a rapid rate. You cannot wait several hours to begin the track or you’re greatly risking taking home spoiled venison. Ensure a clean, accurate, shot is taken resulting in a quick kill. Use some common sense here and be aware of the outside factors. Be responsible for your actions. 

Now, you’ve taken a good shot and watched the buck tip over less than a hundred yards off. As I climb down from my stand, I start getting mentally prepared for the task ahead. If you plan on taking the carcass to a third-party butcher, just know where you’re going and know the hours of operations for that place. It's not a bad idea to even have a "Plan B" in this situation. Personally, I am big on butchering my own game. I think it’s a skill every hunter should take the time to learn and have a good sense of doing. Plus, I enjoy the process and ultimately end up with better quality cuts in the end when I know how the meat has been handled from start to finish. While not everyone has the time or facilities to complete this, at least knowing how can go a long way.

As I approach my kill, I think about where my butcher kit lies in my pack knowing I can quickly get it out of my bag and begin the real work. I keep all my butchering tools in a small pouch that lives inside my backpack. Inside the pouch, I keep my skinning knife, tags, paracord, zip ties, flagging tape and if necessary for the hunt, game bags. 

First thing’s first, gutting the deer is the best way to allow some heat to dissipate from the animal cavity. I’ve also opted for the gutless method in certain situations but always prefer gutting an animal rather than leave the entrails inside. Mainly, because gutting lets heat escape which is the number one factor of meat spoilage. 

With the deer gutted, removing the hide and quartering is the next step in allowing the meat to chill out. It's important to get the deer pieced out as soon as possible. Meat spoilage is most prevalent around the ball joints and inner areas where heat cannot quickly dissipate. This is why I like to quarter game in the field and then pack it out to the truck. If you plan to drag the deer out of the woods or can reach it with a vehicle, then leaving the hide on is recommended as it protects from dirt and debris, keeping the inner cavity of the deer as clean as possible. For hide on scenarios, stick a bag of ice or half gallon milk jugs filled with water and frozen inside the cavity. If you do remove the hide, this is where game bags or gallon Ziplocs can come in handy. If you choose to leave the meat on the bone, game bags are the best option. They’ll allow the meat to “breath” but also keep the meat clean and protected from flies. For boned out meat, game bag or Ziplocs both work and I’ve used both. Really, the choice is up to you. 

If I am hunting in warm weather, I always pack a large enough cooler in my vehicle to fit an entire deer in. In that cooler, I keep a few frozen half gallon milk jugs. I line the bottom of the cooler with the milk jugs and once I introduce meat to the cooler, it is already basically a refrigerator keeping the meat chilled until I can get it packaged and in the freezer. 

As you can see here, preparation is key when weather is not as favorable for the hunter. Understand what you are getting into. If you don’t know how to gut or butcher a deer, watch a few YouTube videos and get a basic idea of what you’re doing. At some point, you just have to get in there and start cutting. If it’s early season, I can promise you there will be lots of flies, sweat, and more flies. Even still, the reward of a freezer full of unspoiled meat is ultimately worth it every single time. 

Until next time...stay wild.

Brock

Boot Care & Maintenance

My old man always told me growing up, “You take care of it, and it’ll take of you.” He learned this from his father who I would go as far as saying learned the phrase from his father as well. This advice was usually stated to me in reference to my ball glove. Breaking in and conditioning our ball gloves when I was young was more or less a family event. We’d all take the time before the season to make sure the leather was conditioned perfectly and taken care of so that during the baseball and softball seasons, they’d handle the sun, sweat, and abuse that goes along with the sport. I’ve kept that principle in my head and pretty much apply it to everything in life now, especially when it comes to hunting gear. 

Hunting Season Prep: Are You Ready?

We're in the dog days of summer and the heat is so intense I've started cooking my morning eggs on the sidewalk. For most hunters like myself, summer can seem to drag on. The temperatures are hot and time in the woods is a little less enjoyable. The lengthy summer days have me yearning for Fall when the greenery of the woods will begin to transition to oranges, yellows, and reds. Where the temperatures are cooler and the woods come alive as the critters begin their preparation for the winter days ahead of them. In just under sixty days, it will be October 1st and with that, the big game hunting season will begin here in Oklahoma. It’s everything us hunters have been waiting for. It will be here before we know it!

The off-season is where success is made. This is the time when I prepare for the season ahead. Rather than waiting around, I use this time to make myself a better hunter and woodsman. I keep a general checklist of pre-season preparations that I follow year after year. For more unique hunts, I'll add things that are more specific to that particular hunt. The goal is checking each box and by doing so, I know I’ll be ready and put the odds of success in my favor. Whether I'm chasing mallards in the marshes or waiting for that big buck to cross paths, the success I will have is based on the steps I take to prepare myself for those situations. 

Primitive Skills: The Hand Drill

From time to time I feel the urge to be a little primal. An urge that creates a desire to go back to the times when each day pivoted around survival. Where the strong and skilled thrived, and the weak perished. Success of early humans greatly depended on the discovery of fire. Fire is a key part of our history and without it, would not function as we do today. The discovery of fire led to the ability to cook meat after hunts, create warmth in the cold and forge tools to improve living standards. When we look back into human history, there has always been an allure to fire for humans. Is it the warmth and comfort attracting us or the blues and oranges of the flame that hypnotize our minds as we watch them flicker and spark. Regardless of what it is that captivates us, there is no doubt that without fire, our species would simply not exist.

Baseball & Bows

I remember the days of sitting at my school desk, counting down the seconds until the bell would ring one last time and finally, summer would present itself. At last, I could escape the halls and stress that came along with school year. Everyone had something to be excited about. Pool parties, late nights, no rules, you name it. While summer brought about all these things and plenty more for me, I cannot remember a summer that I wasn't delved into my first true love; baseball. Baseball was my summer and my escape. 

National Parks of Utah: Canyonlands

Silence and solitude is what awaits you in Canyonlands National Park. The snowy peaks of the La Sal Mountains come down and transforms into a desert landscape full of vast canyons, mesas and buttes. This wilderness is rugged and primal.  The land appears unchanged to what I imagine it was like hundreds of years ago. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the serenity and silence of Mother Nature. The surrounding landscape makes a person feel small. Canyonlands is what I would now consider, a hidden gem of the United States. 

National Parks of Utah: Arches

There are several natural features on this planet that often beg the question - how? Mountains that touch the heavens, canyons that have no end to their depths, sand dunes located in areas with zero explanation, or waterfalls so mystical there's no way they can be real. All these, and yet, the strangest to me are the rock arches that have formed in the deserts of southern Utah. 

National Parks of Utah: Capitol Reef

Most of you that follow me on social media know that my wife and recently traveled to southern Utah visiting a few of the national parks there. These next few weeks I will cover our trip, park by park, and share our experiences there. In addition to that, I want to be able to offer up what to expect if you decide to make the journey to Utah. I would highly recommend it. 

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. This is a special day that deserves to be celebrated! Fortunately, celebration is easy and does not require large, elaborate dinners or big get togethers. The best way, in my opinion, is to simply get outside and immerse yourself in nature. Whether it's picking weeds in the garden, running your favorite trail or just laying out soaking up the sun, I encourage each and every one of you to get out there and take in what the outdoors has to offer. Not only today but everyday. The natural world is the greatest of teachers. Embrace it, learn from it and love it. Remember, we only have one. 

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Stay wild.

Brock

An Easter Sunday Turkey

While most folks would be spending their morning seated in church pews, mine was spent sitting on the ground against a tree, head to toe in camouflage. I preferred it this way. Not that I’m against church by any means but because the connection I felt with God on this morning could not be found in a crowded building listening to the homily of a priest. It couldn’t be found anywhere else. Besides I would rather have the silence, the alone time and the opportunity to witness the Earth awake from its nightly slumber. I can think unbothered about my hopes and dreams. I can see the squirrels jump from tree to tree. I can watch the early spring flowers bloom as the rays from the sun hit them just right. Most importantly, I can be immersed in the creations that God has provided us. I found it better than what any church could have to offer. 

Spring Eats: Wild Edibles

As you all know, spring is here! It is such a magical time of the year and has so much to offer. The frost and chill of winter finally start to fade and the sun emerges to warm the Earth and my soul. I look forward to that time outside when life is a little more comfortable. In Spring, hunters and anglers often begin to think of turkey gobbles and fish spawns, but there’s another gift that Mother Nature offers the outdoorsmen and women of the world in the form of wild edible plants.