REWARDS OF THE HUNT

Whether it’s a stunning trophy buck mounted on the wall or a delicious meal
made from meat harvested by your own hands, the rewards of hunting are
many.
On average, a deer will yield around fifty pounds of meat. You’ll convert just
under half the weight of most commonly hunted game into meat if you wish
to do so. You can opt to butcher the animal yourself or take it to a local
butcher – there are advantages to handling the carcass either way, but most
people will opt to take the easier road of using a butcher. Bear in mind that
all butchers operate differently, what’s common practice to one guy will be a
completely unthinkable process to another. So, as with all other things, you’ll
need to be prepared.
If there’s a local butcher you know and trust, use it. Otherwise, check with
fellow hunters, friends and family in the area and see if you can come up
with a couple of butchers to talk to. Once you’ve had a chance to discuss the
butcher’s working approach, you’ll know which one is most suited to your
own needs. Butchers will produce a variety of cuts of meat for you – so it’s
important to discuss your requirements both before the hunt and as you’re
handing the hard-won carcass over to the butcher afterward.
As part of your planning process, remember to ask the butcher for any
recommendations you should follow when field dressing your kill as this will
allow you to get the best results in terms of meat yield and quantity. Some
butchers are able to fix your mistakes, in terms of how you’ve quartered the
animal, for example. But, if your meat was too hot for too long and spoiled,
was tainted by debris or some other substance, even the best butcher won’t
be able to do anything about it – and he shouldn’t. At the end of the day,
tainted meat will only make you ill, so there’s no point arguing with the
butcher about it. Of course, you can take the carcass to another butcher for a
Hunting – Quick Advice on Leading Questions We Always Wanted to Ask - Page 11
second opinion, but if the meat is spoilt, it’s spoilt and there’s nothing you
can do but learn from your mistakes to avoid them in the future.
If you’ve been fortunate enough to get an animal worth mounting, you’ll be
gutted if you roll up to the taxidermist’s shop and present something he tells
you can’t be mounted. So, as always, prepare yourself for success by visiting
the taxidermist beforehand. Follow the instructions your taxidermist gives
you in the field, pack the mount according to his guidelines and the odds of
having a gorgeous memento of your best hunting experience are greatly
improved.
One final tip for successful trophy mounting, be sure the wall you’re going to
hang the mount on is up to supporting it. The rack on an elk can weigh
twenty pounds alone. Add to this the weight of the skull, stuffing, mounting
board and accessories and you’ll quickly be beyond the support rating of a
mere nail in drywall. You’ll also be out of the range for a normal picture
hanger – so find a good stud wall and get the right sort of bracket to avoid
having your trophy come crashing down.
Perhaps the most lasting reward of the hunt experience is one of the most
often overlooked. Your memory. Of course, you and the other guys in your
party will each have your own take on the whole experience, which will lead
to amusing late-night arguments for years to come. But more than this,
particularly if you’ve hunted with younger family members, you’ll have a
lasting image of something truly special. An experience that friends and
family across generations come together to learn, teach and experience
together.
The meat, if it isn’t spoilt, will last a few months. The mount will stay on the
wall until it goes out of fashion or is replaced by something bigger, better or
rarer. But your memory of each hunt experience sticks with you until the
lights go out. And that’s something truly special.