- Thread Starter
- #21
**FINAL CHAPTER**
Ok. So we got a deer down. I have a game cart in the back of the truck. Shreks knows this, and being wise, he guts the deer and awaits my arrival with the cart. Well, being a absent minded gorilla, while I am in the back of the truck glassing, I decide that game cart is in the way and inhibiting Lillians ability to crawl about. I grab the cart as simply toss it over the side. SNAP. All of the plastic spokes on one wheel snap. When I get out to Shrek and Kim, I have to break it to them that there is no cart. Shrek and I shrug, grab ahold of the rack, and start dragging. After a short while the weather detoriates in a hurry! I mean, we go from 60 degrees to lower 40's in a matter of 15 minutes and the winds are staking up and rain is dumping down, and bam its dark. Kim takes Lillian and heads for the truck, while I start chuckling. Think about. Shrek thought he would have a relaxing afternoon, gathering energy and resting for his upcoming hunt while watching a young couple bag a deer from the comfort of his arse through his spotter. Now here he is, soaking wet, cold, and not resting at all.
So at this point we decide the hell with it, lets quarter this thing and get the hell out of dodge. I was more interested in quartering the deer, as I did not want Shrek to have to keep slaving away dragging this thing, I was starting to feel guilty, and embarrassed! So we begin hacking at the deer. One headlamp, two knives, some communication. I have always been able to get my animals somewhat hung in a tree to take apart, so I was having a difficult time doing this on the ground. Shrek, being from Florida was having a difficult time with the weather.... it was nasty out, but being from Western WA, I was a little more conditioned to it. After sometime we got it broken down.
Now, I have seen all these pretty pictures of peoples packs with game in them. Balanced oh so nice, everything secured weight up on your back and not in the bottom of your pack. Well.... this was not that kind of pack job. I threw all but one hind quarter into one large game bag, then simply crammed and stuffed until that was in the bottom of my T1. Shrek was ready to get the hell out of there, and started moving while I struggled getting this pack onto my pack (with rifle) without falling over. Eventually I was able to swing on my back and start heading out.
We got back to the trucks, and headed to the nearest bar for food and drinks.
Weighted the pack the next morning (yep, it was cold enough to leave the meat in my pack hanging on my porch till morning) and I was at 92 lbs (without rifle), so I figure about 85 lbs of meat?
In the end, I wouldnt trade this experience for a clean pile of tree hung meat in a nicely organized and well thought out package in the T1. I had a blast, loved the minimal amount of strife and challeneges, and had a hell of a time shooting the bull with Shrek. My wife is stoked, and wants to learn more about the process (quartering, gutting, packing out). She told me she was jealous that I was out there in the rain packing out the meat!
I'm not much of a writer (I trained to write boring, technical, science literature) so thanks for bearing with me.
Ok. So we got a deer down. I have a game cart in the back of the truck. Shreks knows this, and being wise, he guts the deer and awaits my arrival with the cart. Well, being a absent minded gorilla, while I am in the back of the truck glassing, I decide that game cart is in the way and inhibiting Lillians ability to crawl about. I grab the cart as simply toss it over the side. SNAP. All of the plastic spokes on one wheel snap. When I get out to Shrek and Kim, I have to break it to them that there is no cart. Shrek and I shrug, grab ahold of the rack, and start dragging. After a short while the weather detoriates in a hurry! I mean, we go from 60 degrees to lower 40's in a matter of 15 minutes and the winds are staking up and rain is dumping down, and bam its dark. Kim takes Lillian and heads for the truck, while I start chuckling. Think about. Shrek thought he would have a relaxing afternoon, gathering energy and resting for his upcoming hunt while watching a young couple bag a deer from the comfort of his arse through his spotter. Now here he is, soaking wet, cold, and not resting at all.
So at this point we decide the hell with it, lets quarter this thing and get the hell out of dodge. I was more interested in quartering the deer, as I did not want Shrek to have to keep slaving away dragging this thing, I was starting to feel guilty, and embarrassed! So we begin hacking at the deer. One headlamp, two knives, some communication. I have always been able to get my animals somewhat hung in a tree to take apart, so I was having a difficult time doing this on the ground. Shrek, being from Florida was having a difficult time with the weather.... it was nasty out, but being from Western WA, I was a little more conditioned to it. After sometime we got it broken down.
Now, I have seen all these pretty pictures of peoples packs with game in them. Balanced oh so nice, everything secured weight up on your back and not in the bottom of your pack. Well.... this was not that kind of pack job. I threw all but one hind quarter into one large game bag, then simply crammed and stuffed until that was in the bottom of my T1. Shrek was ready to get the hell out of there, and started moving while I struggled getting this pack onto my pack (with rifle) without falling over. Eventually I was able to swing on my back and start heading out.
We got back to the trucks, and headed to the nearest bar for food and drinks.
Weighted the pack the next morning (yep, it was cold enough to leave the meat in my pack hanging on my porch till morning) and I was at 92 lbs (without rifle), so I figure about 85 lbs of meat?
In the end, I wouldnt trade this experience for a clean pile of tree hung meat in a nicely organized and well thought out package in the T1. I had a blast, loved the minimal amount of strife and challeneges, and had a hell of a time shooting the bull with Shrek. My wife is stoked, and wants to learn more about the process (quartering, gutting, packing out). She told me she was jealous that I was out there in the rain packing out the meat!
I'm not much of a writer (I trained to write boring, technical, science literature) so thanks for bearing with me.
