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March 6, 2014

Learning How to Hunt Deer in 7 Days or Less

Watching The Empire Strikes Back as a child does not prepare you for the first time you field-dress an animal in the snow.
Yes, the organs balloon out as if they're instantly inflating, like when Han Solo cuts open the Tauntaun. But then comes a lot of work. Ten minutes into gutting, I'm “ringing the ass,” running a four-inch German hunting knife around a pelvic canal while Uncle Cy, an experienced hunter, hisses useful advice in my ear, like “Don't ruin my fucking knife.” And “You just ruined my fucking knife.” -- G Q Magazine

Posted by gerardvanderleun at March 6, 2014 6:06 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

"On my connection home, I join the same two hunters who were on my outbound flight. They are dressed again in camouflage shirts and hats, toting their roll-aboard camouflage suitcases, and under my breath I call them assholes, as I've been taught." The author has at this point, killed precisely ONE deer, ONE animal. Now he's authentic - a big deal. Right. Wow, I am so unimpressed. Those of us who grew up in farm country and know precisely where that steak on our plate came from (maybe we slaughtered the animal ourselves) and we've known it from an early age. This guy points a loaded rifle at his uncle. God almighty. If I did that to any of my friends or family I ever hunted (or otherwise went shooting with) I'd never live it down. Now Rosecrans is the real deal. Not. He'll go back to town and tell all his pals how quaint it was in Montana. Rustic. Rural. Thank God he was able to kill the animal with one shot so it didn't suffer.

Posted by: RKV at March 6, 2014 7:55 PM

Well, I am willing to cut him some slack. At least he's trying and he's not sitting around criticizing everybody else.

Posted by: chasmatic at March 6, 2014 9:41 PM

This is one area where I have a cognitive dissonance that has been bothering me bad for about 10 years. I eat meat but don't think I have it in me to kill an animal, except in self defense. I was civilized for too long and can't shake it.

Posted by: ghostsniper at March 7, 2014 4:34 AM

Myself and three friends flew into remote Alaska for a Caribou hunt some years back. Early the next day in early dawn we shot three nice caribou and now we had to clean them. One friend volunteered to clean all three animals if the other three would carry the meat back to camp, a mere two miles. We gladly jumped on that generous offer and soon found ourselves making multiple trips from the kill to camp with 60-80 lbs of meat strapped to our backs and our rifles awkwardly held in front stumbling over rough terrain and through thick waist high brush. There was evidence of bear and wolf so our appearance of a meat lollipop gave us good reason to worry. It was during this time that I realized hunting was great fun, a great adventure but it all ended once you have shot the game. I stil go to the wild places to hunt but now I hunt with a camera and buy my meat at Safeway. I certainly have no problem with hunting and I carry a gun for defense where I can, but I no longer have any desire to burden myself with the work of successful hunting.

Posted by: GoneWithTheWind at March 7, 2014 7:58 AM

yep, like cutting down a tree the real work begins when it hits the ground

Posted by: iggy at March 7, 2014 11:10 AM

I've hunted all my life and I'm in my mid 60's, still going strong. I killed 3 nice does in November and December and all of them were safely butchered and now rest quietly and comfortably in my freezer as back straps, steak fingers and some of the finest ground meat I've ever eaten.

Cleaning and butchering are part of the hunting process and I have no problem with people who are squeamish about it. I understand that completely But, I disagree with anyone who eats meat and then tells me that hunting is cruel. For them, a visit to a slaughter house should be a life requirement.

Posted by: Jack at March 7, 2014 11:25 AM

Luke was field dressing (he was the farm boy) not Han (who was the space smuggler).

Posted by: Mikey NTH at March 7, 2014 4:48 PM

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