Outdoorsman Thread

[jerryd6818]

So if a deer has a "malformed" rack, when he sheds it, it will grow back the next year in the same "malformed" configuration?? I guess I'm asking, are a deer's antlers like a fingerprint, individual to a certain deer and they grow back exactly the same every year? I hope I'm saying what I mean.

[treefarmer]

Jerry, when we lived in central Florida 40 years ago, a veterinarian we were acquainted with got interested in antlers and found that certain characteristics seemed to run in in certain deer "families". Hunting on a 30,000 acre lease for several seasons, he could almost tell what area of the ranch a particular set of antlers came from. Even to an untrained eye , the similarities were obvious. Kinda' like facial characteristics in humans , nose, eyes, ears, etc....are similar in a certain family.

Most biologist seem to agree that a deer with a deformed rack is usually the result of an injury, quite often the most deformed antler is on the opposite side from the injury. If all goes well in Bambi's life, his antlers will be similar in shape each year, increasing in size, sometimes increasing the number of points up to a certain age, at which time the antlers start to decrease as he continues to age. This is verified in deer pens where strict control and protection is provided.

Just my 2 cents worth . One thing I know for sure you can't eat them horns, and in our camp so as long as he is legal he'll eat just fine.
Treefarmer

[jerryd6818]

Thanks Phil. I know next to nothing about deer and less than that about hunting them. When I wore a younger mans clothes and still hunted, there were no deer. My grandfather was a sustenance farmer born in 1893 and had never lived more than 10-15 miles from where he was born. He told me one time he had never seen a deer down in his neck of the woods. Now days the woods and fields down there are full of them. Heck, now we even have wild turkeys around here and a few years ago, I found a badger run over and laying beside one of the busiest streets in town.

[keithlong]

Them odd formed antlers will make nice pens!!!!!

[JEARL]

It is rare, but some Does have antlers they are usually odd shaped.

[garddogg56]

I've never seen one but I've heard of a few horned does and pibolts shot up here ..here is a non typical

[garddogg56]

Oh ya here is how my fishing trip to Moose head lake ended this week

[FRJ]

Ouch!!
Good thing you didn't get hurt, dogg.

[JEARL]

Nice non typical Garddogg. Glad you could walk away.

[treefarmer]

garddogg56,
Do your state laws allow you to salvage "road kill" or must the animal be donated to an institution, school or children's home? Florida used to be sorta' tight on that years ago, but deer collisions are so common now that it is no big deal who ends up with the carcass. Seems like now most are left for the buzzards. A moose would be a lot of work compared to our "giant" Florida whitetails! Back when I was working as maint. foreman, we had a 17 mile run between 2 towns that was traveled several times a day by some of the maint. crews. It was not uncommon to get a call, "Hey bossman, there a fresh one in the ditch. Do you want to bring it to the shop?" Several that were "processed" in the back of the shop were actually hit by one of our maint. trucks! Some times they were not salvageable, but most were.
Treefarmer

[garddogg56]

Treefarmer; the hit vehicle gets first dibs The cow had to be put down by the sheriff ,they wouldn't let me put her down as you can see he shot her in the head.I tagged her in the rear at 60mph blew out her rear end wrecked her hine quarters,if i hit her broad-side she would have went thru the windshield I gut the back straps and gave the rest to the local orphanage.

[jerryd6818]

What are "back straps"? I see y'all mention that every once in a while. Is that a another term for tenderloins?

[TripleF]

Went babysitting this weekend....just got back.

Spent a few hours in the woods Saturday......let the boys tie some knots at our camp site (not really a camp site, just a place where we stop, take a break and eat an apple that I cut in slices with my hunting knife).

[treefarmer]

Jerry, visualize a T-bone steak. Ok, the larger piece on the up side of the bone is the "backstrap", the smaller piece below is the "tenderloin". Rather than cut a deer with a saw into traditional beef like cuts, sometimes the backstraps are fileted from the spine and ribs in one long piece. This then can be sliced cross grain to create boneless chops or roasts. The tender loin is located inside the rib cage on either side of the spine, this coincides with the smaller piece on the beef T-bone. This is the most tender piece of meat on a deer. We wrap them in bacon and broil them for a few minutes, till the bacon is done . Can't be beat! And I guess it is the same with a big ol' moose .

Scott, you're going to turn them little fellers into knife lovin' woodsmen if you ain't careful !!

Treefarmer

[tjmurphy]

This is kinda wierd, Copperhead snake bites itself after decapitation
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE93ZgaOwBM[/youtube]

[garddogg56]

Jerry, visualize a T-bone steak. Ok, the larger piece on the up side of the bone is the "backstrap", the smaller piece below is the "tenderloin". Rather than cut a deer with a saw into traditional beef like cuts, sometimes the backstraps are fileted from the spine and ribs in one long piece. This then can be sliced cross grain to create boneless chops or roasts. The tender loin is located inside the rib cage on either side of the spine, this coincides with the smaller piece on the beef T-bone. This is the most tender piece of meat on a deer. We wrap them in bacon and broil them for a few minutes, till the bacon is done . Can't be beat! And I guess it is the same with a big ol' moose .

Scott, you're going to turn them little fellers into knife lovin' woodsmen if you ain't careful !!

Treefarmer

Sir you are exactly RIGHT Very well put

[Old Hunter]

Jerry, if you look where the tip of the knife blade is pointing you will see where the backstrap has been removed. This was the first deer this young man had skinned and cut up - it is a little bit rough, but he is getting it done and learning how to do it by himself. OH

Keep it up Scott, those boys will remember your adventures for the rest of their lives!

[jerryd6818]

I apologize for dragging this out due to my ignorance. I'm sure this is simple common knowledge to all you hunters.

Thanks Colonel. I do work best with visuals. So I'm getting the picture that the back strap is kind of like a boneless pork chop? I'm not real good on meat geography.

Stole this cutting diagram off another web site. The fella said backstraps are equivalent to the loin cut.

[tendots]

Look at this youtube clip for backstraps.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UytNks144l4

[treefarmer]

Jerry, looking at the chart you posted and the pic OH posted, a backstrap begins about the hip bone and runs just passed the shoulder, give or take, depending on who is doing the cutting. Here is a pic of 2 backstraps that have had the "silverskin" removed and are cut into bonless chops ready for packaging. These little babys are, IMHO, better than a filet mignon!
Treefarmer

[garddogg56]

[Quick Steel]

Speaking of Filet Mignon: although considered a premium cut FM is almost always served with bacon because it is considered to have less flavor than most other cuts. For me, little beats a good pot roast.

[jerryd6818]

Look at this youtube clip for backstraps.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UytNks144l4

Japanese guy? Makes it look so easy he's making me believe even I could do it.

[tendots]

Jerry,check out this Japanese Guy's channel,he makes a lot of knife reviews,testing them in the field,comparing them.

[treefarmer]

Just watched the video and that dude knows his way around the muscle's in the ham(hind quarter). Interesting how he did his work. I didn't care much for laying the backstraps on the nasty hair like he was doing, but hey we ain't got to eat that one . Everybody does it different. Cleanliness is a top priority at our house! I hang 'em head up and pull the hide, then gut 'em and hope to have enough cool weather to hang the deer in a fly bag to age the meat before it is broken down into muscle groups. If it is not cool enough, it is then broken down into shoulders, hams, backstraps and everything else that is boned out for sausage or ground venison is placed in an ice chest with the drain open and add ice every other day till it has the age.. Very little waste, especially if you have a dog . Wonder what they do with the rest of their critter? I couldn't follow the part about the knives very well, they worked like they were sharp. Sticking with my Queen #39 for the deer processing no mater what they do across the pond!
Treefarmer