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Homesteading isn’t all about gardening and raising livestock, hunting to supply meat for the homestead is a long-standing tradition and way of life for the homesteader as well.
Hunting the Whitetail Deer is one the most common and most rewarding hunts a homesteader can partake in.
On today’s podcast, I will discuss everything you need to know to hunt whitetail deer and fill the homestead freezer.
Is Deer Meat A Cheap Way To Fill The Freezer?
Supplying venison for the homestead can be an inexpensive protein source, but usually isn’t. Most hunters spend a lot of money on hunting equipment and toys. There is a way to hunt deer in a frugal manner though and it doesn’t take away from the fun of the hunt. Most homesteader’s already own a firearm capable of hunting deer with and everything else someone would purchase just makes the hunt more likely to be successful and fun.
Basic Deer Hunting Equipment
- Archery – Longbow, Recurve, Compound, Crossbow
- Guns – Shotguns, Rifles, Handguns, Muzzleloader
- Camouflage Apparel – Weather Appropriate
- Blinds
- Treestands – Hanging Fixed Position Stands, Ladder Stands, Climbing Stands
- Calls – Bleat, Grunt
- Rattlers – Antlers, Artificial Antlers, Rattlebag
- Cover Scents and Scent Blocker
Preparing For The Hunt
- Practice, Practice and More Practice
- Find Places To Hunt
- Scouting – Trails, Scrapes, Rubs, Food Sources, Water Sources, Bedding Areas
- Setting Up Your Stand or Blind
- License
- Know Safety Laws
Hunting Day
- Setting Up – Consider Wind Direction, Shooting lanes, Access
- Patience
- Pick Your Shot
- Stay Calm and Pay Attention
- Following Blood Trails
- Fill Out Your Temporary Tag
- Field Dressing Your Deer
- Dragging A Deer Out of The Woods
- Checking In A Deer
Hanging, Skinning, and Butchering
Equipment
- Knives – Outdoor Edge 12-Piece Portable Butcher Kit with Hard Side Carry Case
- Meat Grinder – Manual or Electric
- Vacuum Sealer
- Freezer
0 Lord, I am a hunter And life I seek to take But let me not attempt the shot Beyond my skill to make For Lord they are your creatures Given for our use But each one falls within your sight They’re not for our abuse And when I loose my arrow Please guide it swift and true Or let it miss completely, Lord That pain be not undue A clean kill or no-kill, Lord Such is my heart’s desire Give me the skill to make it so Or let me hold my fire And when my time upon this earth The days they are fulfilled Grant that I may die at least As clean as those I killed ~Timothy D. Cook
