TooheyBirdie
Well-Known Member
I'm in Rochester so it's mandatory testing here.... good part about that is there's a tripod with a gamgrel hoist at every sample station so if there isn't a line, you can fully skin and portion out your deer on site. Submit the head and then throw the rest in dumpsters they provide.Being a MN hunter, the idea of not gutting a deer where it falls - or reasonably close to that place - is baffling to me. Especially in someplace as hot as Alabama, I'd think to prevent spoilage (and wanton waste) you'd be encouraged to gut and cool the carcass ASAP. Every now and again you'll find a ribcage or processed bones near an access point, which I've always thought was tacky and trashy. I'll either take mine to the dump or, more likely, dump the bones in my woods where I can keep an eye on what critters are nibbling on it.
Coyotes, crows, and other scavengers will make quick work of a gut pile, they'll rarely last more than 12 hours in my experience. I wonder what advantage Alabama sees to this restriction.
I can't imagine dragging adeer in the heat either. I feel like I'm about to overheat when it's 45 out and I'm dragging a deer.