I am planning on going out in the afternoon to deer hunt. Since I am somewhat new to this concept I was wondering that if you shot a deer right before it gets dark out, and by the time you recover its dark what do you do? Can you wait until morning to field dress? Or should you do it right away? Thanks for the help
If you don't have a headlamp drag the deer in front of your vehicle and turn the lights on. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just don't kill the battery.. or run out of fuel and get yourself in a pinch..be quick & watch them digits.
You CAN likely let it sit until morn, just like letting a gut shot deer lay overnight. However its prudent to gut asap and there is no reason why the fact the sun is down should prevent you from doing the job.
You need lots of lighting before going for an afternoon hunt anyway. Minimum of two flashlight for me, usually three. One headlamp, one smaller light for following the easy blood trails and a power beam when the trail gets tough. Don't forget a navigation aid such as a compass or GPS also. It is really easy to get turned around following a blood trail. Anyway field dressing is a pretty simple task that you will get the hang of quickly.
I gut it as soon as I recover the deer. Good tips from these guys about having good lights. I use a headlamp, and a few hand-helds. Also on a long track I use colored ribbon to mark last blood found. so you can backtrack if necessary. also could help find your way back as the woods can look different at night. I keep a compass in my hunting pack.
Biggest thing with field dressing a deer at night is to watch your fingers. Having plenty of light will help you with that. Like everyone says, headlamp, and a good one that throws a lot light, flash lights, more than one. I keep a lantern in the truck for the really cold hunts, helps to warm up the hands on the cold nights of field dressing. Don't forget paper towling, and I bring unscented baby wipes, helps with getting the hands clean so you can get your gloves back on. Beefie