NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1422281
70 Nebraskaland • November 2021 The opening day of deer fi rearm season remains an event throughout Nebraska, as much a tradition for thousands of families as Husker football. Make it more special with these tips. Before the Hunt • Buy a permit. Don't get in trouble by forgetting to abide by the law. • Ready your old meat cooler by washing out with soap and water, drying and placing dry newspaper inside of it. • Exercise beforehand. Walk through the neighborhood, do push- ups and sit-ups, or anything else that will help prepare your body for all the twists and turns that an opening day deer hunt can provide. • Sharpen your knife. Dull knives lead to accidents. The sharper, the better, for fi eld dressing and quartering. • Charge your phone or bring a book. The longer you can sit, the better your chances are of getting a shot. • Shoot before you hunt. Know where your gun shoots before you have a buck in your sights. It's the ethical step to take and will also help prevent a post-hunt nightmare if you miss. • Carry extra clothes. If you fall in a creek, sweat too much, get rained on or experience any other water-related setback, have back-up layers. • Convince someone to go with you. I enjoy hunting alone, having that feeling of being the last person on the planet, but it's not the safest way to hunt. Bring a friend along to share the day with you. • Scout. You can walk into the woods on opening morning for the fi rst time if you want to. But increase your odds by looking for travel routes, scrapes, rubs and scat. During the Hunt • Bring a backpack. Water, grunt call, blood-trail markers, knife, protein bars, fl ashlight, safety harness and anything else you need for the day. • Dress light into the stand. The worst thing you can do is wear all of your clothes in. Any sweat that's created will be your detriment once your body cools back down. • Stay in the stand. Many hunters get down from the stand a couple of hours into the morning. Shoot your nice buck when they move him in your direction. • Take a great shot. More times than not, the animal will present a good shot to you. Take a deep breath, calm your nerves, and squeeze the trigger. After the Hunt • Process your deer before taking it to the processor. When taken care of correctly, deer meat is not "gamey." Much of the blood, sinew, fat and other undesirables can be removed before handing the meat over to the experts. • Take pictures. Pixels are free, and some of my most enjoyable technological times are when my phone sends me a "A Year Ago Today" montage. Make sure yours focuses on your opening-day hunting trip. • Thank your landowner before … and after … the hunt. Enough said. MIXED BAG NOT-SO-RANDOM TIPS FOR DEER SEASON By Jeff Kurrus Start planning for opening day now. Abigale and Chet Bennetts fi rearm deer hunt. Bringing a friend, or a child, along on the hunt is a great way to spend time afi eld. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND