Not everyone appreciates a hunter’s displayed harvest. A taxidermy mount can be a memorial or display of wildlife art. A gutted, draped, hung, or visible carcass, is not everyone’s “cup of tea!”
Showing off your kill, in a distasteful way, is not the best way to support our Hunting Brotherhood. People are more than a little Judgy today. A few images, stories, or bad apples can ruin the image of true hunters, in an instance.
Attached is the latest example of what I am talking about. Apparently, an uneducated hunter purchased a winch/hoist system that fits into the hitch of a car or truck. This accessory is perfect for dealing with a deer afield. Once the critter has been gutted and dressed, it can be swung into the trunk or bed of a truck. This person must have ignored the directions. The dressed deer was driven down the interstate while hanging from the rig.
Some old friends of mine were hunting on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The 4 of them all tagged out with nice bucks. Each buck had a legal tag attached to the antlers. They decided to show off their kills by hanging the antlered heads out the closed tailgate of their truck.
To come home, the hunters had to travel across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The MD. DNR always had a Hunter Checkpoint established. All hunters were required to stop. When this happy crew stopped, the Warden asked to see the tags. When they look at their deer, no tags were attached. All had blown off, during transport. One buck did have the wire attached to the branched antler. Since their story was believable, the warden gave them a warning and allowed them to finish their trip, but put the heads inside the truck bed, and cover them with a tarp.
If not offensive, it looks out of the normal way to transport any critter. We have all draped our antlered heads out of the trunk or tailgates of our trucks. Trailers full of dead critters is another display of our harvests.
Some spectators would see this as funny or a way to share their excitement about the successful hunt. Others are grossed out. The safety issues of hanging a critter on the outside of a vehicle is another concern. Dirt and road grit are also allowed to contaminate the exposed critter. If you purchased a beef, I am sure that it would be transported without being exposed to the elements and views of others. “Oh, look at the big steer I just bought!”
Sport hunting is hard! It is called hunting, not killing. Just because you buy a license, and go hunting, does not guarantee a kill. When hunters are lucky enough to fill a legal tag, it truly is a measure of pride. Wild game is also the most expensive meat that you can get. If you add in the cost in time, gear, food, fuel, and expenses, the price per pound of a pound of der or elk is more expensive than any prime meat purchased at the store.
Transporting expensive, delicious, quality, hard earned wild game is important. Covering the exposed carcass protects it from the elements. It also protects the image of hunting and sportsmen.
Respect your harvest and our sport!
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, find him displayed at www.montanagrantfishing.com.
