Fall 2003 Issue

Putting venison on the table doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Depending on what you already own, you can outfit yourself for deer season for under $200. All it takes is some savvy shopping.

If you still think deer hunting is too expensive, try pricing the designer lean beef at your local supermarket. When you consider venison is lower in fat than grain-fed beef, deer meat is a bargain.

However, spending your hard-earned cash for deer hunting is no bargain if you don’t fill your freezer. Budget-conscious hunters have learned it’s best to take a doe for the table before worrying about hunting for antlers for the wall (an expensive proposition in itself). Save even more by learning to butcher your own deer — the time spent doing so is well worth the effort.

If processing your own deer seems overwhelming, try cooking whole hams or shoulders in your smoker. Invite your hungry relatives and friends over and have them bring side dishes.

Guns are a hunter’s biggest expense. If you can’t borrow one, consider buying a used rifle or using your own shotgun.

Search pawnshops, newspaper ads, bulletin boards, gun shops and estate sales for used guns. You’ll find hunting rifles without scopes for under $150 and surplus military rifles for less than $100.

Make sure the gun is unloaded then check the bore. It should be clean and bright without blockage. Rust inside the barrel will affect accuracy. Outside rust is fine as long as the mechanics of the gun are not affected. Don’t buy a gun if the safety doesn’t work.

Examine the stock. Minor cracks or professionally repaired stocks are okay, but avoid any stock cracked all the way through or taped together.

Convert your shotgun into a deer gun by using slugs. Inexpensive solid lead slugs work in shotguns with open chokes. However, bullet drop is severe. Practice at 50 to 75 yards and avoid longer shots in the field.

For maximum accuracy, use saboted slugs and a rifled shotgun barrel. Sabots, which are smaller diameter bullets encased in a plastic wad, are suitable for shotguns with open chokes. However, slugs lose accuracy without rifling in the barrel. A less expensive alternative to a rifled barrel is a screw-in rifled choke. These may sell for $40 or less.

Convert your shotgun into a deer gun with slugs.
Saboted bullets (above left) are more accurate
and deadly than the old-fashioned pumpkin balls (above right).

Drive rural roads and look for a farmer doing field work. Offer a day’s work for a day’s hunting. Visit farm supply stores and offer your hunting services to farmers suffering deer crop damage. For $3, you can also apply for a quota hunt on one of Kentucky’s dozens of publicly-owned wildlife management areas.

Hunt from the ground instead of a store-bought tree stand. Put your back against a tree to break up your silhouette, cut some small branches and plant them in front of you, then keep still. Blown-down trees or rolled hay on field edges also make great ground blinds.

Look for good used clothing at yard sales, thrift stores and military surplus stores. Don’t worry about having the latest camouflage pattern during gun season — you’ll be wearing a bright orange hat and vest anyway. Also try a pair of uninsulated, loose fitting overalls. Wear alone during warm weather, then add a sweater underneath as the days grow colder. Shoe repair shops offer good prices on used boots.

Yard sales are great places to pick up surplus
military camouflage clothing at low cost.

Wash your hunting clothing with baking soda to eliminate odors. Steep apples, cedar shavings or acorns in boiling water until syrupy. Strain, let cool, then add to the rinse cycle for a natural cover scent. Wind-dry clothes and don’t smoke while wearing them.

A resident hunting license and deer permit cost $40. For less than $30, you can buy four other necessities: a blaze orange hat and vest, an ink pen for your hunting log, and a fixed blade knife. Carry water in rinsed out plastic soft drink bottles.

Copyright 2003 Kentucky Afield Magazine.  All rights reserved.