Bow season is open, and gun season is not far behind. If this is your first fall in the deer woods, or you have tried before and came home with more questions than venison, two free webinars next week will give you a solid start.
Fall Line Outdoors is teaming up with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation to bring you two programs: Deer Hunting 101 and Practical Deer Processing. Both are online, free, and taught by Guy and Judy Gardner of the New Hill Hunter Education and Mentoring Program, who have guided many new adult hunters through their first seasons.
| Webinar | Date | Time | Where | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Hunting 101: Your First Deer Season Starts Here | Monday, October 5 | 7:00–8:30 PM | Online | Register |
| Practical Deer Processing | Thursday, October 8 | 7:00–8:00 PM | Online | Register |
Pre-registration is required. You will receive the joining link after you sign up.
Deer Hunting 101: Everything that happens before and around the shot
Most of deer hunting comes down to three things: be where the deer are, stay undetected, and make a clean shot. This webinar is built around those three goals. You will learn:
- The animal. What white-tailed deer eat (acorns can make up about 80% of their diet when they are available), how they use their home range, and when the rut peaks in your part of the state. It moves across North Carolina over about six weeks, from the last week of October on the lower coast to the first week of December in the mountains.
- Their senses, and how to beat them. A deer has about 297 million scent receptors. You have about 5 million. You will never beat that nose, so you learn to play the wind, keep quiet and move slowly.
- Reading sign. What rubs, scrapes and deer calls tell you, and how to scout with maps first and your boots second.
- Gear that matters. How to dress in layers, how to choose a rifle that fits you, cartridge basics, other weapon options and the types of tree stands.
- Safety. A fall arrest system in every elevated stand, every time. Hunter orange rules. Sharing a hunting plan. Ticks.
- After the shot. Shot placement, why you wait at least 30 minutes, how to follow a blood trail, how to approach a downed deer, and how to report your harvest by noon the next day on the Go Outdoors North Carolina app or at 1-800-I-GOT-ONE.
Practical Deer Processing: from the field to your freezer
So you have a deer down. Now what? You can pay a processor, or you can learn to do it yourself and control every step. This hour walks you through the whole job:
- Keep the meat good. Heat, moisture and dirt are what spoil venison. Learn how to cool it fast and keep it clean.
- Field dressing, or not. Step-by-step field dressing, the gutless method, and why quartering in the field often makes sense. A deer can be quartered in 15 to 30 minutes, and deboning cuts the weight you carry out by about 70%.
- What is normal inside a deer? Skin growths, keds, liver flukes and hemal nodes look alarming but usually do not make the meat unsafe. Abscesses are different. You will learn what to keep and what to throw out.
- Skinning, aging and butchering. Backstraps, tenderloins, front and hind legs, which cuts make the best steaks and roasts, and why boning out the meat gives you better results.
- Preserving and cooking. Freezing, canning, jerky (it must reach 160°F to be safe), ground venison, sausage, and a favorite marinade.
- Share the harvest. North Carolina hunters donate more than 150,000 meals a year through NC Hunters for the Hungry, and it costs you nothing to donate a deer.
Who should attend
Adults who are new to deer hunting, adults who have hunted a little and want to do it right, and experienced hunters who have never processed their own deer. Bring your questions. Type them in the chat during the session and Guy and Judy will answer them at the end.
Keep going after October
These two evenings are a starting point. If you want more:
- Beyond the Basics: Deer Hunting. Three more free webinars from Fall Line Outdoors: Start Smart (Thu, Oct 22), Land & Sign (Thu, Oct 29) and Make It Count (Wed, Nov 4), each 7:00–8:30 PM. Each session is a separate registration at falllineoutdoors.com/events.
- Hands-on deer processing day. This winter, you can practice field dressing, skinning, quartering, deboning and packaging on a real deer with experienced hunters beside you. Watch the events page for the date.
- New Hill Hunter Education and Mentoring Program. A 10-month, hands-on program for adults new to deer hunting, with weekend field days near Raleigh and a mentored hunt for students who are ready.
Sign up now
- Register for Deer Hunting 101 (Mon, Oct 5) and Practical Deer Processing (Thu, Oct 8).
- Register on our website and subscribe (top right of any page) so you hear about the next events first. No obligation.
- Forward this to one friend who has said, “I would like to try hunting someday.”
First Hunt. First Cast. Find Your Wild With Us.
Fall Line Outdoors is a chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. Questions? Email info@falllineoutdoors.com.