Published 12/6/00
Written by Frank Carbone Jr.

Hunting - An American Family Tradition

 

Hunting with family and friends the opening week of the firearms season for deer usually creates many great
memories, stories, bonds and sometimes venison as a side benefit for the table. There are many important
benefits to hunting especially with family and old friends. Success should not be measured, in my opinion, by
the fact that you took a big racked deer or even if you filled all of your tags. Preparing for the hunt, getting
all of your gear together, researching and buying new equipment, siting-in at the range, getting in shape,
working on the old hunting camp, getting together with old friends, just some of these preparations and
many others all serve to make hunting a very interesting outdoor activity. I personally know of many father
and son teams who are closely connected by the fact that they both love to hunt together and this creates a
long lasting bond.

Preparing for the hunt this year was pretty much the same as previous seasons, still exciting, with one
difference being with the various situations while pursuing the quarry. I have hunted this year so far with Uncle Mike Cerone), friends Mike and Jean DeVasto and with father and son team Dennis and Jeff Reistad. And after viewing the movie "Dances with Wolves," we have now given Jeff the Indian name of "white man who shoots crooked."

On the day that I hunted with "Unc" we prepared our gear for the day then stepped out of our truck-camper
and into the 12 degree air before sun-up. As we each headed off in different directions we each said "good
hunting and good luck" as always. About an hour and a half later I would be filling out the tag and paper
work for my deer. I was "still hunting" through an overgrown but open field with the sun behind me and the
wind in my face - ideal conditions for any kind of big game hunting. I had just passed the comer of a second
growth wood lot and was moving very slowly when he quickly stood up like a pop-up target 35 feet away.
The "Leupold," set at 1X, quickly settled on its mark and a single shot from a "Mossberg 12" sent a
"Federal Saboted Slug" on its way for a quick, clean dispatch.

I immediately field dressed the deer saving the heart, liver, kidneys, bladder, rubber gloves and paper
toweling used to clean-up afterward. I like to cook the liver, onions, rosemary and generally package it for
the freezer so that I can cook it later during the year. I also like to study the anatomy of deer. Since deer and
humans are both large mammals, our internal parts are very similar in size and function. If you or your family
are studying biology or anatomy it might be a good idea to use the normally discarded parts for a high school
or college biology class.

After field dressing, which turned out to be more of a "hog dressing" since everything was removed, I
noticed an unusual growth on the deer's bladder. Later, I called my friend Dr. Ward Stone, NYSDEC Head
Pathologist in Delmar, NY. Dr. Stone advised me to send the organ to him via overnight mail, packaged in
ice. He said that if it proved to be cancerous he would advise me not to consume the venison. I heard from
him several days later that it wasn't cancer but it wasn't a normal occurrence. He had previously written a
paper on cancer in deer and I will share that with everyone in a future column. The DEC Lab in Delmar
handles many different types of wildlife where autopsies, necropsies and testing is necessary. Dr. Stone was
very busy this past year with the West Nile Virus testing.

Deer Tagging and Paperwork 
I have been informed that the NYSDEC En Con Police are checking deer at
some shops that process deer for hunters. Please make sure that your tags are filled out completely and that
all important and required information fields are filled-in. If the tags are not filled out properly the hunter can
be ticketed.

NYS Senate Bill 
A bill currently in committee (8,6449) "Provides that no sale of a rifle or shotgun shall
occur unless a search of the criminal history records by the division of state police has been completed;
provides that such inquiries shall be done at the request of a dealer in firearms with the consent of the
prospective purchaser of a rifle or shotgun: provides that such dealer's inquiry shall be made by telephone to
the division of state police via a toll free telephone number created specifically for such criminal history
record; provides that such inquiries shall be made using the purchaser's name, gender, race, date of birth and
social security number,

I am not yet familiar with the language of the entire bill. I was informed of this by the folks of the Shooters
Committee On Political Education (SCOPE). This just looks like another costly layer of red tape that will
impact honest gun owners, while the criminal element sits back and laughs at ineffective legislation and
legislators. Lawbreakers don't worry about laws such as this one - that is why they are criminals. Call your
state senator and voice your concerns. More on this later.
                                                                                       * * *

Kudos to Uncle Mike for his "Opening Day Buck". Unc is still hunting with open sites and tagged his deer
with a shot made at about 65 yards. Here's to many, many more hunts and deer.

Have a safe, successful hunting season "take someone hunting, fishing or target shooting" and don't forget to
wear fluorescent orange while hunting.

 



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