Tips & Tactics

Cheap Cleanup Tips

Cheap Cleanup Tips

By Justin Miller

Deer hunters often need water for cleanup after field dressing a deer, but have to figure out what to do if there isn’t a convenient water source nearby.

Like most hunters, I carry a little drinking water, but nothing more since all my gear and gadgets take up precious backpack space.

I’ve found a great free item to keep in my pack and hunting vehicles for cleaning up: sanitizing hand wipes.

Many fast food chains and seafood restaurants give away individual packets to clean your hands after eating. I like the kind from Chick-fil-A.

Since they’re small, flat and compact, sanitizing wipes take very little space and weigh next to nothing. Look for them the next time you go out to eat.

Editor’s Note by Tim H. Martin

Justin’s tip reminds me of something Buckmasters’ camera crew and editors have done for years. Before taking photos with a harvested animal, we use baby wipes or sometimes Windex wipes to clean blood from the mouth and cape.

This serves two key purposes: making prettier photos and better preserving the cape for taxidermists.

The alcohol and ingredients in disinfecting wipes kill much of the bacteria that begin attacking your trophy the moment it stops breathing.

When you see hair slipping from a mounted animal, there’s a good likelihood this could have been prevented had the hunter removed blood and moisture by wiping down the cape with sanitary wipes. That’s why good taxidermists highly recommend using them.

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd