Page 40 - 2018 MAY/JUNE Outdoor Oklahoma

Focus on Hunter Education
Game Care

Oklahoma Hunter Education

NELS rODEfELD Field Dressing and

the Care of Game

Ethical and responsible hunters:
• Know the laws and use legal and ethical methods of
hunting.
• Never waste game and properly care for game meat.

• Tag and check in game if required.

The Hunt:

One Shot Harvests

The hunter is responsible for proper care and use of a
harvested game animal. Proper care starts with the
first shot. Responsible hunters strive for clean, one-
shot harvests.
Focus On How you hunt an animal and how you immediately
Hunter Education care for it affects the taste of the meat. An animal

that is shot while resting will not have a gamey taste
Enhanced Student Manual while an animal that is chased for a distance will
secrete waste products into the muscles that affect the
Builds Safety, Ethics Afield taste of the meat.

It’s a great time to be a hunter in Oklahoma!
Opportunities abound! Also, hunters are safer Words to Know
and more ethical than ever, thanks in part to the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Game Care – The process of taking care of
Hunter Education program. Since 1965, more than the meat immediately after an animal has
a half-million hunters have completed an Oklahoma been harvested.

Hunter Education course. Field Dressing – A method of cleaning a

During 2018, Outdoor Oklahoma magazine will dead animal to preserve the meat.
focus on Hunter Education by featuring new or Carcass – Body of a dead animal.
improved content from the state’s Hunter Education
manual. The 80-page manual is given to Hunter Entrails – Waste products left over from
Education class participants, but all hunters field dressing.
regardless of age can benefit from this important
information. Those not able to attend a class can Aging Meat – A method of tenderizing
complete the state’s official Hunter Education meat.
course free online at wildlifedepartment.com.

38 OUTDOOR OKLAHOMA