Having come from a non-hunting family (took up deer hunting at about 30) I didn't have the advantage of friends and family there to school me and initiate me into the sport. I have been hunting for a few years and now my son, 18, is just starting to show an interest. He is doing the required hunter-safety course and may get his license this year. He is a safe gun handler and a good shot.
I know there are some rituals for the first deer killed by a new hunter, and I'd like to hear about them. Anyone care to share them with me, maybe I can start a new family tradition. Thanks, Mike.

Steer clear of the folks telling you to eat the heart raw or drink the blood...gross in my book, not to mention unsafe given viral/bacterial problems seen these days.

I fully recommend that upon bagging a first deer that the veterans "obtain" the hat worn during the hunt such that all in the party can then shoot the hat. The virgin is then expected to wear said hat.

Rotsa ruck.

Reed

After I kill any big game animal, I first place an evergreen bough it it's mouth, this is a german/ austrian practice that is supposed to give the animal eternal life. After that, I lay my hand on the animal and explain to it that I did not kill it out of hate, and that my family needs it to eat this winter. I Thank the animal and ask it not to haunt me. This practice comes from the stoney indians here in the area. Finally the hunting party sits down for a celebatory Jagarmeister.

thats all

In our camp we present the lucky fellow with the most recent Playmate on the Month and keys to the truck. Or we'll cut off his shirt tail.

After my brother's first kill, I congratulated him, gave him a knife, and reminded him to roll up his sleaves.

Oh come on, eating the guts it what is all about isn't it......just kidding that is silly.

The cutting off of the shirt tail or shooting the hat if they miss is always good fun.

We always have an evergreen bow handy for the animals last bite. I always have a camera and some paper towels to tiddy them up with. There will be no blood in photos...desrespectful.
Making the young hunter proud is very helpful in the long run as there will be pressures from outside that he/she did some dastardly thing.
Good positive reinforcement......then make them eat the guts.

ED

In our elk camps all "newbies" must join the feast on the cooked oysters of the first bull. If they don't, they simpley will not be invited back.
Good thing I am not an outfitter though. Some folks would rather hunt somewhere else than enjoy some nice tender meat.

The Finns I hunted with had a little ceremony where somebody with a hunting horn played a few notes, took an evergreen bough and dipped just the end of it the animals blood and the lucky hunter wore it like a feather in his hat, and then a "prayer" was spoken and the gods of the hunt and the woods were thanked for the harvest. Sounds a little silly here in the States but they carried it off with great sincerity and seriousness and was a neat experience.
Ron

I'm hoping to take my first deer in a few weeks (been killing birds for a 12 years), and I find this refreshing, don't know why, but rest assured, bambi will die... but he/she will also taste very good.

I'm pretty sure that I would punch somebody in the eye if they cut the tail off of one of my hunting shirts.

Some blood smeared on the face of the first-time hunter is our standard practice. You sometimes have to be a bit sneaky to get it on there, but most hunters smile and wear it for while with pride.

Down south it is customary for the hunter who has killed his/her first deer to get their cheeks bloody. A little smear of deer blood on both cheeks to show initiation.

What I did with my daughter who shot her first deer (pictured below ) a couple of weeks ago is offer a hearty congratulations, a dab of blood on the forehead, and a talking to about thanks to and respect for the animal.

Two things stick in my mind:

1) Taking the 303 Savage (M99) on the bus to school, for after school hunts with friends.

2) Finally getting to take off the first week of the season (from school) to go hunting.

About the only thing you would get today would be trouble for these things, I'm thinking. It feels like my youth was a long time getting there, and left way to soon. Getting to take the obligatory leather cartridge holder and the grand old Marbles knife, which of course you had to wear, was kind of fun too.Made for an interesting game of "chicken". Guess you had to be there!!

What?!?! Eating offal went out of fashion?
C'mon, lets do the whole thing, blood on cheeks, a bite of liver off of the the hunting knife, evergreen bough in mouth....mix with a plentiful supply of AR on a daily basis and you get a powerful combination that devours hunting magazines/books and can't wait to go again!

I was given my first taste of Jim Beam and had a plate full of fried liver and onions.
Fuzz

Fascinating customs!
I think in New Jersey, dad is suppose to give the son a "Hit" off his crack pipe.

In Arkansas... son gets to sleep in his sisters room, not dad.

In L.A county, son gets "jumped in" by fellow hunters.

just some that I know of.

"Fascinating customs!
I think in New Jersey, dad is suppose to give the son a "Hit" off his crack pipe.

In Arkansas... son gets to sleep in his sisters room, not dad.

In L.A county, son gets "jumped in" by fellow hunters.

just some that I know of."

Hope this was just poor taste in humor. I think what I will do is offer a prayer of thanks to the God Creator, who left us as stewards of the land and the game, (not some amorphous gods of the hunt or spirit of the meat) and give my son a high quality knife (puma master or gamewarden) to begin the process of game to food. Thanks to all who offered their experiences in good faith. Mike.

Growing up in Texas, the first big-game kill requires a swipe of bloody hands on both cheeks of the lucky(?) hunter.
The custom in Mississippi, was to sever the scrotum - complete w/ testicles - and this was rubbed in the hunters face. This sometimes took quite a few people, because it was important that the guy be aware it was coming. It was considered bad form to "sneak up" on him to do this.
When my son took his first deer, we knelt & prayed where the deer fell. I thanked God, giving us the opportunity to hunt, and enjoy the bounty of His nature, for sending us the deer, and thanked the deer for giving up his life to feed our family. I also do this at my own kills. Not preaching, I just feel it is right to accord respect and thanks where they are due. During the field dressing, my son got his "Texas initiation" - in spades!
As far as the cut-off shirttail, or the shot-up hat, That is reserved for the poor guy that misses his shot!
An interesting aside, here in Texas, at least with the groups I have hunted with, the game you shoot is your own. But, in the Mississippi camp, all meat was divided equally between the hunters. I found this a very strange custom indeed, when I was first exposed. All deer were butchered in camp, and portions were made for each hunter. The "leader" of the camp would then turn his back on everything, and when someone would point to a pile of meat, he would say something like "that's Joe's part", or "That belongs to Harry". With a fair size hunting party, and few (only one?)kills, a sucessful hunter could come away with enough meat to MAYBE cook in a crock-pot! And the types of cuts were also pretty interesting, depending on who did the butchering... You might get the heart, a couple of chops, and a couple of steaks from somewhere on the animal - might be shoulder, or might be off the hams. Much care was exercised though, to assure all portions were close to equal.
Of course, the horns (if any), and the hide, went to the hunter that shot the deer.
As a qualification, and maybe explain the difference, Texas hunting is stand hunting, or spot & stalk, pretty much an individual endeavor, while in Mississippi it was a total group effort, with several standers, two or three drivers, and someone to work the dogs.
This thread dredged up some fond memories for me. Anyone else care to share some "wierd practices", or other rituals, encountered in your various experiences?

I grew up hunting in Texas. So for my first buck, I got blood on both cheeks. And I shot him in the evening so then was driven out to a dark part of the ranch and dropped off to walk back to the camphouse.

My first deer kill was followed by my brothers father-in-law talking me through gutting the animal. Then the honor of dragging the thing out of the woods. Now I have my 12 year old to hunt with. There is no guarantee he will shoot a deer. But I will be gutting the deer until he has seen it done a few times. He will be used as a dragger. As far as the blood thing goes, I kinda doubt it. We won't be eating any raw meat either. So much for pomp and ceramony. However a picture and congratulations are in order.

I was told by a friend that people around here do their first deer in the butt...

I'm gonna shoot a doe for my first, cuz I'm not gay!

In our camp it was a handshake and a picture and then you were talked through the gutting process. You were then expected to drag your own. Now for everybody (as the youngest in our group is 24 and we all have shot plenty of deer) the "tradition" is a bottle of Jagermeister must also be killed that night, and no one had better miss hunting the next day!

Andrew