Tarsal and Meta Tarsal - Remove or Not Remove?

[silasd]

I'm curious to know how many folks remove the tarsal or metatarsal on deer. I'd never hear of it until I saw it done in a video the other day. Does it make a difference? And if you do remove it, do you save it for scent coverage?

 

[Nick87]

Whatever you do if their rutting dont bare hand the tarsal gland. Made that mistake when I was a kid in on the first buck I field dressed. Took days to get that off my hands.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I don’t see the point honestly.

If you are quartering your animal or doing gutless, that part stays in the field anyway. If you are bringing it out whole, you probably have a higher chance of contaminating the meat by screwing around with the glands than if you just left them alone and removed the lower legs when you hang it.

 

[MThuntr]

Nope do what I can to not touch the tarsal gland but never bothered with removal.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Nope do what I cant to not touch the tarsal gland but never bothered with removal.

Same

 

[Falcon75]

We always take the gland out up in the leg meat that connects to the tarsal. Is that the metatarsal?

 

[noharleyyet]

I can get that crap on exposed skin and taste it for a week...we glove up and remove em, pick em up and turn the gloves inside out. Son saves em for cover scent.

...also take the heart and save with the inside/out glove deal.

 

[Nick87]

I can get that crap on exposed skin and taste it for a week...we glove up and remove em, pick em up and turn the gloves inside out. Son saves em for cover scent.

...also take the heart and save with the inside/out glove deal.

It really sticks with you.

 

[noharleyyet]

It really sticks with you.

On second thought, double glove em

 

[silasd]

Whatever you do if their rutting dont bare hand the tarsal gland. Made that mistake when I was a kid in on the first buck I field dressed. Took days to get that off my hands.

Yeah, I've been reading "wash hands and knife.."

 

[Sasquatchewan]

I remove the tarsals and keep them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When the old lady and I go out for a date I use it as cologne. It really gets the Canuck ladies going, castor glands work well too, trust me!

But seriously, I used to keep them for scent but don't bother with them anymore. One thing, like most have stated, make sure you wear gloves when you handle them...

 

[3855WIN]

I’ve cut off tarsal glands and used them as a drag for whitetail hunting.

 

[recon6036]

I’ve cut off tarsal glands and used them as a drag for whitetail hunting.

Same here

 

[Labman1127]

On a big old Rutted up buck I always cut them off in the field while field dressing them and use the inside out glove technique to store them until I get home and can double ziplock bag them and freeze.
They work great for scrape hunting or setting up on the home turf of a dominate local buck. My buddy killed the largest 8 pt I have ever seen in my life this year over the tarsals from the buck I shot earlier in the year, so I’m a believer.

 

[Pucky Freak]

do you save it for scent coverage?

If you mean as an attractant/lure it might have some value. If you are intending to have it cover up human scent, forget it - deer can detect human scent very well, no matter what else is mixed in with it.

 

[Labman1127]

We use them as a scent lure during rut hunts particularly when scrape hunting. Nothing can draw out an old mature bruiser buck like a new comer showing up on his home turf after his ladies.
To the point above, you do need to handle them with extreme care not to contaminate with human scent. Always wear gloves when handling, always store in doubles up ziplock bags when freezing and make sure to approach your setup setup from the downwind side when hanging them in the field as not to cross the path where you anticipate the deer to travel from.
This is all for bow hunting as we don’t have firearms season during the rut in ohio, so I’m sure you could be a lot more loose with your setup if gun hunting.

 

[silasd]

If you mean as an attractant/lure it might have some value. If you are intending to have it cover up human scent, forget it - deer can detect human scent very well, no matter what else is mixed in with it.

Yeah it was proposed as a cover up but I was thinking what you're thinking...

 

[silasd]

I remove the tarsals and keep them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When the old lady and I go out for a date I use it as cologne. It really gets the Canuck ladies going, castor glands work well too, trust me!

But seriously, I used to keep them for scent but don't bother with them anymore. One thing, like most have stated, make sure you wear gloves when you handle them...

Will do!

 

[magtech]

Never had too much issue with it. All our deer come out whole, minus gut. Then get skinned and or cut up when we get the chance. I find the off flavor in venison is more due to having too much deer fat and not enough pork in the end product, but thats just me.

 

[Txbluelacy]

I never do, but we get our deer on ice pretty quick down here