How do you clean up after the kill
Elk
First off, I apologize but I can't find the 'community' forum - where this topic is supposed to be per posting instructions.
How do you clean up your truck/vehicle after the kill, transportation, etc? (or should I say "what do you do"). Due to circumstances outside of my control, I had to dress an elk in my pickup (thankfully it was a small one). As you can imagine, blood got everywhere in the bed. Afterwards, I had what looked like a murder scene in the truck bed. Stupid me, I got home and sprayed it out with a garden hose, dumping all that blood onto the driveway and street. I'm still cleaning up after several days. Plus my truck has blood stains running down the tailgate.
I admit I should have had a large tarp or plastic, but regardless, that would have still dripped everywhere as I drove into town and only delayed the dilemma. But I don't know where I could have gone - I live in a city, hours away from forest land (in which case I wouldn't have any garden hose to use anyway).
I'd love to hear what you do to clean up after it's all said and done.
Thanks.
First of all, I've never been able to get my pickup anywhere near an elk that I've taken, during archery Season. Congratulations for that!
Anything that gets in the truck is already quartered (using the "gutless method") and bagged. I do take the truck to a car wash to get whatever has collected off the exterior and undercarriage. Tarp would be a great idea for you.
Personally, I do not use an ice chest, I put the bagged quarters inside a tarp rolled up like a burrito, with dry ice layered on top, and a large double sleeping bag around the outside. No carnage ever in the surface of the truck bed.
Been hunting since 1967 or so and don't think I've heard a story like that one.
dude that sounds awesome...
just rock the blood stains on your truck and the driveway...
i had a stained blood puddle in my garage for months....
I just let the natural rain wash it out which rarely happens in NM until the end of July and through August. lol if washed my truck it would fall apart. The blood and dirt are the only things holding it together.
Try a car wash…..
You guys are hilarious. It was a rifle kill (I'm still 0-fer at archery) by my son. It was his first (he's 14) and took place on a refuge geared towards youth hunters. (not fenced) This is the only forum I have an account on but figured you'd have ideas.
I tried a car wash today - the high pressure didn't take care of the bloodstains on the truck. I went around afterwards with some Dawn and paper towels. That works, but I can't imagine what my neighbors think of me. :D
I can’t tell you how many times my truck bed in covered in blood from deer season. Normally 4-5 times a year for 30 years. I just spray it out with the garden hose or at a car wash or let it dry and not worry about it.
Car wash. I think better advice is to never do that again though.
Nose Jammer will get it off!
Seriously, I just usually let it ride. A little blood on the tailgate at work's parking lot is a great way to establish dominance!
I have so many questions…
—Jim
I thought this was TBM or his cousin posting….
I am in the wait on rain camp. Only advice I have is look at a little blood on your truck and smile. Also who care what your neighbors think. I have hung deer in a tree out front and skinned and quartered. Lastly I don't think there's a city in Colorado that's hours from "Forest lands"???
Don’t wash it. Let it ride like a badge of honor!
Car wash if it bothers you & then let rain do the rest.
I don’t have some of the issues you indicate, but it leaving it for the rain isn’t an option, then plenty of water and car wash soap or Dawn. Then use plenty of elbow grease keeping it sudsy. The suds and lots of water will eventually dilute it out so the neighbors aren’t a concern any more. Key is to “rehydrate “ the dried to get it to release it bond, hence let the rain do it.
I parade in front of vegans and let their tears wash it down.LOL
First of all my opinion is, Who gives a f&$@ indulge your success, be a man and be thankful for your harvest and unapologetic for what others or anti’s think of you, I don’t fully understand why the animal could not have been gutted where it was harvested I would suggest for future finding any public access area to dress the animal but on the flip side its blood just like mud or any other foreign material on a painted surface wash or scrub it off and roll on, good look on your future endeavors and congrats on the successful hunt..
I hope this pore guy isn't a liberal. Soooo much toxic masculinity on this thread! AOC would have died 3 times from reading these posts.
Someone who supposedly knows such things told me that treating with liquid carpet cleaning solution will help remove it.
Let’s see, where to start. I live in the country, so no neighbors and wouldn’t care what they thought if I did. Cleaned my buddy’s out today with a water hose. No problem, with a good nozzle on it. I think this is what they call a first world problem.
JohnMC - re "forest lands" I was just thinking of how long it takes us to drive through Denver and into the national forests where we do most of our camping/hunting. Wasn't thinking of the spots along the front range - so technically you're right: plural 'hours' is probably wrong. It's still more than 1. My intent was not to deceive.
re "badge of honor / masculinity" posts - I get what you're saying. My HOA doesn't lol. As much as I'd like to tell them to take a flying leap, it's what I'm stuck with. Living in the mountains isn't an option for me, so I gotta live in the city.
Liberal/Conservative, I don't care. I'm teaching my boys to love nature and respect it. And hopefully they'll learn to appreciate the beauty of it, and (as I tell my non-hunting friends) help preserve it.
So when I haul deer in my truck bed and blood is inevitable, after I get it quartered and in the fridge, I get a bucket of hot water and Simple Green. I use a large brush to clean everything and rinse with a hose. Any blood on the paint usually comes of with a rag. But the key factor is don't wait. Get it done ASAP.
I have a guy who washes my truck for me. His name is "El Niño."
Cold water. Not hot. Car washes often have a 'cold water rinse' option. For stubborn areas try peroxide. Pour it on and let it foam, then rinse.
i would go into a police precinct and ask to speak with a homicide detective. tell them you have blood you'd like to clean-up and ask them from their experience at crime scenes and apprehending murderers, what is best practice.
Lmaooooo!!! I'd tell them what ya looken at ya don't see Notten got it ?
I have a 20 year old Silverado and I've never given it a bath. Probably never will.
I am sure glad I live in fly over country. My truck is muddy on the outside the box and bloody on the inside of the box from September through December. It usually cost me about $50 at the carwash to get the whole truck cleaned up after hunting season is over.
Car washes aren't all that accepting. I just got kicked out of a car wash cleaning up my elk skull. I must have looked a little funny in my rubber suit starting at the guy with brains all over my face like "What's the problem?"
Thanks to everyone for the humor and advice. Even if some of it was "don't do that" :D
Of the advice given, I had reached those conclusions, too, so it's good to know we're in the same boat (or truck bed, as it were). I definitely needed to get on it immediately though, and I failed to do that.
And to the "flex/intimidate" responses.... that would be interesting in the office parking lot. :)
Thanks!
I don’t clean it up. And I have a bed cover so it stays forever.
However, in the interest of helping ;). In my semi-annual truck cleanings I’ve found that the bug remover or the engine cleaner/tire cleaner at the car wash will get blood off the tailgate or out of the bed.
This makes me smile: I’m at a conference this week in downtown KC. My truck is oversized and won’t fit in their garage. So valet parked my truck front and center right under the pull up awning. It’s covered in red clay gravel road grit. Couple big blood runs down the tailgate.
Scent Shield sprayed on and wiped off after a few minutes does a pretty good job. The sooner you try to remove it , the better. I usually have a large sheet of cardboard in the bed of my truck from the local appliance store that keeps most of the blood off the box. It is under a topper and does not get wet. Replace it every year. I understand trying to avoid pissing off the libs. Its just good common sense. If they come by while you are washing off the blood, thats on them. They could look away.
