With harvest rapidly coming to a close for most Illinois farmers, conditions appear very promising for an excellent deer hunting season, reports Bob Frazee, University of Illinois Natural Resources Management Educator. Deer numbers are up considerably and the 2007 shotgun season for deer in Illinois is scheduled for two time periods: November 16-18 and November 29-December 2.

After the last shot, the novice deer hunter often suffers a few moments of frustration..."Now what should I do?" Illinois deer thrive on diets of corn and alfalfa but, according to Frazee, the right care in the field will significantly improve your chances of getting many pounds of quality meat. A flyer entitled "From Field to Table – A Pocket Guide for the Care of Deer and Elk" provides an in-depth outline of suggested steps in properly handling your kill to ensure maximum meat quality and safety.

This four-page flyer highlights important points in field dressing the deer, care in transport and processing, cutting the carcass, and food preparation tips. It also provides valuable information on how to identify deer which might be affected by a disease called Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

CWD symptoms in affected deer include weight loss, stumbling, tremors, lack of coordination, excessive salivation, listlessness, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture, excessive thirst and urination, and drooping ears. To date, there is no evidence the CWD has been transmitted or can be transmitted to humans under natural conditions. However, neither is there strong evidence that such transmissions could not occur. Therefore, Frazee encourages hunters to take a few simple precautions when handling and transporting deer carcasses.

A copy of this "Pocket Guide for the Care & Handling of Deer and Elk" is available online and can be downloaded, at no charge, from the North Dakota State University Extension Service website at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/ncr525w.htm. It is one of the best hands-on pocket guides available for deer hunters to help ensure the best venison quality and safety, and the price for this pocket guide is right.