The latter method provides flexibility because you can leave early if everyone tags out or the weather turns really bad, and if you need to stay longer, you can do that as well. If, on the other hand, you've arranged a day and time to be picked up, you may have to stick to the schedule.

One of the problems associated with hunting deer in remote places involves getting out the venison when you have been successful. My friend Joe had a simple answer: "First I get a good deer, and then I start worrying about how to get the meat out."

For someone with his grit and exceptional woodscraft skills, that worked just fine, but for most of us some forethought is advisable. There are several possible approaches. If it is possible to drive within a few miles of the spot with a vehicle or ATV, the best idea is to field dress the animal and use one of those handy, lightweight wheeled game carts. They work quite nicely in all but the most rugged or densely forested terrain.

If you have to haul it out on a stock animal or on your own back, you'll want to reduce the meat to the lightest, most compact form possible. That means boning everything out and being prepared with some heavy-duty plastic bags that will help avert any leakage of blood.

If you've got the time, eat some of the meat while in camp. One, it cuts down on some of the weight you'll have to pack out and, two, if you've been living on dehydrated food for a couple days, the change in rations will be most welcome.

Hunters who travel by boat or canoe are in great shape--just move the animal to your watercraft, load it up and paddle or motor back to civilization.

BACKWOODS POINTERS

Always take hunts of this type with a companion. If something goes wrong, two is better than one. Be in shape. What should be a grand experience can turn to sheer misery if you get blisters, are physically incapable of dealing with what you face or otherwise suffer because of inadequate conditioning. Plan carefully. You can't drive your truck a few miles to pick up some shells or to buy food. Checklists of personal gear, food, the camp outfit and even menus are a good idea. Always have backup means of starting a fire. One simple solution is to have everyone carry an inexpensive cigarette lighter as part of his equipment. Be prepared for emergency situations. That means carrying a functional first-aid kit, leaving a detailed itinerary with a family member, having an awareness of medical conditions of all party members and the like.

Even then you will probably find it easier to quarter the animal before you move it, and quarters are handier for stowing in a boat.

No matter the situation, sound hunting ethics demand full utilization of venison, so be sure to plan ahead for how you'll take care of the deer you kill.

Regardless of what approach you take to hunting deer far from civilization, you need to know how to read topo maps, you have to possess the requisite backcountry travel skills, and you should feel comfortable hunting in a wilderness setting.

This type of deer hunting is not for everyone. It is demanding, potentially debilitating and may even require a bit of daring. Yet getting back of beyond offers many rewards: the splendid solitude of an evening campfire where there is no noise or light pollution, enhanced opportunities for success and a sense of self-sufficiency you can never know when you amble a few hundred yards from a truck and climb into a ladder stand. Most of all, though, there's the feeling that motivated Joe Scarborough whenever he took to the woods.

"To me," he was fond of saying, "wilderness hunting tests your mettle, and I'm a man who appreciates such tests." Chances are you will be equally appreciative, and you might just kill the buck of a lifetime in the bargain.