The Deer Under my Stand

Its been 2 months since gun-deer season ended here in Wisconsin, and I just now have gotten around to looking at the pictures on my trail camera. I left the SD card up at the trailer and haven't had a chance to get it until recently.

I hunt on 60 acres of private family land. 2 years ago I started hunting out of a stand that was built about 12 years ago and hasn't been hunted out of for 7 to 8 years. I have been working on fixing the stand while we are up there to cut grass and do maintainance on the trailer we have on the property.

Last year (2007 hunt- first to hunt is stand in 8 yrs) I saw a nice Buck on opening day. He crept up on me early in the morning from behind. I heard a noise and turned to look. In turning I spooked him and I never had a chance to raise my rifle. I saw antlers but couldn't count them.....all I knew is the deer was big.

This year (2008) I found lots of rubs near my stand. I set up a trail camera the night before opening morning. In the afternoon I took it down and looked at the pictures on my camera (impossible to see points). That day I had 14 nice doe come running by, but all were out of my shooting lane and were behind a small thicket of trees. The next morning, I see the same buck I saw the year before. This time I heard him coming and was ready. I got a few good looks at his antlers as he was moving through some brush. I was waiting for him to move into my shooting lane.......which he came within 5ft of before getting spooked and running the wrong direction.....by wrong direction I mean directly in front of our trailer. I couldn't shoot as a result, but he was in a clearing and I could see him very clearly.

Here is a picture of him from my trail camera..........its 2F in the pic. It was a very cold opening day of 0F.

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

beautiful, but remember, he is someone's daddy. i quit hunting 40 years ago, i don't disapprove of it, just not for me.

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

A mighty tasty Daddy, at that! Nice buck, and that is how they get big ... by stopping 5 feet short of the shooting lane. He will breed some more babies and enhance the gene pool before you get him next year!

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

That is a nice buck, Pony. Maybe next year. How many tines on that rack? I count 4 on one side, 3 on another, or maybe 4. The 4th may be hidden by the camera angle.

tashasdaddy said:

beautiful, but remember, he is someone's daddy. i quit hunting 40 years ago, i don't disapprove of it, just not for me.

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Same for me. When I started hunting, I hunted rabbits. I soon decided I didn't like rabbit, so I hunted squirrels.

Same thing, I decided I didn't like squirrel so I quit that.

During that time I also hunted dove. After I quit squirrel hunting, I got 2 setters and began hunting quail and grouse. They were so much better eating that it cured me of hunting dove.

After several years, both my dogs got old and finally passed and I just quit.

Never did deer hunt but don't disapprove of those who do.

What I do have no use for are trophy hunters and others that just kill for the fun of killing. To me, that's just wrong.

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BoatBuoy said:

What I do have no use for are trophy hunters and others that just kill for the fun of killing. To me, that's just wrong.

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I will partially agree with that ... I like to harvest a nice trophy, and will hunt for one accordingly. But I like to live off of the meat of the woods better than store bought meat, so my trophies include does, smaller bucks, and big bucks. They also include squirrel, rabbit, grouse, turkey, goose, duck, etc.

I have no time at all for someone who will kill a "trophy" and then cut off the head and leave the rest lay, or just take the hind quarters and back strap. No, I hunt for the thrill and excitement, the challenge, the joy of being outdoors and a part of nature and the food chain. I harvest animals so the flock, herd, population can properly be controlled and the animals aren't left to starve to death in the harder winter months when there is much competition for food.

And now that we are getting off topic, sorry, Pony. BTW, nice buck under your tree stand! Again, good luck tagging him next year!

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Nothing gets wasted on the deer we take my son and i.

Even the skins get made into clothing for my friend.

The bones go to the dogs.

Deer in my area that hunter don't wish to eat are given to poor people who would not eat meat if not for deer meat.

It leaves a hole in my heart every time we deliver a deer to some of these people don't even have indoor plumbing.

And did you know close to 3 million pounds of deer meat last year was donated to people in this country without food.

I'm not talking about some 3rd world country but here in the good ole USA.

Did you also know that the tax on hunting supplies are the only moneys going to animal habitat.

To save animals, so the future generations can enjoy watching birds fly and animals in the wild.

So looking from that point of view, does hunting seem like such a barbarian sport after all??

And i didn't even bring up the traditions imparted from one generation to the next.

I'm getting off my soapbox.

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

like i said, I don't Disapprove, just not for me, rather fish. mighty tastey YES, i was raised eating venison. my Dad was an avid hunter. love spaghetti sauce made with it ground.

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I don't get pleasure from hunting deer so I don't do it.
But no matter how many points he has, he still only has 3 leggs.

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A friend of mine is a farmer in NC. Deer cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to his crops every year. He has a permit to kill them year round and killed about 160 last year. The real shame of it all is he is not allow to touch the deer after they have been killed. Do you realize how many people in NC would give anything for that meat?

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Farmers do that here on the Eastern Shore.
I heard one rumor the meat finds it's way to restaurants in NY at $500 a head.

Although the buck is technically someone's daddy, he is merely a sperm donor. Socially they are matriarchal with raising young. Dad's off thinking about his next conquest.

I prefer game more easily carried and not requiring an additional freezer.

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

BoatBuoy said:

That is a nice buck, Pony. Maybe next year. How many tines on that rack? I count 4 on one side, 3 on another, or maybe 4. The 4th may be hidden by the camera angle.

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Each side has 4 and then there are two spikes in the middle. He's a solid 10 pointer. Having seen him up close, I'd say he's about 225lbs at least. The rack very symetrical.


I hate people who are wasteful. Around here deer can be donated to food pantries or the DNR. Farmers here can get special permits due to crop damage, but I'm pretty sure there is a limit and it is antlerless deer only. I know people poach first hand. The farmer next to our land got caught a few years back. Its disgusting..... Personally I use all the meat I can. I don't live on it, but I use it to supplement having to buy other meats.

Wisconsin I suspect is a little different than other places. We have 3 "big" cites all about 120miles apart with nothing else but small towns and farm and forest. We have the 2nd or 3rd highest deer population in the country and the most hunters. Our gun season is only 11 days and gets 700,000 hunters in the woods to harvest 2-300,000 deer the first 2 days

I refuse to take shots that won't kill the animal immediately. I know dozens of people who would have shot at this Buck both of the times I didn't. I could have shot at him through some brush, but then I risk not making a kill shot. I have yet to need a second shot on any deer I have taken. Heck most people would have unloaded their magazine at those running doe. I am confident I would have hit one or two, but I am not confindent I could've tracked it and found it..........so I didn't shoot.

Its been fun just getting out in the woods and seeing such a beautiful animal....even if I don't take a shot.


There is also a 6 pointer and a forker near my stand, but I have yet to see them in the daylight.

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

a70eliminator said:

I don't get pleasure from hunting deer so I don't do it.
But no matter how many points he has, he still only has 3 leggs.

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I have been wondering where is 4th leg is as well. I know its there......I saw it the day after that picture.

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

great looking ten pointer. nice thick neck, yeah he's looking for does. i bet he left a pile of pellets when the flash went off.

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That is a nice one for sure and next year maybe a 12 pointer.

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tallcanadian said:

great looking ten pointer. nice thick neck, yeah he's looking for does. i bet he left a pile of pellets when the flash went off.

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I can tell you from tracking him in October.......I wouldn't call them pellets so much as softball sized pyramids

Re: The Deer Under my Stand

a70eliminator said:

I don't get pleasure from hunting deer so I don't do it.
But no matter how many points he has, he still only has 3 leggs.

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Yup! glad you mentioned that. I was thinking you folks sure grow strange deer in the US of A Heh Heh.