Shot another trespasser trying to sneak on my property to harass the does.

[DeepCMark58A]

Yeah it easy for me to say, my land butts up to a 1700 acre gated development that does not allow hunting I can watch a buck on camera and expect him to be around next year fatter and happier and bigger.

 

[angus63]

Nice deer Mark. Sounded like when I shot a big 8 pt after 10mins in the stand. My alarm didn't go off and it was plenty light out. I practically ran to my stand.... Now he's on my wall over the tv......


I cut this one from the herd a couple days ago......

Your dinner partner has his antennae in the same position my tv is in to get Fox TV. I'll be sleeping in the woods next week for the openner too.

 

[gm280]

Not sure if I posted this guy up or not. He's the one chasing does around the yard and down the drive....... Couple pix....

WIMUSKY, next year that guy will have his antlers outside his ears. Then we are talking a more of a trophy type buck. Odd, today as the wife and I were going into town, there was a really heavy size deer laying in the center of the road dead. And I couldn't even tell if it was a buck or doe because of how bad it was banged up. But had to happen today as well. We see dead deer all the time on the roads in and out of town. But usually more in the fall.

 

[WIMUSKY]

WIMUSKY, next year that guy will have his antlers outside his ears. Then we are talking a more of a trophy type buck. Odd, today as the wife and I were going into town, there was a really heavy size deer laying in the center of the road dead. And I couldn't even tell if it was a buck or doe because of how bad it was banged up. But had to happen today as well. We see dead deer all the time on the roads in and out of town. But usually more in the fall.

I hear ya. But he may not last till next year. Way too many hunters in the area. If I get a chance, I'm going to take it. If I was in the deep woods far, far away, it would be a different story........

Speaking of horns outside the ears.... Or, at least the tips....

 

[aspeck]

That word, "Trophy" is a subjective word. To my family, we enjoy the meat VERY much, and it does help the budget. To me, every single deer that I have harvested, whether it was a big buck, a spike or fork horn (when they were legal in the state) or a doe, is a trophy. There is a hunt and a story that goes with each and every one of them. They are all special. The BIG BUCKS, tend to be tougher and stronger tasting, not as good as a young doe. So it is a trade off. I would never pass a monster buck (unless it wasn't a good shot), but an easy head shot on a doe for a quick dispatch with no meat damage is a no brainer for the freezer.

 

[WIMUSKY]

^^^^^ Yep. That messed up one I got this year will have a story forever........... My brother and Nieces were all there and dad came out with the truck to the field and hauled it in..... No doubt the younger ones taste better. I thank the man upstairs for every deer I get, no matter what it is....

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I only shoot older mature bucks and I will tell you what the venison we eat is as good or better than any venison you will have. The secret is like anything in the preparation and how the animal is processed. I do not gut the deer in the field, I bring it in gut it and get it clean, then the deer is aged for 14 days with the temperature kept around 38-41 degrees. When I process I do not cut bone, seperate the muscle groups trim all tallow and silver skin as well as fat. If you do all that you will get wonderful tender venison.

 

[gm280]

I have to agree that any deer is a trophy. And I can also say that I never just trophy hunted when I was still hunting. But I can also say I allowed a lot of deer, both buck's and doe's, walk because when I had the chance, I figured I didn't want to do the work after pulling the trigger at the time. When you pull the trigger, the work begins. And if you are already tired, you just don't want to do the follow up efforts after the shot. I usually allowed deer to walk late in the evening hunts knowing I had to work the next day. :facepalm:

WIMUSKY, in middle Georgia we have an event called the Buckarama every year with sponsors from all over the South Eastern states present. One year I took the "Best buck shot with pistol" award, a nice 8 pointer. But in all honesty, I wasn't hunting for a trophy at the time. It was what came by and I was hunting with only a pistol and took the shot. A well placed Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag did its job very well. But again honestly the shot was only about 50 yards.

I can say my hunting days are over. I just don't have the ability now to drag deer and load them in the truck all by myself. Just getting older does that to you. JMHO!

 

[aspeck]

Yep, gm, I have let a lot walk. I do not subscribe to the "if it's brown it is down" philosophy, but I am more interested in the enjoyment of the hunt and the meat than a huge rack. In fact, I remember one day I was enjoying the beauty of the hunt so much the I just enjoyed watching a large "trophy" 10 point, which would have been the largest rack buck I ever shot, walk up to within 70 yards, graze, and walk away. Was enjoying being out in the woods too much to mess it up with processing!

And Mark, I agree with you in that good venison starts with a well placed shot, care in the woods as well as care in the cleaning processing, and proper aging. I can make an old, tough buck taste excellent. But just think of how mouth watering it is when you start out with a tender, excellent animal and process it the same way ... Okay, I am hungry now ...

 

[WIMUSKY]

I only shoot older mature bucks and I will tell you what the venison we eat is as good or better than any venison you will have. The secret is like anything in the preparation and how the animal is processed. I do not gut the deer in the field, I bring it in gut it and get it clean, then the deer is aged for 14 days with the temperature kept around 38-41 degrees. When I process I do not cut bone, seperate the muscle groups trim all tallow and silver skin as well as fat. If you do all that you will get wonderful tender venison.

I gut them in the field and clean them out good from scraps and hose the cavity down good. You must have a cooler to let then hang that long at those temps? Nature often times dictates when we process. Too warm, too cold. We don't want the deer to freeze and if it's in the 50s outside the processing needs to get going. Rarely does it seem we have ideal conditions to hang them for very long... Usually a few days at best.......

I have to agree that any deer is a trophy. And I can also say that I never just trophy hunted when I was still hunting. But I can also say I allowed a lot of deer, both buck's and doe's, walk because when I had the chance, I figured I didn't want to do the work after pulling the trigger at the time. When you pull the trigger, the work begins. And if you are already tired, you just don't want to do the follow up efforts after the shot. I usually allowed deer to walk late in the evening hunts knowing I had to work the next day. :facepalm:

WIMUSKY, in middle Georgia we have an event called the Buckarama every year with sponsors from all over the South Eastern states present. One year I took the "Best buck shot with pistol" award, a nice 8 pointer. But in all honesty, I wasn't hunting for a trophy at the time. It was what came by and I was hunting with only a pistol and took the shot. A well placed Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag did its job very well. But again honestly the shot was only about 50 yards.

I can say my hunting days are over. I just don't have the ability now to drag deer and load them in the truck all by myself. Just getting older does that to you. JMHO!

Any pix of that deer GM? I forget, my dad has a Redhawk or a Blackhawk. Put a mag in it and it packs a punch..... So much so that if you want to do some plinking you only use a couple mags.......

I'm not really a trophy hunter either. Sure, who doesn't want a trophy? Nor am I, if it's brown it's down. Unless it's the last weekend and I have nothing in the freezer. I've past on many bucks opening weekend hoping that something big may walk by.... Including 8s......

Now that I have meat the pressure is off. I may let smaller bucks walk by waiting for something bigger..... May not harvest anything, but that's ok..... I too think it's awesome just to watch them. Attitude has changed a lot since I'm getting older......

DeepCMark58A, I hope you don't mind this has turned into a "deer talk" thread. You can blame me......... But, I find it interesting.....

 

[gm280]

WIMUSKY, I'll actually have to check for any pictures because that was back before everything went digital. So I'll see and post if I can find one. And I have to say one of the finest moments I ever had in the woods was with my younger son.

We both hunted very close together, he was still a bit young and I didn't want any problems. And one day we were hunting with bows and arrows sitting about twenty feet apart in 12' ladder type stands. And to my right side I see the shape coming along in the brush and I initially though t it was a wild boar. However as it came out into our area, it turned out to be a mother black bear and her little cub.

Excited but also worried she would either see us or smell us and there would be a huge problem, I turned to my son on my left side as he seen her too, and put my finger to my mouth signaling to him to be absolutely quiet and not move. Knowning how we were merely 12' up these stands, she could have came at us with a lot of force. Bows and arrows are not the secure choice of weapons for such an issue.

Well she actually walked within a few steps of our ladders and never ever seen us or smelled us. But the little cub was amazing to watch. You could tell he or she was tired and wanted his mother to stop. As the mother walked and forages along the cub would sit down much like a dog until the mother got so far away the cub would run up to her and sit down again. This went on for about five minutes or so before they were completely out of sight, and absolutely the best experience we ever had in the woods.

So close to such an amazing animal and cub and not detected and a true blessing to witness. We never seen any deer that evening, and equally didn't care either. It was the best show I could even have hoped for. Nobody was hurt and no animal was harvested either. And a memory we will always remember forever.

I honestly could write pages upon pages of such true stories and if my sentence structure and spelling would allow me to accomplish that, I could easily write an interesting book about hunting events. But since I am helping you hi-jack this initial thread, I better stop now. :sorry:

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Nope I love deer talk, it's what I do when I am not tinkering with the boat.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Great story gm............ Each year we have a log of what happened during the day if anything during the gun hunt. I was looking thru it from years ago. Interesting stuff. I can put myself right at that time and spot where it happened.. Memories.....

Cool DeepC. I thought you would be ok with it...... Hope to add to the story in a few days. Waiting for 'Speck to bag one.....

 

[Cofe]

No Title

This one is trespassing...his older brother is bigger, but he is photo shy. Now if I can get them to show up during the day.

 

[WIMUSKY]

No Title

This one is trespassing...his older brother is bigger, but he is photo shy. Now if I can get them to show up during the day.

Nice. The Bear are still awake around here. I think they're confused with the warm weather we've been having this fall.....

 

[jrttoday]

those pesky trespassers!! lol Isn't your land posted? Some deer can read...

 

[dwco5051]

No Title

I will be hunting this year with my eleven year old grand daughter and it will be her first year hunting. I told her if we see more than one shoot the smallest one since there will only an eleven year old and a 76 year old man to drag it out. Last week my youngest boy got this one in bow season so he said he won't be going to camp and will come down and help us out opening day. Hopefully now she can bag one the size of her uncles.

 

[aspeck]

I will be hunting this year with my eleven year old grand daughter and it will be her first year hunting. I told her if we see more than one shoot the smallest one since there will only an eleven year old and a 76 year old man to drag it out. Last week my youngest boy got this one in bow season so he said he won't be going to camp and will come down and help us out opening day. Hopefully now she can bag one the size of her uncles.

If she bags one the size of her uncle's, give a call, I'll be up to help ...

 

[dwco5051]

This one was too nice to not have a full size picture. Its body size matched the rack.

 

[dwco5051]

It better not be bigger than this one. It was the biggest one I took off the mountain so far. Notice the funny looking boot on my right foot. I had just had that foot operated on a few weeks before hunting season and took the right boot of an old set of pacs and removed the felt liner so I could fit my foot and all the dressings in it. I was told I should take it easy and not put a lot of weight on it but I don't take orders well. I dragged it out by my self and my wife still thinks to this day that I was a complete idiot. Later that day I rode out in a trailer pulled by a tractor to retrieve two deer that my Amish neighbor and his son shot. While trying to turn the trailer around on the log road he ran over the same foot with the trailer tire. I didn't tell her about that but I think that is the reason one of the toes is came out crooked.