Great deer hunt with meat for the freezer!!

shishiinu

Ok since I'm computer retarded, I'm going to have to refer you all to my outdoor blog I started for the photos. But any ways, I went on a deer hunt this morning to try and bag a buck before the season ends this weekend. Well the Deer hunting Gods were shining down on me this morning. I even woke up late and got to the hunting area later then I usually do!

So check out the blog for photos and etails of the hunt.

http://ameblo.jp/mericanhunter/

Kevin

Awesome. I hunted for about 8 hours today and saw nothing. I was hoping some heavy hunting activity on the other side of the woods would push deer my way. Nothing. I'm looking forward to hunting an area tomorrow that hasn't seen any hunting activity for 5 years. Hoping we'll see a few freezer-fillers. I don't really care if I shoot a big buck this year; I'm mostly after meat.

dlroberts

Nice man! That'll be some good eating for sure. :-)

We've still got another 6 weeks in the deer season here and I've been SLAMMED with work, so I'll be heading out after Thanksgiving for my freezer-filler.

shishiinu

Kevin, when you do see a doe stay with her man. My buck was chasing does like crazy and trying to fight off the smaller bucks. Since you have white tails in your area, use scents and calls. Get out early and stay out late, I think I have seen more deer during the last few hours of day light then early morning.

Dave, get out there and shoot some thing will ya! Didn't you get a rifle? 30-06 or a 270?

Sangmort

Nice catch Gen! Let us know how he tastes ~

Kevin

Quick question, Gen.
I'm trying to keep the dogs from running deer--it's been going well. Does this mean I can't feed them anything from the deer? I'm assuming yes--but what do you do with your dogs?

Kevin

By the way, I bust out the doe pee tomorrow. Let's see how it goes.
In our area, we can't use rifles. So I'm shooting sabot slugs instead of a 30.30. Limited range, marginal accuracy, stupid loud and kicks like a mule. Lots of fun. Actually, mine is scoped in grouping at 2" at about 90 yards.

baanton

No pics for you, but here is the deer report from N. Central Minnesota. My husband and various friends and family were at the farm for the first 10 days of deer season, and had two nice sized bucks, a smaller buck and one medium size doe. My husband did not shoot any, but most of the people like shooting them more than eating them, so we have a freezer full here at home of steaks, chops, roasts, etc. And enough parts (organs, leg bones, etc.) to keep Josephine fed for a good long time. Finally, there is about 60 lbs. or so of frozen "grinding meat" that will be combined with ground pork and some good seasonings to make bulk sausage. Now I'm hoping there are no more deer taken. I don't think we can possibly eat it all!

dlroberts

@shishiinu - Yes, I did. I have a Remington 700 chambered in 270 Winchester. I also have a Remington 870 with a 23" rifled slug barrel and cantilever scope mount. Now all I need is a black powder rig and I'll be set! lol.

shishiinu

Kevin, I feed deer meat to my dogs all the time. The way to break a dog from chasing "trash" or unwanted game is with the use of a ecollar. Now I have not been able to do this with good results on any of my NK. Taro is not affected at all by a e collar so its just putting him on pigs as much as I can to build his intrest on hogs only. Taro has chased deer here and there but it seems like the deer are smarter around here and hide really well in the sage and manzanita in the high country.

On the doe urin, I like to put a few up about 100 yards away down wind from where the bucks are bedded. It seems to work like a charm or you can put it on your self and run wild through the woods!

shishiinu

Dave, I been thinking of trying black powder. It looks like a blast!

Kevin

Shot my first deer today. Smallish doe--but I'm happy anyway.
Thanks for the advice.

shishiinu

Good job Kevin, backstrap galore!! I cant think of too many things better tasting then the backstraps off of a fat doe.

okiron

w00t to you guys but man am I jealous. Gen hurry up and move up here so I can tag along :P

shishiinu

I'm seriously planning it! socal is starting to grow a little old for me, I really want a country life style. Maybe raise some cattle and become a cowboy...

dlroberts

If I win the lottery (or strike it rich by some other means), I'm moving into a log cabin on a lake in the mountains. You can join me Gen!

tjbart17

Nice Dave! I'm there too. Watch out you are going to have to buy a big house for all of us. lol.

Gen get your butt up here! Koda needs some fresh deer meat.

okiron

Since Gen will probably have the biggest land I nominate him to host a west coast meetup once he's up here :P

Kevin

I've hunted a couple times since tagging the doe and haven't seen anything in either of my spots. Getting frustrated! I'm going to try one of the spots tomorrow morning and I've only ever been there in the evening...maybe the deer will head through on their way back to bed down for the day.

shishiinu

Kevin: It will all depend on the moon phase. The best time is usually during a 1/4 moon or during a cold front.Usually if you can find a scrape in a wooded area, a dominant buck will hang out in and around that area. Try using rattling horns with your grunt tube in a wooded area. During the rut, you can hunt all day since the deer will be moving around a good bit.

Kevin

I was driving to the auxiliary spot and it was about 5.30 a.m.
I was about to pull into my spot and there were 2 does and a smallish 8-pointer hanging out right near the edge of the property I hunt.
I drove around to an opposite corner near the guy's house and as I was getting out of my truck, his dog freaked out and was doing a great job of guarding his home. He barked his head off and howled and ran at me and was instrumental in driving off the deer from the opposite corner.
I'm considering heading out again tomorrow morning.
In other news, I came upon a sheriff's deputy removing a deer from the road on my way home tonight. I flagged him down and asked if I could have a permit for her. We tossed her in my truck and I took her home and dressed her out--kind of a mess. Anyway, I took her to a friend's to have her processed. She was BIG. She weighed about 115 dressed. I kept the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, esophagus and diaphragm to feed the pups--we just got a chest freezer and I intend to fill half of it for the dogs. The rest will be steaks, roasts and jerky this time next week.

shishiinu

Keep at it Kevin, try getting out earlier and set up atleast 45 min to a hour before legal shooting time. Can you get a treestand up in the area? If so try that out.

mmmmm fresh road kill! I actually took a road killed doe a few years back also. cheapest way to stock the freezer! not sure how much is true but becareful on feeding too much deer parts like kidneys and lungs. I have heard and read that CWD can be found in certain intestitnal parts on a deer. Especially in areas near the spine, head, and brain matter.

Kevin

I shot my buck--small but a buck nonetheless.
I'll be aware, but I think CWD has been isolated to Wisconsin and Illinois. In any case, it's rich meat, so I'm being careful.
Called little buck in from 200 yards. It was cool. Then it got uncool because I couldn't track him in the rain. I ended up getting him this morning.

shishiinu

Right on Kevin, lets see some horn porn! Is this your first buck?

Its always super cool to call in a animal on your own, its like you're at one with nature!

dlroberts

@Kevin - I'm late, but CONGRATS on the successful hunt!

A friend of mine's younger cousin took a 9 pointer with a 17" spread on opening day in PA yesterday. Man I need to get out in the woods!

shishiinu

Wheres your deer at Dave? Get out there and bag one will ya!

Kevin

Dave and Gen, thanks. You know what, I didn't get photos of either my doe or my buck. I had been patterning a 6-pointer on the south end of the woods I'm hunting. I was sitting out in some crappy weather, having placed some deer urine upwind and calling about every half hour. It was getting late and suddenly I could see a single deer heading my way from the south through a wheat field. He was walking practically in the tracks I had seen the 6 pointer in. I put my scope on him and grunted a couple times and brought him trotting in to me, looking for a fight. My heart is just racing at this point, partly because my scope is fogged up and the weather isn't helping. I ripped my hat off, tried to clean the scope off and realized I was going to blow my chance if I didn't shoot.
I shot, connected and let him run. I went out after him about half an hour later, but couldn't track anything because the rain had picked up. Long story short, I found him the next morning. He wasn't my 6. He was a spike 4, and I was a little pissed, but not bad for my first year seriously deer hunting. I'd like to watch a big nasty buck next year and take him during the opening week of archery, but it's going to be tough because so much hunting land is already spoken for.

shishiinu

Excellentjob Kevin! Man your area must have a liberal limit on deer, I can only take two perseason and thats if I an get a second deer tag. I'm usually good with one deer a year and a few hogs to keep me fat dumb and happy. I had no idea you bow huntd. I been bow hunting since I was like 12 and its tuff but a real rewarding way to take game.

Does your area have good public hunting opportunity? Or you could always take a road trip to Cali and hunt hogs with me.

Kevin

I don't bow hunt...yet. I plan on taking it up, though.
We have no limit on antlerless deer statewide--basically you can only take a certain number inside each county, though.
You can only take one buck every year. Public hunting here sucks, so it's all about finding someone who'll let you hunt their land.
Someday, I'll make that road trip.