Deer Hunting

First let me start by stating that I am an animal lover. I have always enjoyed all animals regardless of Kingdom, Phylum, Class, etc.. I hold mammals, reptiles, birds, etc., at equal status with none being of greater importance than another, simply because of my opinion or passion. Mosquitos and Black Flies are perhaps the only exceptions. I am starting this thread as I would imagine that among our community there may be a number of members who actively participate in deer hunting and would like to share their experiences, success stories, and even those embarrassing stories of the ones that get away. Remember it's called "hunting" not "killing" because often a hunt does not culminate in a successful harvest. I do not wish to be berated for my choice nor do I wish to be converted to a non-hunter so please be respectful of my choice and my privilege to hunt. I will be equally respectful of your choice not to hunt or view this thread if you should find the content to be offensive. If it helps some of you, please rest assured that I do not harvest any animals that I will not process myself and consume. As a matter of fact there are some species that I have hunted once, decided I did not care for the fare, and chose to never hunt it again. It is important to me not to just take the animal for the purpose of a trophy. However, that doesn't mean I would condemn those that choose to hunt just for the sport as that is their prerogative. Game animals are a renewable resource which through proper management should be around for all to enjoy, whether that is simply observing them in the wild or harvesting them and utilizing the bounty at the dinner table.

Thank you for your understanding and with that being said, here is a picture of a deer I harvested this year in mid Michigan. This hunt was bittersweet for me as I had lost my father and best hunting buddy back in August. This was the first season in 38 years we did not hunt together. Some friends of ours that we had hunted with in the past got together with me this season, and with a small ceremony, we spread some of my father's ashes at the old deer camp where we first hunted together in 1977. (Love you and miss you, Dad) I hunted with my father's rifle which you can see in the picture, and his hunting knife. The knife had belonged to his best friend, hunting buddy, and my Godfather, until his untimely passing at a young age due to a car accident back in the late 60's. I was quite honored to have these in my possession and to have been able to use them on this hunt.

[IMG]http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/...psfxmkseht.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks for looking and please feel free to share your stories here.

Venison is delicious.
Sounds like a lot of good memories with your father.

My father was an avid hunter, mostly ducks. I wanted to go, but I was a girl, so he wouldn't take me.
BF's young niece goes hunting every year with her father. She got a deer this year herself.

I haven't been hunting in quite some time. But one day I'll get back to it. Hunting got a bit expensive as areas the public is allowed to hunt got smaller and farther away.

That's a nice meaty looking buck.

I'll say that I go fishing and will go hunting again. I'm a woman. But I don't let my gender stop me in any way from going out and doing what I want to do. If someone wants to try hunting or fishing, or BMX bikes, mud trails... any of those traditionally "male" activities, they should go out and do it! If you don't like it, you can not ever do it again. But if you do, you've discovered a new awesome hobby.

I haven't ever gone bird hunting. I'm not opposed to it, just no chance to do it. I used to do the local turkey shoots but they made it clear the last time I went that they preferred I go sit with the other girls at the bar, giggling and drinking and looking doe-eyed at the manly men shooting. Personally, I think they were just mad I won a turkey every time I shot.

Nice deer Riditmars!

I Totally understand your story and feelings.

The woods is like my church and renews my soul. While I did hunt for 40 years, the desire has waned as I got older. I realize that is just me. I never judge my friends that still do. Hunting is very necessary for the ecology and to reduce hunger and diseases to name a few reasons.

That is such an honor that you are able to hunt with the tools that you mentioned.

Enjoy your hunts and thanks for sharing! :)

I hunt, although I'm not a fan of game meat, none goes to waste as most of our pets are carnivores and we can use more of the animal than your average hunter. We take the scraps and leftovers from friends and family that hunt also. This year I worked out of town most of the year, we didn't go small game hunting at all but I did shoot a small buck a few weeks ago at opener. No one else at my shack got one this year, my stepdad, brother, BIL and a couple nephews hunt out there too, my husband didn't feel like it and sat out this year. I love being out in the woods, hopefully next year I will actually get to spend some time out there again.

Great post and read.
Condolences to you and your family. Nice buck. I am a bit jealous for our season hear in maine has just ended. Unfortunately I was skunked. Had a few come in right at dark but no shot was possible. Congrats again on you harvest!!

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Really nice buck, and a great story. Totally agree with you on hunting as well. Well said. Here in NC, we have a very long season. It opens with bow mid September and closed with rifle on Jan 1st. I have two deer this season that I've split among some friends and a family in need. As for family, my girls both hunt and fish with me. Pretty lucky.

Dave

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Originally Posted by distaff

Venison is delicious.
Sounds like a lot of good memories with your father.

My father was an avid hunter, mostly ducks. I wanted to go, but I was a girl, so he wouldn't take me.
BF's young niece goes hunting every year with her father. She got a deer this year herself.

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Thank you for your response. Yes, venison is delicious. I have wonderful memories of Dad including duck hunting when I was too young to deer hunt. In MI you couldn't gun deer hunt until you were 14. Today there are many women who engage in the hunting and fishing sports and you shouldn't let gender bias from the past mold your decision today. If hunting is something you'd like to try, then I would suggest you find someone who would be happy to take you and see if it is something you enjoy. Just make certain you pick a mentor that is a responsible hunter and is diligent about safety and fair catch.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

I haven't been hunting in quite some time. But one day I'll get back to it. Hunting got a bit expensive as areas the public is allowed to hunt got smaller and farther away.

That's a nice meaty looking buck.

I'll say that I go fishing and will go hunting again. I'm a woman. But I don't let my gender stop me in any way from going out and doing what I want to do. If someone wants to try hunting or fishing, or BMX bikes, mud trails... any of those traditionally "male" activities, they should go out and do it! If you don't like it, you can not ever do it again. But if you do, you've discovered a new awesome hobby.

I haven't ever gone bird hunting. I'm not opposed to it, just no chance to do it. I used to do the local turkey shoots but they made it clear the last time I went that they preferred I go sit with the other girls at the bar, giggling and drinking and looking doe-eyed at the manly men shooting. Personally, I think they were just mad I won a turkey every time I shot.

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Thank you. Yes, deer in the north tend to be larger bodied then the deer here in the south. I now live in Georgia and am quite surprised to see some of the sizes of adult deer here.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Nice deer Riditmars!

I Totally understand your story and feelings.

The woods is like my church and renews my soul. While I did hunt for 40 years, the desire has waned as I got older. I realize that is just me. I never judge my friends that still do. Hunting is very necessary for the ecology and to reduce hunger and diseases to name a few reasons.

That is such an honor that you are able to hunt with the tools that you mentioned.

Enjoy your hunts and thanks for sharing! :)

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Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I too find being out in the woods a spiritual experience and revitalizing. I often have seen things having nothing to do with the hunt, that leave me in awe of nature. Once during a slow day of turkey hunting I watched two spiders doing a courtship dance. While deer hunting I once had seen a Bobcat that was hunting for mice. I am very camouflaged and scent conscience when I hunt so when he realized there was something amiss, he was only about 15 feet from me. I could see his eyes darting back and forth trying to spot the source of what he was smelling. He finally decided it better to vacate himself rather than to locate me, and exploded out of there like he was shot from a cannon. It was amazing how fast he ran.

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

I hunt, although I'm not a fan of game meat, none goes to waste as most of our pets are carnivores and we can use more of the animal than your average hunter. We take the scraps and leftovers from friends and family that hunt also. This year I worked out of town most of the year, we didn't go small game hunting at all but I did shoot a small buck a few weeks ago at opener. No one else at my shack got one this year, my stepdad, brother, BIL and a couple nephews hunt out there too, my husband didn't feel like it and sat out this year. I love being out in the woods, hopefully next year I will actually get to spend some time out there again.

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Thank you. As I said, for me I just like to consume what I take. It sounds as if you have found a great purpose for the meat from the animals you harvest. I know some people will hunt and then donate the meat to shelters or soup kitchens which is a perfection solutions for two situations.

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Originally Posted by chargethebeach34

Great post and read.
Condolences to you and your family. Nice buck. I am a bit jealous for our season hear in maine has just ended. Unfortunately I was skunked. Had a few come in right at dark but no shot was possible. Congrats again on you harvest!!

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Thank you for your condolences. I was unable to connect last season so it was nice for many reasons to be able to harvest one this year.

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Originally Posted by AKA Dave

Really nice buck, and a great story. Totally agree with you on hunting as well. Well said. Here in NC, we have a very long season. It opens with bow mid September and closed with rifle on Jan 1st. I have two deer this season that I've split among some friends and a family in need. As for family, my girls both hunt and fish with me. Pretty lucky.

Dave

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Thank you. I went to MI for this season as I hail from there originally but I now live in Georgia. We have a very similar season and duration. I have three girls and have taken all of them either hunting, fishing, or both. None have continued to hunt but not for any reason other than it was not necessarily their cup of tea. However, all of them love eating venison and fish.

I'm sorry for your loss, and I bet your father would have had a great time this year. That's a nice buck! I only hunt vicious prey - paper targets. Those things give a nasty cut. However, the only reason I don't hunt game is that I don't care for the taste of most venison... I fully support the benefits of population control, among other things. I love to fish, and now that I'm living in a desert I really miss having fresh and home-smoked salmon on a regular basis. Hatchery fish is just not the same as wild-run - the meat is mushier, and the flavor is odd.

^^^^^ Mostly due to the liver in the food pellets...or at least that's what I was told.

Dave

Very nice buck congrats!! I lost my Dad and hunting buddy about 6 years ago. We hunted.fished and rode motorcycles together and he was my best friend so I know how it is. I've hunted with his muzzle loader ever since and taken quite a few deer with it. I live in southwest Michigan and so far anyway haven't filled a tag although my youngest daughter (20) got her third deer opening day, a small 8pt buck. She even field dresses them herself!!

I've enjoyed hunting for about 25 years now... I've hunted deer in archery, rifle, and muzzleloader seasons over th years. I used to only hunt bucks with a nice sized set of antlers, at least a 6 point or larger. Over the past few years though, I have found that I enjoy muzzleloader hunting more than anything else so that is where I spend my hunting days. Late in the year, with the old-timers that taught me everything I know about hunting and the outdoors. We all dress in frocks and buckskins and in Pa, it's still Flintlock only, so most use guns they have made themselves. None of the fancy in-line stuff. Just old, flintlock black powder guns that may not go off if it's too damp or they're just feeling finicky. lol. Where I live, It's not much of a challenge to walk out on the porch and shoot any deer with a high-powered rifle... you could have one in an hour if you wanted. I do it now more for the time to be with those who I admire and look up to. Never a deer or any meat wasted. If they hunter that shoots it doesn't take it, there are several less fortunate families in the area and we try to make sure they have a full freezer too. ;-)

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Originally Posted by Smitty33

Very nice buck congrats!! I lost my Dad and hunting buddy about 6 years ago. We hunted.fished and rode motorcycles together and he was my best friend so I know how it is. I've hunted with his muzzle loader ever since and taken quite a few deer with it. I live in southwest Michigan and so far anyway haven't filled a tag although my youngest daughter (20) got her third deer opening day, a small 8pt buck. She even field dresses them herself!!

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There's something special about hunting with your Dad regardless of how young or old you are. How nice you had shared that with yours. It's good that you're continuing the tradition with your daughter and she is having success. I like that she will field dress them herself. It's all part of the process. I remember once when Dad and I were hunting with my sister up in the U.P. around Trenary. She took her first buck opening morning, a nice little 6 pointer. Since she had never taken a deer before I showed her how to field dress it but told her she'd have to do the next one herself. I thought I was referring to next season. Nope! She filled her doe permit that evening and dressed it herself. She kept wiping her hands in the snow while she was doing it so he whole area looked like there had been a massacre, but she got it done. She was so proud, as where Dad and I. Unfortunately neither Dad nor I ended up getting a deer that year, so my sister's gloating was almost unbearable. Such memories. Thanks for sharing

This year first shotgun season started out with deer moving. Had three walk up on me when it was still dark out so no shot possible. Then saw two more that I let pass cause they were kind if far out and small. That was Friday. Saturday the wind was howling and heard one moving around when it was still dark but never saw it. Didn't see a deer and at 10 am the rain came with the wind. Everything bedded down so we went in for lunch. Went back out at 1. The rain stopped but the wind had them all bedded down. Decided to try walking to kick some up and maybe get a shot off. Kicked five up in 15 minutes but only number five paused to look at me. Well the little guy is now in the freezer. But the best story was two years ago I sat all Friday and didn't see a thing. Got out of the tree to take a leak, and it was 3:30. Sunset was 4:06 so I decided to take a nap against a tree. I heard the squirrels running around off in the distance. About 5 minutes later I think to myself, as my head is bobbing from a sleepy daze, man that squirrel is close. I look over my shoulder to see one of the biggest bucks walking up to me at 10 yards out. I rolled onto my knee, as I had pushed all the leaves away, so I didn't make much noise. That buck raised it's head and looked over me, that's how close it was. I put one slug in the old fellow and he ended up almost running over me as he ran 50 yards before he collapsed. 282 pound field dressed 10 pointer. A nice chocolate rack on him and lots of rips in his ears from the battles he had been a part of. Shoulder mounted it for my dad to put up in his cabin. And that was the best meat I have got from a deer ever.

My best memories are my recent ones though. They best days I have spend in the field are with my daughter tagging along with our two german shorthairs as we pheasant hunt. She is not at that point where I would let her shoot but she has so much fun running the dogs she helped train to hunt. Actually, I got two really good upland dogs and have even had the honor of being hired to run them as guide dogs at a local hunting club. It's so fun being in the outdoors! My daughter even has started a blog about our dogs hunting and has me blogging about it, something I never thought I would do!

http://illinoispheasants.blogspot.com/?m=0

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Originally Posted by Bcycling

This year first shotgun season started out with deer moving. Had three walk up on me when it was still dark out so no shot possible. Then saw two more that I let pass cause they were kind if far out and small. That was Friday. Saturday the wind was howling and heard one moving around when it was still dark but never saw it. Didn't see a deer and at 10 am the rain came with the wind. Everything bedded down so we went in for lunch. Went back out at 1. The rain stopped but the wind had them all bedded down. Decided to try walking to kick some up and maybe get a shot off. Kicked five up in 15 minutes but only number five paused to look at me. Well the little guy is now in the freezer. But the best story was two years ago I sat all Friday and didn't see a thing. Got out of the tree to take a leak, and it was 3:30. Sunset was 4:06 so I decided to take a nap against a tree. I heard the squirrels running around off in the distance. About 5 minutes later I think to myself, as my head is bobbing from a sleepy daze, man that squirrel is close. I look over my shoulder to see one of the biggest bucks walking up to me at 10 yards out. I rolled onto my knee, as I had pushed all the leaves away, so I didn't make much noise. That buck raised it's head and looked over me, that's how close it was. I put one slug in the old fellow and he ended up almost running over me as he ran 50 yards before he collapsed. 282 pound field dressed 10 pointer. A nice chocolate rack on him and lots of rips in his ears from the battles he had been a part of. Shoulder mounted it for my dad to put up in his cabin. And that was the best meat I have got from a deer ever.

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That's just how hunting goes sometimes, isn't it. The one I took this year was the first deer of 4 that I saw that I could have even taken a shot at and it was literally about 35 minutes before the time we would have stopped hunting for the rest of our trip. The animal you shot two years ago is a huge. The largest I've taken so far was with a bow. It was 10pt that scored about 116 and dressed at 253 pounds. I thought that was huge deer but 282 pounds, just WOW!

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Originally Posted by Bcycling

My best memories are my recent ones though. They best days I have spend in the field are with my daughter tagging along with our two german shorthairs as we pheasant hunt. She is not at that point where I would let her shoot but she has so much fun running the dogs she helped train to hunt. Actually, I got two really good upland dogs and have even had the honor of being hired to run them as guide dogs at a local hunting club. It's so fun being in the outdoors! My daughter even has started a blog about our dogs hunting and has me blogging about it, something I never thought I would do!

http://illinoispheasants.blogspot.com/?m=0

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I used to pheasant hunt with my Dad when I was young lad. My first gun was a bolt action Mossberg .410 gauge. We lived in MI and there were plenty of birds back then up until about the late 70's, early 80's. We too had a GSP named Smokey and he was a terrific bird dog. There is nothing quite like walking through a tall grass field with your dog working out in front of you, and seeing him just lock up on a bird. On those hunts you could only take roosters so every flush didn't mean you were going to even take a shot but we'd get our fair share of chances. Thanks for sharing your story. It really brings back fond memories for me.

I never got mine scored or even really wanted to do that. I am more in it for the meat, but man does seeing a big buck walk up add some more excitement to it all. Still looking for the deer I saw four years ago, but my guess is it is no longer around. Massive deer and had a rack on it. Got a shed from it the following spring that was chewed up and I could still count 14 points on the single side. Had split brows and the main beam is chewed off where I know there are more points. It just never presented any shot worth taking. Could have tried for a head shot but I was like that's to nice of a deer to head shot, and figured id give him another day and see if I could get a decent shot on him. Never saw him again.

Thank you for sharing!

I can closely relate. My uncle John was my greatest hunting influence until we lost him in my late teens to a motorcycle accident. I have taken many big game animals from coast to coast using what he taught me, and am also the proud owner of his Marlin 30-30. As I grew older and stronger I gravitated toward archery. Now pushing 40 I only bring out guns to bird or varmint hunt.

Here's my blacktail doe I took on Black Fri this year while the majority of people were hunting bargains.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12...97744f9868.jpg

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