wooly

I bet yote jerky wouldn't be so bad. You could use ground yote as a venison filler or substitute in the holiday snack sticks you hand out,lol

I don't think it's gonna make much difference in deer movement compared to where we are right now with temps. If you're seeing them hungry now, you'll likely continue to see them. If you're not seeing them now, you likely still wont. Subtle day to day winter weather changes aren't gonna have much of an impact IMO unless they go on for an extended period of time. Even then, the changes aren't always for the better when it comes to deer hunting depending on the extreme nature of the weather event, and an exact feeding location you have access to. I think it really boils down to how each individual deer feels at the time.... so there's always hope to hold onto any time you head out. However, a polar vortex WILL affect MY movement, and I'm likely to stay bedded and not move around the woods much during the day as long as this lasts. Thankfully I'm not feeling that seasons end desperation that comes with an empty freezer right now. Good luck to those of you weathering the weather down the home stretch!

I like the gut hook for zipping down the legs for the initial cut where a straight blade has a tendency to slip off the bone and head off wherever it wants to go. That's usually where I cut myself with the skinner. Gut hook is quick and safe for that. When I peel the skin down the neck I'll also use it again to unzip two flaps to the base of the skull which I'll then finish skinning off with a straight blade. Makes it easier for me when I can pull a flap out of the way to work on the other side. I'm not a very heavy fella, so pulling the skin all the way over the neck is more work than the effort is worth to me. I don't recall ever using the hook to expose the guts simply out of habit, and never having a problem doing it with a regular blade. For coring out the azz, I just grab the fillet knife out of the box.

Got my hands on an Outdoors Edge kit this year that's working out really well so far for field dressing, skinning, and butchering . Also comes with the saw, sharpener, and case, which all store nice and flat in my pack pocket and keeps everything dry. Really appreciate the orange handles since I never had them before in the field. I never invested in a real good quality blade over the years. Most times my knives that didn't get lost just end up serving as "multi-tools" for me in the off season depending on my need for the day... they could be anything from a hammer, to a screwdriver, or a cleaver, or a can opener. Sometimes I just like to throw them at trees to see if I can get one to stick! I still keep my old back up blank in my pack for those special occasions.

Spent a few days doing more scouting than hunting. I think I might finally be onto something. Need to get a couple stands pulled and moved to have any chance at filling a buck tag (or two) at this point. ML right till the final buzzer for me.

The only thing I use a saw for is to cut the head off. Years ago I had some family that ran a processing business on their farm. They would cut up deer like they did their cows sawing through the bone with a bandsaw. Was never really an issue to me and I'd probably do it the same way if I had the processing equipment they had to make the job faster and easier. My last deer never even got dragged out of the woods. I returned home to grab some rope, a gambrel, a tarp, and some bags. Got it hung, skinned, and cut up on location, and ready to be hauled out and packaged. Most of this one was just cut into stew meat and prepared for ground, but something about cutting an entire deer up in the field that makes you feel like an official bad azz hunter,lol

Like I said, it's a Facebook story that came up in my feed from a friend of a friend. I don't know any of the details or persons involved, but the topic caught my attention. I figured some of you guys might recognize the name of the author from the article. My understanding is he changed the name of the landowner who wouldn't grant the hunter recovery rights, but he left it close enough that anyone who knew him would know who it was. Screenshots of article from FB. The Sun apparently pulled the column from their site which is why some of you are having a problem accessing it.

Nice shots Curmudgeon! I got a fresh gutpile in a fresh creekbottom location and had a fresh redtail visitor. Also had a woodpecker, bluejays, and a mouse so far, but I'll save those for a compilation post of "other critters" that visit the carcass. I was a little happier with this set of hawk shots, but could still use some sunshine and blue skies.

Saw this on Facebook and know some of you are from this area and may enjoy his articles. Just thought I'd help pass it along. http://www.evesun.com/news/stories/2016-11-03/25270/You-just-lost-your-outdoorsmen-card/

Look at the bright side rob.... now you'll be able to fit a bigger Christmas tree in there and you wont have to worry about keeping it watered,lol Sorry man, that SUCKS!

Makes- - Being able to pass up a less than perfect shot opportunity at an animal being confident you'll be able to put yourself in a better position for another. - Setting personal goals without allowing other hunters definitions of success, or social media to influence your harvest choices. - Having confidence in your hunting skills and species knowledge over any products guaranteed sales pitch. - Pre-season, in season, and post season scouting to keep you one step ahead of the game at all times. - Being familiar with the caliber of animals available on a property and having realistic goals and expectations. You can't kill a 150" deer that doesn't exist there. - Slow down your mind and leave your baggage behind. Deer don't care about your appointments and deadlines. - Appreciate other aspects of the hunt when your target species is not on its feet. It helps keep you alert. - Remind yourself even when you are not seeing anything, they are still there. This is no time to get sloppy. - Knowing what techniques work in the area and the proper time to use them. - Last but not least.....PRAY for a broadside shot! Breaks- - reverse above - Believing Jesus will guide your bullets and arrows. - Getting worked up over x-bow full inclusion next year. - Forgetting your blaze orange and being mistaken for a deer. - You voted for Hillary.

That's a good solid road trip buck! Glad you didn't kill him in route! Congrats Larry!

I think I've read enough of your posts to know that what it really boils down to for you is... "say a prayer, and let 'er rip". For a deer that's mere steps away from walking out of your life forever, you sure had a lot of data to process here before taking such a high risk shot. Eventually your luck is going to run out if you continue to roll the dice this way. Sometimes that little red guy with the beard, horns, and pitchfork on your left shoulder tries to tempt you into making bad decisions as well. He's also a pretty powerful dude that would love to see you fail no matter how strong your faith is.

Decided to piss everyone off and kill a doe fawn this morning. Actually had another big doe in my sights at 30yds but caught a deflection off a sapling in front of her. The ML bullet accidently found it's way into the fawn behind her off to the right. Seems everything is going right for me this year even when things go wrong,lol More meat!

I hear you on that. I took a walk through the overgrown orchard the other day and it's the same thing. Still have apples everywhere in there and the goldenrod around the edge is loaded with beds. I'll have to throw a cam in there to see what I'm NOT seeing. Hell.... while I'm in there I may just set up and try to pull off a Hail Mary hunt!

I'm just trying to stay positive here since this season has been such a BUST so far for decent bucks in the area. I've talked to some people who've said they GIVE UP already! Over the years, some of the best bucks I've caught on cam have showed up starting at this point of season in my creekbottom. I've never killed any of them, but it's nice to know there's still hope some of the better ones make it through the opening week blitz and are still out there sneaking around waiting to make an appearance! These are old pics, but I still remember the excitement that followed after getting them. Hoping for a repeat..... and oppertunity at something of this caliber yet this year. Hang in there everybody.

Well, the first week of regular season is in the books and hunting pressure will really drop off now especially on the weekdays. The deer always seem to realize this and slowly begin to return to somewhat "normal" (yet cautious) deer behaviors and habits. How long does it usually take now before you notice deer calming down again to the point of some predictableness during daylight in your neck of the woods?

Yeah, I seem to remember them lasting about an hour or so and the smell wasn't too pleasant if you overcooked them,lol I may make a few to try anyhow for those cold winter days shoveling the driveway. Seems like that would be more practical than opening a new pack of hot handz warmers that last 12 hours, for a 1 hour job.

Has anyone ever tried microwaved rice in a sock for those close to home hunts. Wondering how long they retain heat outdoors in hunting temperatures. I know it keeps pregnant women comfy cozy on the couch when nuked in a big long tube sock. Curious if some bean bag size pouches would be worth carrying as "rechargeable hand warmers" if they stayed warm for any period of time.

When I hunt my blind in the cold, I'll throw my vest on the ground to keep my feet on. It doesn't make your feet feel any warmer, but it doesn't allow the cold ground to continue to rob any more heat from your feet than it actually can.

Jeeeezus.... some of you sound like you've never been dumped before! Time to move on and start looking for some new property. That's all there is to it. I mean you could always go and pull a few nails on the grandkids treehouse before you ride off into the sunset, but what the hell would that prove other than you weren't a very good carpenter for them to worry much about losing after all,lol

Lots of comparison tests out there. Not really much difference in the tumbler models, but a bit of a difference in price. I'd imagine your chili containers would have similar performance among the brands. Here's a pretty thorough shootout..... and yes, pre-heating your Thermos with hot water will help.

That's just my point. Once you POSITIVELY idententify an actual deer, you go into tunnel vision mode. The last thing you're expecting to see is anything other than a deer in that spot.... especially another hunter. If/when you lose track of that deer, it's easy for your mind to make a split second decision when you see those rocks, boulders, and stumps, or other movement you relate to those deer you had ALREADY identified. It's a natural reaction for a predator to lock on his target that way by sights and sounds associated with what it's already confirmed. You just need to be smart enough to realize it happens and take precautions to make sure you're making safe decisions out there EVERY time before the bullet leaves the gun. The ONLY time mistakes get noticed to the point they become "hunting accidents" is after someone pulls the trigger on one.

I remember an archery hunt I was on about 10 years or more ago. As I was walking out from my blind, I spotted two deer browsing along an overgrown goldenrod edge of the trail along a creek about 30-40yds away. I kneeled down and nocked an arrow. A short time later, I noticed the tall weeds along the edge moving in the direction of the trail where I would be able to get a shot around 20yds where it would step out to cross. JUST as the deer was about 2 steps from making himself visible I drew my bow in anticipation of the shot...... BUT nothing ever stepped out. It was like it had vanished into thin air. I stayed still for a while before I decided to stalk my way closer. I approached where the deer would step out and looked around but didn't see anything in or along the edge. When I turned to walk away there was a giant snapping turtle laying on the trail that was the culprit knocking down all the weeds pretending to be an approaching deer. Sometimes your mind fills in the blanks when anticipation is building. We need to be aware of the fact that even though we are aware of safety procedures, none of us are immune to making mistakes in judgement while afield. The most dangerous hunter IMO is the guy that thinks he's not capable of misidentifying his intended target or having a poor judgement moment.