Five Seasons

Checking in and catching up as I’m pretty bored. Hunted Thursday AM. Big 4 and 2 small does all got a pass. Saturday was warm and windy in 8f, which was fine as Friday was my last day at the old job and my birthday so I got to celebrate guilt free. Didn’t expect much this morning but days will be limited with a new job and you just never know. It’s windier than they called for and seems like many of us are hitting the October lull before the chasing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

yeah was freaking hailing here, gonna make a play in the am as the weekend looks really warm.

I saw 1 mounter and we've heard maybe another. Is there another from yesterday?

you took in 3 mounter bucks from forum members???

also interesting is their stat includes suicides... like someone ever decided they wanted to die and the only way possible was if they had a gun. this, this right here is why that rotten human being Trump still has a chance.

this f'n picture right here. "hey look, we're wearing masks because it's political for some dumb reason. Oh but we're also touching hands which isn't political and not supposed to be happening either" f'n joke.

there must be some biological reason behind that. Maybe just shaking off any debris?

Am I the only one who thinks this looks like 2 different bucks lol? what a great hunt man and congrats. I'd shoot him too and it's amazing how the camera plays tricks.

there is also something to be said for taking out the nanny doe who is more likely to spot and blow your cover then any other deer in the woods. Come full-rut the mature buck starts to think more and more like a teenage boy and can often drop his guard in pursuit of the poon-tang. The mature doe is always on guard just waiting to stomp and blow at you for blinking. haha

Some others brought this up, and my cousin and I had this convo last night. She brought up a good point about one of our properties. It's an absolute struggle to get them out, and right/wrong or indifferent it's just not worth the effort for a doe when we have other easier spots to haul them out of. Same I think can be applied to morning/evening or weekday/weekend. Can I skip a work meeting for a nice buck? Do I have to track at night etc...

so you don't shoot them on the properties you buck hunt on why? Or is it just that you have ample opportunities at other places?

i mean you could smash it and see if it stinks? We now keep a small portable vac with a hose to suck up the stink bugs that make their way into our master bath. Spraying ortho home defense seems to help and I'm not sure exactly where they're coming in from but i suspect the exhaust fan.

boxelder?

that's fair, although there is nothing illegal about it. Weather permitting the trailer hitch hoist is a good option for those without space. I get it though and it's good that you're planning now and not waiting until you have a dead deer!

yes that is the right answer for what it's worth, I just think it's fun to ponder. Like every decision in life we make, until we can peek into the infinite parallel universes of us... we will never know for sure lmao!

you're spot on, most of this years fawns will be find this time a year. I think it's just a mental thing. I shot a large breeder that was part of a group of 6 with the MZ many years back and had the fawn come back in while I was gutting her bleating and stuff. It was rough... but life it rough.

I typed out a whole long thing and then the forum erased it, so hear are cliff notes. I'd also suggest you take a look at doing it yourself. The importance of field to table and the whole process is a good one for the next generation. A grinder and knife set gets you started for cheap and then you can build on it and advance in efficiency with vac sealers, electronic hoists etc. Nothing wrong with using a processor, my family and I still do from time to time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2UsVd9d8vI

This question is probably irrelevant as you're a meat hunter, but despite the herd size, have you or others ever wondered "what if SHE was the doe that brought him past my stand on 11/3?"

heck man I know the season you and I had last year and all the hours we put in and I totally agree. I had one at 22 yards slight quartering away on 10/1, then a whole family group at 20 broadside. I decided it didn't feel right, then saw no deer Saturday night and now I wonder haha. I do subscribe to being confident in your setup and knowing what you're going to shoot, so to fling one on a whim isn't a good idea either. So for me, if I'm not feeling it, it's not happening. My old man just laughed as it's 10/5...

the time of year when i'm annoyed at my "likes" quota! Congrats to the the guys on the last few pages for which I'm not allowed to like

Hoping to have a conversation and interested in thoughts and opinions. For those that say "get out in hunt", please do so as your participation in said topic is not required and is strictly voluntary haha. What are your thoughts on shooting a doe early? Essentially filling your freezer first to take the pressure off, or a bird in the hand approach. As opposed to keeping local family group does alive in hopes they bring a nice buck in during the rut? Personally I've done both, but I do prefer to wait for the gun to fill the freezer. I've also had this plan backfire.

I picture you hauling her out over your shoulders and eating her heart raw hahaha. Nice job man!

eh, I'm 2 for 2 with that shot, but I agree it's not a great shot if can be avoided.

you're spot on and it's a good conversation. I still believe targeting and desiring larger bucks and being happy at the end of the season with smaller ones or heck even meat in the freezer is more normal than you think. You're also spot on with size and trophy being relative. A public land deer means more, an archery buck means more a spot and stalk means more (to me). It's all relative. To this day one of the most special deer I ever killed was a doe from a climber on public land in Mississippi. I was brand new to the area and after hunting for years on stands my dad and grandpa put in and scouted and all I had to do was sit and shoot... it just meant so much to do it all on my own. At the end of the day, we all hunt for various reasons and at the end of the day we're all going to shoot the bigger buck... except maybe wolc.

nope. but what if you brought your kid with you to pilot and scout ahead while you stalked them?