wolc123

Meat damage seems to occur in direct proportion to velocity and it is easy to understand why there would be plenty from a 1/4" diameter bullet, using a powder charge designed for a .3". Were the hits thru the rib cage ? When I have seen lots of meat damage from small caliber bullets, they hit some solid bone (hip, shoulder, etc), and did not exit. I am a little concerned with meat damage myself this year, even though I used a bullet on the other end of the spectrum (12 ga, sst sabot). That sucker has to be 1/2" diameter minimum. It went in the front "shirt pocket", and did not exit. I am thinking it must be lodged inside the opposite diagonal ham. I will find out wednesday when I cut it up. That was the first time I didn't have one pass thru, but also the first time I struck a deer axially with one.

Prayers sent that you feel better soon.

Congrats on the wonderful trophy and I am very glad to hear that your season turned around so spectacularly this year. Did you get a dressed weight and chest girth ?

It could be considered a legal form of baiting, just like any other food plot crop in NY state. Deer do love pumpkins. I grew them when our kids were younger and struggled a bit to keep the deer from taking bites out of them.

Have you tallied up the team totals for the regional showdown ? I would guess that more than 3/4 of the harvest is in by this point.

The right brow is a smidge over an inch, giving me 7 points for team 4. How you doing ?

Dont beat yourself up over it. Instead of thinking about that lost buck, think of the others, that won't end up lost, thanks to the lesson learned the hard way that time. I have lost a few in my 39 seasons, but Iearned something from each one. Their memories remain etched in my memory, stronger than any of the recovered kills. That helps avoid repeats. What helps me more than anything else, is doing my best to keep on good terms with He who controls the final destination of all living things. If that turns out to be "deer heaven" (my family's food) supply, then I know I did something right.

You can shoot up to 9, so long as 7 lack antlers longer than 3".

In NY, one guy can only legally kill 2 antlered bucks per year even if he buys a regular, bow, an ML priviledge. The third tag is antlerless only. Seems like a bunch of BS to me. Also, I liked it a lot better when we could tag bucks with dmp's.

Prayers sent that she heals up fast. I know what you are going through. My wife had some surgery during crossbow season, and I gave up much of that to be with her. She is doing pretty good now, but still on a 10 pound maximum lift restriction. I'll try not to kill any more deer until late ML season, so she can help out with the butchering and cleanup.

Wow, that us a coincidence. My dad is about the same age and we also had to deal with that struggle, when he showed up, as close as he could get with his Polaris Ranger. There was so many blow downs in the woods that he had a tough time getting close. Lots of dying ash trees and 70 mph winds a week ago makes for a nasty combination, also adding difficulty to my swamp drag. Dad ain't able to do to much any more, but he held a front leg, when I used about the last of my remaining strength to swing that bucks but onto the bed.

There definitely is something about 10:00, but I think it relates as much to the hunters as it does to the deer. I was getting bored by 9:30, not having seen a thing since 6:45, when it was getting light, from my tree. I heard about 30 shots by then, most prior to legal light (7:15). I decided that I would move to a more comfortable stand at 10:00. That stand was also closer to where I had heard most of the shots. At 9:55, just as I was preparing to vacate , I heard twig snap behind me. I had learned a hard lesson a month prior on opening day of the northern zone, that had cost me a shot at a big Adirondack buck. The lesson was: "squirrels dont snap twigs". This time, rather than passing the noise off, as just another squirrel, I got ready for action. Soon I made out the form of a deer moving thru the cover, in the direction of the noise. The lead doe was walking fast and I could identify the lack of antlers bit was not able to get off a shot, when she passed an opening, about 50 yards away. There was a smaller deer following her, a little farther away, that I could not identify. 15 minutes later, I was as ready as possible, when I heard more twigs snap, from the same place I had heard them earlier. When the buck reached the same opening, I was ready to fire. I held off, because I only saw 2 points (my personal rule is 3 or more on a side before Thanksgiving). As he dissapeared, I blew a couple soft grunts with my call. That brought him right towards me. When I saw the 3 points on the opposite side, at about 40 yards, I let him have it. He paid me back, after pocketing my slug, by running 100 yards into the swamp prior to splashing down:

Mine was definitely hot on the trail of the doe. Fortunately, he was of the jealous type. Never have I had one respond better to a grunt call. I did not get a good look at him on the first pass, but he came in on a wire, to a couple soft grunts.

I did not see or hear a thing from my spot until 10:00 on opening day. Two doe came by then. My buck followed about 15 minutes later. I did not get out till 1 pm today, so no telling how they were moving late morning.

Yep, this one came with two tasty appetizers. Lots of pepper makes them better than any sea oysters I have sampled. They were not particularly large on this one, but there is two there on top of the plate. I will never leave another set on a gut pile. No sence letting the vermin get the good stuff. The heart is in the freezer now. My wife will pickle that, and any more I end up with, for Valintines day. The liver will make a couple more meals. I split it into two bags, and will put them in the freezer on Thursday, so they have some time to loose the rigor mortis. Livers are too tough for me, from deer more than 6 months old, if I skip that aging step.

A typical opening day for me, in my southern zone swamp-edge stand. Three deer seen, one killed, same as last two years. I saw the first, a doe, at 10:00, and I could not get a clear shot at her. A smaller deer walked by with her, a little farther away, and I could not see the head. 15 minutes later, a third deer walked the same path. I was ready this time, and it had a small rack. It passed by too quick for me to get a good look, or a clear shot. I gave a couple of grunts, as it disappeared. That turned it around, and it walked directly towards me. When I saw that it had 3 points on a side (at about 40 yards), I put a 12 ga slug into its "shirt pocket". That, coupled with some leftover from last season, will give us almost enough meat for the year. I don't expect to hunt nearly as hard from here on out for that reason, so I don't know how likely it will be that I will see many more deer. Doe really don't excite me at all, unless our meat supply is lacking. I still have 4 dmps for the local area, so I will keep at it, but not take any risks or hunt uncomfortable conditions. I butcher my own, so dealing with more than one deer at a time is a pain. I spent a few hours in a blind this afternoon, seeing nothing. I will get out next for a couple hours Thanksgoving morning, then drive up to the northern zone for the rest of the long weekend. I might try a little bear and grouse hunting up there. After that, I will make a half hearted attempt at filling a dmp or two at home, over the next couple weekends. What excites me most now, is heading back up north when late ML opens and I can chase bucks again. I also have an antlerless tag I can use up there then. I saw a big buck up there on the northern zone gun opener, and I would love to get another crack at him. I was not quick enough to get off a shot the first time. Snow will give me a huge afvantage. Also, there are always so many does around my spot up there, when there is snow around, that it is almost harder to not get one, than to come home with one. I don't think having plenty of meat this year will be a problem. Getting a doe around my southern zone spots is difficult on opening day, and much tougher later.

7 more for team 4.

Opening day 6 point, zone 9f, 12 gauge Marlin 512. , 36.5" chest girth. I had to use my grunt call to bring this guy closer to make sure he had at least 3 on a side. He obliged, but made for a tough, wet drag after taking my slug and running 100 yards into the swamp, prior to splashing down. He dont look so big in the photo, but nearly gave me a heart attack dragging him out. I was very thankful for the meat as it has been a pretty tough season so far, starting over a month ago, with early ML, up north.

That definitely tenderizes it. Temps look real good until at least wednesday.

Wow TG, that's a good one. Out of likes but congrats to you and your dad.

Settled into the lower level of my two story blind for the afternoon hunt. Maybe a doe or bb will come out to feed on the turnip greens before dark. The corn is picked pretty clean back here, but there is still plenty left on the stalks in my front plot. The sleet is letting up a bit. If it stops completely, I will move up to the upper deck, where I get a better view with no blind spots.

I wonder where he got his condescending tone from. Must be his mother. I can never remember Mario talking like that.

I saw a few grouse up in wmu 6c during early ML week. That is what I will be after on Thanksgiving weekend, since I won't have a buck tag. Hopefully, I will get another chance at a buck (or a doe) up there during the late ML weekend. I still have both of those tags. I am going to bring my 16 ga, J. Stevens side by side, choked I/C and mod. I will bring along mostly 7-1/2's, and maybe a few slugs, in case I run into some bear sign. I did that in 2018, when I was in the same predicament, and I did not see any grouse or bear, only deer.

I usually loose something, every time I kill a deer. Yesterday might be a first, because nothing has come up missing yet. I thought I might have lost one of my oddball "finisher" slugs. I loaded it into my chamber, when I saw the buck struggling, but I did not end up using it. I remember unloading it when my dad picked me up with his side by side, but I could not remember where I put it. I had tossed my jacket into the back, with most of my other gear. I am wearing it now, and as it turns out, I put it back into the special pocket, where it actually belongs. Items that I have lost in the past were grunt calls, release (while bowhunting), knives, crossbow rope pulley device, gloves, hat, seat cushions, pens, and other stuff that I can't remember. Somehow, I have not lost my butt out tool yet, although I did leave it with a gut pile, after a failure one time. I think I have it figured out now, and it has worked as it is supposed to, the last 8 or 10 times.