wolc123

You might want to keep your eye open for an old refrigerator. That way, it will not matter how warm it gets and you can still properly age your carcass before processing. A 1.5 year old deer should age for 1 week at 33 to 43 deg F. A 2.5 year old should age at least 10 days. Older deer can go two weeks. A fridge works perfect for that. People are always looking to get rid of old ones. Get one and remove all the shelves and drawers. I skin the deer and cut the rear quarters off. Those get hung from the tendons from hooks on the top of the fridge and I rest the front section on the neck at the bottom. Close the door and wait the required time before processing. After you learn how to properly age venison, you will never want to take it to a processer again. The cost savings is just an added bonus. No one that I serve it to has been able to tell that it was not top quality beef.

I did not see any last weekend up in my hot spot up in WMU 6C, unlike the previous weekend, when I brushed a few off from my jacket. Several frosts thru mid-week must have slowed them down a bit. The best defense against them is cold weather. I also treat my bibs and boots with Sawyers for these early hunts, prior to the onset of steady cold weather. Hopefully that will not be necessary for our next trip up there over Thanksgiving. My advice to folks wanting to hunt before the onset of cold weather would be to spend more time out on the lakes fishing instead. Ticks do not do well in the water and the fishing is great in the fall. The deer do not move a lot in the warm conditions anyhow, so you are not missing much (besides ticks).

It sure was warm. Saturday morning was about 40 at sunup and up to 70 by 9:00 and Sunday was warmer yet. It had not rained in over a week and 75 % of the leaves were down and very crunchy in the hardwoods. I did not see any natural deer movement but I did stillhunt to within 50 yards of one on Sunday afternoon, before it busted out of the cover and I could not identify if it had antlers or not. I tried rattling a bit each morning, about a half hour after sunrise. Saturday morning, I fooled another hunter who slowly stalked within 50 yards of my position (without breaking a single twig) until I whisled to alert him of my location. We got a pretty good chuckle out of that, when he stopped by my father in law's place on his gator in the afternoon. I skipped the Saturday afternoon hunt, because I could not have dealt with a carcass in the warm weather and the butcher shop I use up there is closed on Sundays. The bass fishing was pretty good Saturday afternoon, when I landed about a dozen smallmouths on bucktail jigs including a 19 and a 20 incher. The hunting was comfortable in the warm, dry weather, but the deer motion was lacking. I was a little dissappointed to not get some rainy or snowy weather to try out my new open-sighted Marlin 336BL, 30/30 lever. It was good weather for my old, scoped Ruger M77 30/06 bolt-action, so that is all I carried. We are heading up again over Thanksgiving and I hope the weather gets colder by then, and maybe a little snow.

I agree with most of this, however those other motions can be done slowly so as not to alert the deer. The draw has to be a quick movement. A quick movement is exactly what deer are genetically programmed to identify with danger, putting them in a state of high alert. Many deer, which have been "alerted" by catching a glimpse of that draw, end up getting struck high. Usually, that is above the spine and outside of the kill zone. Many bow hunters, especially those who do not butcher their own deer, have no clue how much depth there is above the spine, and swear that their arrow had to have struck below the spine (no mans land ?). This points to the biggest reason why I prefer a crossbow and would like to see full inclusion. Without that mandatory draw requirement with a deer in close, there is no good reason for "alerting" a deer. That should mean less wounded and un-recovered deer. We hear about lots of those every year during archery season (I think there were 2 or 3 last weekend in the "live thread). It is high time that the holdouts put their selfish objections behind them, and let folks use a more efficient weapon if they desire.

That's funny, I have done the exact opposite. I carried a Sharpfinger for many years, but started carrying an old classic Buck 110 that my father in law gave me, about 7 years ago. That old Buck knife is probably more than 40 years old, but it was in like-new condition when he gave it to me. He did a lot of pheasant hunting in his younger days, but not so much big game hunting. It was probably never used, until I broke it in on a early ML doe at his old camp in the Adirondacks, 6 years ago. It did ok on that one, with a factory sharp blade, but not so hot on the next few deer. It does not hold an edge nearly as well as my old Sharpfinger. I continue to carry it, mostly because I do not want to hurt his feelings by using another knife. When I kill a deer at his place, the first thing I do is call him on the cell phone, to get his ATV as close as possible (if I am far enough from his house that he does not hear the shot). He is usually there when I am gutting, and would certainly ask questions if I was using another knife. He carefully watches that whole process and is especially impressed with the butt-out tool (that worked very well for me both times up there last year, but failed two out of three times at home). I also find the folding Buck knife a bit clumsier than the Sharpfinger, and I miss that little notch on the backside of the blade for opening up the belly. I have learned how to get a good edge on the Buck though, and now that is something I make sure to do after every use. The sharpfinger was always good for the season, and sometimes went a few years without needing a touch-up. The Buck hosed me a few years ago, when I used it to finish off a "roadkill" button-buck that a hit and run driver had left at the end of our driveway. It took some tough hacking to get thru to the juggular, and I narrowly avoided being struck in the head by flying hoofs in the process. My daughter, who was holding a flashlight for me, was somewhat trammatized by the ordeal. The knife had lost it's edge, gutting and skinning a couple deer earlier that season. I think I will try and find my old Sharpfinger, prior to heading out at home with my crossbow in a couple weeks. I will continue to us the Buck up at the in-laws place however. It is the least I can do for the free room and board.

The nice thing about using the grind is that you can use the "lesser" cuts, like front shoulders, neck, and rib-meat. I like to cook the "prime" stuff like back-straps, medium rare on the grill, even though it would probably make very tender jerky. My brother in law mixes the ground venison and beef and uses a stainless steel "grease-gun" type tool to squeeze it into little strips that go in the dehydrator. He makes a few different varieties. The kids and I like the cayenne flavored the best. I have had some that others have made from straight ground venison and it is not nearly as good.

My brother in law makes some great jerky from grind. He mixes half venison half beef for the best results. More beef is too moist, more venison is too dry. 50/50 makes it just right. He raises beef, but has yet to kill a deer, so he is completely dependent on others for that part. I will set him up with a little as soon as I kill my next deer. Tough jerky is usually the result of using poorer cuts and/or not aging the carcass properly before processing.

Maybe one. I imagine those brave Mainers on day two of Gettysburg felt a little worse up on little roundtop, when the rebs charged up and all they had to stop them were their bayonets. They all had 60 rounds at the start.

My wife always pickles them for me. She uses an old recipe that my grandma used on beef and pig hearts and tongues. I always liked the tongue better, it is a little more tender. Deer tongues are a little small to deal with. I have a couple beef tongues in the freezer that I will throw in with the first few venison hearts this year. Moose tongue is the best wild game I have ever sampled.

I probably should have treated my jacket also, because a few jumped on it, when I returned to the spot where I had killed that tick-infested buck last fall, and attached my hammock seat to the same tree that I shot him from. I just swatted them off and made sure to do a good inspection in the shower that evening. I will not return to that area until after a few hard frosts, which means it is not happening this weekend.

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Sorry to hear about that. Lessons learned like that are never fun. I learned a tough lesson myself with my ML, 13 years ago, so I know about half way how you feel right now. I shot at a standing, quartering-away buck that was about 175 yards away with my 50 cal T/C, using about the same load. I had a very good rest and my scope was cranked up to the max of 7X. I felt confident in the shot because that gun had held a 3" group from a bench at 200 yards. The buck was standing on fresh snow, which added additional confidence in taking the shot. At the shot, he charged thru a creek and I watched him cross a field, a road, and into a field on the other side. I tracked that buck for about 350 yards, before loosing the trail, never finding a drop of blood on the snow. After a few hours of circling and grid-searching, I assumed a "clean-miss" and gave up. A week later, the crows helped me locate the half-eaten carcass in a little clump of brush about 50 yards beyond my widest circle. The bullet likely struck right about where I aimed, and probably clipped one lung. It was a little basket racked 8-point, and I left it for the mice. The last thing I wanted was a reminder of a piss-poor tracking job on my part. The memories of them "hard-lessons" stay with you longer than those of successful hunts do. I can tell you what I did to prevent any more "major" screw-ups over the last 12 seasons (there has been a few minor ones, including a poorly placed shot that required a quick followup last season). First, I think 150 yards is right about at the energy limit of that load. I would only fire at a deer at that range or a bit beyond if it was standing broadside. There is not enough energy there to penetrate much tissue for quartering to or away shots. That does not explain the 100 yard situation, where energy should be plenty from any shot angle. The way I have eliminated all the "major-errors" is by going right to the top. Jesus Christ has the final say where all living creatures end up (somewhere in the Bible is a verse which say's that He "knows where every sparrow falls"). That is the only book I have ever read that does not contain any BS. I try and read a couple pages every morning. Over the last (3) years, At least 2 deer have ended up in our freezer as a confirmed direct result of that habit, in addition to (3) more "probables". Other folks will give you other suggestions, but I can guarantee that this one works. It also helps a lot with fish.

I sprayed my bibs and boots with permathin, prior to heading up to the NZ last weekend for ML hunting. It did a good job of keeping them off from me. I did not bother re-applying for opening of rifle this weekend, because I think it is supposed to last for a few weeks, even if you wash it. One thing is certain, I will never bring another deer carcass home from up there. I picked over a hundred ticks off from the buck that I brought home last year, before and while I was skinning it. The $ 50 that the butcher shop up there charges for processing is well worth it, just to not have to deal with the ticks. There was not a single one in the box of packaged venison that they sent me home with from the doe I killed up there last year during ML season.

It looks like the swamp is the place to be for the NZ rifle opener this weekend. I was leaning that way anyhow, but that makes the decision a little easier. I will start out trying to rattle them out a little. If they don't respond, I am going in. I don't expect any natural movement, after the first half hour of daylight, with the warm weather.

I am not "telling" them where to go, just pointing out that there is a place where they may be able to go and live happily ever after. I have no problem with them staying here, after full inclusion, and continuing to hunt with their compounds, recurves or longbows if they wish. Thank you for bringing up my connection to God. What weapon do you suppose Jesus would prefer ? One that women, children, weak, and old folks could handle easily, or one that only the strong could operate ? How would He feel about a special season that only the strong could participate in ?

It could be but sounds odd. About half of the spot I hunt in the the NZ is just the opposite. It is antlered only during the early ML season on one side of the main highway, but either/or on the other side. During gun, it is all antlered only except that landowners (50 plus acres) and DV's may apply for a DMP on the side of the road where anlterless were legal during ML. I suppose that if you are in an extremely overpopulated area, it might appear to make sense to make the late ML season antlerless only. It really don't make sense though, as that would just force more of the hunters into zones where they could use their ML tag on a buck or a doe. I think the DEC learned that lesson the hard way a couple years ago when they tried making the first two weeks of archery antlerless only in some of the over populated zones. I don't think we will see them repeat that mistake again.

You can use the "either" one on an antlered or antlerless deer in archery or ML season, but the antlerless is just that in each. Your regular season buck tag becomes an "either" in Southern zone late ML season.

I might try some of that myself this weekend. I killed my first Adirondack buck a few years ago, as he stood in a little clearing, right in the middle of a big swamp. I was about 300 yards away, high up on an adjacent ridge, with the scope on my 30/06 cranked up to 9 power. That day there was fresh snow, it was very cold, and the deer were moving. I saw him approaching from over a mile away, and it was just a matter of waiting for the right shot when he reached an opening. I do not expect much movement this weekend, with the predicted high temperatures, so still-hunting in that swamp might be an option. That will only happen if the wind is strong enough to cover my noise. There is no way to move quietly thru those tangled bushes. I am thinking it will take at least a 20 mph wind to cover my noise. I was not able to get close enough to see any deer with a 15 mph south-westerly and my ML last weekend but I found a ton of deer sign in there. If it is calm, I will probably just find some good locations along the edge and to try and catch them coming back in in the morning, or sneaking out in the late afternoon. I might even rattle a little bit in the late morning to try and draw them out. One little problem with killing a heavy deer deep in the swamp is getting them out. That last swamp buck put a hurting on me, dragging it a few hundred yards to the nearest spot where my father in law could get his ATV to it. I was not in the best shape then, and I hope to be able to do a little better this year after lots of time working out and getting in better condition. If nothing else, it makes the still-hunting up and down those hills, and in and out of that swamp, a lot easier.

In some overpopulated zones, you can fill up to (6) DMP's. Two from the initial draw, two from leftovers after Nov 1, and two transferred from other hunter(s). Add your two buck tags and the either/or ML/archery and you can legally take up to (9). (4) average sized deer gets our family from one season to the next. It is kind of nice having a leftover vacuum-sealed one or two at the start, so I can be a little more selective with my (2) buck tags. That's funny Core, my wife just started on freezer deer number 5 from last year with a crockpot full of chilli and the kids and I just finished eating a bunch of it. I killed (4) deer last year, gave one away and received (2) as gifts. (3) this year would be just right.

I just finished defrosting and cleaning our big freezer in the basement to make some room. I managed to pack about 70 pounds of remaining venison from last year, and roughly the same amount of fish from this year, into the two upstairs refrigerator freezers. I had to take a big turkey up to the inlaws place in the Adirondacks last weekend to make room for that. Now that it is defrosted and cleaned, it is time to start filling it back up. Hopefully, the deer will cooperate over the next couple months.

To those who are upset about the prospects of full inclusion, this map posted by WNYBH may be of interest. The black state of Oregon would be a good place to consider a move to. I have spent some time in that state and it is pretty nice. They have Mt. Hood & the Timberline Lodge, some cool lumber museums, the Leatherman factory, in addition to one of my favorite lunch spots in the lower 48 (the Tippy Canoe near the Columbia river), and great beer. The scenery runs a close second to NY's Adirondacks. In addition to whitetails, they have blacktails, mule deer, and elk. The fact that they are the only state where crossbow's are illegal to hunt with, probably means that it will be many years before you need to worry about them infringing on archery season. I think it is important for those of us who are for full inclusion to provide some hope and comfort for you folks in your time of dispair. Oregon may be the answer.

I think you are on the right track hunting that creek bottom / beaver dam area. I walked thru an area like that, about 30 mi to the NW, on Sunday and there were deer trails in there so beat down that they looked like cow-paths. That scoped Marlin 336 looks like just the right gun for that kind of work, in warm and dry weather. Setting your own schedule for the meals sounds cool. I sometimes cut my morning hunts a little short just to get back to the lake-house and enjoy the fancy brunch that my mother-in-law always has ready. She usually goes a little overboard when I am up there, but my father-in-law appreciates it. I think I will take them into town for dinner on Sunday evening. I am planning on hunting Saturday morning, all day Sunday, and a little bit Monday morning. Once again, I will probably skip the Saturday afternoon hunt and fish instead because it will be too warm for me to handle the venison and the butcher-shop is closed on Sundays. If I kill a buck on Sunday, it should be ok because it is supposed to be cooler Sunday night, and I can drop it off at the butcher shop on the way home Monday morning.

The weather is looking a lot more comfortable for your trip this year. There is no rain at all in the long range forecast. The average temperatures look to be about 10 degrees cooler up there on opening weekend than they were last weekend when I was up for ML. The high is supposed to reach 71 this Sunday (It got up to 81 last Sunday). The deer were not moving much last weekend with the high temperatures. The only ones I saw were in the first half hour of daylight on Friday morning when I went out with my crossbow. There was lots of signs though, and I heard several snorting and crashing thru heavy cover that I tried still-hunting thru with my ML on Saturday and Sunday morning. Hopefully, the slightly cooler weather will increase the activity a bit. The leaves were about half down on Sunday, so I don't think there will be many left by this Saturday. Unless the wind picks up a bunch, still-hunting in those dry leaves will be tough. It looks like it will be "sit and ambush" for me with my old, scoped bolt-action rifle this weekend. Still-hunting in the snow with my new, open-sight Marlin lever will have to wait for our Thanksgiving weekend trip. I don't think I will be able to make it up for the second weekend of gun season as I had planned due to our girl's sports schedules. Enjoy your trip, looking forward to the video.

Just about the time the crossbows get legal.

I also did not see any horns last weekend, but did see signs of a few, including rubs and big wide tracks. The warm weather cut into my hunting time quite a bit and I spent more time fishing (the smallmouth were really on fire Saturday afternoon) than hunting. The butcher shop I use (Nolt's in Lowville), is closed on Sundays, so a Saturday afternoon ML hunt was not an option. I went out with my crossbow on Friday, and was able to get within 75 yards of a couple antlerless deer, before they noticed me and high-tailed it into the cover. It would have been a chip-shot, leaning against a tree with my scoped ML, but was about 25 yards too far for me to take a shot with the crossbow. The antlerless deer are safe up there now in zone 6C, for this season. I am heading back up with my rifles this weekend and hoping for some windy & rainy weather so I can try some still-hunting for bucks with my new Marlin 30/30. Also, I strapped one of them $30 Aldi's pop-up blinds down in a hot-spot late Saturday morning, where I can hole up in for a while if the rain comes down too hard. If the wind is from the prevailing direction, that spot will give me a great shot at the location where I saw a nice little 4-point last year. If he survived and hits the same spot again this year, it might be his last, especially if he has a little more horn and body mass on him.