wolc123

A friend just nailed a "nice" 4-point with his bow in the Southern Tier and is bringing it over as I type. It looks like we won't starve this winter. Warm weather in the forcast next week means I will need to quarter it and fire up the old "deer fridge" in the garage to get the meat aged properly. One of the best things about bow-killed deer is that very little if any meat goes to waste, unlike some bloodied up gun or car-killed ones I have cut up. Hopefully, after x-bow opens in another week I can add some of my own to the supply.

I wish you were on the other side of the state. That sounds like a good one to try "bloodglow" on tonight. If the broadhead is still in there, and you keep her moving, it might cause her to loose enough blood to go down for good. With that much yardage on her trail, you must not have got any of the lung. Every hit is different and the best thing to do with a broadhead-in, muscle tissue hit like that is to keep them moving. Just the opposite of a gut-hit, when it is best to leave them alone for 8 hours minimum. I would mark your spot of last blood and return after dark with a sprayer of "bloodglow". Don't forget to bring along a sharp knife.

I was part of the coyote hater group for a long time but I have learned to live with them. It used to be tough for me, having to drive thru a town that bans all hunting, on every weekday to get to work. Those big coyotes are the best thing to come along in years. Now I can get to work most mornings, even now at peak-rut time, without dodging deer or their carcasses. I also like how the coyotes take out the weak deer, mostly fawns and old, rutted-out bucks, during their two "happy-times" every year, early summer fawning, and early winter post-rut. The coyotes keep the deer that spill over into our town stronger, not the emaciated, half-starved pitiful creatures that would appear before they were around. The coyotes also provide some fun shooting after deer season ends.

Like to, can't.

Next year, I would consider moving your trip forward a week to Muzzle-Loading season. One advantage then will be better odds of good weather. I have hunted the area 20 - 40 miles North-West of that location for the last 13 years on ML opening week, and the weather has been decent every time. If there is finer scenery anywhere in the world, I haven't scene it. It is almost a toss-up between the snow-covered mountains or the peak fall foliage around the lakes and rivers. What that adds to the hunting and fishing experience can not be measured but comes across pretty good in your videos. Thanks for sharing. Up until the last 3 years, I stayed in my old truck camper or a very rustic "off-the-grid" cabin, heated with a wood fire-place. This year was cold, but I did see a bear. While still-hunting, I had a chance at a small 4-point buck that stood up 40 yards from my position. He will be in trouble, if I still have my buck-tag when I return on Thanksgiving weekend with my rifle. This was the first year in many that I did not see any does. Does may be legally harvested during ML season up there, and that greatly increases your odds of getting some fresh tenderloins to fry up with your eggs in the morning. I killed a large doe up there with my ML about 5 years ago, when the weather was again quite cool. Hopefully they will return turkey season to the old dates, to again be open on that week. I saw more turkeys up there this year than any year in the past. Ruffed grouse sightings were way up also. I lost count on the number of those that I flushed while still hunting for deer. I even shouldered my ML a few times, wishing I had my trusty side by side 16 ga shotgun instead. I always bring that along and spend more time grouse hunting than deer hunting on the warmer years. I have cooked many a grouse on a stick over a camp-fire and it sure beats hot-dogs or marshmellows. Smallmouth bass fishing also gets more of my time then on the warmer years. Even this year, in the cold, I managed 5-fish limits on Saturday and Sunday in about an hour at mid-day. I catch all of them on buck-tail jigs that I make myself. I am sure you know what fresh-fish in the frying-pan tastes like, and it doesn't get much better. I am heading up again on Thanksgiving weekend. Last year at that time up there, I managed to kill my heaviest buck ever, in the cold and snowy conditions. This year, I am hoping it is a little warmer, mostly because I want to get a crack at that bear I saw a few weeks ago. One last open-water Smallmouth outing would be nice also. Last year there was 1/4" of ice on the lake the morning after I killed my buck. I hope you are able to make the trip for many more years to come.

The OP made a mistake and it don't look like he has been back on this thread anyhow. All of us have made mistakes, but most don't like to admit that publicly. Some sure do love pointing out those made by others, as this 4 + pages of lecturing clearly shows. Fortunately, someone paid for all of our mistakes on the Cross a long time ago. The best thing any hunter can do is receive that gift with open arms. He who gave it determines how every deer's life ends. It might surprise you how much truer those arrows fly when you get things straightened out with The Man upstairs. Speaking of which, I cant wait to get out there next week. I would suggest to the OP that he get himself a Cross-bow and try again next week when that opens up. Congrats on that buck up above^ How's this for "Lethal":

Why does He allow deer to be hit by cars? Sometimes for my family to eat I suppose, as it has happened many times including the fine button buck last winter, who's frozen parts we are just about ready to start on. The tenderloins were delicious on that one, four days after the kill. It has got to be a better way to go than starvation, old age, or coyote kill, which are the only other options in many NY areas where hunting is currently banned, including the adjacent town. There was a motorist killed in our town from a deer-car collision a few years ago. That was a tough one, but will probably add years of legal hunting in this area, in spite of accelerating urban sprawl. Sometimes you got to look hard for the silver lining, but it is always there. As long as you keep the door open, some day He will pile on enough proof that is impossible to deny. I will continue to point out additional evidence as it occurs, as long as I am able, and I appreciate all your "bumps" back up to the top. There is no way to deny the hand He had in at least my last 4 bucks. Try as I might, I cant think of any of my hundred or so total deer kills over the last 30 some years that He didn't play the lead role.

What grinds my gears a bit are the elitist, selfish bow-hunters who are fighting so hard to keep crossbows out of "their" season. Waiting until the last two weeks has not been that bad this year at least, because it has been too warm to kill a deer and properly care for the meat. My gears would have ground a lot harder if we had some more cool weather these first 4 weeks. Hopefully they will throw in the towel prior to next season, so we can have all of it. I did hear a rumor that may be in the cards. Other than that, I am more amused than aggravated by some hunters. Holding out for only older bucks for example. I will take a 2.5 year buck over just about anything myself, as it offers the perfect combination of quality and quantity. Those who like "challenging" themselves, to the point of risking not killing a deer cleanly, is tough for me to understand. I don't want to "give the deer a chance", if I don't have to. The less the "challenge" the better for me. Then there are those who claim they will only take shots when they are 100% sure of the kill. Really? Acting like it is a sin to kill a button buck, but thinking nothing of killing a fat doe at the end of ML season, that may well be packing two, is odd to me. 25% of my antlerless kills have been button bucks thru the years, and there is no finer eating for sure. If you ever are hart-broken or run off a hunting club for taking one, pm me and send it my way. One thing I really like, is when folks hop on to condemn me for giving my savior Jesus Christ most, or all of the credit for deer that I kill. That helps put the focus where it should be and not on my own personal hunting skills. Sure I practice a bit and put in some time, but it is The man upstairs who has the final say where ALL deer end up. If He chooses to put them in my freezer why shouldn't I give Him the credit? It is no coincidence that the Cross-bow is my favorite deer weapon.

Not good for those of us that process our own venison. No matter to me though, as I am not going out until x-bow opens the second week. Hopefully the cool weather will kick in by then. Veteran's day was perfect last year (peak rut time too) and I already scheduled a vacation day this year. Hopefully I can score again on that day because our venison supply is starting to get low. Last year, the first week was cool and I had near perfect "hanging weather" for a 2-1/2 year, bow-killed buck that a friend gave me. From that point thru the end of ML in mid-December, meat ageing temps stayed good inside my garage. It sure was nice to not have to skin and quarter the carcasses and put them into the old fridge like I need to most years.

I would be reluctant to take on an antlered buck with a knife for fear of loosing an eye with a tine, but I was able to dispatch a big doe and a button buck in similar situations without too much trouble. The doe connected with a hard kick to my leg, causing some swelling and a big bruise. This thread is a timely reminder to always have a sharp knife in your vehicle at this time of year. I have picked up a dozen or so road kills, and most had lots of good meat on them. The doe that kicked me must have just knocked herself out, because there was not a mark on her body after the hide was removed. I tossed her into the back of my pickup and drove directly to the town police station. The desk officer looked up at my blood-splattered attire and asked: "did the deer have to be shot" ? I answered: "no, I killed her with my knife". He replied: "that would be no", then handed me the carcass tag. Most have been struck near my house, and I just drive up with a tractor and throw them in the bucket, then drive them back in the field to gut, then hang them in the garage, then call the police for a tag. I have no fear of being "caught" with a road-kill deer on the tractor before getting a tag. My priority is always to care for the meat first. I get the guts out as soon as possible. Providing tags for road-kill deer is close to the bottom of a cop's priorities and it is dumb to wait for a tag before you get the guts out of a deer. The ones that are obviously in bad shape (broken legs, etc.) I just throw on the "carcass pile" behind my bedroom window, as "coyote bait" and don't even bother getting a tag for. The good ones are tagged and processed just like those I kill with conventional hunting methods. They all taste the same. The best thing about road-kills is they allow me to be more selective with my hunting tags.

I will probably try to get some Sunday also, thanks for the reminder. Last season I didn't have a doe in range from the beginning of archery until the end of ML. They seemed to go nocturnal, as soon as they smelled a little hunting pressure, probably because there were plenty of acorns around. A lot less acorns this year should mean more daylight doe action, and hopefully a milder winter also. The timing is pretty good on the extra permits, since I don't plan on hunting until x-bow opens on the 7th anyhow. By that time, the temps should also be lower and better for those of us who do our own processing. Standing in line at Walmart won't be too bad of a way to kill a Sunday afternoon this week.

I usually just put a screwdriver to every one prior to sighting in on the range in the late summer/early fall, and make sure they are tight. I never had an issue with one loosening up. If you are going to be bouncing one around on an atv or in a gun-rack in a truck, you might have an issue due to vibration and then blue Loctite would probably help. The red stuff would be a nightmare to remove if you ever broke your scope or decided to upgrade. My scoped guns are only transported in a padded case or carried on a sling on my shoulder so vibration is not a problem.

I also like the Hornady SST's in 12 ga, 2-3/4". They group very good on the range and perform well inside deer. I am using them in a bolt-action, which is not very "fussy" about brands, shooting decent groups with any I have tried. I have heard stories of folks with cantilever scope mount pumps and autos that do best with a particular brand. You will definitely want to experiment a little and find out what your gun likes best.

Buck-n-doe was also where I took the one that I thought I got back more than I should have. It was a rutted-out 10 point buck I killed at the end of gun season. I skinned it myself, took the head and hide to the taxidermist, and the carcass to Buck-n-doe. The hind quarters were thin and the carcass could not have weighed much over a hundred pounds. The meat I picked up, which included lots of "pepper-sticks", some steaks, chops, small roasts, and grind, all totaled 74 pounds. I was not too concerned about getting that one back, as it looked like he may have been old and tough. I remember thinking, when I picked up the box, that they might just put quantity of meat in the boxes based on the information on the tag (10 or more point buck = 75 pounds, 8 point = 60 pounds, smaller bucks/does = 40 pounds, fawns = 25 pounds, or something like that.) The meat was all good, and those pepper sticks were awesome. I do think they told me that I would get back the poundage of smoked/processed stuff that they added to the "general supply", but the rest would be my own. I would definitely consider that shop again for a late-season kill. They certainly did not "short-change" me that last time I used them.

I have been on both sides of this one and never had an issue. I have even made some new friends as a result. One out-of-state "antler-fanatic" even stopped over to check out my mounts when he was in town. He was very wealthy and had leased the hunting rights on hundreds of acres of land behind our 40 acres. With signs every 50 feet or so on the border, I thought a call first would be a good idea. My folks farm, in a nearby town, is heavily posted and is adjacent to a trailer park. A few years ago I saw a guy come thru the woods obviously on a trail. He told me he had hit a big buck. Myself and another neighbor helped him track it for a couple hours. There was good snow so it was relatively easy to follow. Eventually we lost the trail and gave up. As I was eating a late lunch with my parents, we looked out back and saw it cross the field behind the house with one front leg hanging. I followed the tracks to the property line and the bleeding had stopped completely. I have seen three legged deer do fine, so he should be ok, but likely grow "non-typical" antlers in following years. There will always be a fringe of miserable SOB's who wont let you on their land for any reason. Most likely they had bad things happen to them and are taking their frustrations out on others. The best thing you can do for such folks is to pray that they "see the light" before it is too late. Their bitterness may cost you some meat, but they are doing far more damage to themselves. There are plenty of deer and they are not worth getting such folks all riled up.

It has been a while since I had any done by a processor. That can be a real gamble and I value venison too much now, with a family of four that all love eating it, to trust it to another. Growing up, we had a neighbor who was a butcher and cut up deer as a seasonal side-job. He was very good and very efficient and would nearly always return more than half of the field-dressed carcass weight as freezer-wrapped boneless venison. If he couldn't get that much back, it was due to my own poor shooting. You could always count on getting your own deer back also. Unfortunately, his butchering days are done. I tried a few other processors with mixed results. Usually I got less meat back than I should have, and one time a lot more. I was never certain with them, that it was my own meat I got back. For the last 15 years or so, I have butchered my own, and I usually end up with slightly under half of the field-dressed weight in boneless meat. Our family now consumes 4 average sized (aprox 120 lb field dressed) per year. That means about 240 pounds of meat in the freezer. Some years I kill them all myself (thanks to liberal dmp permits), but usually friends, or passing motorists help out a bit (they all taste the same). The key pieces of equipment needed to do your own are a good grinder, an old refrigerator (for aging in warm weather conditions), and a vacuum sealer. The best thing about doing your own, is full control over the aging process, which makes a world of difference in the quality of the meat on the table. Because seasonal processors get so many deer in at once, it is very difficult for them to maintain control over the aging process. Other advantages are learning where to shoot the deer to ruin the least meat (hint-center lung is best). It is also nice to control the size of the packages and to save some cash.

That is when it is tough to beat a ground blind. I have (3) of them now and they make me really look forward to hunting the rainy days. I can always find the right one for any wind direction. The biggest advantages of hunting the rain is less competition from other hunters. Deer activity does not slow down at all unless the rain is very heavy. Rattling has been particularly effective for me in a steady rain. Bucks don't expect hunters to be out in those conditions so they are more easily "fooled" then. Also, the background noise of the wind-driven rain makes it very tough for them to tell that it is not the real thing. I cant think of any time when deer activity is higher than immediately after a very heavy rain. A ground blind enables you to be in position to take advantage of that action. Better yet if you have a tree-stand nearby that you can quickly get to when the pouring stops. Even the mid-day action can be crazy at these times. The only hang-up I had with rainy afternoon archery hunts is the hardship it added to blood-trailing, especially after the sun set. Hopefully, no more of that now, since I picked up some CSI-type "blood glow". Rain is supposed to multiply the effectiveness of that stuff, which makes the blood glow in the moon and starlight. There is no problem tracking with a gun in the rain if you are willing to sacrifice a little more meat and hit them in the shoulder blade. As far as trapping in the rain, maybe if fur prices were higher it would be worth it but it don't sound good for this season. I would spend your time in the deer blind instead.

I have killed (2) with knives, by slitting their throats, after I found them lying on the roadside with their eyes shut. One was a big doe a few years back, that came to and sprung to her feet after I stopped to cut off her tail. I jumped on her back and slit her throat with a tiny, but extremely sharp knife. She landed a hoof against my lower leg, but the swelling soon went down and I recovered fully. My freezer was full already so I gave that one to a buddy who dropped her off at a butcher, after stopping at the police station to get a road-kill tag. The butcher said she was the cleanest deer he cut up that year, without a mark on her body. Apparently she must have just hit her head on a car, knocking herself out. The second was a button-buck on the last day of ML season last winter. That time I used a much bigger knife but it was very dull, and it took a lot longer to get the jugular. His hoofs were flying as I was jabbing, but he never connected and I got away unharmed. That was due to my earlier experience and improved hoof-dodging ability. That little buck must have been struck by a car broadside, knocking the wind out of him, for there was considerable bruising on front and rear shoulders on his port side. The other side, tenderloins, backstraps, heart and liver were great however. If and when I ever have to track one after dark, I would not hesitate to go in with just a knife. I will definitely be sure it is extremely sharp. I am looking forward to a nighttime track, mostly because I want to try the CSI type "bloodglow" I bought last fall to see if it lives up the the hype. Not so much that I would intentionally "botch" a shot however. Both bucks I shot since getting it have expired within 40 yards, so I have not got to try it yet. It has added considerable "prime-time" to my afternoon hunts, since I am no longer afraid to stay in the stands until legal sunset. "Bloodglow" supposedly lets you follow the trail by the light of the moon and stars only.

My favorite blinds are made from old construction-style truck caps. These have side doors that fold up, and ladder racks on top. I build a 3 ft high, 3-sided wall on a deck, or an old snowmobile trailer and place the cap on that wall. The solid end faces the prevailing wind direction. I build an "upstairs" deck on the ladder racks, again with three 3-foot high walls but an open top, for "good-weather" hunting. I have lost count of the does I have killed out of these, but still waiting for the first antlered buck. I might have got my first last year, but he caught be napping and snuck to 15 yards before I was awakened by the sounds of his footsteps. He bolted when I tried to slowly position my x-bow for the shot. That worked out good for me a few days later when I killed his bigger brother from a nearby tree-stand. That little nap probably gained me 15 pounds of meat and a couple extra points for my archery buck tag. Other big advantages of these truck-cap blinds are cost and durability. I have less than $50 total in the three I have now. People are always setting them out by the road for little or no cash. Regular truck caps with sliding windows work ok, but those windows don't give the glare-reduction or extended rain protection when opened like the fold-out doors on the construction types. Also, they seldom have ladder racks for making the "upper decks". For the one blind I made from a regular cap, I put the deck up on 6 ft. legs to make a mid-level, single-floor unit. Speaking of "fishing", that action was better than the deer last weekend on my trip to the northern zone for opening of ML. Just one little buck in range, not worth my ML/archery antlered tag. The smallmouth bass were cooperative however, with 10 of them providing fillets for vacuum sealing on Saturday and Sunday.

One thing that nobody has mentioned, and that helps in controlling sweat as you walk is to get yourself into better shape physically. I only started paying close attention to that the last few years, out of necessity, due to the mountainous terrain I frequently hunt now. It was not so critical on the mostly flat-land I hunted prior years. You might even get more chances at deer on you walks if you can move at a slow steady pace, rather than trudging along wheezing and out of breath, then stopping for long, frequent periods to catch your breath. I cruised right up on a four-pointer yesterday, and could have shot him in his bed if he had met my harvest criteria. Taking off the hat, gloves and opening the jacket and bib zippers on the walks also helps minimize sweat by allowing the heat generated by walking to escape, as does shedding layers of fat, another reason to get in better shape. As far as staying warm on stand, regardless of your physical condition, A good wool hat, with ear covers and a face-mask under it works for me in the coldest conditions. For the feet, I can get by most days with those black rubber, army "micky" boots, but I use cheap China-made arctic pacs, rated at 60 below when it is extra cold. For the hands, I just picked up a muff from Bass-Pro that holds a chemical warmer in a separate internal pocket. That thing worked awesome the last couple mornings when the temps were in the 20's. Using that, It is just like having your hands over a fire to keep them warm on the stand. That heat seems to enter the blood in your hands and flows thru the whole body.

Any reports from the weekend? I just got back from ML hunting zone 6F. Saturday morning, as the snow/rain mix was falling hard, I got a quick look at a bear at about 75 yards, but was unable to get a shot at it. I think I may have located it's den. If it is not hibernated by this Thanksgiving weekend, I hope to get a crack at it with my rifle. I will feel a little more comfortable shooting at one with a few more rounds in the chamber. It has been a regular around camp the last few weeks according to a contractor I talked to this morning. I managed to get my father in law the whitetail mount he wanted for his new lake-house last Thanksgiving weekend, now he is asking for a bear-rug. I was really hoping to connect on a doe, as this is the only time we can take them up there. They must know that, and keep out of the area until gun-season, when they are off-limits. I did manage to sneak up within 40 yards on a bedded 4-point buck. When he stood up, I just could not bring myself to part with my buck tag on such a light- weight deer. He looked like about 120 lbs, field-dressed, if that. Certainly nothing like what might have been his daddy, who I killed on the same hill with my rifle last Thanksgiving weekend. That massive-bodied 8-point probably field-dressed double that. It was not a bad weekend overall, as I managed to take a couple limits of smallmouth bass, mid-day in about an hour between hunts on Saturday and Sunday. I also helped my father in law put away the boats and other stuff for the winter. The cold weather made it great in the woods, finally getting rid of the bugs that have made it pretty tough in there since early May. Too bad it didn't make the does a little more active however.

My favorite is stuffed cabbage. My wife does it the "lazy" style without actually stuffing the cabbage, just kind of mixing all the stuff together. I could eat that every day, but she only makes it once a month or so. Tacos are our kids favorite and we all like spaghetti, lasagna, goulash, and chili. My wife also makes some good baked beans with grind. Our extended family and friends love that dish at get-togethers. I have been known to secure a little more for myself at such gatherings by making comments like: "nothing brings out the flavor of beans like ground deer meat" that is always effective on my sister in law and a few others who are grossed out by anything "wild". I have been doing plain burgers on the grill the last few weeks, in an attempt to exhaust the old supply prior to my first hunt this Saturday. We still have a little better than one average size deer left in the freezer, so it don't look good as far as that goes. For grilled burgers, I mix 1 raw egg with 2 pounds of pure ground venison (I never add pork). I then form the patties and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours. That time, plus the egg, binds the meat together and keeps the patties from breaking up when you flip them. I grill my own medium rare and my wife and kids medium. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy. We all like them better than burgers made from beef. I usually end up with equal parts grind and other cuts from each deer I butcher. We use the grind and the rest at about equal rates. Small roasts, cooked in the crockpot are the primary use for the rest. I always just put the first deer into zip-lock bags, and we use that one first. Those bags keep it fresh tasting for at least 4 months. The rest are vacuum sealed for longer term storage. I have never noticed any lack of freshness in vacuum sealed ground venison up to 3 years in the freezer.

Barnett Recruit with 125 gr blackout mechanicals. It shot a little flatter last year with a new string. Shot pictured was 6 pt buck thru heart at 59 yards. I only had 8" of penetration, so I will limit shots this season with it to 50 yards. I picked up a range finder to help make sure. Sighting in a week or so ago, firing from a rest, every shot to 52 yards struck within 1" of the point of aim. Using the factory red/green dot sight, the top dot was right on at 20 yards, the middle at 30, and the lower at 45. Last year when it was new, the top dot was good to 40 and the middle on at 50. I estimated the buck, who's heart is pictured, at 50 and my 59 yard shot hit about 6" below the point of aim using the middle dot. That was rather fortunate as the 8" penetration at that range centered on the lungs would probably have only got one lung and would have been a more difficult recovery at best. Until NY state gives the crossbow full inclusion into archery season, the $250 I spent is all I am going to fork over for a crossbow. I will settle 2 weeks and a 50 yard effective range until then.

Mine almost always buried the bolts right up to the fletching in the foam block, with just the one going right thru. To pull them, I used to put a piece of wood 2x12 on the ground and push the tips against that to start the bolts back out. They still pulled out hard, a real pain and slow-down during practice. The "rag bag" is a dream in comparison, with virtually no effort to pull the bolts. Plus, all you got to do is shake it up occasionally to keep one section from wearing out.

Until last season, when I purchased some "bloodglow" just in case, I always left the stand at least 15 minutes prior to legal sunset during archery season. I am a meat hunter and would not dream of leaving an arrowed deer in the woods overnight. That always left me with about 45 minutes of so-so natural light to make the recovery. With the "bloodglow", I stay right up in the stand or blind until the legal sunset. It supposedly makes the blood glow in the starlight, and works even better in the rain. I have not tried it (both my bucks- archery and gun, last year expired within 40 yards), but it has definitely added considerable "prime time" to my hunts. I took one of my largest bucks, a few years ago with a gun, less than a minute before sunset.