wolc123

I tried that, but I had to manually drag that one down from near the top of an Adirondack mountain ridge. Considerable twisting and rolling of the carcass was involved, resulting in the loss of the heart and liver. The doe had to have been at least 3.5 years old, so they probably would have been tough anyhow, based on how chewy a tenderloin was for breakfast the next morning. I retraced my drag path several times looking for them, but it was about half a mile of mostly wet brown leaves, so no luck finding them. It wouldn’t have been a problem at home in wny, where I can usually drive a tractor or side by side right up to where I gut them.

At least he didn’t squash the Holiday ML season. I am planning to hit that hard in Erie county.

I am really looking forward to seeing how a 30/30 does on a buck. I have only killed three with a center fire rifle (all with my 30/06). That thing is way too heavy and bulky to carry up in the dacks, but it flattened every one, on impact. I passed a chip shot on a small buck here in wny, with my shotgun on opening day, as I will over the upcoming 4 day Holliday weekend, to save my tag for another chance at a buck up north with a 30/30. I was going to head up there this weekend, but delayed the trip until the following weekend. I went with a 30/30 because it has probably killed more deer than any other caliber in NY, and I thought amok would always be easy to find.

I have the blacks which are rated to -14 F. My father in law has the white “ bunny’s” which are rated to -60 F. They are too bulky for hunting though, and my feet don’t get cold in the blacks on the coldest days, unless I break thru the ice and fill them with water.

Hopefully the hearts are not on the gut piles.

I can’t wait to see what happens in the mid terms. If the VA governors race gives us any clue, then we shouldn’t have to deal with them too much longer.

This was my grandmas recipe for beef heart and tongue. I like the tongue the best from those and I may need to supplement my venison heart this year with a couple of those If I don’t end up with a few more. I lost my doe heart and my bb is not going to cut it on its own.

I only once got a cold foot in plain old army surplus Mickey Mouse boots and a single pair of medium weight wool blend socks. I have worn the same pair for the last 10 years and they have held up very well. The time I got a cold foot, was in mid December when it was about 20 degrees out, and I took water over the top on my third deep ditch crossing. If you pull the laces tight, you can make a couple deep water crossings without taking on too much water. My wet foot was numb by the time I made it back to the house. Sportsman’s guide used to sell them for $ 40. I imagine you could still find them on EBay for comparable inflation-adjusted cost.

It depends on your taste. If you like the way un pickled heart tastes (some folks do), then you cant eat it too quick. It keeps for a couple weeks in the fridge, taking on more and more of the sweet “pickle” flavor. I like it best about 24 hours after it hits the juice.

Do you need a tooth from the lower jaw ? I saved the whole thing from one I killed a few years ago (it is hanging from the busted up 8 point middle on right). I also weighed that one on a certified butchers scale (182 pounds), and measured the chest girth (42”). I guessed his age at 3.5 but maybe I will send in a tooth to confirm.

Pork fat does not freeze and when mixed with ground venison, the taste gets worse in direct proportion to the time it is in the freezer, even if it is vacuum sealed. 100 % venison tastes the same, when it has been vacuum sealed in a freezer for 5 years, as the day it was ground. If you want venison hamburg patties to stay together on the grill, mix a raw egg in with it and form the patties a few hours minimum before grilling. We recently finished the last of some vacuum sealed pork mixed ground venison, from last season, that a buddy gave us. Our tacos are tasting a lot better, now that we are back on the pure stuff, from a doe that I killed 3 seasons ago.

Glad I work in Niagara county.

X3 They wrecked my plans for wading the streams for deer, while catch & release brook trout fishing, during the early ML week up north this year. Also, I hear they are pretty good eating.

.44 magnum in a Henry or Marlin lever.

Did the two biologists give their credentials ? I have heard that antler size is a terrible way to age deer, but tooth wear is supposed to be pretty good. My first guess would also be 2.5, but that does look like a pretty big head, so he could have been 3.5. Maybe they are starting the count at conception rather than at birth. I think that is why we can’t get a concrete answer on even Milo Hansen’s world record typical. Some of the data indicates that it was 3.5 and some 4.5. Did you get a dressed weight (heart & lungs out), or a chest girth on him ? Those are the most important numbers in my book.

I just saw a turkey out of this one. Last time I saw turkeys on opening weekend of gun, there was a big buck with them. Too bad I spooked this bird away, reaching for my phone, to take its picture.

A tom turkey just came out for some winter wheat, but spooked when I reached for my phone to take his picture.

30 mph wind driven rain now , so I had to abandon the upper deck. The visibility isn’t quite as good down below, but way more comfortable.

I don’t like to hunt any stand more than once per week. The first time in any stand or blind each year is usually the best for me. I saw 5 deer from my deep woods, swamp edge “gun opener” stand yesterday morning, all in easy gun range. That was my first time in it this year. After lunch, I went to a field edge stand that I had used once in early antlerless gun season, and once during crossbow. I saw just one deer, which would have been a chip shot even with a bow. Today, I started in a woods edge stand that I had hunted out of briefly with my crossbow last Sunday. I saw nothing from it until 9:30, when I moved to another stand on the opposite corner of the woods. That was my first time in that one this year but no deer showed up in the lucrative 10:00 -12:07 time slot. Now, I am in a different, field-edge stand till dark. I haven’t been in it since September, so I am hoping for the best, but not expecting much. When I was half way back here, I realized that I left my extra slugs up at the house when I broke for lunch. I only have the two in the clip and one in the chamber. If I thought my odds of seeing something was better, I would have went back for more slugs. Considering that I only heard 3 shots in the whole neighborhood between 6:45 and 12:07, I think I am good with just 3 slugs. It is starting to sprinkle a little bit now so I may soon move downstairs into the enclosed part of my two story open top blind.

I wanted to hold out until 12:30 to get in on some of that alleged full moon high-noon buck action but I don’t think I can make it. I will give it until 12:07.

No early morning deer action near the new double stand at the front corner of my woods. Lots of squirrels. I guess that’s what I get for attaching it to a red oak tree. I just got up for a stretch and walked to the old stand on the back corner of the woods. This ones on a maple. There was a fresh scrape half way between the two stands, which I freshened with about a pint of my own cider based mix. The last deer I killed from this one was a big doe in the mid afternoon about 5 years ago. She ran by where that green grass is now, thru about a foot of snow. I am going to try and stick it out here until about 12:30. It will be tough because my stomach is already growling as I think about leftover stuffed peppers that my wife made for dinner Friday night.

I heard 3 shots close by so far this morning (2 around sunrise to my west and one about 20 minutes later to my south). All I have seen so far is two grey squirrels.

Just got to my new double ladder at home at legal light 6:45. No luck or sightings from this one last Sunday afternoon with crossbow. Hoping that it is a better morning spot. Full moon was great for the walk back.

Close, I measure the chest girth, not weigh, with the tape measure. The thing that I am most interested is meat volume, not weight, and the chest girth measurement provides for a more accurate estimate of that. I do estimate deer age by skull size and I don’t see any good reason to not harvest a deer before they reach 4.5 years of age. I Understand your frustration and have been there at times myself. Keep after them, it will get better soon, and there is a lot of season left.

My little friend forkie just got his second pass of the year. He is safe until after thanksgiving weekend. I first saw him two weeks ago on opening day of crossbow.