Jennifer

Trust me, it's everywhere. I have moderated a few forums with very wide subject matter... from collecting to art, and it's just part of internet forums. Most of them aren't even humans, but scripts that look to overcome the forum's checks. For the most part they spam advertizements, though some of it comes through very garbled or in other languages, so it doesn't even work.

Great read, thanks for sharing!

I never really see them during deer season-- I know they are there, the property is loaded with their tracks and we hear them sing at night. The only time I seem to see coyotes is turkey hunting. They come in to the turkey calls, I imagine looking for some poultry dinner... It's made some of the smarter local turkey flocks very call-shy.

Hahaha!! Not gonna touch that one... I'd rant for hours!

No problem! I think I misunderstood your original post. I apologize. I guess I am not surprised to see the shock some have at "wild" game type meats on menus, there is a lot of intentional confusion over meat sourcing throughout the industry.

Thanks! I am keeping at it. Just tough when you don't see a single track for days! I don't hunt too far from you, maybe 30 min or so? In Alleghany County too. Right along 417 where it dips very close to the PA border. In my yard, which isn't too far west from there, they are 'yarding up' already into big groups (10+). I'm not sure if it means anything. The ones behind me are staying very close to the houses and grazing the grass at night. I see them nearly every night after dark when I go close my chickens up.

I'm willing to bet they were farm raised, every last one. All of the above species are raised on farms throughout the USA-- yes even the gator, ostrich, snake, and elk! I have a friend out west that is looking to get into raising elk on her farm.

Thanks. I've got a Canon 60D. I've been really happy with it. I took these from my deck, maybe 30 yards from the apple tree.

Starting to feel a little disappointed in our main hunting area... this is the second time I've gone in with fresh snow and haven't found a single track, new or old, above the thick brush down near houses/road (where I can not hunt legally). Dad and I still hunted and scouted the snow all day over the 60-70 acres I have access to and not a track. Lots of coyote tracks. I don't know if they are connected or not, but I don't think the property holds much food for the deer right now and historically they don't bed on the property very often. The oaks on this property didn't drop any mast this year for whatever reason and there isn't much browse except beech brush. No turkey tracks since the snow fell either so they haven't been feeding through either. Saw one squirrel. It was a nice day and I still enjoyed the woods, but this is getting tough. Not sure what to do...

My only complaint right now is that I haven't seen a single deer in the woods since the (gun) season started, not for a lack of trying. Despite this, I love nearly every moment out there. It was very pretty today with the snow on in the hemlocks.

The new Zippo handwarmers are not like their old fashioned counterparts of yesteryear. I live in Zippo Country (hah) right by Bradford PA and am very loyal to the brand, and I bought one for my dad, but we really disliked the newly manufactured handwarmers. It is really hard to get it to stay lit, even after being replaced once, and when it does it can burn for over 24 hours.... the one we got you have to fill it all the way and let it burn out. It's very inconsistent in its burn, too, which is frustrating. For the price I would probably suggest alternatives.

That's awesome to hear!

I understand and respect that. It'd be illegal, no matter what. I was just expressing that it'd be a tough situation to be in. I hope I never am placed in that position. As for a knife dispatch, perhaps for a paralyzed deer but at the same time if the deer is not immobile, getting a clean throat cut in can be extremely dangerous. I'm not saying I shy away from doing this by hand, but I also don't want to end up in the hospital. Close quarters with an injured, panicked deer is not without risk. I've seen what hooves can do, even if it's a doe. Anyhow this is all hypothetical for me and I don't wish to split hairs. It's given me a lot to think about. Best wishes to you all, may you never be in this situation!!

Ugh, I just can't do these windchills for too long until I invest in some better cold weather clothing. I didn't see a single track except down low in the thick-- where I can't hunt due to houses and property lines. Forecast says this cold and wind will be around well into the week. Ick. Good luck to those of you that are out there.

I did get some photos of it. The datestamp was 9/28. He he is. You can actually see a faint row of spots still along his spine if you look closely. It's hard to tell from these photos but he is really going to town! I should note that about five mintues beforehand, this young (but older) buck had come through and marked a lot, too. You can see him demonstrating a flehmen response (lip curling) in this photo. This is a buck we named gimpy because he was born with a bum leg, but he obviously recovered. Interestingly enough he is the only antlered buck that tolerates our presence in the yard, I think because his mom used to bring him by so often when he was young!

I had a button buck acting the same way in the woods behind my house, in September. He was this year's fawn, I 'knew' him and his sister and their momma doe (she has a distinctly lighter coat every year). He made a little scrape under my apple tree and was lickin' the branches and lip curling, the whole works. Pretty entertaining! I might have photos of it, let me check.

I've never been in that situation, but I'm not sure what I would do if I had a deer floundering after legal sunset. We don't have cell service where we hunt. It'd take a good 20 or 30 minutes to make a phone call and then maybe the same amount of time to get back to the deer. That'd be a really tough choice.

It depends on how old the injury was and the severity of the injury. Infection is absolutely possible, but I've seen deer survive and even thrive with worse injuries (sadly!) caused by car strikes... they are pretty tough critters. If one shoots a deer with signs of infection, one can indeed get a new tag if the meat is unfit for consumption.

I'm really sorry that you were put into this situation. But, thank you for doing the right thing. I know it doesn't affect me personally but I appreciate what you did.

I don't know them personally at all so use your best judgement, but I have purchased meat from them before. Seemed like good folks that cared for their livestock. They are Wild Acres Family Farm, 5963 Rought 98 in Great Valley.... if you don't have any luck elsewhere. 716-945-4649 I dunno if they would take them but maybe they can give you a lead.

What part of WNY? There's a farm in Great Valley that pastures pigs; table-bound pigs couldn't ask for a better life.

The wind got too bitter for me after still hunting this morning. Lots of blowing snow but zero accumulation yet. Didn't see anything after a morning still hunt.

I'm a 6' tall twig, so I hear you. Thanks for the advice!

Used to do this with turkeys when we had access to large tracts of public access land. I'd get a call from dad after a snowfall and he'd say "let's go track and attack!". That's gone to us now, sadly, so we can't go terribly far without hitting property lines unless we drive up to state lands. I'd love to be able to do this with deer someday.

Ack.. just checked the forecast, it's supposed to snow but not accumulate here. We'll see what it does. -8°F windchill on Sunday. Cripes. I just wish the wind would calm down a bit this year...!