Steuben Jerry

Daughter Steph is out after baby Cameron kept her awake most of the night. She got a real late start, so I suggested she still hunts a certain path to take advantage of a northwest wind. Heard a kinda close shot while I was in my living room of all places places. Quick radio check and she says she has a buck down. Head is moving around. Son in law and I are going to help. Fingers crossed!!

I gave it a go, and like John, added some onion. And threw in a bay leaf for the visual. Do they add taste or are they just for decoration? I can’t taste them.

Wow, new guy? Nice buck to move into the neighborhood!

Wife and daughter are out for the afternoon hunt. I’m on “watch” in my living room with youngest grandson, baby Cameron. Orange hat off, Cammy cries. Orange hat on, Cammy smiles. Mandatory orange requirement in the house now, lol. Staying tuned to this thread, light ‘em up everyone!

Welcome back @Chef !!

Congratulations on your retirement, and very awesome of you to use your season to take two new hunters under your wing like did. Big thumbs up! I know exactly what you mean about having the time to hunt and then not hunting that much. My job was horrible to take time off of and the fourth quarter was always the busiest, almost impossible to get away. Used to really piss me off. After I retired 10/1, it took me a little over three weeks to get into hunting mode. I was worried I was losing interest. I am also looking forward to muzzleloader season and will also enjoy every day (especially weekdays) of rifle season until then! Enjoy your time Huey!

Nope and I was mentioning your recipe as I put it in the ziplock bag I remembered to grab on my way out the door. Buck heart was slightly shot damaged, doe heart is intact. Got 3 in a bag. It’ll be 2.5 after discarding the shot part. Trying your recipe tonight. Edit, actually it is in the pile in that pic. I grabbed them after putting the deer on the tractor.

I bought one from Northern Tool a couple of years ago and paid way too much.

My wife and son in law went out this morning. He didn’t have any luck over the weekend in his family’s camp. He’s only here til tomorrow morning so I signed over my doe tag to him and told him don’t go home without a deer. Wife didn’t see anything on the south side of property. Kevin sat on the north side in the stand I killed my 8 point, and he doubled up on an 8 point and a doe! Woohoo! Going out help, pics to follow!

Out of likes so thank you!

I’d like to try this and still have the heart from my buck that I didn’t freeze yet. Can I ask you to either post or send me your recipe?

Out of likes but I enjoyed reading the story. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing him again soon, and with a different outcome!

That’s so cool!

Nice buck - congrats to your son!

I definitely share your affliction!

Hunted opening morning with my wife and we experienced the quietest opening morning ever. Few sightings of small deer and only half a dozen distant shots. Got back out about 3:00 Saturday afternoon, a bit later than I wanted but didn’t bump anything on the way in, at least that I know of. I went to a ladder stand on the tree line of a swampy stand of pines to the right and a 4 acre field on the left. My daughter was 800 yds away in the tower stand that I was in that morning. I was just settled in there for a few minutes and I get a glimpse of a high spike walking toward me along the field edge about 100 yards out. At one point he’s inside 30 yds and just about directly down wind of me. I’m just thinking to myself how the heck are you not smelling me when it looked like he walked into an electric fence when he got a whiff of me. He instantly reared back and bolted back about 30 yds. He really wanted to keep going back in his original direction so he came walking back, stiff legged and nose in the air. Got just a bit closer, got another whiff of me and quickly spun around and took off into the pines. About 4:00 a doe and two fawns come ripping across the field and stop, looking back at where they came from about 100 yds away. I’m thinking OK, here we go, who’s chasing you, as I slide the gun over to my left. Another spike, followed by yet another spike galloping behind him. The doe took kind of an aggressive stance toward the lead spike, and then everyone just started feeding in the field and milling around for 15 minutes or so before filtering off through the far tree line. All quiet after that. Around 5:00 it’s getting somewhat dark so I figured oh well, no shots tonight so I’d pour a cup of coffee and sit until after legal light ended which was at 5:13 here. I usually sit till it’s dark enough to sneak out unseen if possible. I look at my watch and it’s a couple minutes after 5:00. A minute or two later I see a deer step out of the pines at about 80 yards and take the exact same walking path toward me as that first spike did. Big body, nose to the ground, steady walk. I already had the gun up, put the scope on him and am trying to quickly judge the rack. Ease the safety off. Seemed wide enough for me but with his nose to the ground, his tines were pointing right at me at 60 yds and I couldn’t judge height at all. Getting closer. Crap, he’s going to walk right into my scent cone just like that first spike did and bolt right out of my life. 50 yards and he picked his head up and ever slightly quartered away. High tines. Shot was base of the neck, and went out pretty much mid chest and he dropped instantly. Went down like I flipped his off switch. It got dark quickly after that and he fell in a position that I really couldn’t see the rack. I sat for 5 minutes before I got down and walking toward him, the feeling of ground shrinkage is creeping in. Nah, not tonight. Lit him up with the flashlight and took a quick pic. I went to get the tractor before I dressed him out. We hear lots of Coyotes every night and my buddy lost a next-day recovery doe here to a bear a few years back. Figured I’d keep the smells down til I could get him out. And the tractor lights sure do help. Daughter Stephanie followed me out on one of the quads to get some field pics. There’s a bit of long-arming here but not much, just wanted to stay trendy. I started oddly this season by retiring on the Bow opener but quickly got busy with other stuff for a few weeks while it was warm. Got at it a few days before the crossbow opener and after about a dozen sits, I didn’t really see much of anything but does and spikes and nothing even close to being in range. Then last Monday I took a doe with the xbow and my best buck on Saturday. Still have a doe tag to stay in the game but I want to keep that open to be able to transfer to one of the kids if needed. Got to watch that horrible Bills game yesterday, but now I’m up for a week with family, staying up too late, and hopefully being put to work recovering deer for wife and daughter. Son in law is coming over from his Dad’s camp in Allegheny for a day or two to hunt too. I’m glad for the little scent education that first spike gave me, and without that extra 30 minutes this year, I wouldn’t have gotten my best buck to date. Great end to day that started so quietly! This guy turned out to be a frequent trail cam visitor on a few different trail cams all year. He messed up that lump of a brow tine in velvet. He was probably the #2 buck and as far as I know, #1 is still pushing does around.

I don’t know who sucked more yesterday, the Bills or my fantasy team!

That’s awesome! Congratulations!

Out of likes for the day, thanks!

Better pics courtesy of John Deere lighting.

6 minutes before last legal. I think it’s my best buck. Better pics later.

Congratulations Mrs @Nytracker!

Congratulations Paula!

I’m the man in the box..