the blur

I saw 3 deer opening day, that were pushed towards me. After that, NADA. It's hard to sit for the last hour. Gutting and dragging in the dark is SpOoKy.

This is the final weekend for me. Even though it's supposed to be warm, I'm going out. I'm sure I'll pick up a tick or 3, hopefully I'll see something. Even if I don't get anything, I need to be out there, just to know I spent my time in the woods.

I took the deer to the butcher 2 hours after the cop put 2 slugs into her. I got 25lbs of venison. Happened just off RT17. I know the area well, as I clipped a deer there 3 years ago, same spot. It's a funnel where all the deer cross the road. The car in front of me had minor hood damage. The driver was stunned, but ok. The deer was crippled, hind legs were paralyzed. She was trying to escape with just the 2 fronts, and I knew the cop had to finish her. He chose his slug gun over his pistol for some reason. And he put 2 rounds into her. 1 went through the back-strap. If it ever happens to you, make sure you ask the cop to do a head shot. I realized it afterwards. This happened when I was driving home from my hunting spot. Didn't see any deer in the woods... But I'm glad it worked out, and glad the cop had disposal tags. I would have used one of my tags anyway. But he had the tags with him.

I got a road kill this year. 1st one ever. Guy in front of me smashed a doe. Cop finished the doe, and helped me load it into my truck.

How come most people leave them in the woods ?

Seeing a lot of road kill in 3M. And I know exactly where they cross the road every night. But there is nowhere to hunt there. I was behind a car the other night that blasted a doe into the air.

I too have the 7mm-08.

The roasts are probably still good, and so are the back-straps. Just cut out the front shoulder. Infections are localized, and not throughout the entire body. Otherwise she would have been dead.

Last deer went in my truck. Probably not such a good idea.

Why is that more graphic than gutting a deer ? Ripping out it's insides.

I feel deer like car exhaust. That's why they get run over so often.

Dead Truck & Road Kill: Went to visit my father in the hospital Friday afternoon, then started the drive upstate. All started Friday night… Driving up to camp, 80 miles from home, 80 miles from camp. Truck losses an alternator on the NYS thruway. I make it to a rest stop. Whip out my AAA card, make the phone call, and say, I want a tow 80 miles to my house. 5 minutes later the operator comes back on the phone. I’m sorry, AAA is not allowed on the NYS thruway. I say excuse me, what good is the AAA??? She explains, the NYS thruway authority must tow me off the thruway, and only then can the AAA send their tow truck. Kind of like a connection flight. I need 2 tows. So I’m thinking, this will take 4 hours at best, and it totally ridiculous. So I call my friend 1 hr away who has towing equipment. Luckily he is able to rescue me, and we tow the truck back to my garage. I get home at midnight. 8am Saturday morning, run down to the local parts store. Buy an alternator, get the truck back running again by 10am. Figured, hey, might as well visit my father in the hospital again, and then try another trip upstate. Finally make it to my hunting spot by 2pm, and I spend 3 hours sitting. Only lost 1/2 day in the woods. No deer anywhere, no sign, at least I got out for a bit. So I’m driving home. Almost back to the highway, and the car in front of me blasts a doe. So I stop, the driver is ok, but stunned. The doe is on the side of the road suffering. Back legs are not working; she is trying to get up with her front legs. Either both her back legs were broken, or a spinal injury. The car was still drivable... just some hood damage. I get the driver to call the cops, he didn’t want too. But I know he must report it. Finally the cop comes, writes the accident report, and he has to finish the deer. He decides to use his 12 gauge shotgun, rather than his pistol. Rather than shooting the deer in the head, he uses 2 slugs. 1 through the back strap, and the other through the gut. He did it from 10 feet away, and didn’t really aim. He wasn't a hunter, just a cop doing his job. I really should have advised him what to do. But I have never been in this situation before. No one wants the deer, so I ask the cop for a tag. He gladly gives me a tag. He wouldn’t let me gut the deer on some person’s front lawn. But he helps me load the deer into my truck. So now I have an ungutted deer….thinking what is the best plan. I decided to drive 2 ½- 3 hrs to my butcher, and we gutted it at the butcher. The gut was starting to swell. The skin was cool, but the interior was still hot. I figured 3 hours is still ok not to gut a deer. I think the meat is ok…. the butcher thinks it's ok.. Didn’t have any odors. Definitely lost 1 back-strap from the slug. At least I got meat, and everyone was happy the deer didn’t go to waste. And I thanked the guy for hitting the deer  He didn't think it was too funny. And I feel good about it, because I lost a doe on opening day. So at least this doe didn't go to waste.

What is a gator ?

What percentage of hunters only hunt opening weekend ???? I know quite a few. At least 5 people. I do try to go every weekend.

If you take the hunters safety class, that is the #1 violation of firearm safety. They even mentioned this problem specifically of not using a scope as bino's. Where do you hunt, so we can stay far away ??

Last year, it was so cold in November, the bucks were going wild. I actually saw a big buck sniffing the asphalt running down the road. This year, I saw no signs of any rut. Didn't even see a buck yet.

Looks like it was left out overnight.

Feral cats are an invasive species, and must be treated as such.

Only from experience you learn it's best to empty the magazine, than to loose a deer.

No one hunts there any more because they don't transport the deer for you any more !!

A deer coming towards me 40 MPH, full speed run from being spooked. She literally jumped over my head. I had on my electronic muffs. Sounded like a freight train in the middle of the woods.

We all hunt the same NY woods. Sometimes a shot will be 80 yards. Sometimes less. Where do you sight in ???? I'm currently sighted in for 100 yards, but I'm reconsidering.

None are left for next year.

Very fancy scope. I used it twice for Elk hunting. It's an amazing scope. 5 star reviews everywhere. I paid $1300 last year. It has 1 scuff from hunting. No dents, or dings. I only want $1000. I'm taking apart the rifle, and building a different setup. Otherwise I would keep the scope. It's illuminated. Probably one of the best scopes out there for the money, by the best name in scopes.

They were giving them away for free on November 1st.