Robhuntandfish

i used casings from price chopper - natural casings from Syracuse casing company - they come packed in salt. Have used these for a few years now and they work well. Have a few tags here and there i just trim before sealing. I think the color is just the light in the kitchen as the closest is right under the over head light.

nice job! A lot of teamwork from forum members lately ! good to see!!! Between caping deer, tracking deer, getting 4 wheelers out of a swamp ..........good folk!

We have the usual Thanksgiving fixin's but we always have a family tradition of wild rice dressing. Its my favorite Thanksgiving food for sure. Cook up some bulk venison breakfast sausage and Long grain and wild rice (i cook it in chicken broth), then add in mushrooms (Dad always had wild mushrooms) and mix together and bake through. So good! i try to make it once or twice a year as well with some grilled backstraps . any wild game hitting your table? The turkey itself maybe?

I have fished lewey lake a bunch and always wanted to go across the lake and hunt. By the creek that comes into it on the edge of the swampy area on the speculator side. Have heard a lot of turkeys in there in the spring. It's probably starting to freeze over now. Good luck, lots of area up there. Be careful.

Sorry to hear this. I am so very close to my dog as well. He's my good buddy. Thats never easy.

You should def find him even if he isnt dead with that injury he will def stiffen up and you will catch up to him quickly. Blood in the snow is so deceiving as a little bit will spread like paint. But if he is falling and bleeding along you'll be on him right away. Good luck and would be great to track down the first buck on the new property!

Made 10 lbs of smoked venison sausage tonite and I am done. Freezer is to the brim. A lot of meat off that buck! If I get another it will go to processor and be split among others. As will some in that freezer. ( Use herb philipson bags to separate different cuts and burgers and sausage etc. Label it by year on bags and sealed portions inside) Sausages will be cooked at a later date in the smoker.

I have a hunting buddy that would be freaked out. Lol he said if he sees a bear hes taking up just fishing again. If he came out and those were in his tracks he would be done. Lol Me on the other hand have been dying to get one NY bear in my life. Pretty cool!

A pass for sure. Nothing worse than wounding one. I have wounded some and never found them when i thought I had a good shot and it still bothers me. Would be different if you need the meat to survive. But hunting is mostly for enjoyment, the challenge, connecting with nature and some people don't get it. You made the right call.

Glad to help. You can pay me in meatloaf! good luck out there. Seems like a beautiful day to be in the woods and one without snow for the next couple of months is prob a good break for you!

I went with a mid sneak pose with ears half forward.....lol Have no idea what that means for sure. But he said if i wasnt exactly sure where it was going it was one of the better selections cause you dont want it turned right or left if it didnt work on the spot you decide you want it and the deer is facing the wall. He was all into it and looking at the colors of the jaw and horns etc .... To me it felt like being at the art gallery and people commenting on a certain thing and i just say...its pretty. lol

if you drop that damn sandwich instead of the glove i will come out and get it for you! lol

Good luck hope this ends as a good story! If it was bow i would be more worried but gotta figure with gun it did more damage. A little blood in the snow looks like a lot so always hard to tell but if there is decent areas of blood after you prob got em. They are tough . Good luck!!!!!! Hoping for hero pics soon

i HATE gloves! Im frickin useless in gloves. I use a muff and hand warmers. Only wear gloves to and from stand. I wear the mittens that flip open and keep the gun hand open and just be cold. None of them seem to be warm enough and usually just end up wet.

I butcher my own - so does Moho I believe.

My guy also hunts and I don't want to drop the deer there and want to process the meat. If he was to cape each one you'd be waiting a bit esp after opening weekend.

Andrew is a good man, he'll get ya squared away! and yeah i have a guy.... lol . He has done fish for me for years and is now semi retired and only takes in like 10 deer a year. We sat down for an hour and BS'd about it and picked out a pose too. And i still dunnno if its the right one but im going with it!

i put some away in bulk to make those jalapeno cheddar snack sticks too over the winter. Love those! if i get another deer a good bulk of the grind will go right to those.

Moho - you and i in the same boat again. Lol. We both never got bigger than a 7 point before this season and I had these same questions. I called the taxidermist and asked him. And yeah never doing it before it was quite a chore. Esp since i usually process mine and hang them by the neck but didnt want to of course here. Bad enough i had a long drag with it. But he told me to bring the whole cape. He said to cut along the white hair on the legs up to the armpit and then have to roll and skin it off under the neck whole kinda like rolling over a sleeve. It took me a couple of hours and i really thought I didnt do a great job, but he looked at it and said it was just fine. I cut up and around under the neck as far up as I could then sawed off the neck bone. I know some will say there is a way to seperate at the head but I just used a saw. He said be sure not to cut into the brisket farther than the legs if I could help it. I worried about doing it right but am sure they have seen worse come in. lol hope this helps and good luck!

That's ok. Thanks for the inspiration. Now I have something else to make from this thread. After the deer season and get caught up for a minute, I'm making Fletch's cheese beer soup too

That's a great story for sure. Been trying to do the same for a buddies son. He's been close a couple times but think this is his season to get one. We went out this morning and didnt see anything it was so loud mad crunchy. But sat for a couple hours in stands close to eaxh other. On the way out and almost back to the vehicle and there are fresh tracks that crossed the trail and went behind him less than 100 yards in the brush. He said he thought he heard them. Gave him my old shotgun and hoping he takes a deer with it. It's knocked a few down.

I would track that like Luna and Kunox!

I want that ! In a tree stand.....#ontheground......anywhere!

Thanks to everyone for all the kudos on this buck. Being a member of this site has made hunting even more enjoyable and I appreciate all your kind words! Lots of great stories and nice deer taken this weekend , happy for you all.

Thanks much. Just can't believe it. Dropped it off at the taxidermist today.