Live From The Woods 2022 - 2023 Edition!

[genesee_mohican]

I sat till around 10 this morning on public land, I spent most of my sit with my mind on high obtain motivation for where the best tree stand placement is for next year in this area that I'm blessed to have found, just a good travel spot in semi thick stuff. The never ending chess game is what keeps me going.

I got down and started to explore a bit and found quite a few scrapes and some decent rubs.  Maybe the maker of the rubs is dead but it's a good looking edge area so I'll move a nearby stand here. It was great sneaking around silently in the rain for a few hours.

 

[New York Hillbilly]

44 minutes ago, suburbanfarmer said:

Trespassers/thieves dont care.. i hate them..

I could not agree more. It speaks to a bigger issue in my opinion. There is a sense of entitlement, passive aggressive bully BS, and how can I act like an A'hole and get away with it that seems to afflict many people these days. It's like people get their rocks off being jerks!

Edited November 27, 2022 by New York Hillbilly
grammar

[First-light]

Great day in the woods. Didn't see a thing today.....lol Can we start talking about the second Rut!

 

[wolc123]

4 hours ago, First-light said:

Great day in the woods. Didn't see a thing today.....lol Can we start talking about the second Rut!

 

I didn’t see anything today either.  I hunted my food plot court at home this morning and the clover plot over at my parents this evening.  I’d say we are definitely in the post opening gun week slow period now.  They are all dead or in the thick cover by day and only come out at night.  
 

I’ll be hunting my stands in or on the edge of the thick stuff the next couple weekends.  They might be coming back out in the daylight by the last weekend of gun, but certainly by late ML and Holiday ML.  
 

I think I have plenty of meat now, because the tiny-tined dmp tag buck from Thanksgiving morning had a more on him than I expected.  

 

Maybe 35 pounds of grind plus 9 small roasts and (4) one quart packs of back straps, and that was after trimming off a lot of fat.  
 

There’s probably room for one more average sized deer in our big freezer, but anything after that, I will be giving away.  

Edited November 28, 2022 by wolc123

[Tughill Tamer]

My first experience of hunting in NC. Nothing moving so far but it's early yet. Good luck to anyone going out.

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[First-light]

Checked in with the Neighbor behind we. They didn't see Much over the weekend but are still getting real nice bucks on cell cam and a bear. 

[Tughill Tamer]

Let a small doe go then shot at a bigger one just about a half hour ago. Giving her a little longer then going to look. Wish me luck.

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[suburbanfarmer]

Back to work for the morning shift. May do the last 2 hrs in the evening.

[Five Seasons]

I'm surprised at how many of you don't have a scale. It's not a huge investment and nice for record keeping and just generally scratching the curiosity itch. Even if it's not science grade accurate, it'll get you close.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08669YYV7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Congrats to those who shot nice deer!

[Tughill Tamer]

So after a good 2 hr search through millions of pine needles it looks like a clean miss. Out for lunch then back in for the afternoon.

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[New York Hillbilly]

16 hours ago, wolc123 said:

I didn’t see anything today either.  I hunted my food plot court at home this morning and the clover plot over at my parents this evening.  I’d say we are definitely in the post opening gun week slow period now.  They are all dead or in the thick cover by day and only come out at night.  
 

I’ll be hunting my stands in or on the edge of the thick stuff the next couple weekends.  They might be coming back out in the daylight by the last weekend of gun, but certainly by late ML and Holiday ML.  
 

I think I have plenty of meat now, because the tiny-tined dmp tag buck from Thanksgiving morning had a more on him than I expected.  

 

Maybe 35 pounds of grind plus 9 small roasts and (4) one quart packs of back straps, and that was after trimming off a lot of fat.  
 

There’s probably room for one more average sized deer in our big freezer, but anything after that, I will be giving away.  

I'm jealous of that grinder set up! What a great looking grind.

I'm here going nuts again with mine. Do you freeze the meat before grinding?

PS. The pickled heart recipe was on point.

[Five Seasons]

almost 10 years and averages 2 to 3 deer a year. worth every penny.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012KJBR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[wolc123]

1 hour ago, New York Hillbilly said:

I'm jealous of that grinder set up! What a great looking grind.

I'm here going nuts again with mine. Do you freeze the meat before grinding?

PS. The pickled heart recipe was on point.

That thing is probably over a hundred years old, I think my great grandfather made it.  Him and my grandfather put lots of beef cattle and hogs thru it.  Years ago, you could find places to sharpen the knife and screen.  Now, I just buy new ones (#12) when it starts plugging.  I think the 3/16” screen and a knife cost around $30 from Amazon last year.  
 

I put about 75 deer thru the prior set, before it started plugging.  I don’t freeze the meat first, but I do remove as much of the fat and tendons as I can.  It will grind the meat almost as fast as I drop it in.  Most of my butchering time is spent trimming the meat off the bones and trimming out the fat. 
 

It also takes a little longer to vacuum seal the packs than it does to grind.  Fortunately, my wife takes care of that part for me.  

[suburbanfarmer]

Nothing seen but on the drive back , had 2 run across the rd. Thought about bumper hunting but the $500 deductible crushed that thought instantly.

[First-light]

Saw 1 get up from its bed when I walked to stand. Nothing else for the afternoon. Headed to my brother inlaws tomorrow for an afternoon hunt. I have a doe permit for his area. 1 st adult gets it!

[New York Hillbilly]

This was yesterday’s hard work.  10 quarts (quart plus pint jars) of canned venison, plus 21 pounds breakfast sausage, 1 pickled deer heart (from other day). The tenderloins and backstraps in the freezer. Also kept the liver in case someone asks for it.  : ) 

Edited November 29, 2022 by New York Hillbilly
spelling

[GreenDrake]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the advantage to canning the Venison as opposed to freezing it? My mother canned EVERYTHING, as in 300 plus quarts of tomatoes a year, but never anything like venison.

[GreenDrake]

BTW...WOLC....I missed you opening weekend....

[New York Hillbilly]

3 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the advantage to canning the Venison as opposed to freezing it? My mother canned EVERYTHING, as in 300 plus quarts of tomatoes a year, but never anything like venison.

Great question! Until last year I would not have been able to answer it myself. lol

After having a freezer go down one time to many, my wife and I decided to can venison as well as everything (almost) from our garden. Our kids and friends thought we were nuts a few years ago when we started canning so much in preparation for any shortages. Stories from my grandparents about the Depression came flooding back to me during the whole Covid where the hell is the toilet paper thing.

Now if the power goes out or food shortages hit we are very well positioned to feed us and our friends and/or family. And, as far a venison goes; until you have tried it you can not believe what you are missing! It is melt in your mouth tender (even the tough cuts like leg meat) and the flavor like slow cooked pot roast. It makes awesome stew, soup, enchiladas, etc.

I'll admit the first time pressure canning we were sitting on the edge of our seats the whole time worried we might blow the house up, but now my wife is an expert at it in my opinion. Oh...and nobody we know are laughing at us now! Our Thanksgiving dinner with the exception of the turkey all came straight from our homestead.

[New York Hillbilly]

Here’s a picture of one of our shelves, and there are four shelf sections  in total,  full.  

[wolc123]

50 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

BTW...WOLC....I missed you opening weekend....

Not as much as I missed you all.  
 

As far as the canning goes, I haven’t had canned venison in many years, but my mom used to do it when I was a kid and it was really good.  
 

The last canned meat I had was from an old (est 8.5 yr) moose, down at my friend’s camp, about 4 years ago.  He had initially froze all the meat from that, but it was so tough, you could hardly chew it.

He thawed it all out, then canned it with a pressure cooker.  That stuff was delicious, and unbelievably tender after that.  We just opened a jar, heated it on the stove, and poured it over noodles.  
 

I do worry about my freezer (it’s about 40 years old and has been almost completely submerged several times when our basement flooded), so I’d like to get into canning someday.  Probably won’t be till after I retire and have a little more spare time.  

Edited November 29, 2022 by wolc123

[Lawdwaz]

On 11/24/2022 at 12:24 PM, Gencountyzeek said:

Little Zeek strikes again.

Thanksgiving 10pt.

And a great shot too!  Congratulations LZ.  

[Lawdwaz]

I haven’t canned in a few years.  The next deer I kill (if I’m so lucky) I need to can some and get sausage made.   I think I’m set on ground now with two deer this year….

[New York Hillbilly]

7 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

I haven’t canned in a few years.  The next deer I kill (if I’m so lucky) I need to can some and get sausage made.   I think I’m set on ground now with two deer this year….

As an update; the Weatherby is my go to rifle every time I leave the door. It has done a great job filling our shelves. And, my wife was just saying today out of the clear blue, "that is the prettiest gun you have!". :  )

She has never mentioned anything ever before about my firearms.

[First-light]

On 11/28/2022 at 6:10 PM, First-light said:

Saw 1 get up from its bed when I walked to stand. Nothing else for the afternoon. Headed to my brother inlaws tomorrow for an afternoon hunt. I have a doe permit for his area. 1 st adult gets it!

walking in had one broadside but a bit too small. Saw nothing else. He saw 6 but had no shot. Tomorrow should be a washout getting the truck serviced and may try to hunt the afternoon.