Land to hunt deer

Gilligan

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
General Lee said:
You have a point. Neighborhood deer are used to sights, sounds and odors of the neighborhood. They're used to people and being close in their surroundings. Hunt a more isolated area and its a whole different game.
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We have about 30 to 40 deer on the island hunting club that I help manage. They are very cagey and well adapted to the dense underbrush that covers probably 2/3 of the 40-acre island. Hunting there is still a little bit of a challenge, although they can always be counted on to come out and graze in the open grassy areas, and all of the tree stands and blinds are set up accordingly. ;-)
 
Bird Dog

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
black dog said:
I've never been a antler hunter.
But for the most part seeing a 5 year wild whitetail doesn't happen that often anyway.
In the wild, the majority of deer don't make it to that age because of disease, hunting and automobile collisions. The average life span for wild white-tailed deer is 4.5 years.
In St Mary's I don't think I ever harvested a deer over 3 years old, at my place in Indiana we have harvested many 3-4 year old deer.. alot less pressure their also.. easily a few thousand acres that maybe 10 folks hunt..
I hunt for a few folks and my freezers and the local food bank.
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All the hunters who say “I’m not an antler hunter”are usually the one who can’t kill them. True trophys are a tough species and it takes skill, time and patience. I harvest many nice deer in St. Mary’s and like you I give them to friends, fill my freezer and donate to food banks....but a 5+ is something special...usually 10 points plus,
150 points + Boone and Crocket....young kids don’t shoot them, but with time and patience they will learn.

Her son will learn with every mistake he makes....and buying your own property and managing it is best way to do that.
 
black dog

black dog

Free America
Bird Dog said:
All the hunters who say “I’m not an antler hunter”are usually the one who can’t kill them. True trophys are a tough species and it takes skill, time and patience. I harvest many nice deer in St. Mary’s and like you I give them to friends, fill my freezer and donate to food banks....but a 5+ is something special...usually 10 points plus,
150 points + Boone and Crocket....young kids don’t shoot them, but with time and patience they will learn.

Her son will learn with every mistake he makes....and buying your own property and managing it is best way to do that.
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You seem to know me well for never meeting me. Like I said, I'm not a antler hunter nor do I ever want to be, I've never measured or saved any antlers in my life, It's not my bag.
It's not what I was taught as a kid, I was taught fair chase by my grandfather, and I passed it on to my son.. he and I enjoy just spending the days in the woods, blind and good animal management of my farm keeps a smile on my face.
 
G

General Lee

Well-Known Member
Bird Dog said:
All the hunters who say “I’m not an antler hunter”are usually the one who can’t kill them. True trophys are a tough species and it takes skill, time and patience. I harvest many nice deer in St. Mary’s and like you I give them to friends, fill my freezer and donate to food banks....but a 5+ is something special...usually 10 points plus,
150 points + Boone and Crocket....young kids don’t shoot them, but with time and patience they will learn.

Her son will learn with every mistake he makes....and buying your own property and managing it is best way to do that.
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I'm not an antler hunter per se, but will kill a nice buck when the opportunity presents itself. Just bagged a 9 pointer the other evening. I am a meat hunter, fill my freezer first before I get choosy. That little 8 pointer that walks by....there is ZERO guarantee he will make it to next year and be bigger, why? Because someone else will kill him, he'll get struck by a car and the list goes on. There is a difference between meat hunters and "trophy" hunters. Nothing wrong with either, its just a personal choice.

Letting a decent buck walk to get bigger next year is better suited for large parcels of land that are well managed and restricted to a minimal hunters. I don't really have that luxury.
 
lovinmaryland

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
He's taken y'alls advice and got off work early today to try and catch them coming to feed this evening. Hopefully he has better luck!
 

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lovinmaryland

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
HE GOT ONE!!!! ❤️

He’s alone right now and trying to haul it out of the woods while it’s snowing ahhh! But I’ll post a pic once I get one
 
littlelady

littlelady

God bless the USA
My hub is a hunter big time. Did the whole horseback thing in CO hunting elk. My father and bros were hunters in LA and TX, and I never could be part of that. I know it is a good thing to keep the deer pop down, but deer eyes are so ‘endeering’. I will never kill one, and I would rather see them eat my hostas. I have never eaten venison in my life, even though my father and bros had 101 recipes. Nope. Never will.

And, I think that my adversion for deer and wild turkeys being killed was a process that has led me to be vegan, today. I don’t like meat, anymore. I used to fight my bros for the left over steak. I think it is because I know how cruel it is. But, I have nothing against meat eaters! :smile:
 
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lovinmaryland

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
Bird Dog said:
I see venison tacos in your future....
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ha ha ou have no idea all the venison recipes that I have been asked to make in the last 48 hours LOL
littlelady said:
My hub is a hunter big time. Did the whole horseback thing in CO hunting elk. My father and bros were hunters in LA and TX, and I never could be part of that. I know it is a good thing to keep the deer pop down, but deer eyes are so ‘endeering’. I will never kill one, and I would rather see them eat my hostas. I have never eaten venison in my life, even though my father and bros had 101 recipes. Nope. Never will.

And, I think that my adversion for deer and wild turkeys being killed was a process that has led me to be vegan, today. I don’t like meat, anymore. I used to fight my bros for the left over steak. I think it is because I know how cruel it is. But, I have nothing against meat eaters! :smile:
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I've tried it but its not my favorite. I think its a subconscious thing because like you I think the deer are gorgeous and I love to watch them feed.
 
lovinmaryland

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
General Lee said:
Good for him. Storm front got the deer moving
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I think that is what it was too! I was so relieved he was able to get one. He was beyond happy. This was his face pretty much the entire weekend ---> :biggrin:

He was so tired after hauling it out of the woods by himself... apparently he was pretty deep in there. That he was too exhausted to try and take a picture with it :bawl: So these are the only two pictures he got.


Once he got it out of the woods he took it to be processed. He originally went to the amish but he said they were closed. So a friend recommended a place in Mechanicsville (I cant think f the name its on the tip of my tongue though) I think he said it weighed 90 lbs or so. The place that processed it for him showed him how to field dress (I think that's what he said) for free so now he knows how to do that. He said they were very nice there and very reasonable. They also gave him a free log of their venison summer sausage and once he got home and cut into that he wished he would've had them make some of that vs. getting the standard process cut.
 

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Chris0nllyn

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
lovinmaryland said:
I think that is what it was too! I was so relieved he was able to get one. He was beyond happy. This was his face pretty much the entire weekend ---> :biggrin:

He was so tired after hauling it out of the woods by himself... apparently he was pretty deep in there. That he was too exhausted to try and take a picture with it :bawl: So these are the only two pictures he got.


Once he got it out of the woods he took it to be processed. He originally went to the amish but he said they were closed. So a friend recommended a place in Mechanicsville (I cant think f the name its on the tip of my tongue though) I think he said it weighed 90 lbs or so. The place that processed it for him showed him how to field dress (I think that's what he said) for free so now he knows how to do that. He said they were very nice there and very reasonable. They also gave him a free log of their venison summer sausage and once he got home and cut into that he wished he would've had them make some of that vs. getting the standard process cut.
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That's awesome. Good for him!

Watch a few YouTube vids on field dressing. It's important as not to spoil the meat (and shaves a bunch of weight so he won't have to drag a bunch of useless guts out).

The summer sausage is good for party or something, but it takes a bunch of ground to make. I've still got like 10 lbs of it in my frezzer. :lol: I love tacos and found ground venison to be perfect (and very lean) so would save the ground for that now.

In the future, let him know about a jet sled or a pull harness. Both would make things much easier dragging her out.
https://www.amazon.com/SHAPPELL-54-JET-SLED-MULTI-PURPOSE-SLED/dp/B002RWBPQM
https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Spec...=1513007874&sr=1-2&keywords=deer+drag+harness
 
G

General Lee

Well-Known Member
Yes, a pull sled or something as simple as a drag lead (Rope or strap) really helps. Also a quick kill and prompt field dressing goes a Loooong way in affecting the meat for eating for the better. When a deer is shot and wounded, adrenaline starts pumping through its body. The longer the deer is wounded before expiring the more the adrenaline affects the flavor of the meat (gamey). Same goes with field dressing. If you ate venison from a quick kill and prompt field dressing I bet you'd enjoy just like any other beef.

Also I'm curious if he had to track it a ways to find it since the deer was in the creek? Deer always go to a water source when dying and wounded.
 
lovinmaryland

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
Chris0nllyn said:
That's awesome. Good for him!

Watch a few YouTube vids on field dressing. It's important as not to spoil the meat (and shaves a bunch of weight so he won't have to drag a bunch of useless guts out).

The summer sausage is good for party or something, but it takes a bunch of ground to make. I've still got like 10 lbs of it in my frezzer. :lol: I love tacos and found ground venison to be perfect (and very lean) so would save the ground for that now.

In the future, let him know about a jet sled or a pull harness. Both would make things much easier dragging her out.
https://www.amazon.com/SHAPPELL-54-JET-SLED-MULTI-PURPOSE-SLED/dp/B002RWBPQM
https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Spec...=1513007874&sr=1-2&keywords=deer+drag+harness
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Neat! I think I might look into those as a Christmas gift for him! Thank you!
General Lee said:
Yes, a pull sled or something as simple as a drag lead (Rope or strap) really helps. Also a quick kill and prompt field dressing goes a Loooong way in affecting the meat for eating for the better. When a deer is shot and wounded, adrenaline starts pumping through its body. The longer the deer is wounded before expiring the more the adrenaline affects the flavor of the meat (gamey). Same goes with field dressing. If you ate venison from a quick kill and prompt field dressing I bet you'd enjoy just like any other beef.

Also I'm curious if he had to track it a ways to find it since the deer was in the creek? Deer always go to a water source when dying and wounded.
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Wow I didn't realize that. Yes he did have to track it a bit but he said it wasn't that bad.
 
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