Deer Season 2021

[fullmetaljesus]

Well been hunting for a few years now.
Had a close but no cigar moment last year. This year in frustration I've watched beautiful deer walk by with out a chance of a clear humane shot.

Today while in the ground blind I spotted a bit of movement from the corner of my eye. I quickly looked expecting to see that same damn squirrel for the 7 millionth time. Nope two little spikes on the head of a deer heading my way down a small ravine. He disappeared for a moment and came up back up then cur to his left we came out from behind some trees and brush gave me a perfect broadside shot. I watched most of his walk through my scope. I chose my spot and squeezed the trigger of my marlin lever action 44mag. He flinched and ran I watched as he disappeared down a diff ravine. I exited my blind and walked to where I last saw him. Then found his foot steps then a little blood. Followed the blood line. Sometimes sparse sometimes lots. Trail went cold about 50 feet from the shot. I thought well damn no way he made it far. Looked up from the ground for the first time since I started tracking. He was 20 feet in front of me. Note to self... Look up from the ground from the to time.

He laid to rest where two ravines meet.

My first deer in the books.

I partially have ingo to thank.
A very kind fellow here who's name I can't recall sold me the rifle I used for a steal of a price. So thanks to you cowboy action shooting guy I met from here. When I gutted the deer I used the knife @churchmouse 's wife sent me for secret Santa last year. So thanks to you ckm(?)!

The deer is now at archers being butchered but his head is on the bed of my truck. Gotta figure out a way to clean it off to add the skull to my smoking lounge at the house. Who's got pointers? I'm thinking bury it?

 

[yetti462]

saw 3 does and 5 bucks this morning. 3 spikes ,8&9 pointer. Ive seen every buck I had pictures of this year. 2 have been shot.

Its been a good year so far, hope muzzleloading season is cold .

 

[jagee]

And just like that, my frustrating firearms season is over. Hope to get the crossbow back out a couple times before the end of the year.

Makes me question if passing the little 4 pointer in bow season was the right call. That's the only deer I've had a shot at this year.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've only been deer hunting once, and that was as a kid. I love venison at least when I've had the opportunity to have it and it surprises me to hear how many people are passing up opportunities to put one in the freezer because it was a doe or had a small non-trophy rack. I guess I get it if you get to do it every year, but I think I'd be popping the first one that walked by me just to have a nice set of backstraps in the freezer.

 

[Leadeye]

Saw two does and one drug deal this evening. Does moved south off to my right, drug buyers went back out to the highway.

 

[Leadeye]

Well been hunting for a few years now.
Had a close but no cigar moment last year. This year in frustration I've watched beautiful deer walk by with out a chance of a clear humane shot.

Today while in the ground blind I spotted a bit of movement from the corner of my eye. I quickly looked expecting to see that same damn squirrel for the 7 millionth time. Nope two little spikes on the head of a deer heading my way down a small ravine. He disappeared for a moment and came up back up then cur to his left we came out from behind some trees and brush gave me a perfect broadside shot. I watched most of his walk through my scope. I chose my spot and squeezed the trigger of my marlin lever action 44mag. He flinched and ran I watched as he disappeared down a diff ravine. I exited my blind and walked to where I last saw him. Then found his foot steps then a little blood. Followed the blood line. Sometimes sparse sometimes lots. Trail went cold about 50 feet from the shot. I thought well damn no way he made it far. Looked up from the ground for the first time since I started tracking. He was 20 feet in front of me. Note to self... Look up from the ground from the to time.

He laid to rest where two ravines meet.

My first deer in the books.

I partially have ingo to thank.
A very kind fellow here who's name I can't recall sold me the rifle I used for a steal of a price. So thanks to you cowboy action shooting guy I met from here. When I gutted the deer I used the knife @churchmouse 's wife sent me for secret Santa last year. So thanks to you ckm(?)!

The deer is now at archers being butchered but his head is on the bed of my truck. Gotta figure out a way to clean it off to add the skull to my smoking lounge at the house. Who's got pointers? I'm thinking bury it?

You can clean off as much as you can with a knife and then boil the rest. I don't mount the entire skull, just the section of the head with the antlers. This I cut out with a sawzall.

 

[BigRed]

Well been hunting for a few years now.
Had a close but no cigar moment last year. This year in frustration I've watched beautiful deer walk by with out a chance of a clear humane shot.

Today while in the ground blind I spotted a bit of movement from the corner of my eye. I quickly looked expecting to see that same damn squirrel for the 7 millionth time. Nope two little spikes on the head of a deer heading my way down a small ravine. He disappeared for a moment and came up back up then cur to his left we came out from behind some trees and brush gave me a perfect broadside shot. I watched most of his walk through my scope. I chose my spot and squeezed the trigger of my marlin lever action 44mag. He flinched and ran I watched as he disappeared down a diff ravine. I exited my blind and walked to where I last saw him. Then found his foot steps then a little blood. Followed the blood line. Sometimes sparse sometimes lots. Trail went cold about 50 feet from the shot. I thought well damn no way he made it far. Looked up from the ground for the first time since I started tracking. He was 20 feet in front of me. Note to self... Look up from the ground from the to time.

He laid to rest where two ravines meet.

My first deer in the books.

I partially have ingo to thank.
A very kind fellow here who's name I can't recall sold me the rifle I used for a steal of a price. So thanks to you cowboy action shooting guy I met from here. When I gutted the deer I used the knife @churchmouse 's wife sent me for secret Santa last year. So thanks to you ckm(?)!

The deer is now at archers being butchered but his head is on the bed of my truck. Gotta figure out a way to clean it off to add the skull to my smoking lounge at the house. Who's got pointers? I'm thinking bury it?

Congrats on your first deer!

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Congrats on your first deer!

Thanks! It been a big year. Got my first deer, got my first truck, drove a tractor for the first time.....I might get my man card soon

 

[phylodog]

I've only been deer hunting once, and that was as a kid. I love venison at least when I've had the opportunity to have it and it surprises me to hear how many people are passing up opportunities to put one in the freezer because it was a doe or had a small non-trophy rack. I guess I get it if you get to do it every year, but I think I'd be popping the first one that walked by me just to have a nice set of backstraps in the freezer.

That's one of the cool things about hunting. An outsider would think all deer hunters are the same, have or expect the same experience but that isn't so. Years past I was in it for the challenge of getting a clean shot on a mature buck within bow range and only if we could catch it on video. This year I plan to take at least one doe, if I get a mature buck great but I'm not expecting or even really hoping to. Some guys do it for meat, others for the peace and quiet of the woods, time with friends/family, etc..

If it's done ethically and lawfully I'm all for it, whatever the reason.

 

[patience0830]

Well been hunting for a few years now.
Had a close but no cigar moment last year. This year in frustration I've watched beautiful deer walk by with out a chance of a clear humane shot.

Today while in the ground blind I spotted a bit of movement from the corner of my eye. I quickly looked expecting to see that same damn squirrel for the 7 millionth time. Nope two little spikes on the head of a deer heading my way down a small ravine. He disappeared for a moment and came up back up then cur to his left we came out from behind some trees and brush gave me a perfect broadside shot. I watched most of his walk through my scope. I chose my spot and squeezed the trigger of my marlin lever action 44mag. He flinched and ran I watched as he disappeared down a diff ravine. I exited my blind and walked to where I last saw him. Then found his foot steps then a little blood. Followed the blood line. Sometimes sparse sometimes lots. Trail went cold about 50 feet from the shot. I thought well damn no way he made it far. Looked up from the ground for the first time since I started tracking. He was 20 feet in front of me. Note to self... Look up from the ground from the to time.

He laid to rest where two ravines meet.

My first deer in the books.

I partially have ingo to thank.
A very kind fellow here who's name I can't recall sold me the rifle I used for a steal of a price. So thanks to you cowboy action shooting guy I met from here. When I gutted the deer I used the knife @churchmouse 's wife sent me for secret Santa last year. So thanks to you ckm(?)!

The deer is now at archers being butchered but his head is on the bed of my truck. Gotta figure out a way to clean it off to add the skull to my smoking lounge at the house. Who's got pointers? I'm thinking bury it?

Congratulations! A pressure washer will help clean that skull w/o boiling. Face shield and a long raincoat advised. Burying works. Carrion beetles if you can locate some

 

[Michigan Slim]

Daughter took a small doe last night. Waited until almost the end of legal light. Bang, flop. We needed one for the freezer.

 

[El Conquistador]

My grandson got a fork horn this morning, 60 yard shot dropped in his tracks with a .243. He was stoked and I am a proud papaw. Now I have 2 more grandsons to go this season.

 

[1nderbeard]

Thursday after sitting in the cold until 11:30, got down and still hunted to the truck for warm up and lunch. 100 yards from the truck, this 11 pt. popped out of a sapling thicket across the lane from me at 15 yards. 350 Legend did it's job.

nice buck.
It's funny how deer hunting is more about being ready when your time comes than all the before hand thinking and preparation. At least it seems so for me.

 

[1nderbeard]

Well been hunting for a few years now.
Had a close but no cigar moment last year. This year in frustration I've watched beautiful deer walk by with out a chance of a clear humane shot.

Today while in the ground blind I spotted a bit of movement from the corner of my eye. I quickly looked expecting to see that same damn squirrel for the 7 millionth time. Nope two little spikes on the head of a deer heading my way down a small ravine. He disappeared for a moment and came up back up then cur to his left we came out from behind some trees and brush gave me a perfect broadside shot. I watched most of his walk through my scope. I chose my spot and squeezed the trigger of my marlin lever action 44mag. He flinched and ran I watched as he disappeared down a diff ravine. I exited my blind and walked to where I last saw him. Then found his foot steps then a little blood. Followed the blood line. Sometimes sparse sometimes lots. Trail went cold about 50 feet from the shot. I thought well damn no way he made it far. Looked up from the ground for the first time since I started tracking. He was 20 feet in front of me. Note to self... Look up from the ground from the to time.

He laid to rest where two ravines meet.

My first deer in the books.

I partially have ingo to thank.
A very kind fellow here who's name I can't recall sold me the rifle I used for a steal of a price. So thanks to you cowboy action shooting guy I met from here. When I gutted the deer I used the knife @churchmouse 's wife sent me for secret Santa last year. So thanks to you ckm(?)!

The deer is now at archers being butchered but his head is on the bed of my truck. Gotta figure out a way to clean it off to add the skull to my smoking lounge at the house. Who's got pointers? I'm thinking bury it?

congrats.
Burying is the easiest way. There are also some bleaching kits you could try. I'm not an expert though.

 

[1nderbeard]

I've only been deer hunting once, and that was as a kid. I love venison at least when I've had the opportunity to have it and it surprises me to hear how many people are passing up opportunities to put one in the freezer because it was a doe or had a small non-trophy rack. I guess I get it if you get to do it every year, but I think I'd be popping the first one that walked by me just to have a nice set of backstraps in the freezer.

I've been a hunter for about 6 years. I've killed two bucks and two does to date, and I usually go 2-3 years between kills. I don't really have a good hunting spot, and my luck determines how successful my hunting season goes. If I get a shot at a mature buck or doe, I'll take it. In the future if I'm confident I'll see more deer I can see myself passing, but right now I've got 3 young boys that eat like young men. So a full freezer is my trophy.

This year on my second to last planned hunting day I was blessed with a nice 8 pointer, a few days after my grandfather passed. It was on his ground, and will likely be the last time I'll ever hunt there. I also took my oldest son hunting for the first time (separate from my buck kill). This season will be one I'll remember for a while.

 

[two70]

I was blessed to end my drought Friday evening and did so in spectacular fashion with my best buck to date. I hunted all day Friday and never saw a deer until I jumped a youngish buck on my way to a different spot. The forecast had called for the wind to switch from NW to SW in the early afternoon and I had planned to make the move as soon as the wind cooperated. As 3 PM approached with the northwesterly wind not having changed I had a decision to make, stay where I was for the rest of the evening or make the move and hope the wind finally cooperated.

Ultimately I decided to make the move but started to regret it almost immediately when I jumped a buck before I had made it a 100 yards. That was the first deer I'd seen all day at that point but thankfully he was not mature, although a nice looking buck. I started regretting the decision a bit more as the wind stilled and made the trek to location number 2 sound like a hike through a bowl of frosted flakes. I was feeling a little better when I finally made it to the overgrown field I was planning on hunting without spooking another deer and got settled in a bit before 4.

The next 45 minutes passed pretty uneventfully and I was just enjoying the evening until the quiet woods was broken by the snorts of a large doe or small buck that had worked its way down wind and caught my scent. I was thinking that was the way the rest of my evening was going to go if I even saw any more deer. However, less than 10 minutes later a doe with two fawns appeared in the same area the other deer had winded me and milled around for a tense few minutes before leaving without ever indicating that my presence had been detected. The next hour passed without another sighting and I was just beginning to fight the urge to start packing up my stuff when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.

I knew instantly the deer was a big bodied mature buck though I didn't see antlers at that point. I raised my binos and began scanning for any confirmation that the buck was indeed a shooter. After a short eternity of hearing the buck coming closer and closer without seeing it, my common sense re-engaged and I dropped the binos and began reaching for my rifle. At almost the same instant the buck popped out into the over grown field and began approaching at a fast, distance eating walk. Although I didn't recognize the buck at that time, the first glimpse of antlers confirmed his shooter status and I began preparing for the shot.

This is the time that any little mistake or fickle turn of fate can lead to a missed or blown opportunity as it so frequently had in the past. This time, with the seeming benefit of Devine intervention, I watched as the buck came to stop at 40 yards and presented me with a shot. At first I thought the buck had caught my movement trying to get my rifle on my shooting sticks but after the fact I realized that he likely had simply noticed something out of place near his chosen route and stopped to check it out before preceding. After about what seemed to be 3 eternities worth of time trying to adjust the shooting sticks and settle the rifle, the buck staring intently at me the entire time, I finally settled the crosshairs where the brush met his body and squeezed the trigger.

At the shot the buck appeared to stagger but immediately regained his footing and ran about 40 yards before stopping again. I was already working the action when I noticed him wobble slightly before again regaining his footing. Not sure of the first hit, I decided to fire a finisher which unfortunately I rushed a bit. After the second shot, the buck again staggered and again recovered to take off like he hadn't even been hit, let alone twice. He made it another 40 yards, appearing to go into a nose dive just before disappearing from view.

I was pretty confident I would find him in short order so I stowed my gear and took up the blood trail. The only problem was that there was none, not at what I believed was the location of the first shot, nor at what I was sure was the location of the second shot, nor anywhere in-between. At this point, after making several fruitless searches for blood and having experienced having Murphy as an unasked for hunting partner, significantly contributing to my long drought on bucks, I decided to back out for the night in order to avoid pushing a wounded deer.

After a fitful night and several wild swings of confidence and doubt, I returned after daylight Saturday morning to resume the search. I decided to go directly to where I thought I had last seen him but a quick search of the are produced neither the buck or any sign of his passing. Next I again tried and failed to find blood or other sign where I believed him to be standing at both shots so I went back to my seat and shooting stick that I'd left in place the night before to serves as reference points. References re-calibrated, I again resumed the futile search for blood. At this point with despair beginning to set in, I decided to begin walking out all of the trails in the area where I had last seen the buck. Hesitating briefly to debate whether to begin the body search by walking the trail I'd already checked past the end of the field into the far woods, I ultimately decided to begin my search with the next trail to the east. When I'd first resumed my search, I'd heard a deer snort and then crash into the woods on the southeast corner of the field so I chose to follow the new trail to be able to check that area and make sure it wasn't my wounded buck even though I didn't really think that was the trail my buck took. Less than 20 yards down that trail, I saw antlers sticking above the weeds. Up until that point I had known it was a good, mature buck but every time I'd previously started to speculate which buck it was I hadn't let myself even begin to think it might have been the biggest buck I had on trail camera that year and likely the biggest I've ever had in 19 years of running trail cameras. Within a few steps after spotting the long tines above the grass, the tell tale forked G-3 confirmed what I'd never even dared to hope.

 

[buckwacker]

I was blessed to end my drought Friday evening and did so in spectacular fashion with my best buck to date. I hunted all day Friday and never saw a deer until I jumped a youngish buck on my way to a different spot. The forecast had called for the wind to switch from NW to SW in the early afternoon and I had planned to make the move as soon as the wind cooperated. As 3 PM approached with the northwesterly wind not having changed I had a decision to make, stay where I was for the rest of the evening or make the move and hope the wind finally cooperated.

Ultimately I decided to make the move but started to regret it almost immediately when I jumped a buck before I had made it a 100 yards. That was the first deer I'd seen all day at that point but thankfully he was not mature, although a nice looking buck. I started regretting the decision a bit more as the wind stilled and made the trek to location number 2 sound like a hike through a bowl of frosted flakes. I was feeling a little better when I finally made it to the overgrown field I was planning on hunting without spooking another deer and got settled in a bit before 4.

The next 45 minutes passed pretty uneventfully and I was just enjoying the evening until the quiet woods was broken by the snorts of a large doe or small buck that had worked its way down wind and caught my scent. I was thinking that was the way the rest of my evening was going to go if I even saw any more deer. However, less than 10 minutes later a doe with two fawns appeared in the same area the other deer had winded me and milled around for a tense few minutes before leaving without ever indicating that my presence had been detected. The next hour passed without another sighting and I was just beginning to fight the urge to start packing up my stuff when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.

I knew instantly the deer was a big bodied mature buck though I didn't see antlers at that point. I raised my binos and began scanning for any confirmation that the buck was indeed a shooter. After a short eternity of hearing the buck coming closer and closer without seeing it, my common sense re-engaged and I dropped the binos and began reaching for my rifle. At almost the same instant the buck popped out into the over grown field and began approaching at a fast, distance eating walk. Although I didn't recognize the buck at that time, the first glimpse of antlers confirmed his shooter status and I began preparing for the shot.

This is the time that any little mistake or fickle turn of fate can lead to a missed or blown opportunity as it so frequently had in the past. This time, with the seeming benefit of Devine intervention, I watched as the buck came to stop at 40 yards and presented me with a shot. At first I thought the buck had caught my movement trying to get my rifle on my shooting sticks but after the fact I realized that he likely had simply noticed something out of place near his chosen route and stopped to check it out before preceding. After about what seemed to be 3 eternities worth of time trying to adjust the shooting sticks and settle the rifle, the buck staring intently at me the entire time, I finally settled the crosshairs where the brush met his body and squeezed the trigger.

At the shot the buck appeared to stagger but immediately regained his footing and ran about 40 yards before stopping again. I was already working the action when I noticed him wobble slightly before again regaining his footing. Not sure of the first hit, I decided to fire a finisher which unfortunately I rushed a bit. After the second shot, the buck again staggered and again recovered to take off like he hadn't even been hit, let alone twice. He made it another 40 yards, appearing to go into a nose dive just before disappearing from view.

I was pretty confident I would find him in short order so I stowed my gear and took up the blood trail. The only problem was that there was none, not at what I believed was the location of the first shot, nor at what I was sure was the location of the second shot, nor anywhere in-between. At this point, after making several fruitless searches for blood and having experienced having Murphy as an unasked for hunting partner, significantly contributing to my long drought on bucks, I decided to back out for the night in order to avoid pushing a wounded deer.

After a fitful night and several wild swings of confidence and doubt, I returned after daylight Saturday morning to resume the search. I decided to go directly to where I thought I had last seen him but a quick search of the are produced neither the buck or any sign of his passing. Next I again tried and failed to find blood or other sign where I believed him to be standing at both shots so I went back to my seat and shooting stick that I'd left in place the night before to serves as reference points. References re-calibrated, I again resumed the futile search for blood. At this point with despair beginning to set in, I decided to begin walking out all of the trails in the area where I had last seen the buck. Hesitating briefly to debate whether to begin the body search by walking the trail I'd already checked past the end of the field into the far woods, I ultimately decided to begin my search with the next trail to the east. When I'd first resumed my search, I'd heard a deer snort and then crash into the woods on the southeast corner of the field so I chose to follow the new trail to be able to check that area and make sure it wasn't my wounded buck even though I didn't really think that was the trail my buck took. Less than 20 yards down that trail, I saw antlers sticking above the weeds. Up until that point I had known it was a good, mature buck but every time I'd previously started to speculate which buck it was I hadn't let myself even begin to think it might have been the biggest buck I had on trail camera that year and likely the biggest I've ever had in 19 years of running trail cameras. Within a few steps after spotting the long tines above the grass, the tell tale forked G-3 confirmed what I'd never even dared to hope.

Great write up, but all these words and no pics?

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Friday Nov-19th about 5:20 PM... A single shot thru the ticker... He made it about 15 yards before folding up... Another win for the Barnes Tac-TX 110Gr in 300BO...

Nice 10 pointer along with the grin from the 17 year old!



Recovered Barnes Tac-TX Black tip solid copper...



I always like this video...

 

[two70]

Great write up, but all these words and no pics?

You'll have to settle for trail cam pics for now, I haven't had time to clean up the trophy photos yet.

 

[buckwacker]

You'll have to settle for trail cam pics for now, I haven't had time to clean up the trophy photos yet.

View attachment 169960

View attachment 169961

He needed another year.

Dang man, congrats! Have you had a chance to get a rough score?