So close...

[ambush]

yet so far. What's the closest you've come to pulling the trigger....but didn't. I just came in from out back after an afternoon/evening deer hunt. I placed a small baitpile a few days ago in anticipation of today's hunt (Please spare me the baitpile debate. I have very few days to hunt due to my work schedule so I use all the legal tools I can to put some meat in the freezer). Right at 4:30, a small fawn walked in, then another, both happily munching the apples. They are about 20 yards out. More footsteps in the woods...a yearling... then a big fat doe. Now, I considered taking the doe, but still had plenty of daylight so decided to wait a bit to see what else might materialize. All the sudden I hear more footsteps. Big rack!! It had the goofiest looking rack I ever saw. Looked like a couple points were broken off on the right side and the left side was growing in toward his head. Looked like 8 or 9 points. The spread was good, about 18" to 20" from what I saw. I already had my shotgun raised with the safety off and leaning on the shooting rail, all I had to do was turn about 10 degrees to my left. I was just lining up the sights while moving my finger to the trigger when the fawns spooked and the four antlerless deer scrambled. Seeing that, goofy rack jumped up and peeled wheels outta there, right on their heels. For and instant, I thought about taking a running shot at him, but based on past performances doing that, decided not to. I had him in my sights....just ready to let go....I saw the meat in the freezer....then NOTHING. Geeeez, I hate deer hunting. Been doing it for about 35 years now and still can't get over the close calls and misses. I'll give it another crack tomorrow!!

 

[joebogey]

Two years ago I was takin my climber down to move to another spot. All of a sudden a big 8 or 9 pointer runs right by me and then stops with nuthin but his big butt and about a third of his body stickin out from behind a tree. I had my gun up, safety off, just waitin for him to step out. To be truthful, I think I honestly could have taken him from where he was. But it just wasn't worth it to me to have that pretty rascal run off where I might not find him.
When he did decide to run, he took off like a streak and I just got to stand there and watch him go.
Made me sick to watch him go, but I think I made the right decision. Don't mean I had to like it though.

 

[hagar]

Calling coyotes in Northern Arizona. Saw one come in, was convinced it was a coyote. When he stopped about 70 yards from me, I had 3 pounds of my 3.5 pound trigger pulled when I noticed it had a collar around it's neck. Almost shot some ranchers Australian sheepdog.

 

[formerflyer]

Hunting wild boar in Texas with H&H Hunter, saw a MONSTER boar which I first mistook for one of the steer he was mixed in with. Guessing the live weight was well in excess of 500 lbs, probably over 600. There are a couple of these brutes around the area, which we've taken to nicknaming Hogasaurus Rex. Distance was about 200 yards, had a solid kneeling shot, lined up the crosshairs on the shoulder, and started to take the slack out of the trigger. . . . .

Then it occurred to me I was only shooting a .308 and would have to punch through the shield and make a solid shot, no chance for a follow-up most likely. I hesitated for about two heartbeats while I mulled over my chances to knock him out with that .308, and by the end of my pause he stepped behind a brushy oak and ambled away without presenting me with another shot. My first and last chance to tag an H.Rex. Later that same day I put down a 350lb+ boar, which was still pretty amazing, but I sure would like to have his grandpa on my wall instead. He was magnificent.

 

[ambush]

Went back out there today...nuthin'. Not a deer to be seen. Quite unusual for this spot as I ALWAYS at least see some kind of deer when there. I'll let it settle down for a week and give it another try next Saturday afternoon.

 

[rbernie]

I feel your pain - I've had more 'one more step and it'll be a clean shot' experiences over the last 24 hours than I can recall. For example, I slow-chased a passel of does (four yearlings and three/four fairly mature gals) up, down, and around a rocky overgrown ravine for about three hours this morning. I was able to keep them in sight as they grazed, but could never get a clear shot through the thickets no matter how I worked it. I must have drawn a bead at least a dozen times, waiting for just the right step - a step that never came.

Lunchtime today, I finally lined up a 100 yard kneeling shot at a doe that I caught snacking in an open field. She winded me and was making for the treeline at a FAST, fast trot. I normally don't shoot at game moving faster than a brisk walk, but this lined up well and I couldn't resist. Got a good boiler room hit (Hornady 123gr handloaded 7.62x39 from an AR-15) , and I followed up with a second heart shot when she broke stride - just to make sure she was going to go down. Just finished butchering the meat about an hour ago.

 

[pdowg881]

How tough is it to learn to butcher deer yourself? All the guys I know take them to a butcher.

 

[ambush]

Good for you rbernie!! Yea, the deer around my parts definately had their camo on this weekend.

 

[rbernie]

How tough is it to learn to butcher deer yourself? All the guys I know take them to a butcher.

I have no idea what I'm doing - I just cut it up. I'll normally quarter the deer and bring home the hams, shoulders, backstraps, and inner tenderloins in coolers. The ribs never seem to have enough meat to make them worth worryin' about, so I leave 'em for the coyotes and hogs...

The backstraps and inner tenderloins get cut into family dinner sized portions. I separate the muscle groups in the hams and try to cut filets or roasts as best I can. The hardest part is trying to remove all the fat and as much of the tendons and silverskin as best I can. The scraps and most of the shoulders wind up in a bag for sausage makings. That's it - nothin' fancy or schooled. It normally takes me about an hour per every twenty pounds of meat.

I'm sure that there's better ways to do it, but this works OK for me.

 

[BIGR]

Yea its over for me. I finished up deer season 2006 last week. Shot a 100 LB. doe and could have took some small bucks but I'LL let them grow for next year. I have a six point and doe in the freezer. I tried to get another deer on the last day but none showed up. Oh well I could have tagged out this year but, I was being selective waiting on the big one. I saw about 40 deer and hunted about 15 days in 2006. I'M sad already and can't wait til.....DEER SEASON 2007....YEA

 

[starsandstriper]

My recap.

It was my first season out for deer this year and got my first deer on day 3 of shotgun season. MY friends father(scumbag) caught wind of my spot and took 7 other guys to drive through maybe a 30 acre peice of land(i live in massachussetts)and got 2 does and a nice 9 point buck. I hunted the rest of shotgun and all of muzzelloader season on unscouted land without any planned out spots and i dont own or intended to build a treestand in the middle of the season. It turns out that the first deer i saw this season, was the only one i killed. Primarily because i hunted the rest of the season walking around alone on foot(which is probably the best way to see tons of deer in heavy cover and the worst way to try and get a shot at one ). I saw a total of 13 deer this season(all does except for a big one which was questionable but too far away in heavy cover to varify that it was a buck). One thing is for sure, i learned a lot by mistakes this season which i wont likely make again, and i am hooked for life. I really cant wait to hear how close you guys came

 

[chuckmo]

Butchering

rbernie, it sounds like you know exactly what you're doing.

 

[Snarlingiron]

I've done it both ways. Obviously doing it yourself is a lot cheaper, but on the other hand, I had 2 deer professionally processed this year,and the breakfast sausage, german style sausage, ground meat, and professionally wrapped and labeled stuff was real nice. Just picked it up and dumped it in the freezer. I figure by the time all is said and done the Venison only costs me about $65.00 a pound. Or at least that's what my wife says.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

butchering really isn't hard. you just need to watch someone who knows what they are doing a few times and you've got it. It would take forever for me to type it out, but I'm sure there are instructions somewhere on the net. If not, there are probably countless books/magazine articles about it. Saves you a trip to the butcher....and you get the satisfaction of doing the whole thing from trigger pull to chewing

 

[chuckmo]

I don't know if this counts

or not, but this year Illinois had a late CWD season in the northern counties. I went up and hunted Friday, killed a doe, and then the weather turned bad. I still had a buck tag, but also lots stuff to do Saturday, and the Bears played Sunday, so I called it a season. A buddy of mine was up at the farm to get some plowing equipment, and watched a 150" deer leisurely walk past my blind at first light. Oh well.

 

[Clipper]

My wife got our (teeny button buck) deer this year with my 5000lb Hemi powered bullet...