Ungulate seasons - how's it going so far?

[bmsera1]

Nope I'm in Northern Kentucky. We have a fairly large population... last year was projected around 850k to 880k ... this year it's up to 1.1M ... We keep breaking the yearly record on take... but they keep growing in population.

This year in the northern zone (zone 1) you can get 2 extra antlerless deer tags for $15 ... and you can get as many as you want.

Going to try to shoot one or two with rifle... then try to stick a couple more with my bow. Populations are high... we've seen upwards of 6-8 deer groups on the side of I-75 at about 2pm just eating and chilling...

 

[wyohome]

One of our computers went TU this morning, making a trip to Billings necessary on Thursday. So I just shot a doe about an hour ago to fill our tags.

 

[ASCTLC]

Looks like your firewood launcher works pretty good there wyohome. Got all three of them square in the chest

 

[WalkAbout]

I've been out for probably 3-4 days a week since Oct. 3rd and have drawn back on one doe only to find out it was too dark to see through my peep sight. Other than bumping some deer as I walk in, I haven't really seen a thing. $200 to hunt the military base that I'm hunting doesn't seem like such a great idea now. It's pretty restrictive and I can't hunt from the ground. I figure I'll suck it up and join a club next year.

b

 

[wyohome]

Got all three of them square in the chest

It is pretty accurate, the hard part is getting them to stand up for the shot.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I've been watching a herd of about 13. They come into my pasture, and sometimes come up into the yard (they ate all the wife's flowers.) There were three bucks in this herd, two fork-horns and a 5-pointer, all the same age. Under Arkansas law, only the 5-pointer would be legal -- but he's the one with the big antler genes.

The bucks all went nocturnal, anyway. My trail camera shows them feeding around 2 in the morning. The first day of muzzle loading season I had plenty of does, but all before shooting light. The next two days were out -- Sunday Mass and taking the wife to the dentist on Monday. Wednesday was a repitition of the previous Saturday, but I decided what the neck, I'll sit here all day if that's what it takes.

About 7:30 along came four does -- and it's doe season. I cocked my Bob Watts .45 caliber Kentucky, set the trigger and Fzz-Boom! Meat in the freezer.

 

[JWF III]

Put #1 on the ground this time yesterday (11/4). It was a small 8, but the biggest for the club so far this year.(Should have let it walk, but it just looked so darn tasty.) Should have went today, but I had enough of that 75* heat yesterday while dragging.

Wyman

 

[carnaby]

Big fat zero for three years running. Last buck I got was my first, four years ago, and that's been it. Hunting out here in Washington State is tough work.

 

[scythefwd]

I've got 1 I am actively hunting, 1 that I will take if the opportunity offers itself. It is BP season till the 14th, which gives me a whole 4 days to get it done when I don't have to work midnight to noon. I think I'll pull one before rifle season, and I don't get to hunt that this year (the wife could pop at any time during rifle season).

 

[peyton]

Sitting in Iraq for 4 plus years is terrible!! Last deer I shot was in 2002.

 

[wyohome]

"Hunting out here in Washington State is tough "

If you are in B'ham, you might want to consider going south to Bow and hunting the Lizard Lake and Lily Lake areas. I have taken some very nice Blacktails there. I haven't been there in years and it might all be houses now.

 

[WalkAbout]

An update from my previously unsuccessful season. Killed a doe and a buttonhead (thought it was a doe) with the muzzleloader today. Those were my first blackpowder kills so I was pretty stoked. Now I've got 4 tenderloins and a bunch of meat waiting to be ground up and vacuum packed tomorrow. It's even better cause my father had asked if there was a chance we could have venison on thanksgiving, and now I've been able to make it happen. Thats a darn good feeling right there!

b

 

[caribou]

Our hunting season starts July 1st and ends June30.

Caribou Meat is our Bread.
We can get 5 a day, but 3 is plenty, unless were by a boat, for easy transport.

According to the wifes Calander our household had 79 Caribou were caught by me, her brother and our oldest son. We, as a household of 12-15 (depended who is where) we ate 49 of those caribou, of all sizes, sex and ages. 30 Caribou we gave away or traded for gas to contenue hunting and not one was wasted.Me and the Broinlaw hunt together alot, and sometmes alone, so who shot what is moot in our score, we divvy the work and the catch evenly.
Since July 1st weve caught 33 caribou,scoring quite a few right at freeze up, just before Rut, when they were PRIME and the weather right for storing them whole... and still have 6 out back,(FAT Bulls) and have given/traded 16 away, and quite alot of dryed/smoked meats in gunny sacks so Im not sure how much is butcher'd and how much is dry.....

Though the hard part is waiting for the sun to come up long enough to hunt after X-mas...... Caribou hunting wont pick up again untill January.......but what the heck, Im AM a Caribou Hunter, and ya gotta be patient.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Our hunting season starts July 1st and ends June30.

Nice! Wait, I hate you.

 

[carnaby]

I am also feeling the hate

 

[usmc1371]

One mule deer buck, size small, head shot with 375 HnH. (maybe 15 yards) No tracking needed.
One mule deer doe, extra large, neck shot with 375 (310 yards ) droped so fast I thought I missed.
One coyote on the trot at about 125yards, If you hit a coyote with a 375 the stop all foward movement instantly!
I think I am going to shoot 260 grain acubonds at every thing. They just seem to kill the hell out of things. Might not hurt that I am shooting a DGR at deer and coyotes

Going elk hunting next week to help out a disabled vet so I hope we can find an elk dum enough to stand next to the road. That or I have to shoot one for him.

 

[GJgo]

My camp did very well this year, one buddy got a nice 6x6 bull opening morning. One shot at 200yds with a 270, 150gr partition. I barely hit the trail when I heard the report! Another friend took a cow that night, one shot with a 7-08 mountain rifle (18.5" barrel) at 125 yds, 140gr TSX. I got my cow the second night- one shot at 250yds with my 300 WSM, 180gr TSX. All 3 were double lungers, DRT. My Kershaw folder got a serious workout! Just dropped off 200lbs hanging weight of tasty cow elk at the butchers!

 

[41magsnub]

2 mule deer Friday and 2 whitetail on Saturday. That covers my deer hunting for the year!

I am keeping just a small portion of the smallest of the does for myself, the rest family had spoken for prior to the season start! This works out great, I'm not a huge deer fan.

Same trip netted me a bunch of pheasants too which taste much better!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

We had the Mother of all Ice Storms last January, and the woods are full of widow-makers (the broken tops of trees hanging by a thread.) Keeping my trails clear has been a job -- I go out with the chain saw, cut all the fallen trees and tree tops, and a week or two later it all has to be done again as more widow-makers come down.

I just got back from a session of cutting, and found scrapes all through the woods. I have all the venison I need from muzzle loading season, but . . .

 

[RockinU]

 

[millertyme]

I've hunting quite a bit, as I've got some time on my hands - if you're going to be unemployed, now is the time! I'd rather have the work, though.

Anyhow - shot a does two weeks back w/muzzleloader, and a spike this morning, taken with Marlin 30-30. About 25-30 yards from the tree, a lovely wet area with lots of mallards. The buck ran about 65 yards after the shot - I had to go find him. Good blood trail. I hit a little too far aft to get shoulder (he was angling towards me, and I was about 30' up), too low for spine, too high for heart - I hit lung & liver. Very long drag; takes me 30 min to walk in, I dragged for near two hours. I think I'm going to get some hip waders, so I can drag the next one out through the creek... .

I've hunting quite a bit, as I've got some time on my hands - if you're going to be unemployed, now is the time! I'd rather have the work, though.

Anyhow - shot a does two weeks back w/muzzleloader, and a spike this morning, taken with Marlin 30-30. About 25-30 yards from the tree, a lovely wet area with lots of mallards. The buck ran about 65 yards after the shot - I had to go find him. Good blood trail. I hit a little too far aft to get shoulder (he was angling towards me, and I was about 30' up), too low for spine, too high for heart - I hit lung & liver. Very long drag; takes me 30 min to walk in, I dragged for near two hours. I think I'm going to get some hip waders, so I can drag the next one out through the creek... .


This looks exactly like a stand I hunted in once in PA

 

[interlock]

my larder record shows 20 animals this year. 7 reds, 5 fallow, 6 roe and 1 muntjac. our seasons go just about all year. if one species is out, another is in. All of these were shot with a remmington model 7 in 7mm08 using 120 gr sierra prohunter or a couple with speer 130 gr spitzer. We are able to sell venison (subject to the hunters individual training) and i have just put together a small outfit for me and another hunter (who is also trained and certified) to supply a small butcher who is packaging and branding our venison for sale to the general public. My hunting pays for its self.