A small victory -deer meat for the freezer

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Yesterday afternoon, for the first time 3 years, I was able to something again, that I loved to do.
I have not been in possession of the ability to trust my feet and legs to get out of the truck to hunt deer.
I've been stuck road hunting. Without success. Earlier this season, I found a spot that 2 small whitetail bucks
where passing through. Yesterday, I went back there, and slowly started making my way up a small hill,
skirting the edge of a clear cut. Still hunting, with rifle and bino's, was my high in life. Take a step, look, repeat.
It was major fun to do it again. I got into a spot, where I didn't think I should go any further,
and was having trouble staying quiet, so I made my way in the the clearing to a little stand of trees,
found some dry bark, and made a stand on the ground. After about 15 minutes of letting my
surroundings settle a bit, I pulled out my trusty old small set of rattlin' horns and started to make
some noise. Nothing showed after the first round, so after 20 minutes, I went at it again, with gusto!
After about 2 minutes, I put the horns down, grabbed the rifle and started watching.
30 seconds later, here he comes at full trot looking for the commotion. He came out just ahead
of where I stopped- lucky he didn't wind me. Then he started making a circle around me trying to
find the "bucks" using the wind. When he passed a small tree top that hid me , I shouldered
the rifle and got in the "hairs" and followed him through the obstruction, 3 steps clear,
he turned his head, looked at me, stretched his neck up for a better see and he was dead
before he hit the ground :mrgreen: 35 yard shot mid neck, 280 Remington on custom Mauser 98.
My only regret was that I wasn't further along with the cast stuff in my Handi Rifle as this
would have been a perfect scenario. I'm close to being there, but not comfortable enough
to use them on game yet. Maybe next year.
This little guy is going to be very good eating this winter :)
I think this may be the smallest buck I've ever shot,
but will live in my memory as one of the favorites
89185

[Sweetpea]

Glad you got to get out and enjoy life.

He should be mighty fine eating.

Brandon

[Echo]

You're a fortunate man, Jim. I am happy for you.

[waksupi]

I think I shot his twin this past Monday.
I tried rattling the past two weeks, no action at all. This morning was the first fresh scrape I had seen.
I went to Kohler Lake this morning to try and fill a B tag, and it was absolutely pouring rain, not to mention ice on the road most of the way. All I got was a long, wet walk.

[starmac]

I read a pretty touching news article yesterday about a 94 year old hunter, that is still getting his deer even though he can't walk a lot. He has to have his stands pretty close to the road, and his son hunts close in case he has to track one.

Iirc he had paid 59 bucks (dealer cost) for his remington rifle when he bought it.

[MaryB]

Glad you could get out, since I trashed my spine I haven't hunted. I found a spot within 1/8 mile of the road for an easy walk in but the concussion this year put an end to going out.

[**oneshot**]

Awesome!!!!!! Glad to hear your doing well enough to get back out there.

[MT Gianni]

That one will be really tasty. Glad you shot him on your terms, Jim.

[smokeywolf]

Might be your smallest, but when you pull a roast or some sausage out of the freezer in January, none before it with have tasted better.

Congrats on a wonderful and fulfilling hunt.

smokeywolf

[Newtire]

Sounds like my deer hunt this year! Was happy and lucky to get to go. Passed up on a pretty good sized doe earlier in the week but was not unhappy later on to get a shot at a tender little yearling doe. The meat is in my little freezer. Have a bad back and was unable to get my cortisone shot this past year but got treated to a hunt with some easy walking and got a deer anyway besides having a wonderful time out in some beautiful country.

[Reg]

89275

You can tell the hunting population here is aging !! Season opened here on the 26th of Oct. and I was scheduled for knee replacement on the 5th of Nov. Having a heck of a time getting around or even getting in the pickup. Didn't make it out for the morning just hurt too much but did hobble out to a small blind in some CRP in the afternoon about a mile and a half from the house. Dropped this gal just before the legal sundown but had to call the wife to help drag it to the pickup ( no driving on CRP ) then load it.
Sounds like a good storm might be coming in by Tuesday so better get out a package of chops !!

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Reg,
I don't have the gantry portion as you do, but my chain hoist looks identical :)
Perfect for hangin' and skinnin'

I had spotted this little guy 3 weeks prior in the same clearing with another small buck, a forkie.
Lucky for me, the walk in and drag out was only around 400 yards. (and down hill on the way out;-))
I have aches where I forgot I had muscles

[Reg]

That little rolling A frame is so simple to make, a short piece if I beam and a few shorts of drill stem, just about anything will do and you can make one up to fit any size area. The hoist is a Harbor Freight cheepie, think I gave 25.00 for it. As one gets older and a little more battered in life you need things to help lift sometimes even the most simple things. Have this one inside, a bigger one outside. Made a big heavy one in the machine shed, will even lift a truck box and also made up a really neat one that you can tie on behind your tractor or pickup for moving heavy loads anywhere even down the road if needed. Simple things like these really help keep you going.

[MaryB]

I need to come on a road kill just after it happened. Hungry for deer

[Reg]

I need to come on a road kill just after it happened. Hungry for deer
Montana has just put in a great new system for this only problem being ------
A number of years back, I helped butcher a small buck a friends wife had clobbered and the game warden said they could just have it. We actually got very little usable meat from the carcass. It looked like a vehicle impact covered such a large area that most of the meat was badly bruised or as called blood shot. But then again.-----
Another friend was returning from fishing on a road that was know widely for it's deer/ auto impacts. He was towing a boat and on the rear of the trailer he had guides to help center the boat at loading. Anyway one of these guides was what smacked a small doe in the face as she walked out on to the road just as friend passed and broke the neck of said doe. Friend stopped, looked around, dark road no one else on it at time. He threw doe in boat , covered with small tarp and took said doe home and butchered out said doe in garage that night. Darn good eating he said.
Keep your eyes open Mary, be quick and who knows what luck will bring you !!!!!!!!

[MaryB]

Here all I have to do is call the sheriff and they will give me a permit. Need a new car first, still waiting on the check to replace mine and getting just a tad upset with the other guys insurance. No car made me miss one PT appointment already, I have another wed and if I don't get the check tomorrow I have to cancel it. Next open appointment with PT is Jan and at that point I think it may be to late, damage will be permanent in my neck.

[CastingFool]

Glad to hear you were able to go hunting again, Jim. Congrats on the buck. Fresh venison is always good.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Maryb, Reg
Mt just instituted a law, if you hit a deer, a phone call gets you a permit to keep it.
However, most folks have already been using that system without the permit.
I mean, deer wrecks car, owner eats deer, is fair play right? :)
And, you'd be surprised how many deer do run into the side of a vehicle around here

[Reg]

I think it's a darn good law, all states should adopt it.
We really didn't get a lot of meat out of that one buck friends wife hit but she hit it head on with a lot of force. ( She drives the dirt roads waaaay too fast. But even if you only got the front or rear hams that still is a lot of good meat that won't go to waste and besides the critter dosn't just go to waste along side the road. Some , of course, you really don't want to mess with. Depends on how it was hit.
Another thing a few of the local trappers do is keep an eye on the edge of the road. Have a lot of coon, fox, even the odd mink now and then. If they are not too badly tore up and havn't been there too long, the guys scoop them up and process them as normal. Makes sense to me.