Successful deer hunt saturday

[Gavin_Sons]

Saturday was our opening day of gun season here in Indiana. That morning I decided to sit in my tree stand I have shot a number of deer out of but saw nothing all morning. That afternoon my buddy and I decided to give our new deer blind a try that we built over the summer. At about 5 pm a 12 point came in on his side of the blind. He opened the window and took a shot at 165 yards and dropped it in its tracks. We decided it was not going anywhere so we continued to sit. 15 minutes later a 9 point came out of the woods and walked right up to the downed buck. We traded seats and I took a shot. He ran 30 yards and fell over. Needless to say we were both excited about how it happened. They are not monsters by any means but I was out of deer meat and was out to fill the freezer. We were both using 6.5 creedmoors.

[cookiedough]

wasn't it near really dark out at 5 p.m.?

Central time here in WI by 5 p.m. is near pitch black or close to it.  Maybe Indiana is not central time?

congrats both are keepers not very often you see 2 decent sized bucks with decent racks back to back like that.

[Jess from VA]

Excellent!  

I'm interested in how you guys transport the dead weight?  It was my experience of being personally harnessed to a big deer up and down hills through heavy woods and undergrowth for several hours that made me decide to quit the activity entirely.  I wasn't the only one in harness, but I still came close to heart attack.  He was gutted, but that didn't make him a lightweight.

[Gavin_Sons]

Gets dark around 6 here.

Jess: we are lucky and have 430 acres of private land which my buddies grandpa owns. We drove my truck right up to them and loaded them. I do occasionally hunt some public land that requires dragging them out. That is no fun. But hunting with good friends we take turns dragging. One year 3 of us each killed one in the morning and it was dark by the time we got them to the truck.

[Farside]

  Wow a great afternoon with some really nice deer and filling your freezer.  

[cookiedough]

they make wide strap harness that go around your shoulders/neck and as long as you get the deers head/front legs,  and somewhat neck off the ground is not too bad.  Just lean forward and start walking.

back in the day when much younger and lighter,  we use to drag deer 3-4 miles way back in the woods enough so that the entire deer's back was totally gone of hide down to the skin taking 3-4 hours drag time back to the vehicles up/down hills and thru woods/brush.  

[..]

Kill them all. Please come to NE GA and whack 'em.

[Beardo]

Nice job.

Nothing like a freezer full of venison. Just filled ours up this weekend too.



My son got his too.



Was a great weekend. Sadly, my dad wasn’t able to join us this year, he got kicked in the leg by a bull last week and still can’t walk.  Missed hearing all the hunting stories we’ve heard dozens of times.

[Jess from VA]

Those look like some monsters.   

[old2soon]

        While I do NOT have the count a lot of counties here in Missouri the Mo. D N R have to check all the killed deer here for chronic wasting disease. And i do NOT Know if the deer is diseased if it can be kept or must be destroyed. Every forest rat y'all put in freezers is one less we gotta dodge on the roads. RIDE SAFE.

[DIGGER]

Looks like a good hunt   congrats.     In the future you remember the buck and the good hunt with good friends......not so much the dragging them out of the woods.

[cookiedough]

         Every forest rat y'all put in freezers is one less we gotta dodge on the roads. RIDE SAFE.

true dat!   

Is spooky going home now seen them darn things EVERY night going home in near darkness now that we have a smidge of snow left on the ground.

Worst place EVER will EVER drive at dusk is heading to Marquette Michigan about 60-80 miles away or so in upper UP coming from Porcupine forest area I swear NO JOKE we saw herds of 20-30 every 5-10 miles  just standing alongside the road waiting to hit them.  It is like they know to NOT be on the road but I surely felt to be in the minority way up there where there are am sure 100 deer to 1 person in that 100 miles (or more) stretch of desolate roads. 

I was paranoid driving even 55 mph when it got dark for I swear about 10 of them standing alongside the road literally NO JOKE were going to run in front of me.  When you see 10-20 deer right alongside the road just standing there at the last second it makes your butt cheeks pucker in fear not once not wice but like 10 or more times in a row.

[98valk]

I like this hunter better

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/hunter-mom-death-threats-factory-farming

[Bret SD]

Excellent!  

I'm interested in how you guys transport the dead weight?  It was my experience of being personally harnessed to a big deer up and down hills through heavy woods and undergrowth for several hours that made me decide to quit the activity entirely.  I wasn't the only one in harness, but I still came close to heart attack.  He was gutted, but that didn't make him a lightweight.

Hey Jess, please forgive me for being a butinsky here.. buuuttt...

I'll preface this by saying I'm 60 yrs old, for perspective..

 If you really enjoy hunting why not train for it? I have a friend, also 60, he just hiked the Grand Canyon South rim going rim to rim to rim non-stop. Part of his training is dragging a tire with some weight in it, the other parts of his simple program are mile walks and short bursts, followed by adequate resting, of heavy kettlebell work.

You don't have to go crazy but dragging a tire and walking a few times a week will not only make you stronger and healthier, but you'll be able to continue doing the physical things in life you really enjoy.

I hate to see good men watch as spectators as their health and vitality decline.

Again I apologize if my unsolicited advice offends, it certainly isn't meant to. I'm just trying to offer up a little different perspective. Healthy and strong people get to ride more too

[The emperor has no clothes]

Excellent!  

I'm interested in how you guys transport the dead weight?  It was my experience of being personally harnessed to a big deer up and down hills through heavy woods and undergrowth for several hours that made me decide to quit the activity entirely.  I wasn't the only one in harness, but I still came close to heart attack.  He was gutted, but that didn't make him a lightweight.

Hey Jess, please forgive me for being a butinsky here.. buuuttt...

I'll preface this by saying I'm 60 yrs old, for perspective..

 If you really enjoy hunting why not train for it? I have a friend, also 60, he just hiked the Grand Canyon South rim going rim to rim to rim non-stop.

Holy crap ! Back many years ago, in my 20's, me and a buddy hiked to the bottom of the canyon. Took packs, beer, sleeping bags. Hiked back up the next day. I THOUGHT MY LEGS WERE GOING TO BURST INTO FLAMES ! My hat is off to your friend. 

[Bret SD]

Hey Rob, yes!

Randy's a beast, he said his friend who's tough as a goat bonked out about halfway up to the finish so Randy had to walk behind him and carry his pack as well as his own, around 50 lbs total to finish. He said he could've turned around and done it again without problems.

Randy weighs around 260.. on a good day Haha. He jokes about being low speed and high drag. He's also very strong.

[0leman]

Congrats on those who reduce the number of deer so far this year.  Wish more were being reduced in my area.

I hunted for nearly 20 years in WY when I lived there, had a family and not much income at the time.   Would collect 3-6 antelope, two deer, and an elk each year.  Lots of meat in the freezer.

Only drug one elk, only 100 yards, to the truck.  Did have on guy pushing, me pulling on a skiff of snow.  The rest were quartered and backpacked out.  I remember only one that was over a mile away, a long distance away..

The deer I shot were at various distance from truck, some within easy driving conditions, some were a mile or more way.  Deer got drug, just grabbed the antlers and started walking.  I was in pretty good condition so wasn't a big deal.  These deer  were Mule Deer.  Some were pretty good size.

The antelope were all pretty much drug a few feet to the truck. 

Never carried a rope nor harness to drag them.   Glad I stopped hunting when I did, as not sure I could drag one out now.   

[Beardo]

I was dumb enough to shoot mine in the bottom of the steepest coulee around. They grow big there because no one is stupid enough to shoot one there. We had a hard time walking up the hill with no deer, let alone dragging one. (Yes, there are hills in Saskatchewan   ). Gutted it at the bottom, tried to drag it up, but couldn’t. Split it in front/rear half, son carried the back half up on his shoulders. We still couldn’t drag or carry the front half, had to take the neck and head off and take it in 2 more pieces. Our deer are considerably heavier than their southern cousins.

My son was smart enough to shoot his through the heart in an old abandoned farm yard, drove right up to him and loaded it. Had a big body though, was all we could do to lift it in.  

My 75 year old man still hunts, with the exception of this year.  He says if it kills him, he’ll go happy.

[Jess from VA]

Excellent!  

I'm interested in how you guys transport the dead weight?  It was my experience of being personally harnessed to a big deer up and down hills through heavy woods and undergrowth for several hours that made me decide to quit the activity entirely.  I wasn't the only one in harness, but I still came close to heart attack.  He was gutted, but that didn't make him a lightweight.

Hey Jess, please forgive me for being a butinsky here.. buuuttt...

I'll preface this by saying I'm 60 yrs old, for perspective..

 If you really enjoy hunting why not train for it? I have a friend, also 60, he just hiked the Grand Canyon South rim going rim to rim to rim non-stop. Part of his training is dragging a tire with some weight in it, the other parts of his simple program are mile walks and short bursts, followed by adequate resting, of heavy kettlebell work.

You don't have to go crazy but dragging a tire and walking a few times a week will not only make you stronger and healthier, but you'll be able to continue doing the physical things in life you really enjoy.

I hate to see good men watch as spectators as their health and vitality decline.

Again I apologize if my unsolicited advice offends, it certainly isn't meant to. I'm just trying to offer up a little different perspective. Healthy and strong people get to ride more too

Bretshim, no offense taken, and it is good advice.  But I'm not doing any of that pulling tires up and down the street.  I could be in better shape, but I do all my own work keeping and maintaining my house, including being on my roof every week or two.  And I can still power up a valk interstate if it goes over (rarely).  I like being in the woods, but I never had a chance to do much hunting so it never caught on for me.  I've been blessed with a pretty sound mind and body.  The body could be in better shape, but I bet I can outwork (and outrun) most men my age.  Not that hard work (or running) is a particular hobby of mine (at 66 3/4).    

[Bret SD]

Jess thanks for being a good sport,!  giving unsolicited advice is risky and I don't do it often. I'm glad to hear you're feeling good and moving well, too many in our age wheelhouse aren't so fortunate.

I thought about it after posting, the reaction "you want me to drag a what??!!?!" Haha!

Best to you brother

[Moonshot_1]

I know this may get this thread locked down but....what kind of tire?

[Moonshot_1]

Nice deer by the way!

[Jess from VA]

I know this may get this thread locked down but....what kind of tire?

You know...... I could drag a bicycle tire all over town.   

[Willow]

I know this may get this thread locked down but....what kind of tire?

You know...... I could drag a bicycle tire all over town.  

LOL!  That will work so long as that's the size of the deer you expect to bag.  

[Bret SD]

I know this may get this thread locked down but....what kind of tire?

You know...... I could drag a bicycle tire all over town.   

A used up darkside tire maybe?? 

[MarkT]

Bretshim, no offense taken, and it is good advice.  But I'm not doing any of that pulling tires up and down the street.  I could be in better shape, but I do all my own work keeping and maintaining my house, including being on my roof every week or two.  And I can still power up a valk interstate if it goes over (rarely).  I like being in the woods, but I never had a chance to do much hunting so it never caught on for me.  I've been blessed with a pretty sound mind and body.  The body could be in better shape, but I bet I can outwork (and outrun) most men my age.  Not that hard work (or running) is a particular hobby of mine (at 66 3/4).    

Jess,

Your comment made me think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aC_guV6pgM

[MarkT]

Another thought.  I discovered some time ago (before I became a geezer), when hiking elevation, it's better to go up first then down.  Had some bearing on me living in Colorado rather than Arizona.

On the subject at hand - I shoot all my deer where I can drive the truck up to them.  My days of hauling them out by hand are long gone.  Took two last year - we don't eat them as fast as some so the meat freezer is still half full of venison.  I could take them in my yard but that's a kinda unfair advantage so haven't yet.  We'll see if I still feel that way in my next decade.  I could shoot them with a bow from inside my man cave.  Though in reality I would want to anchor them on the spot so would probably use the 300 Win mag or the S&W 500 mag and shoot them in the spine.



This doe I shot in the neck with the 300 win mag and she was down before the rifle finished recoiling.