Hunting

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

It's been a tough year for me hunting wise. Gun season is over now. I passed on a couple of shots because they weren't sure enough for me to feel ethical about getting a clean kill and as a result my freezer is still empty. I'm probably going to dig out my muzzle-loader barrel for my Encore and get back in the woods this Saturday and give it another try although I'm so far behind now in my shop I hate to. I guess this situation made me question a little the why of my addiction to hunting. Hence the below ramblings of a budding geezer.

Every day countless living creatures die so each of us can live. When we drive we kill moths, birds, larger animals and sometimes each other. When we walk in the yard we are mindlessly crushing insects and worms. Countless generations of animals never get the chance to live because of parking lots, shopping malls, homes, factories and fields of soybeans. Those who pretend to exist outside this truth are simply delusional.

Even if you eat no meat, many creatures die every day so you can survive. From eagles killed by wind farms to caged animals killed to test food, drugs and makeup. Since the average human body harbors 2-6 pounds of bacteria, even as we die, we kill.

Good hunters embrace this truth with honesty and integrity.

Good hunters feel a reverence for the animals they harvest and the natural world they are a part of. There is a joy in taking your place in nature which is indescribable and an honesty in harvesting your own food which is undeniable.

My congrats to all the ethical hunters out there, not just for the harvest, but for renewing again our age old place as stewards, protectors and predators in the natural world.

[JimC]

 


Jim

[Jess from VA]

Good luck Mike. 

BTW, I was just reading today that a number of muzzle loaders have been blowing up and causing some pretty bad injuries to folks.  It is being attributed to sub-par steel in (mostly, but not all) imported rifle barrels.

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/muzzleloader-barrels-blowing-up.264712/

http://www.chuckhawks.com/dangerous_muzzleloaders.htm

http://www.chuckhawks.com/cva_muzzleloader_blow-up.htm

[Gavin_Sons]

sounds like you are having the same luck as i am. Usually i have 2 or 3 down by now, this year has been by far the worst year i have had. I have seen a total of 6 deer this year while hunting. 5 of those were together. Our woods was surrounded by corn and they just got it out late last week. Hopefully muzzleloader season will produce something. I have spent hours and hours in my stands, playing the wind, controlling my scent. Nothing has seemed to work this year. Then my parents tell me they have seen a big buck several times on the back side of their property in mid day.  Oh well, i guess this year is my bad luck year.

[MarkT]

Been out every evening - my hunting pals are having the same luck. Usually there's 6 deer hanging by now. Seeing very little. My host got a fork horn with a big body for the rack. I passed on one shot thx to the wind rocking the blind as I was squeezing out the first stage of the 2-stage military trigger on the M1A.  Mostly there's been too little wind for the deer to move.  And the full moon doesn't help either.  Last night I helped butcher the 2 small bucks we've got so far.  Still hoping to score.  There's 5 days left.

[0leman]

I feel for you guys, I too have had seasons long ago where I didn't see any critters or couldn't get a good clean shot.  Keep on looking they are out there.

If it helps I was watchin' a 4 point Mule Deer eating Wife's flowers by front door yesterday.  He looked good and fat.  Not a record book, but nice rack.

[northernvalk]

Same here boys, only 3 deer between 7 of us hunting the family property, usually about 1 deer per person.  it is 100% wolf related here, numbers are exploding and tree huggers are trying to "protect" "special" wolves that don't even exist in the eyes of science.....

[MarkT]

GOT ONE!!

[northernvalk]

 

[Gavin_Sons]

Good job Mark 

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Nice one Mark, congrats!

[gregk]

Only snagged one this year, a 5 that I thought was a 6 but a nice big body.

[Crackerborn]

That is why it is called hunting and not shopping, some years the deer just won't  co-operate. While I seldom gun deer hunt here in WI, I usually bag one or two by bow. This year I went to a crossbow just to try it out. Next year will be back to compound and long bow. I used all my deer tags way too early this year and spring turkey season is a looong way off.

[Hooter]

Wish I could post pictures.  I own 378 acres of some of the best hunting in SW Michigan. I got an 8 point, 210 lbs, 21" inside spread on the second day of gun season. I've hunted every day possible since October 1st, bow opener. As of now it seems the deer have taken "ghost status". Pretty much everything has gone nocturnal.  I am headed out the door now with my muzzle loader even though the critters aren't cooperating.  Beats settin on my ass in the house. A bad day in the woods beat a warm day in the house!

[Crackerborn]

A bad day in the woods beat a warm day in the house!

    I am chasing squirrels and rabbits with the long bow for the late season. I would use the cross bow but even with blunts the bolt will get buried in a tree. Not to mention how badly the blunts mangle the small critters with the cross bow.   

[BudMan]

The reason you guys are having trouble finding deer may be that they all came to Oklahoma and are hanging out on my road trying to kill me every time I take the Valk out! It's gotten so bad I almost never ride at night if I can help it. Daytime is bad enough!