2013 Venison Quest

Well, it's been over 20 years since I've been deer hunting. I had gotten skunked a couple of years in a row, followed by a year or two of late harvests and poor hunting weather. On top of that, I was hitting that late 20's age, where spending time building the business, and life in general, left less time for fun. Deer hunting kind of slipped away and was never really missed.

This year, the stars are aligning.

My wife has been telling me since late summer, she would like some venison burger in the freezer, and she'd like to can some meat for a quick meal now and then.

One of my best friends, who also hasn't been out for deer, for about the same amount of time for the same reasons, has a 14 year old son who wants to go.

Now my buddy and I go woodchuck hunting every chance we get, in the spring and summer. His boy has been coming along for about three years. The first year, he carried a pellet gun. It's not lethal, but it gave him a chance to know what it's like to walk with a gun, and do it safely. He would get a chance to shoot at fence posts and beer cans regularly. Once in a while, we'd let him shoot one of our rifles, if we were in a good spot.

Two years ago, he got to carry a small caliber rifle, but it was unloaded until he was ready to shoot. Once again, it seemed like we just automatically took turns keeping an eye on him, to make sure he wasn't sweeping us with the barrel by accident or doing anything that could end up being unsafe.

Last year, he got to carry a loaded small caliber rifle all the time. We would occasionally trade him for one of our high powered rifles, when we were in a more remote spot. He learned how to sit quietly and watch, then take a good shot when the time came.

This weekend was youth deer hunting in Ohio. Anyone under 17, with a license, can go hunting with an unarmed adult to supervise them. My buddy and his son went out first thing this morning but they didn't get a shot (wife/mom insisted deer season wasn't an excuse to miss church, so the morning hunt ended early). I got a text, on our way home from church, inviting me along for the afternoon adventure.

I piled on all my cold weather gear. It was 20 degrees with a brisk wind today and I'm not toughened to winter yet, I figured I'd go along for an hour or so, and the kid would be ready to call it a day. Quitting early didn't happen. We jumped a nice buck in a small thicket heading to the hunting sight, but couldn't get a clean shot. I sat with the boy while his dad walked out ahead of us, and then back through the woods to push a deer toward us. A nice size doe came out of the woods, but was in a spot where he couldn't shoot her without knowing where his dad was in the woods. He whispered it to me before I had to tell him not to take the shot. A few minutes later, a nice buck walked out of the woods on the opposite side of a brushy fence row from us. I know a lot of guys who would have taken the shot, I wouldn't have. I told him it was his deer and his decision, if he thought he could get him clean, he should do it...... he had the gun up and I was expecting a shot, but he held off and the deer jumped away from us and out of sight. I didn't know you could feel that proud of somebody else's kid. I told him afterward, he'd lose more sleep knowing he wounded a deer and didn't find it, than he ever would by not taking the shot.

We spent four hours in the cold, never got anymore chances. I pushed another woods while he sat with his dad. At the end of the day, I was glad he didn't get his first deer with me next to him, his dad needs to be there for that, but I was honored that they both wanted me there for the chance. I also officially have the fever now, the season starts the Monday after Thanksgiving.

I'll be going hunting on the home farm, I plan on sitting in the same spot I sat with my dad, when I was about 14. Dad's been gone for 7 years but mom's still there, I thinks she'll be happy to see me get a deer from there.

Sorry for being long winded, it's hard to believe being outside in the cold until your toes are numb would excite a person, but I'm really looking forward to December 2nd...... even if I get skunked.

If I get nothing else, I'll post pictures of the woods.

Tim

Great story, well told FP--thinking you should submit the next installment for the home page...

Hi,

When you do get your deer, will you process it yourself or will someone do it for you? A few years ago, someone snared a deer, which Hammond and I shared. I will have to look up my notes on how it was processed. One thing we may never do again is get the sausage made at the processor. Certainly it wasn't made from 'our' deer and it was rather disappointing.

Some years ago, I drove up to Madison, WI the day after Thanksgiving. To keep the youngest family members amused, I had a little contest: would we find more Christmas trees or deers on the roofs of cars passing by. I don't recall the count, though the kids were greatly amused.

I do appreciate how this young man is being taught how to manage a gun. A great life lesson to not shoot when you don't know where others in your party may be.

Regards,

boudreaulicious wrote:Great story, well told FP--thinking you should submit the next installment for the home page...

Yes!

Freezer Pig, do you guys cook and eat the Whistle Pig?

Thanks for that story, FP.

Great post!

I went through a similar cycle - grew up hunting and then didn't hunt for about 15 years. I started again about a decade ago and really look forward to the years that I can get some deer or pheasant hunting in (sadly this year isn't one of them). I've developed a love/hate relationship with the youth season. My friend's kids are bagging all the good deer on the farm early on, making it much harder on us older folk! That said, it's great going out with them and seeing them enjoy it. My daughter is too young now, but she's expressed an interest and I hope to take her hunting in the future.

Deer hunting is what is got me interested in butchering, and mostly because so many processors are just plain awful. They almost seem to take pride in ignoring techniques that are used in butchering other animals, and seem to think that no one knows how to cook difficult cuts (and subsequently turn far too much of the meat into sausage). To be fair they may be right about people's cooking skills, and for the price they usually charge...well, you get what you pay for. While I won't be hunting this year I am hoping to get a deer or two to butcher for friends.

Good luck and stay warm!

boudreaulicious wrote:Great story, well told FP--thinking you should submit the next installment for the home page...

You're too kind. I don't think my ramblings are front page material. We'll just keep it our dirty little secret, with he folks that browse through Gardening, Farming and Foraging. Thanks though, I really appreciate the compliment.

Cathy2 wrote:When you do get your deer, will you process it yourself or will someone do it for you?

I like your confidence. If I/we get a deer, we will process it ourselves. I've done it both ways, back in the day, but the price for having somebody else do it has gotten prohibitive (for me anyway). It looks like the weather is cooperating this year, so we can hang the deer in the shed to chill out and won't need a cooler until it's packaged. Sometimes, you have no choice but to take it in and have a pro do it, so the meat doesn't spoil in a warm Fall.

We use more ground meat than cuts, plus what my wife wants to can. My buddy likes the cuts better and his boy wants to do his into summer sausage and jerky. If we all get a deer, we'll help each other process them. I have another friend who has an old family recipe for summer sausage. He's told me in the past that he will give me a bag of the magic dust and directions on how to use it, but I will never get the actual recipe. I checked with him today and the deal is still there. So all we have to do is figure out how to do Jerky.

We'll end up trading some of our canned meat for a few steaks and summer sausage. It will all depend on who gets what and size and sex. Unless we all get monsters, My wife and I, my buddy and his wife and the kids should be able to process 3 deer in 1 long day. If we only get one or two, we'll split it up amongst us.

David Hammond wrote:.......do you guys cook and eat the Whistle Pig?

We never have. Late last summer, we decided the next young one we got that looked healthy was going to get cleaned and cooked. We never got another one. We'll try it next year. I went to college with a girl that grew up eating it in Pennsylvania. She never thought anything about it until she married an Ohio farmer who considered them varmints and not food. She told me a few years ago that she'd give me cooking tips, if we got to the point of wanting to try them.

Attrill wrote:........I went through a similar cycle - grew up hunting and then didn't hunt for about 15 years.........

I think what I forgot about, and now realize I missed is; deer hunting is more than killing a deer. While we were sitting Sunday afternoon, the biggest rabbit I ever saw, walked out of the brush to the right of me and stopped about 8 inches from the end of my boot. My friends son turned slowly to look at me (I hope I had something to do with teaching him that slow deliberate turn), to make sure I saw it...... I just raised my eyebrows to him. He got a grin on his face and slowly turned back. The rabbit sat there for another minute, then ambled away from us and into the tall grass on the other side of where we were sitting. He never even noticed or cared that we were there.

When you get comfortable and sit still long enough, nature starts to return around you. The birds start flying into the branches near you and little critters start coming back out to forage for food. This is when the deer come out of the brush too. When all the sights/sounds of nature come back, the deer feel safe enough to come out of hiding. Somehow, I had forgotten that..... I have reached the age where I won't forget it again.

That's it, another long winded rant from NW Ohio. Tomorrow I need to get the gun out and make sure it's sighted in. That will give my shoulder a couple days to heal up before I have to actually shoot a (possibly) moving target. I need to remember to put camera on my list of things to take to the woods Monday morning. Hopefully there will be something to take a picture of......

Thanks for following along.

Tim

Tim-

Count me as another one of your fans. I really enjoy reading your ramblings from NW Ohio. Good luck hunting.

Well, by the time I click submit, I'll have 6 hours until it's time to get up and get moving. Sunrise is 7:38 and the season opens 30 minutes before. I have a 15 minute drive to mom's, then a 15 minute walk to the woods. I want to be in place and relaxing at least 15 minutes before the opening bell. I should have just enough time to start coffee, get dressed, load what's left in the truck, fill the thermos and hit the road.

12 hrs from now, I'll either be leaving the woods empty handed or dragging out/already drug out a deer. Whatever happens, it's already been fun.

I've been like a kid at Christmas, anticipating the hunt. I'm kind of a purist, I don't go for fancy scent blockers, camouflage or face paint, I don't try to call them in.... just walk in, sit down, shut up, sit still & pay attention. The only thing I wish I had was a better orange vest. Mine is an old plastic one, the new ones are softer and quiter but I don't think the deer have evolved that much in 20 years..... it'll be fine. I sighted in the gun Saturday afternoon, I just need a critter to make a target.

I found my old hunting knife, cleaned it up and sharpened it. The camera is already in the truck..... I think I'm ready.

This is at the back door, like a fire fighters gear, I just need to climb into it and go;



If I don't post back around noon tomorrow, no news should be good news. If I get one, I'll be too busy for an update.

Time to go try to get some sleep....... just like a kid waiting for Santa Claus......

Tim

Bonne Chasse FP!

I was lucky to have harvested my first double on opening morning in Illinois's shotgun season. A good-sized buck (not a wall hanger, as I'm not really into that) and a HUGE doe both in the first hour. Lots of meat for the Davooda's freezer. And I have a really good jerky marinade recipe if you are interested. I use a dehydrator rather than the oven and it takes about seven hours to make jerky. everyone gobbles it up and it makes a great stocking stuffer.

My favorite thing about deer hunting is being in the woods when the animals wake up and start their day. Hearing pheasant, quail, geese and ducks, the songbirds, deer and, this year, a bobcat - just makes me smile from ear to ear, no matter how cold I am! And that my boys "get it" now, too makes it all the more wonderful.

Davooda

I didn't get anything but cold. It was quiet as a church down there. I didn't even hear a gunshot until almost an hour after the season opened. My brother lives on the north end of the farm and he told me at Thanksgiving he hadn't seen any back there since the corn came off. I guess he was right.

My buddy invited me to hunt his place. He saw a bunch this morning but didn't get any shots. He should have one by the end of the week though. I'll see what the weather is going to do the end of the week and I might go. I'll have to buy a tag if I go there though.

Oh well, 6 more days to get one.

Tim

you might not be alone, totals are down in illinois this year as well - even the deer heavy counties that make up the "golden triangle" - Pike, Jackson, Brown, Adams

during the 3 day opening weekend 55,700 deer were taken this year vs 72,100 last year.

http://www.whig.com/story/24104346/illi ... est-totals

Ive actually seen more deer on my property this year, even a couple bucks.

I saw less deer the 2 previous years when I had a pack of coyotes using the woods & gulleys at the back of the property to raise and "train" their litter to hunt in the summer and fall. The coyotes have moved on this year.

jimswside wrote:....you might not be alone, totals are down in illinois this year as well .......

I think the paper said last weekends youth hunt was down 25% and the archery numbers are down about the same. Our county and the county south of us, where I hunted today, has up to 4 deer bag limit. I don't think many people will get 4.

It seems like during the 2012 drought, they all moved closer to the big creeks and rivers. They never really pulled back from that. We don't see near as many as we did a few years ago, right around here. There are still plenty of car/deer reports in the paper everyday and there was noticeable crop damage in spots this fall, it'll be OK to thin the herd a little more.

Looks like 50's for the next couple of days. I'll wait to go back out until Thursday, temps are supposed to be back below freezing again after that.

My buddy with the summer sausage recipe texted me a picture, he got a pretty nice buck about 5 o'clock today. He's the only one of the "gang" that got one today. Hopefully everybody's luck will change.

Tim

Well, I got skunked. The highlight of the whole week was a great horned owl, flying into a tree, about 15 yards from where I was sitting Saturday night as the sun was setting.

My buddy and his boy both came up empty too. They are going back out for muzzle loading season. He offered one of his guns so I could go, but I think I'm done for the year.

I'll start scouting earlier next year and pick a good spot to hunt. This year was kind of rushed. Twenty years ago, when there were way too many deer, you could pretty much just go sit anyplace and eventually get one. It's getting to be more of a challenge with fewer targets moving around.

Oh well, that's why they call it hunting. Luckily, our freezer is full of beef & pork, so we'll be better off this winter than our ancestors would have been if they didn't get a deer.

Tim

Freezer Pig wrote: The highlight of the whole week was a great horned owl....

That is a stunning sight in my book.

Sorry no deer.

I'm heading out on Saturday for a hunt at McGraw for some pheasant.