Tennessee ML Season Opener

[Stykbow]

Good luck to all you other Tennessee boys tomorrow! Got the Jeep and canoe loaded up and ready. Hope you get a shot at the one that makes you happy.

 

[Daytime Smoker]

Good luck to you as well! Tomorrow is going to be a warm one! Small cold front bringing rain on Sunday, the days that I’m off. That’s hunting. Stay safe!

 

[Hermit Tim]

Went yesterday morning from 6:00 to about 12:00. Then had to take the boss to town. Got home and went back from around 2:30 until dark. Didn't see any deer at all. Lots of squirrels but no deer. Also, other than a guy way down the ridge target shooting for a few minutes, never heard any shots. Not one.

I usually don't hunt on Sundays but decided to go for a couple hours today. Made it extra challenging by only taking my pistol and left the rifle at home. Finally saw one coming toward me through the brush around 3:00. Just my luck, my phone rang and I had forgotten to turn the ringer off. Once it started ringing that deer turned left into thicker brush never to be seen again...

But I realized something while out there. In 30 years of deer hunting with BP guns I've never killed a deer during muzzleloader season. Shot many with BP but always during rifle season. Turns out the deer aren't really moving around here until about Thanksgiving week when it cools off. Not giving up until then though. Will be back out there early in the morning before work. How'd you guys do?

 

[Stykbow]

@Hermit Tim I didn’t see a deer. Saw turkeys and squirrels only. The spot I’m hunting has a lot of rubs this year. One is on a hemlock tree almost as big around as my thigh. Didn’t hunt yesterday evening or today. The wife is a fishing nut so evenings are usually spent smallmouth fishing with her.

 

[Hermit Tim]

@Hermit Tim I didn’t see a deer. Saw turkeys and squirrels only. The spot I’m hunting has a lot of rubs this year. One is on a hemlock tree almost as big around as my thigh. Didn’t hunt yesterday evening or today. The wife is a fishing nut so evenings are usually spent smallmouth fishing with her.

Well brother there are alotta worse ways to spend an evening. Wish my wife liked to fish... I haven't seen any rubs this year in the particular spot I hunted this weekend. That spot pictured is less than forty or fifty yards away from my shop and very close to the road. It's a pass through spot. There's an old, large, wooded property across the road that used to be phosphate mines. It's chock full of deer and they pass through this spot pretty heavy once the orange army invades the mines and runs them out in the mornings and evenings. Some years there is no sign at all but lots of deer pass right through there. And I'm close to a bathroom. Which is important once you pass 50... my other spots around my small property generally show good sign but they must be coming around at night. That'll change when silly season hits.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I am taking down the electric fence around my food plot today, this is much later than usual, it only takes the deer a day or two to realize that the fence is down and off, they flood the plot when they figure this out.

I still have a god bit of deer meat in the freezer so I will probably hold off one killing one for now. I thought I was going to run out a few months ago and did some deer meat panhandling, my friend Dan loaded me down with his excess.

Tim, we have a mini rut around Thanksgiving, some chasing but not like the big rut around Christmas.

Tim and I live about 50 miles apart and probably have the same rut periods. The Alabama M/L season starts on the 18th.

 

[Stykbow]

Good luck if you’re out hunting today.

 

[Stykbow]

Well, I missed! Probably the nicest buck I’ve seen on public land in a long time. He caught me off guard and saw me. Of course there was a tree covering his vitals so no shot. He spooked, ran out to about 45 yards and I fell to pieces. Clean damn miss.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Well, I missed! Probably the nicest buck I’ve seen on public land in a long time. He caught me off guard and saw me. Of course there was a tree covering his vitals so no shot. He spooked, ran out to about 45 yards and I fell to pieces. Clean damn miss.

Sounds exciting. Nothing like finally seeing one anyway. Haven't seen one yet. Been trying to go all day so fixing to head out for the last hour of daylight. Maybe you'll get another crack at that big boy soon. Best of luck with it.

 

[Stykbow]

So I was wrong. I didn’t miss! Went fishing this afternoon and found him. Sucker had took a dive into the lake when he died. And it turns out he’s just a huge spike!

 

[Hermit Tim]

So I was wrong. I didn’t miss! Went fishing this afternoon and found him. Sucker had took a dive into the lake when he died. And it turns out he’s just a huge spike!

Congrats. A buck and fishing on the same day. Can't beat that. I went for the last hour and didn't see the first deer. However I did hear 3 or 4 shots off in the distance. First real activity I've heard all week so maybe that means they are starting to move.

 

[Stykbow]

Hope it picks up for you @Hermit Tim. Full disclosure on this buck. I hit him to far forward with no exit. Not one drop of blood on the ground. I looked for a long time, even cruised up the lake looking for him and must have went right by him. I was looking up in the woods instead of the water. In this pic you can see where I hit. What’s your opinion on the meat being good on this one? Never got out of the 50’s today and he was in the lake.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Hope it picks up for you @Hermit Tim. Full disclosure on this buck. I hit him to far forward with no exit. Not one drop of blood on the ground. I looked for a long time, even cruised up the lake looking for him and must have went right by him. I was looking up in the woods instead of the water. In this pic you can see where I hit. What’s your opinion on the meat being good on this one? Never got out of the 50’s today and he was in the lake.

If it didn't get out of the 50's I'm sure the meat should still be fine. Would be better had he been gutted but that's ok. I'm sure the water kept him pretty cool so I personally wouldn't have a problem processing that one.

 

[Stykbow]

I pulled him to the bank and gutted him as soon as I found him and his insides still had some warmth to them. I’ll let him hang tonight and give him a good once over tomorrow. I need to see if I can find an exit or my ball too.

 

[Banjoman]

There’s still some good antler material there.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I pulled him to the bank and gutted him as soon as I found him and his insides still had some warmth to them. I’ll let him hang tonight and give him a good once over tomorrow. I need to see if I can find an exit or my ball too.

I'd probably put a bag of ice inside the cavity while it hangs. I usually do that anyway if it isn't really cold out. Should be some good eating there.

 

[Patocazador]

What’s your opinion on the meat being good on this one? Never got out of the 50’s today and he was in the lake.

The temp. of the water is what counts. If it was 50 or below, he might be good, however, bacteria thrive in moist places and it usually takes refrigeration or an ice water bath below 40 to insure that a deer won't spoil.

Deer have good insulation especially fat ones so that would slow its cooling.
My bet is that he will be off-tasting and certainly not delectable. Maybe serve him to your in-laws or bad neighbors.

 

[Stykbow]

Not a real tasteful pic, but it shows how big his funky rack was. Oh, and I found the ball too.