Well guys, I had my chance.........

[Rawhide67]

Reading the posts above is like science fiction for me. Lucky to see a buck during the season. If I get a deer, I'm fortunate.

 

[William Lincoln]

With meat prices through the roof, a successful hunt
saves the hunter serious food costs. Congrats to all
for carrying on the great tradition.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

There were so many Deer in my hunting spot in NJ...many times I said ah! I will come back tomorrow.....no kidding...

 

[ETipp]

With meat prices through the roof, a successful hunt
saves the hunter serious food costs. Congrats to all
for carrying on the great tradition.

I honestly believe the price of meat is one reason why I have seen a increase in hunters this year.

 

[ETipp]

There were so many Deer in my hunting spot in NJ...many times I said ah! I will come back tomorrow.....no kidding...

Consider yourself lucky.

 

[ETipp]

Reading the posts above is like science fiction for me. Lucky to see a buck during the season. If I get a deer, I'm fortunate.

Keep putting forth effort, pay attention to details, scout, and stay out there and it will happen. And when you least expect it, a fairly nice buck will walk up on you.

I wish you the best.

 

[Terrier]

I took advantage of the season-long 3 does per day limit where I live. Once. I thought my back was going to be permanently jacked up by the time I was done. It was an odd, snowy day for these parts that day, so it made the tracking easy enough, but OMG, the work. Neavah again! Two, maybe, but not three.

I used to go by the adage, "If it's brown, it's down" for the first deer seen for the season, but for the first time, this year, I let a nervous doe walk by to see if a buck was following. She showed all the signs, but a no-show for the buck.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Saw a nice buck in the rain last week, put my foot on a downed mossy tree trunk to get into a modified kneeling position and I did the spits on the log. The deer might not of heard it, but he did hear me f bomb as I racked myself on the log. Glad I had not cocked it yet.

 

[Rawhide67]

Keep putting forth effort, pay attention to details, scout, and stay out there and it will happen. And when you least expect it, a fairly nice buck will walk up on you.

I wish you the best.

I like your optimism.

 

[pilot]

Saw a nice buck in the rain last week, put my foot on a downed mossy tree trunk to get into a modified kneeling position and I did the spits on the log. The deer might not of heard it, but he did hear me f bomb as I racked myself on the log. Glad I had not cocked it yet.

Sorry for laughing, but I can picture doing that myself.

 

[ETipp]

I like your optimism.

Believe it or not, confidence during a hunt can mean as much, or more, than anything else. Stick with it. Do your homework and it will pay off.

 

[Keyhole]

This one shows up every day….except when I’m in the stand

 

[ETipp]

This one shows up every day….except when I’m in the stand

View attachment 271362

He's a pretty deer for sure. Unique facial color.

BTW, do you know why he always comes around except for when you are in your stand? Because he's a full time deer and your just a part time hunter.

They are smart.

 

[Keyhole]

He's a pretty deer for sure. Unique facial color.

BTW, do you know why he always comes around except for when you are in your stand? Because he's a full time deer and your just a part time hunter.

They are smart.

I reckon that does make sense. We often find does and fawns bedded down near our 100-yd targets

 

[Sparkplug]

My freezer filling opportunity starts tomorrow morning. I only have a couple acres to hunt so don't have the luxury this year if being too picky. So for me it is meat first. Hopefully I will be blessed with a few in the freezer and then I might hold out for "that" buck. From tomorrow until the middle of January three doe per day is the limit. I've never shot more then one a day. I guess I always thought a good shot meant the hunt for the day was over. Not this year. I'm packing two rifles and, if I get one early in the day, and it isn't too hot, I may let it lay and wait for another one to visit.

Don't forget ya got an invitation to hunt this side of the line!

 

[ETipp]

I reckon that does make sense. We often find does and fawns bedded down near our 100-yd targets

I was at the gun range last month and when I was walking back to the shooting benches after checking my target I looked over and there was a doe standing about 35 yards away in the parking lot just looking at me.

Several times when I lived in Montana I was at the gun range and we all had to stop shooting because there were deer walking behind our targets. And it was a very active gun range 7 days a week.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Don't forget ya got an invitation to hunt this side of the line!

Thanks brother. I'm afraid my hunting has to be over for a while though. I do hope to take you up on that sometime.

 

[Wounded Fox]

[...] Deer come through y yard all day every day. I have never shot one there and never will unless it is for survival. Doing so wouldn't be hunting, it would be unsportsmanlike harvesting.

I get where you are coming from, and I agree that I wouldn't call it sportsmanlike. Even so, I have been considering taking out some of the deer that cross my yard for the hides, the meat, and as a public service. Where I live, there are a large number of deer, few if any predators, and not enough hunters.

We are in an area of Virginia where they need people to hunt them just to keep the population down so that there are fewer auto-deer collisions. I am pretty sure that collisions with motor vehicles is a leading cause of deer mortality here, and most of those go to waste. In Virginia, only the person who struck the deer is legally allowed to harvest it, and if I ever hit a deer, and I am able to walk away from the collision, taking care of the deer will be the last thing on my mind.

Thankfully I have never had a deer collision, though I have had more close calls than I can count.

 

[ETipp]

I get where you are coming from, and I agree that I wouldn't call it sportsmanlike. Even so, I have been considering taking out some of the deer that cross my yard for the hides, the meat, and as a public service. Where I live, there are a large number of deer, few if any predators, and not enough hunters.

We are in an area of Virginia where they need people to hunt them just to keep the population down so that there are fewer auto-deer collisions. I am pretty sure that collisions with motor vehicles is a leading cause of deer mortality here, and most of those go to waste. In Virginia, only the person who struck the deer is legally allowed to harvest it, and if I ever hit a deer, and I am able to walk away from the collision, taking care of the deer will be the last thing on my mind.

Thankfully I have never had a deer collision, though I have had more close calls than I can count.

Indeed. Good post.

Our deer population here is not what I would call great. However, many get smacked by vehicles every year here on this winding highway. We see it every year, deer eating and playing around in some ones front yard and/or close to the highway. Next time we go to town, there it lays dead, either in the road or on the shoulder. Those deer go to waste. People still will not slow down. The situation will not get any better, rather it will get worse. Its so sad to see them laying there dead going to waste.

Just two weeks ago my son sent me trail cam pics of a nice buck he was after in the back 40 on his property in TN. Two days later I get a text with a picture of that deer laying dead in the road. It had been hit by a car during the night. The meat went to waste but he did salvage the antlers.

I would have no problem killing a deer in my yard IF the season was open and IF I wanted to put it in my freezer. Not with any legal deer hunting tool. That would be one less I'd have to drag out of these steep hills. I've been mostly, if not completely, a bow hunter for many years. The deer get plenty of chances with that type of hunting. Fortunately, the ole boy up stairs has blessed me with filling all four of my tags most every year.

Sportsmanship................pissh-posh.