We've had it be 80 on the afternoon of opening day before .... we carried frozen gallon milk jugs of water, field dressed the deer and put two in the chest cavity and one between the hams ..... and then took the animal to wash it out with cold well water ..... it worked pretty well.
What is your whitetail tally so far?
- Thread starter AdamSean
- Start date
Deerhunter
New member
Deer up North get bigger (add fat/weight) so they can survive the cold harsh winters. I wish I could locate the actual biologist article where I read that. It makes a lot of sense though.
Here in VA they regulate based on some counties having limited doe (anterless days). When you purchase your license you get 3 either sex tags and 3 antlerless only tags. Then for $16 you can buy 6 bonus antlerless tags.
I find it funny when I hear certain groups talk about oh out club killed 50 deer last year, our club killed 10 deer today and so on. Then after a few years of that they say...man something isn't right the numbers are way down. Well no kidding you shot too many deer off the property.
Where I hunt it is archery only all season. Lots of deer in the area. Not unusual to see 5-10 doe walking together in places. I try to shoot 3 deer a season for my freezer. I could shoot more, but no need to put that kind of pressure on the herd. Our season basically runs from the first Saturday in September to the last Saturday in April. Again it is archery only and some of that is antlerless only.
It is also really easy to get kill permits in the area I hunt due to the damage the deer do to the plants around people's houses. Two of the properties I hunt get them every year. I don't shoot deer in the summer, but I could if I wanted to.
Here in VA they regulate based on some counties having limited doe (anterless days). When you purchase your license you get 3 either sex tags and 3 antlerless only tags. Then for $16 you can buy 6 bonus antlerless tags.
I find it funny when I hear certain groups talk about oh out club killed 50 deer last year, our club killed 10 deer today and so on. Then after a few years of that they say...man something isn't right the numbers are way down. Well no kidding you shot too many deer off the property.
Where I hunt it is archery only all season. Lots of deer in the area. Not unusual to see 5-10 doe walking together in places. I try to shoot 3 deer a season for my freezer. I could shoot more, but no need to put that kind of pressure on the herd. Our season basically runs from the first Saturday in September to the last Saturday in April. Again it is archery only and some of that is antlerless only.
It is also really easy to get kill permits in the area I hunt due to the damage the deer do to the plants around people's houses. Two of the properties I hunt get them every year. I don't shoot deer in the summer, but I could if I wanted to.
Crazy Carl
New member
Just 2, both little cow-horns. One on muzzleloader opener & the 2nd on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Season ends Jan 1 & doubt I'll get another. They get pretty scarce by late season & numbers seem to be way down on the farm we hunt.
My son got a basket rack 8 pointer with his first time afield bowhunting, and my youngest finally decided to try it on his last year of youth season eligibility, where he did connect with a nice 100 lb doe, and I took a real nice 10 pointer on Missouri's opener that weighed 145 and had an inside spread of 19and one quarter inch.
I sent the head to Bone Mojo to let the beetles feed on it....should be pretty cool when they're done.
I sent the head to Bone Mojo to let the beetles feed on it....should be pretty cool when they're done.
Everyone got a buck but I've been shut off due to freezer being nearly full and no one to help process due to work schedules.
Hoping the weather will cooperate soon. Need to have overnight temps low enough to "pre-freeze" burger before putting it in freezer and that's not in the forecast. If we run out of all the firearms seasons, I may be back out there trying to croak a couple with the pointy sticks again.
Hoping the weather will cooperate soon. Need to have overnight temps low enough to "pre-freeze" burger before putting it in freezer and that's not in the forecast. If we run out of all the firearms seasons, I may be back out there trying to croak a couple with the pointy sticks again.
Southerners don't field dress their deer?
Why would someone decide that people in the south don't field dress their deer? Maybe some bozo doesn't, but don't apply this standard to all of us. People I hunt with dress out their deer asap to start the cooling process. I could see not doing it if you had a processing area very close to your hunting area, but not for the average hunter.
I just don't understand how people get these ideas and pass them on.
Why would someone decide that people in the south don't field dress their deer? Maybe some bozo doesn't, but don't apply this standard to all of us. People I hunt with dress out their deer asap to start the cooling process. I could see not doing it if you had a processing area very close to your hunting area, but not for the average hunter.
I just don't understand how people get these ideas and pass them on.
I have heard of some field dressing their deer, but most just go straight to the many processors around here. I took my first deer to the processor, but after that, my buddy taught me how to do it myself and so far I have saved myself $150. Got a great deal on an electric grinder on Black Friday and it works great.
It just really depends on where you are, temps, and where the deer is going to end up.
It just really depends on where you are, temps, and where the deer is going to end up.
playin' hookey
New member
Having a good year -- 2 with bow, one with muzzleloader, one with shotgun. All antlerless, so no taxidermy expense
I took a week of vacation 2nd week of November but got sick the whole week and couldn't hunt prime time, so I have an excuse for not getting a buck. I'm concentrating on turkeys now.
I took a week of vacation 2nd week of November but got sick the whole week and couldn't hunt prime time, so I have an excuse for not getting a buck. I'm concentrating on turkeys now.
Killed a fair sized spike horn 1 hour into the muzzleloader opener, here in NH you are only allowed 1 deer with a gun but we get 10 days before the rifle opener with black powder. Then went down to So. Carolina and killed another spike about the same size as the first.
Will be heading back down to So. Carolina next year to hunt the rut, they say that is a blast.
Will be heading back down to So. Carolina next year to hunt the rut, they say that is a blast.
Saltydog235
New member
A decent 8 and two does. Should be 5 but having my son add a foot of elevation to my scope early in the season and changed that for two of them.
Missed a hammer of a buck that came out to a feeder on my right that was past 90deg from where I was sitting a week ago. I couldn't stand up because the stand would have squeaked and he was looking my way every time I moved to get into position. It's never a good thing when you are twisted up, leaning back off balance and your reticle is at a 45deg angle to the target.
My deer go straight into the Gator and take a ride to the processor. Cheap, they take care of what I need and free up time for me.
Missed a hammer of a buck that came out to a feeder on my right that was past 90deg from where I was sitting a week ago. I couldn't stand up because the stand would have squeaked and he was looking my way every time I moved to get into position. It's never a good thing when you are twisted up, leaning back off balance and your reticle is at a 45deg angle to the target.
My deer go straight into the Gator and take a ride to the processor. Cheap, they take care of what I need and free up time for me.
Crazy Carl
New member
Here's the one I took the day after Thanksgiving, as well as the 6.8SPC I took him with.
SSA 110gr Nosler Accubonds at ~2600fps, 50-60yds broadside. Through & through, DRT.
SSA 110gr Nosler Accubonds at ~2600fps, 50-60yds broadside. Through & through, DRT.
stagpanther
New member
Last year was my first as a hunter and I was down south--learned alot but zeroed. Moved to Maine full-time this year and terrain is totally different--learning some things all over again. The season ended yesterday and once I again I zeroed. The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that even bad luck runs out eventually LOL.
stagpanther
New member
Well--I wasn't exactly the stay-at-home type--I guess between last and this season I went out at least 30 times. But I've always been an in-the-woods/mountain kind of guy--so just being out there is a reward.
North East Redneck
New member
Two whitetail . One small doe and a three point. He was good sized but small rack. Doe is delicious and the buck is pretty darn tasty also.
Both with the bow. Haven't been and won't be gunning for deer this year.
Both with the bow. Haven't been and won't be gunning for deer this year.