Who hunts deer?

Since I am quite good at cutting up deer I can trade my services for meat (I'd rather butcher than hunt deer plus no hunting on Sunday gives me plenty of time). I got 2.5 deer last year and didn't even buy my license!

A lot of guys from my club go up to Maine to hunt deer. I know it's hard hunting up there compared to shooting fish in a barrel in CT.

Any buck in Maine is a trophy.

My dream in Maine is to shoot some pah'tridge
 
Yup...I hunt and fish stuff.


Many, many moons ago now, on true banner year, one I'll never forget, I did this:
I caught my first chinook, my first silver salmon, my first sturgeon, and my first large mouth bass, and my first smallie. I shot my first bear, and my first turkey. Then I shot my first cow elk, and shot my first mulie buck.
So with the season slowing down, I called my father and had him ship me his old inflatable duck decoys, a beat up single reed duck call, and a 45rpm record with "How to Call Ducks and Geese" on it. A few day's after getting the duck stuff, I went to a cool old broken down blind out on the South Jetty of the Siuslaw River. The blind had the words "Pig Blind" carved on one of the sides. Blew up and threw out some decoys in a way that seemed to make sense. Saw a pair of mallards flying by way, way out. Blew a crappy hail, then a worse come back. Those two ducks turned on a dime and blasted toward me like they were on a string. Their little feet out, wings cupped they dropped right to me. I jumped up and emptied my shotgun, and totally missed. But it got me, I was changed that day. Even with the greatest year ever slowing down, my real love affair had just began.


Thousands of hours later, thousands of dollars later. Carving, chessies, jon boats, scull boats, calls, decoys....It's number one for me, all the rest just pass the time till duck season. My wife's clan does "Deer Camp" and it's a blast, old army tent, tent stove, willy's jeep you get the idea. It's fun, but it's not me in my boat, wind blowing raining or snowing, dog at my side and the dekes jumping.-Seth
ps. The banner year was 1997 and I was 27 years old.
 
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That's a GREAT story Seth.

My sentiments exactly.

Jon
Thanks I'm blessed...I grew up on a ranch, left for twenty years, retired and came back to the ranch. As I type this I'm watching a decent 3pt mule deer buck eating apples in my yard. The elk I'm sure are up tearing up my hay. So I kinda look at deer/elk just like I look at my cattle. I just don't find it sporting unless I drive way, way off my place. Other wise it's just a beer run.
The only bummer moving home... waterfowling is a hour drive. I've got upland birds like crazy. My chessie passed so I shifted to a Ugly Dog just so I can do a little bit of everything. We shed hunted this spring, did some coon hunting a few weeks ago. Finally bird season is on, so grouse/dove is on on on.-Seth
And Paul W...it's a "Aught...six" not 30-06. he-he that can be a man-card deal...never say 30-06...Say AAAAUUUGHTTT Sixxxx.
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I agree with Jon. Seth, well done.

Mark, I want you to know how much I appreciate living in a state that is dominated by big game; elk, mule deer, whitetails, Coues deer, turkey, antelpe, mountain lions, javelina, black bear, oryx, ibex, barbary, bighorn and desert sheep. I love it because these people are scouting and or hunting the above at one time or another (no time for ducks) and that leaves me out on the Rio Grande corridor hunting ducks. Like my good friend said, "If you can find water, "they"will come!
Al
 
Not many deer hunters left in Ga, we all sit over foodplots or feeders and simply wait for a deer to come to it. That's not hunting in my opinion.
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Amen to that statement! Once upon a time, I had deer madness...three of us used to still-hunt through remote country, arrayed in a rough triangle. We killed some very nice deer during those years. Now the woods is riddled with bait piles and feeders in the fall.

Here, you have to add an army of UTV/ATV hunters who haul illegal bait quantity "piles" into remote country on through, over and around gated State, Federal and CFR lands to stake claim to all deer within a half-mile radius. Over the last twenty years, the U.P. deer population has trended from a far too high 750,000 to 900,000 animals in the fall, to the spring of 2015 estimate of 125,000 animals that have survived the winters of 2013/14 and 2014/15. Declining winter habitat volume and area following the decline in pulp cutting when the paper industry crashed in 2001, as well as a growing predator population (coyote, bear, wolves,lynx, bobcat, violators) have served to depress rate of recovery in mild winter years. I haven't seen sign of a mature buck in three years while scouting.





There are three others that are wall mounts in my old hunting partners homes. Most of these deer we located initially while grouse hunting.
 
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Deer hunting and waterfowling have always gone hand in hand in my life. Scouting and hunting for either, most times will open your eyes to new hunting places. Venison IS a main staple in our family as long as I can remember. I hunt deer for food and enjoyment. Waterfowl hunting not so much anymore for food, but for enjoyment. In 51 seasons I've most likely put myself way over the consumption advisory for waterfowl. Plus my cardiologist advises venison over waterfowl for our table. They also told me no dragging deer, or long hikes in waders with gear duck hunting. This advice I totally ignore, but do at my own pace. If I should keel over, what better place to happen.

Sight in that rifle, sharpen your knife and bring home the bacon. Enjoy yourself.
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They do go hand in hand, sometimes I do both at the same time...

 
Mr. Robinson - By Gawd that's a dream come true right there! Congratulations. I have seen some mighty fine bucks while upland bird hunting in Montana, never had a chance to hunt them. I admire your skill, and tenacity to achieve such a lofty goal that many of us hope for. SALUDE!
 
John, that is a personal goal of mine as well...a hefty buck and a handful of greenheads draped over the bow of a boat I built myself.....well done!

I used to be a waterfowling machine, 85-90 days a year, 3-5 states and an annual Canada trip. I don't really know if I burnt out, or just as I've grown up my interests have changed, but now I prefer carve decoys that I'll hunt over with my friends maybe 15-20 days a season, and deer hunt with the rest of my free time. Its much easier to spend a couple hours in a treestand before/after work, and as others have mentioned deer are so plentiful in CT that I pass on many more than I kill, waiting for young does and large bucks. The recent trend of waterfowling being cool and everyone is hardcore hoodie wearing mojo using go fast boat driving duck blasters annoy me as well...I like being left out of that.

Don't get me wrong, I still love to hunt ducks and come those late december snow storms you can bet I'll be at the edge of a marsh picking out greenheads and keeping my fingers crossed that a bull pintail or can decides to grace me with its presence, but day in and day out I enjoy the solitude of the woods, watching all of the critters play around underneath me unknowingly, and getting home at a decent hour without a ton of frozen and muddy gear to clean up for the next morning ;).
 
Each time I see my cardiologist "facts" change. He keeps very up to date and informs me as to what is IN and what is OUT. Bison, moose and elk are still the top 3 for game, and then it drops down from there. I prefer venison over any store bought meat, and when it comes to ducks Teal and Wood Ducks, geese a young lesser Snow goose or Whitefront. I like to hunt, kill, cook, eat wild game and then let the Vytorin do it's job. If I never eat a bite of wild waterfowl again, I'm pretty darn sure I'm way over the limit of consumption for a man my age. Venison I still have a ways to go...

Thank you for your info and suggestion. I will put it to the test on my next trip to the Canadian Duck Factory. I'm usually the camp cook.
 
John, that is a personal goal of mine as well...a hefty buck and a handful of greenheads draped over the bow of a boat I built myself.....well done!

I used to be a waterfowling machine, 85-90 days a year, 3-5 states and an annual Canada trip. I don't really know if I burnt out, or just as I've grown up my interests have changed, but now I prefer carve decoys that I'll hunt over with my friends maybe 15-20 days a season, and deer hunt with the rest of my free time. Its much easier to spend a couple hours in a treestand before/after work, and as others have mentioned deer are so plentiful in CT that I pass on many more than I kill, waiting for young does and large bucks. The recent trend of waterfowling being cool and everyone is hardcore hoodie wearing mojo using go fast boat driving duck blasters annoy me as well...I like being left out of that.

Don't get me wrong, I still love to hunt ducks and come those late december snow storms you can bet I'll be at the edge of a marsh picking out greenheads and keeping my fingers crossed that a bull pintail or can decides to grace me with its presence, but day in and day out I enjoy the solitude of the woods, watching all of the critters play around underneath me unknowingly, and getting home at a decent hour without a ton of frozen and muddy gear to clean up for the next morning ;).
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Thanks for picking up on the duck-boat aspect of the picture. I used to frequent this forum a lot back when I built my boat. I remember Andrew, Eric and Sutton were particularly helpful back in the day.

The story of that hunt is my buddy and I have permission to hunt a backwater slough near our homes. We were set up on a cattail fringe and having a good shoot when I walked inland to relieve myself. Well I spooked a bunch of deer out of their beds and saw a couple nice bucks. Next time we hunted that spot my buddy brought a couple slugs along and went for a walk while I shot ducks. I got a few ducks and he got that buck. This year it's my turn to deer hunt while he stays in the blind.

It was fun driving back to the boat ramp with a nice buck slung across the bow.

John
 
Our doe permit drawing was yesterday, and I drew one. So I may have to chase deer a bit this year. Off just now to scout--I have a possible stand location and getting to it will take me past two duck spots.

Who says men can't multi-task?
 
Been chasing deer about 35 years. It is for meat and alone time in the woods. I do not bow hunt anymore because I would rather waterfowl hunt in my free time. A freezer full of deer or better yet a pantry full of canned deer is some good eating.
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I'm going to have to read up on how to can deer meat. I've heard a lot of people talk of canning meat but I've never done it before.

I've chased deer since I was about 15 years old. That's over 35 years now ! Lots of good memories of hunting with my Dad. He wasn't a deer hunter until I got started. Then he took up deer hunting with me. Dad has been gone since 2001. Some days it seems like a hundred years ago, and other days like it was only yesterday.....

Looking forward to doing it all this year. Even more so than years past. Waterfowl, dove, deer, rabbit, squirrel, and even some coyote hunting if time permits.

The duck boats are definitely going to get the heaviest use this year though.

Fred
 
I'm going to have to read up on how to can deer meat. I've heard a lot of people talk of canning meat but I've never done it before
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Fred canning meat is really simple. I put my work in the canning meat, then when it is time to eat it only takes a few minutes to make a good meal.
 
One of my friends does a good job canning deer meat, and I gotta say it's very good and worth the work.

This will be my 51st deer season God Willing. Found a very fresh rub yesterday while squirrel huntin', aka Scouting.

Waterfowl make me smile when I see them. Deer make my mouth water when I see em...
 
I often deer hunt after the morning goose /duck hunt. When i didn't have
a camp to let the dog rest in I would just leave him in the truck, He knew the deal.
One fine morning we hit the Goose field early and limited out ,my partners drove home and I climbed into a stand and took a nap. Around 4 I climbed down and with the sun at my back walked up on a nice 8 pt . After following an almost non existent blood trail for 2 hours I finally found him right at sunset .
Get out and shoot that o6 before you hunt and remember to squeeze the trigger not slam it like the 12 gauge during the morning hunt.
 
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I hunt deer years that I have access. Some years I take one or two, some years I do really well.

I can venison now. It is easy, fun and a great giveaway item at the holidays.

Note- you MUST have a pressure canner to safely can venison or other meats. I know of people that do it other ways but they are playing with fire I believe..
 
Got another respectable whitetail this year while out duck hunting. This time out of my buddy's Snow Goose. I had my deer down right at 8:00, my buddy set up the decoys while I dressed the deer out. We let him lie while we hunted waterfowl. Limited out on ducks and shot that goose as we were picking up decoys, great day!

 
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