Deer season 2023 thread

[gregintenn]

I went with my younger son this morning and he bagged this 8 pointer.

Hope you all had good luck! If you did, let’s see em!

Edited November 18, 2023 by gregintenn

[RED333]

Congrats to your son, that is a good looking deer.

Let us now the weight when you get a chance.

[Scotty]

That’s a good looking buck. Kudos. 

[KahrMan]

Congrats!  Nice buck!

[AuEagle]

Great Buck!!  Congrats to your son.

[gregintenn]

2 hours ago, RED333 said:

Congrats to your son, that is a good looking deer.

Let us now the weight when you get a chance.

We didn’t weigh it, but as you can see, it was a large, mature deer. 

[TripleGGG]

Very nice. Congratulations. 

[308TN]

Good looking deer. Congratulations! 

[gregintenn]

Anybody else go?

[Johnny Rotten]

My son a I went, someone is building 3 small POS homes across the field we hunt over, right at 6am some asshoe construction worker fired up his generator, compressor, saw and nailgun all at once, 645 he kicked in music, I'm thinking could this get any better. 

This deer was in my backyard a month ago

Edited November 18, 2023 by Johnny Rotten

[Scotty]

I’ve been watching a real healthy doe and two fawns for the better part of six months. Dropped down to one fawn a month ago. Last week I heard a bang from the street and my stomach dropped thinking it may be the dog for some odd reason. It was the other fawn clipped by a truck. Elderly neighbor called the cops and they left it on the road, was able to salvage some tacos and back straps. 
 

The doe has been meticulous like clockwork, always showed up between 8-10am. A day before the season opened I heard a rifle round. Haven’t seen her since. Neighbors are on a fixed income and I’m not one to open my mouth. I’d be lying if I didn’t miss having that family show up and graze. I’ll be going out tomorrow morning in Dickson. 

[gregintenn]

I sure wanted to go this morning, but here I sit tending a turkey on the smoker.

Surely some of you got to hunt today.

[KahrMan]

Not I. Been cooking all day. 

[gregintenn]

3 minutes ago, KahrMan said:

Not I. Been cooking all day. 

I thought this was why we married women, huh?

[RED333]

I do not hunt any more, but what I saw yesterday and today I just might. Tuesday headed out to work saw a little 4 point, my guess is 2 years old. Tonight getting some fire wood to the house, 2 does came across the drive way, 2 seconds latter a big 8 point was after them. He had you know what on his mind, he could have give 2 hoots about me not 20 feet from him. He stopped, give me a look for what seemed like 30 seconds, turned and was after the does.

[Sidinman]

Nice deer there forvthevson Greg, Congrats to him.

I started off the season Halloween afternoon, yes I'm in a cwd county. I've had this fela on camera for two yrs now.  First time I ran across him in person and wanted him out of the local gene pool. He came out about 80 or so yds from me on the right and walked across a small field. Went in behind a small grop of trees and paused, then came out and was wasn't wasting anytime doing so.

The ole JC Higgins in 35R scored again, a 200 gr cast over some 3031 connected. Double lunged and he wtill ran 100 plus yds.

 

Called him the devil deer with his 10" spikes.

RP 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Sidinman

[gregintenn]

4 minutes ago, Sidinman said:

Nice deer there forvthevson Greg, Congrats to him.

I started off the season Halloween afternoon, yes I'm in a cwd county. I've had this fela on camera for two yrs now.  First time I ran across him in person and wanted him out of the local gene pool. He came out about 80 or so yds from me on the right and walked across a small field. Went in behind a small grop of trees and paused, then came out and was wasn't wasting anytime doing so.

The ole JC Higgins in 35R scored again, a 200 gr cast over some 3031 connected. Double lunged and he wtill ran 100 plus yds.

 

Called him the devil deer with his 10" spikes.

RP 

A lever rifle and cast bullet. That’s old school. I like it!

[Sidinman]

I thought I was getting this in one post but it didn't work.

Any way, a couple days later on a different part of the farm, a very large hay field.  Sitting up on the high end watching to the north I watched 8 does cross about 2/3 of way down, 225ish yds. according to the rangefinder. Then after they had crossed another comes out but much closer, 170, 175 yds. A minute later this nice 6 walks out, stops and begins eating leaves off of a low hanging limb. Giving me a frontal view with a slight quarter. I slide the Savage Axis in 6.5 Creed up and rest is across the handlebars of the 4-wheeler and send a 143gr ELD-x over a Heavy dose of 4350. Right in the left front shoulder and he dropped on the spot and never moved again. 

Then a few days later I drop thi nice doe with a Savage 99 that I've been cleaning up for a friend. About 120 yds with 150 gr hot cor over a mild load of W748. 

So I guess I've had a good season so far.

 

RP 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Sidinman

[Sidinman]

19 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

A lever rifle and cast bullet. That’s old school. I like it!

Thanks, that's all these two have seen in a Long time.

 

RP 

[10-Ring]

I haven't shot anything this year, but I've processed 2 does that my buddy's 7 year old shot. Just finished one up. I put both of the shoulders on the smoker as soon as I broke the deer down. While that was smoking I ground up everything but the backstrip and tenderloins and made summer sausage out of them. I find shoulders frustrating to deal with because they don't have a lot of meat on them, there is a lot of connective tissue, you really have to work for what's there, and whole shoulders don't fit in vacuum bags well. I've found smoking them too 165 and bringing them to about 205 in a dutch oven on the stove with broth, carrots, potatoes, onions, and garlic is very hard to beat. The slow cook breaks down all of the connective tissue and the resulting roast is tender and juicy. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by 10-Ring

[RED333]

Goog hunting there Sidinman, congrats.

[Sidinman]

Thank you, Sir.

 

RP

[Erik88]

I'm in Northern Finland and managed to bag this mature Reindeer.  We've eaten it a few times since we've been here too. It's pretty good.

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Erik88

[gregintenn]

48 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I'm in Northern Finland and managed to bag this mature Reindeer. We've eaten it a few times since we've been here too. Pretty good.

 

 

I’d like to hear about the trip once you get back. Sounds awesome!

[TNContenderShooter]

what did the rut look like for everyone? I live in Cheatham county just across the Davidson county line. I seen the most deer activity the weekend of Juvenile, the week following and it started slowing the opening weekend of muzzleloader. Didn't see any rubs or scrapes until second week of muzzleloader but deer never came around much except at night. What has everyone else been experiencing? I have a relative in Robertson county who has some good hunting land and they haven't seen many mature bucks at all this year, hardly no sign of rut and they typically get some real good bucks each year.

Wonder how much the drought has played into this along with the hotter temps that were late?