2014 rifle season pics, keep the pics from your stand and trail cam pics coming too!

[Luke E.]

Well this afternoon I decided I'd slip out and hunt a good plot that I have been leaving alone so far. I've been seeing a 10-11 point that's tall and wide on the camera over there so I decided to give it a shot since it was nice out. Just before dark a buck come in from my left and is broadside so I was seeing a tall rack. I kept waiting but he just refused to move any way but broadside and it was stating to get dark. Since he was the only tall racked deer that I'd seen on the camera I decjded it had to be him so I took the shot. I've not hunting with my AR since last year so my range habits were still with me so he got a double tap behind the shoulder. He went about 5 feet and dropped so I got on up and started walking towards him. The closer I got the more I realized it wasn't the buck I thought he was. He's no where near as wide as the other one so I'm kicking myself. This one would have made a nice buck next year guess I learned my lesson. On a positive note, it's meat in the freezer and gives me a decent deer to try a European mount out on.

[Luke E.]

Went out for a quick hunt before church yesterday, tons of squirrels and then two coyotes moved in about 80 yards as I was climbing down. I always carry my distress call, and 3 quick hits on the call sent them my way. Lost visual on the bigger one, but had a 40 yrd shot on this one. 62grain Speer did the trick...

One day I'm gonna get a shot on one!

[Luke E.]

Went out for a quick hunt before church yesterday, tons of squirrels and then two coyotes moved in about 80 yards as I was climbing down. I always carry my distress call, and 3 quick hits on the call sent them my way. Lost visual on the bigger one, but had a 40 yrd shot on this one. 62grain Speer did the trick...

One day I'm gonna get a shot on one!

[Luke E.]

I have to vent a little here guys and I know that most of you can relate. I go through this every year. People expecting me to give them deer meat because I shot a deer. I've gotten 5 so far this year. Though that seems like a lot it will not last my family until next deer season. If I can get 2 or 3 more I should be good. I have a friend that helps me process a lot of the deer that I shoot and I give her whatever she wants and do it gladly because I'm very thankful for her help. What bugs me are the people that don't want to come out and help with the skinning, quartering, deboning, and grinding, but want me to give them some deer meat, and they usually request the prime cuts. I really think that most of the general population thinks "Oh he shot a deer, he's got more meat than he can ever use..." I can't tell you how many people have told me that they will "take some tenderloin." This deer meat is what I feed my family with throughout the year, none of these people asking for meat are hard up, most are better off financially than my family is. If the shoe were on the other foot and I went to their house and just started raiding all of the chicken and beef out of their freezer I'm sure that wouldn't be cool. If any of them were hungry it would be different and I'd willingly share, but that just isn't the case.

:RANT OFF:

I've got a very effective yet simple fix for your issue... Just say NO. It takes way to much time and effort, not to mention money, to be guilted into giving it to folks that you don't genuinly want to give it to.

[RED333]

Congrats guys

[Luke E.]

 It's nice and cool this morning and i'm sitting here thinking about how many deer will be moving around but I've decided not to head to the woods. As much as I would like to be out there to watch the wildlife, I know that a really nice buck will walk out that I can't pass up. How do I know that you ask? because I already have a deer hanging from the tree outside and the big man upstairs gets a kick out of tempting me to have two deer hanging from the tree.

 

 Good luck to everyone going out this morning, looks like it will be a good one!

Edited November 25, 2014 by Luke E.

[DaveS]

FINALLY!!!First deer down of the season after 4.7 million hours invested lol. Can't post a pic because his rack is too big to get in the frame.... well, there's my hunting "He was <----> this big" story, but truth is he's a nice 7 pointer, biggest and coolest rack for me. He has crab claws on the main beams. Well, one had the tip broke off, but EXTREMELY happy today y'all! Pics when I get home.

 

 

Here's the pictures, check out his crab claws. I think they are cool as hell. Like LukeE said, I could get it replaced at taxidermist, but he had to fight to break it so I'll do him justice and leave it as is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would have liked to get a picture with it, but nobody to take it and didn't really have a great place to set the camera for a selfie. I'm sure I could have figured it out but I was too excited to think about anything else :)

 

Dang Lance, you runned over one!

Just Kidding Buddy, nice buck. If you lived closer I'd fix that rack right up for ya!

 

Dave

[Luke E.]

Dang Lance, you runned over one!

Just Kidding Buddy, nice buck. If you lived closer I'd fix that rack right up for ya!

 

Dave

 

 Dave, What is used to patch up a broken tine? Is it some sort of epoxy that is formed and color matched?

[Luke E.]

Well this afternoon I decided I'd slip out and hunt a good plot that I have been leaving alone so far. I've been seeing a 10-11 point that's tall and wide on the camera over there so I decided to give it a shot since it was nice out. Just before dark a buck come in from my left and is broadside so I was seeing a tall rack. I kept waiting but he just refused to move any way but broadside and it was stating to get dark. Since he was the only tall racked deer that I'd seen on the camera I decjded it had to be him so I took the shot. I've not hunting with my AR since last year so my range habits were still with me so he got a double tap behind the shoulder. He went about 5 feet and dropped so I got on up and started walking towards him. The closer I got the more I realized it wasn't the buck I thought he was. He's no where near as wide as the other one so I'm kicking myself. This one would have made a nice buck next year guess I learned my lesson. On a positive note, it's meat in the freezer and gives me a decent deer to try a European mount out on.

 

 

 

 DaveS, Since I shot this buck and he was smaller than I thought, I don't want to spend the money to have him mounted so I'm thinking that i'd like to try a European mount with him. I've watched some how-to videos on the process and on guy used an activator type liquid (I think that's what it was called but I'd have to look again to be sure) from a women's hair/beauty supply shop to bleach out the skull. Is this what you would suggest or is there something else you prefer?

[DaveS]

 Dave, What is used to patch up a broken tine? Is it some sort of epoxy that is formed and color matched?

Yes, and you can even work in a replacement tip. I've had to replace whole sides before for bucks with one side.

 

Dave

[DaveS]

 DaveS, Since I shot this buck and he was smaller than I thought, I don't want to spend the money to have him mounted so I'm thinking that i'd like to try a European mount with him. I've watched some how-to videos on the process and on guy used an activator type liquid (I think that's what it was called but I'd have to look again to be sure) from a women's hair/beauty supply shop to bleach out the skull. Is this what you would suggest or is there something else you prefer?

Remove as much flesh as possible from the skull. Set it in a pan of water (just enough to cover the skull) with a touch of Borax added. Boil until the flesh is loose and coming off easily. Clean well and degrease with dawn dish detergent. Allow skull to dry. When dry, paint skull with bleach or hydrogen peroxide from a beauty supply shop. Peroxide from the store isn't strong enough. Keep doing that until it's as white as you want it. Rinse well.

 

Dave

Edited November 25, 2014 by DaveS

[Lumber_Jack]

DaveS, Since I shot this buck and he was smaller than I thought, I don't want to spend the money to have him mounted so I'm thinking that i'd like to try a European mount with him. I've watched some how-to videos on the process and on guy used an activator type liquid (I think that's what it was called but I'd have to look again to be sure) from a women's hair/beauty supply shop to bleach out the skull. Is this what you would suggest or is there something else you prefer?

I saw a guy on the outdoor Channel use a pressure washer to blast the flesh off the skull. It seemed to work well. He said it saved the mess of boiling the skull

[Luke E.]

Remove as much flesh as possible from the skull. Set it in a pan of water just enough to cover the skull) with a touch of Borax added. Boil until the flesh is loose and coming off easily. Clean well and degrease with dawn dish detergent. Allow skull to dry. When dry, paint skull with bleach or hydrogen peroxide from a beauty supply shop. Peroxide from the store isn't strong enough. Keep doing that until it's as white as you want it. Rinse well.

 

Dave

 

 

 Sounds about like what the video I watched suggested. Thanks!

[Luke E.]

I saw a guy on the outdoor Channel use a pressure washer to blast the flesh off the skull. It seemed to work well. He said it saved the mess of boiling the skull

 

 I'm just picturing flesh and grey matter splattering everywhere... better wear a rain suit!

[Lumber_Jack]

I'm just picturing flesh and grey matter splattering everywhere... better wear a rain suit!

Haha not quite. You remove as much as you can with skinning first. It's only a thin layer of flesh. But yes you need a good outdoor space to complete this task

[DaveS]

I saw a guy on the outdoor Channel use a pressure washer to blast the flesh off the skull. It seemed to work well. He said it saved the mess of boiling the skull

I would be interested in seeing how he cleaned the inside of the skull...

 

Dave

[Lumber_Jack]

I would be interested in seeing how he cleaned the inside of the skull...

Dave

Yeah, they didn't show that part.

[KahrMan]

Well this afternoon I decided I'd slip out and hunt a good plot that I have been leaving alone so far. I've been seeing a 10-11 point that's tall and wide on the camera over there so I decided to give it a shot since it was nice out. Just before dark a buck come in from my left and is broadside so I was seeing a tall rack. I kept waiting but he just refused to move any way but broadside and it was stating to get dark. Since he was the only tall racked deer that I'd seen on the camera I decjded it had to be him so I took the shot. I've not hunting with my AR since last year so my range habits were still with me so he got a double tap behind the shoulder. He went about 5 feet and dropped so I got on up and started walking towards him. The closer I got the more I realized it wasn't the buck I thought he was. He's no where near as wide as the other one so I'm kicking myself. This one would have made a nice buck next year guess I learned my lesson. On a positive note, it's meat in the freezer and gives me a decent deer to try a European mount out on.

 

Nice Buck!  Congrats!  

[KahrMan]

I saw a guy on the outdoor Channel use a pressure washer to blast the flesh off the skull. It seemed to work well. He said it saved the mess of boiling the skull

 

The problem with a pressure washer is that the force crushes and breaks the little bones around the nose.  It works, you just have to be careful  

[Lumber_Jack]

The problem with a pressure washer is that the force crushes and breaks the little bones around the nose. It works, you just have to be careful

Good to know

[Luke E.]

Nice Buck! Congrats!

Thanks, I'm feeling a little better about taking him now. A friend on mine's brother used to be a TWRA agent and they just happened to stop by while I was boning him out earlier. He felt pretty sure that the deer was on its way down hill. He said the face looked a bit young but after looking at how heavy based the antlers are and the condition of his teeth (all the fronts and a few of the back teeth were very loose and ground down) he was pretty sure he was already past his prime. I already had him skinned and the front shoulders and neck meat cut off when they pulled up so he didn't want to bet the farm in it.

[Luke E.]

I would be interested in seeing how he cleaned the inside of the skull...

Dave

What's your method of choice for removing the brain? I assume you want to get as much as you can out before boiling.

[Luke E.]

Anyone do any good this morning?

[Lumber_Jack]

Anyone do any good this morning?

I peeled a 10lb bag of potatoes, I feel pretty good about that ;)

[Luke E.]

I peeled a 10lb bag of potatoes, I feel pretty good about that ;)

Better you feel even better once they're mashed and being eaten. I didn't want to leave my blind but had to come back and make the peach conbler. Guess I'm gonna rest a bit then head back out.