8 days to Deermageddon

[onlinebiker]

Early for me this year - as I am going to bow hunt.

I normally don' t - but I got a fantastic deal on a quality modern crossbow. 

It groups under 3 inches at 50 yards - the maximum range I would consider reasonable. Past that - the sound of the bow gets to the deer almost 1 second before the bolt (arrow) giving them time to react and ruin the shot. 

The bolts I am using are quite a deal as well.. They have folding razor blades that fold back for flight - then cantilever out on impact making about a 2 inch (5 cm) wound channel.

It should do the trick if any are dumb enough to come within range.

[arewethereyet]

Wow - I can't believe it's deer season again, already!

But then it is officially fall and September is almost over. The last year and a half have all sort of melted together into one big sucky day.

Good luck with the new hunting style. I don't think I have ever shot any sort of arrow other than a NERF or other toy.

[vulcanlogician]

Have fun hunting, biker! I hope you fill up your freezer for the winter.

I've always said killing an animal in the wild is more humane than enslaving it for its entire life before its eventual slaughter.

[onlinebiker]

Thanks!

We still have lots of meat in the freezer from last year. ( 6 deer and 75 lbs of ground beef from a buddy who raises grass fed angus).

I can probably fit 2 deer in the freezer. The rest will be canned or made into jerky....

[Spooky]

Good luck!

Never bow hunted myself. Looks like it takes a lot of skill.

[onlinebiker]

Good luck!

Never bow hunted myself. Looks like it takes a lot of skill.

With a recurve, no sights and finger released - it takes YEARS of practice to become proficient.


With a crossbow and sights? All you need to do is sight it in, get your range/drop - and you can outshoot the guy with a recurve in a day or two.....

....

And 50 years of handguns/rifles helps..

[Fireball]

Good luck! How does one identify the deer with CWD?

[onlinebiker]

Good luck! How does one identify the deer with CWD?

They' re the ones puking in the bathroom...

[onlinebiker]

Well - THAT took long enough.

....

First it was too warm to hunt. Then it rained all the time.

Finally the weather got right - dry and cool.

I started seeing deer.

This morning - I got a buck.

Sort of.

...

I am hunting out of a ground blind - on the south end of a 30 acre soybean (this year) field with roads on the east and north sides. To the west is a corn field (just picked yesterday).

I got out before first light and cocked and loaded the crossbow and set in for a wait.

About an hour after first light - I had a small doe come in from the east - on the southern edge of the field. She came into my area I have marked with stakes - at 50 yards. I set up for the shot - and took a good look at her. Too small. I don't want to waste a tag on a squidge. She was acting a bit nervous. I couldn't tell if she had scented me - or if it was something else. She kept looking back east toward the road - and I figured there might be a buck. So - I stayed in firing position.

It paid off. A fair sized buck with a small rack (5 measured - 9 total points) He walked slowly into my kill zone - then stopped broadside right at 50 yards. I made the necessary elevation compensation and squeezed off the shot.

He jumped - then started to run - slowed - stopped -- and then trotted. He headed northeast - and stopped twice more - as if he might lay down - but continued to the side of the road in a spot with heavy underbrush and disappeared inside.

About that time - an SUV drove north on the road - and came to the spot where the deer had disappeared.

KABLAM!

Yup. The bastard got hit by the SUV.

I went and got my John Deere gator - with the front mounted deer loader I designed and tried it out for the first time. (worked perfectly) The SUV had left.

It had intestines hanging out the side and rectum - and one rear leg twisted about - and the hindquarters had chunks of car body imbedded.

I brought it home and hung it up on the gantry by the antlers - skinned off the back and took off the backstraps.

When I got done - I was surprised to see that the SUV was back - with another car. The owners were out in the middle of my field.

I ran out with the quad to confront them - and it turned out to be a guy I know pretty well - and quite like. He used to own a gun shop I frequented. It was his daughter in law that hit the deer. It put a serious hurt on the SUV - but she said no problem - she has full coverage insurance. She even apologized for trashing my deer.

Best part - while backtracking it -they found my bolt (arrow) - coated in blood.  It confused the hell out of them - as they hadn't realized it had been shot - and he didn't know I had taken up bow hunting.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

We don't have deer season here because we have no feral deer. We do have farmed deer, and the meat is hideously expensive.

I think we have duck season.

Doesn't bother me because I'm not fond of the taste of game meat. Nor do I share or understand the atavistic pleasure hunters seem to get from killing things.

Of course, I think I would soon learn to hunt or even kill chickens if it was the only way I could have meat to eat. Until that time I'll buy meat the supermarket in its neat little packages..

Some one here recently commented on a young woman with fashionably torn jeans and a sign as advocating an "effete cause" Finally, some one whose attitude seems similar to mine. Intolerant old fuck that I am, I think PETA are a bunch of little old ladies of both sexes who care more about animals than people.

There are two countries which come to mind in which vegetarianism is especially common; India and China, especially in rural areas. As far as I can tell, for a great many people in those countries this is simply because they cannot afford meat . Consequently, I see vegetarianism in affluent countries such as my own as a little pretentious.

A secular humanist, I'm unable to see animals as more important than people. The claims on the privvy purse are many and my finances limited. Consequently I am only able to support charities which help people. Although, I have always obtained my dogs from animal welfare. My present dog, a Jack Russell, cost me $700. He's my fifth since 1976.