Opening Day , September 27th in Tennessee

Opening day finally made it here and I was up at 3:00 a.m. this morning checking over everything to make sure I had it all together and ready for the hunt. I started the morning off by hunting over a small half acre field ( yard actually ) at my parents place where they have been watching the deer play around their pond. After 4 hours of sitting in the stand and seeing nothing but birds and squirrels I decided to go in and visit with my folks and have a cup of coffee. Evening came around and at 2:00 p.m. I decided to hunt a stand in the woods hoping for better luck. There again birds and squirrels but still no deer. I found out that on Friday afternoon there was a buck and four does playing at the pond at my parents place so I'm hoping for their return Sunday morning as that is where I'll be trying again. The weather today was a little windy and cloudy most the day with a 40% chance of rain but the rain held off and Sunday is just supposed to be cloudy without rain. I really hoping the deer will move better Sunday morning and it's supposed to be a new moon Sunday night. Anyway I'll be hunting as much as possible this year as it could be my last year due to my parents health failing. I'm also going to try hunting feral hogs this year and if anyone knows how to salt cure hams please let me know. A black bear is also on my agenda but will have to wait till next year for that as I'm going to Maine to hunt with my father-in-law. I'll try to keep updates regularly on my hunting progress for everyone.

Deer Season's Upon Us.

Deer season here is just 2 weeks away and I 've just finished posting a 10 part version to Deer Season Preparation which I follow every year. Though everyone probably has their own way of preparing for the season, this I hope will get everyone fired up and in the mood to go hunting this year. I'm expecting to read alot of great stories from everyone about their adventures of hunting and of coarse there's always those of you with a good tale and a laugh for us as well. I deeply appreciated all my readers and look forward to visiting each and every one of you this year. Though I've had some rough times this year early on I feel I owe it to my readers to continue my blogging and give my support to everyone as they have supported me when I needed them most. Here's wishing the very best for everyone of you, a safe and prosperous year of hunting this year. Please think to try to take a family member, friend or new acquaintance hunting with you this year and show them how to continue our great heritage of hunting as it was handed down to us by our fore-fathers and to care for the lands as we have done ourselves in the past.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 10 ).

Now that you've taken your deer what next? Well most hunters field dress the deer before dragging it to the truck but I prefer to field dress mine either at home or after getting to the truck so as not to leave any evidence of my kill in the field for other hunters or predators to find and move in on my hunting spot. After field dressing the animal then take it to the checking station and either back home to process or to your local meat processing plant. Most of the time I prefer to process the animal myself and thus save myself roughly $60.00 - $125.00 depending on the weight of the animal. Processing the animal yourself is relatively easy and usually takes about 30 - 45 minutes with a good sharp knife and a bone saw. Hang the animal from a sturdy tree limb or hanging pole and begin with the removal of the hide then the back strap ( Tenderloin ),then proceed to the head, neck, ribs, backbone and finally the hind quarters. Be sure when removing the hide that you keep your hands clean and don't touch the musk glands located on the inside of the hind legs then touch the meat as this will taint the meat with a wild gamey taste. Most hunters prefer to remove these after field dressing the animal then thoroughly washing their hands. These musk glands can also be used as scent attractants if kept in a baggy until the next time you hunt. During the processing of your animal a good wash tub full of cold water is very helpful in keeping the meat fresh and aids in the cleaning process as well. After processing your animal your now ready to begin putting it in freezer wrapped packages. Using your knife and bone saw again cut the meat into meal size portions and Wash the meat thoroughly, getting all the hair, blood and excess fat off the meat as possible. Wrap the meat in freezer wrap, label and pack in your freezer. The meat will now keep from 1 - 3 years and your now ready for your next hunt. During cold weather temperatures of 35 degrees or colder the animal can be left to hang for days to tenderize the meat but sometimes makes a harder job of processing. If you leave the animal hanging to tenderize be sure it is up off the ground high enough that dogs and other animals can't get to it.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 9 ).

You've secured a place to hunt, done your scouting, hung your stands, checked your equipment and opening day has finally got here. You sit ever so quietly in the stand as the morning sunlight peeks over the horizon, breaking the dawn of a new day. With only one thing on your mind this beautiful morning, you begin to wonder if all your hard work will pay off then suddenly a doe appears from out of nowhere and is followed by a nice buck. The pair come ever so slowly down the trail through the woods directly under your stand. You hesitate until just the right shoot presents itself then all hell breaks loose and you quickly realize you've just shot you first deer of the season. After waiting 15 - 30 minutes you climb down from your stand and begin tracking your deer. A speck of blood here a puddle there then finally you spot the deer piled up in a brush pile not more then fifty yards from where you shoot it. Now you sit down relax and enjoy the moment, relive the thrill of the days hunt, realize all your hard work was worth it and then your ready to finish your days hunt and head for home with your prize or are you?. Many of us don't think anything about the fact that your supposed to tag the animal immediately after finding it. Tagging the animal is an essential way of saying this animal is mine, I shot it, I tracked it down and now I'm claiming it as my animal. This is the only way you can actually say the animal is truly yours when you get to the checking station and acquire the permanent kill tag identifying the animal as your kill. Be sure to fill the kill tag out correctly in the field when tagging your animal as this is usually what the checking station goes by to fill out the permanent kill tag and your next hunting tag for another animal. If the kill tag is incorrect the next animal you check in could get you in trouble proving it is your animal. It only takes a moment to check your tag to be sure it is correct and can be corrected quickly before you leave and remember to that the permanent tag is also supposed to accompany the carcass until processing is complete. Following all the game laws is part of an essential way of hunting and provides us all with a safe and successful hunt. These game laws are usually published in a brochure by the wildlife resource agency of your state and can be found in any hunting store or by contacting the wildlife resource agency in your state for a copy. It only takes a few moments to read over these laws and could save you alot of heartache or even your license or more. Please be sure to check the game laws in your hunting area and have a safe, enjoyable and prosperous year.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 8 ).

This year as you did your scouting you may have came across a really good buck or you've found some old rubs from last year that have told you there was a really big buck in the area. Perhaps you've been dreaming of taking a trophy buck this year or you've been watching you're herd tring to locate a trophy buck. The real question is " What exactly constitutes a buck as a trophy? " . To many a trophy buck is one that ranges from the 150 - 190 class on the scoring system but in my book I believe that any deer could be a trophy. It really depends on the hunters preference and standards. Sure they have record books for trophy deer but just because your deer doesn't make the record books doesn't mean that it's not a trophy. Your first buck would definitely be a trophy and to me anything larger then what I've got on the wall would be a trophy. Perhaps you've been hunting a particular deer for the last couple of years now and you finally take him this year, that would be a trophy buck. It doesn't really matter the size of the deer all that matters is that you've taken a buck that you consider to be a trophy. Everybody has different thoughts when it comes to classifying a buck as a trophy but to me it's still up to the hunters standards. If I wanted a real classifying trophy I'd go on a guided hunt for a monster buck and be paying alot of money for it but myself I enjoy hunting the smaller ones in my own neck of the woods and keep hoping for one bigger then whats on my walls now. It keeps me happy, it saves me lots of money and you never know when that monster buck ( that could make the record books )will show up in your neck of the woods.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 7 ).

You know this day and time it seems everybody is producing some kind of product for hunting whitetail deer. The problem is you have to be a millionaire to be able to afford all these products or be and older hunter who has been collecting these products as they came out. Now let's talk just a bit about deer decoys. It started out that someone came up with the idea of a Styrofoam deer to practice archery shooting at and from there went on to field decoys. The field decoys were then improved year after year until present day decoys that look so much like deer that even the most experienced hunters have trouble telling the difference. Deer decoys work really well when properly placed in the field or woods and deer are present. Their lightweight and easy to pack into any hunting area and set-up fast. Though I don't use the decoys for practice or in the field myself, I would have to say I believe them to be an added advantage to any hunters inventory and arsenal in being able to take deer. With proper care and storage for the decoy most of them will last for years which makes the cost of one a great value and would pay for itself over time.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 6 ).

Today there is a vast array of different types of deer calls on the market with each one claiming to bring in that monster buck of a lifetime. The problem is none of these calls can really tell you for sure if your even going to see a deer when you go hunting even if you use their product. There are alot of various factors that have to come into play before you can even see as much as a doe much less a buck. Then the buck you see may only be a spike,a yearling,a small six pointer or a non mature 8 or 10 pointer that really should be left for another year or two before harvesting. At best regardless of the type of deer call you purchase and use in your hunting area, a deer call can only claim to help better your chances of seeing deer ( when used properly ) provided that all the factors come into play during the time your in the field or woods hunting. What type of call does one buy to hunt deer? Well that brings into play alot of questions you have to answer for yourself. Are you hunting bow gun or muzzle loader season? Is it pre- rut,rut or post- rut season? Are you hunting fields, valleys, hills or woods? Is it a heavy rain falling, snowing, sunny or windy? These are all questions you should take into consideration before you purchase any deer call and you might even want to ask a few of the more experienced hunters in your area for advice on buying a good deer call and the type they use and their success in using them. Just remember this thought though, " What works for one person may not work for another ". Even though you buy a good deer call it only works when you've put all the factors together and have become effective in using it as it is intended. To much calling and you run the risk of running the deer off,not enough calling and you may not get the deer to come in to you and then using the call improperly and making the wrong call could run the deer out of the area also. Practice makes perfect and you don't have to be in the woods or field to do this and you don't want to go out and buy a deer call today and go straight to the woods with it before practicing with it either. A great number of hunters out there don't even use deer calls and do quiet well every year, so please choose wisely and put a great deal of thought into the type (s) of deer call (s) you buy before you buy your first one.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 5 ) .

Selective deer Management began in the early 1900's by the Game and Fish Commission in hopes of creating a larger, healthier population of deer. Today there is an estimated 28 million white-tailed deer across the North American continient. Selective Deer Management is best described by me as the selective taking of undesirable deer to create a healthy herd with large, massive bucks of older age groups being produced through the planting of nutritional crops in near future years. Selective Deer Management has played a key role in helping to create a healthy herd that can now be managed by the hunter as to the type of deer the hunter takes. Though not every hunter uses Selective Deer Management on his herd this could be due to a number of reasons--- 1. the hunters herd is not believed to be large enough for selective deer management, 2. the hunter is not educated about selective Deer Management, 3. the hunter does not care to use selective deer management on his herd or 4. the hunters property is only a crossing point for deer and does not hold deer so the hunter sees no need for selective deer management. Whatever the case may be we as future hunters, old hunters and those wanting to be hunters should all educate and stress the case to everyone that Selective Deer Management does work for everyone and is for the good of all the deer herds big or small and should be used at all times for a healthy herd for all to enjoy, even the nature lovers.

Deer Season Preparation (Part 4 ).

Most hunters, when it comes time to buy their hunting licenses never give it any thought but the truth is any license obtained is obtained as a privilege not a right. This privilege can be revoked or suspended at any time for almost any reason. We as hunters have to be very careful not to do anything to lose this privilege as it can be lost from 1 year to a lifetime, depending on the severity of the offense causing the loss and we are then labeled as a poacher. Today the Game and Fish Commission has split the licenses up into individual license for two reasons-- 1. to build more revenue for the Game and Fish Commission's budget and 2. not all hunters hunt with all types of equipment. The revenue from license sales makes up about 90% of the Game and Fish Commissions budget with the remaining 10% made up from government grants and donations. With so many different types of licenses offered by the Game and Fish Commission, hunters have to be careful when purchasing their licenses and make sure to get the exact license they need. There are alot of rules and regulations for all these different types of licenses so please be sure to check over the new regulation brochure each year for any changes made to the type licenses your using. If your going out-of-state hunting through a guide service be sure to check with your guide service to see if your licenses are part of your hunt package or you have to purchase your licenses separate as an added expense for your hunting trip.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 3 ).

Farmers spend alot of money each year on crops, fencing, farm equipment and even leasing more property as well as their livestock. We as hunters have a professional obligation to these farmers to offer our field of expertise in the eradication of their pest which eats 1000's of lbs. of their crops each year not to mention the damage to the farm equipment ( flat tires on their tractors from shed antlers ) and fences. Many hunters today hunt property with just one thing in mind--- taking deer for their freezer or a trophy for their wall with little or no regards to the farmer. The farmers prepare the fields, sow the seeds, spray the weeds, fertilize the fields, reap the crops and the hunters just reap the rewards the farmers have brought into the property. When a hunter ask for and gets the permission to hunt a farm, it should be received with an understanding between both the farmer and the hunter that the hunter will help around the farm and share any game taken from the farm. Farmers put in alot of long, hard hours in the fields and all of them I know never have the time for hunting so it's always nice when a hunter shares his bounty with the farmer and it helps ensure a place to hunt the following year most of the time. When asking permission to hunt a farm remember to be polite, respectful and generous of your time and bounty and I'll bet you'll find not only a place to hunt but a good friend for life. Once I get permission to hunt a farm my work for the farmer starts with my first scouting trip. As you scout your new hunting farm you'll be checking fence lines for deer crossing. These fence lines usually will have places that need repairs, repair them as best you can until you can ask the farmer to leave you some fencing material and return to repair them properly. Who knows with your help around the farm maybe one day the farmer can go hunting with you.