2020/2021 Hunting Thread

[deadshank 24653]

Prime time. 

[Both Tacos 1806]

Let a couple of guys go out to my place this morning. First geese ever shot at my land. Have had lots fly over going from roost to the grass farm that is close by. Apparently these 2 flew a little too low.

[ROFL BOX 6649]

Minnesota?  You shot a gopher duck?

[Speedtrucker 2071]

A lot of times the law enforcement discount is pretty meh but then you actually catch lightning in a bottle!

Sometimes that law enforcement discount gets you your hunting rounds for $.90 ppr so I’m covered for deer seasons for a while.

[williemackgarza 1826]

Shot this big cull in mexico this past weekend. Wed never seen him.

[BabaYaga 15301]

On 1/15/2021 at 8:02 PM, CHIEF said:

My BIL is the head of sales for Austin Wood Recycling, the guys that make their mulch bags take him to the King Ranch a couple of times a year to shoot Nilgai. He shot this big 700 lb. bastard tonight, makes great jerky. They told him it would make it into the Safari Club International (SCI) record book:

CHIEF

Nice.  It's a matter of preference, but I think Nilgai is better than elk. 

[CHIEF 5092]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Nice.  It's a matter of preference, but I think Nilgai is better than elk. 

Me too. I was surprised it only yielded 165 lb. of boned out meat. But we are splitting the process bill for half of it.

CHIEF

[BabaYaga 15301]

32 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

Me too. I was surprised it only yielded 165 lb. of boned out meat. But we are splitting the process bill for half of it.

CHIEF

165 lbs???  That seems WAY low for a 700lb gross weight animal.  Maybe 165lbs each?  Still, that's some gooooooood eating right there!

[CHIEF 5092]

10 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

165 lbs???  That seems WAY low for a 700lb gross weight animal.  Maybe 165lbs each?  Still, that's some gooooooood eating right there!

165 lbs. total. I was surprised as well. Of course, I'm assuming that they probably only boned out all four quarters, backstops, and the tenders. If Mrs. CHIEF would have been there, she would have striped it to the bone. She would have even cleaned up all of the meat from the rib cage. The buzzards wouldn't even have anything left to eat.

CHIEF

[fattyflattie 4639]

That’s pure meat or after it was mixed?  I only get 15# or so out of my does once I take out the gristle. When I’m cubing down to pure cuts (no gristle or silver).  I don’t take the ribs but do take the neck.  700# animal has a lot of bones and head and hoof. 

[CHIEF 5092]

7 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

That’s pure meat or after it was mixed?  I only get 15# or so out of my does once I take out the gristle. When I’m cubing down to pure cuts (no gristle or silver).  I don’t take the ribs but do take the neck.  700# animal has a lot of bones and head and hoof. 

I'm not really sure. I know some is made into ground, but there is a lot of steaks when we split it as well, probably 75% steaks, and 25% ground.

CHIEF

[fattyflattie 4639]

I’m not overly surprised. It’s goes quick.   And I think people think they have more than they actually do.  I’ve seen your wife’s work in pics on here and heard your stories. I’m sure she gets a ton.  But I got tired of the gristle and cut all that shit out now. I weigh my cubes because I’m always right at the minimum when I take it in. 

[Reagan1k 3024]

That's why girls say they're not fat.....they're big boned.  That 700# gal had a lot of structure to her.  I'd be curious what the hide weighed by itself.

[fattyflattie 4639]

2 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

That's why girls say they're not fat.....they're big boned.  That 700# gal had a lot of structure to her.  I'd be curious what the hide weighed by itself.

Or that horse head they got going on. 

[ousuxndallas 65]

Had a nice hunt this morning with 2 buddies. 1 pintail, 2 widgeon, 9 gadwall and 1 big ol Canadian honker. Heard a group of geese coming from behind us, hit the call, and about 20 of them buzzed us. Nailed one DOA.

[Spaulding Smails 1553]

On 1/20/2021 at 11:34 PM, fattyflattie said:

That’s pure meat or after it was mixed?  I only get 15# or so out of my does once I take out the gristle. When I’m cubing down to pure cuts (no gristle or silver).  I don’t take the ribs but do take the neck.  700# animal has a lot of bones and head and hoof. 

Damn near the exact same for me.  My son shot a doe Sunday.  124 lb on the hoof.  I quartered it and took the neck meat, but I don't mess with the ribs.  After deboning and cubing, we had 18 lb of meat (excluding straps and tenders).  My wife is a ninja with the knife and handles the gristle and silver skin removal.  She's a lot more patient than me.  That was our second doe this season, so we have right at 35 lb of venison cubed and in vacuum sealed bags in the freezer.  Next chilly weekend, and we're making our first ever batch of sausage.  

Anyone have any tips / recipes for sausage?  My Christmas present this year was a grinder and stuffer.  I have a good buddy on speed dial who's got it down to a science, but I'm open for additional advice.  We're planning on doing 1/3 of it ground, 1/3 into pan sausage and 1/3 into links.  50/50 venison/pork on the pan and link.  I need to run to Johnny G's in Manchaca this week to pick up the casings.  

[BabaYaga 15301]

Quick trip with a friend and his GSPs.  Found two coveys.  Hunted to 7.5 hours and covered 14 total miles.  According to the GPS collars, the dogs coverer more than 80 miles!  Each covey was healthy and had about 12-16 birds each.  Popped two from each, just to justify the trip and give the dogs more experience.  Fun times

 

[fattyflattie 4639]

Oh that makes me homesick.  We’ve been covered up with quail this year and like clockwork, I get sent on a project thru the entire season.  

[deadshank 24653]

1 hour ago, fattyflattie said:

Oh that makes me homesick.  We’ve been covered up with quail this year and like clockwork, I get sent on a project thru the entire season.  

I will draw the black bean and take your place for the quail hunts.  Will send pics and tell you how the bourbon tastes.

[fattyflattie 4639]

2 hours ago, deadshank said:

I will draw the black bean and take your place for the quail hunts.  Will send pics and tell you how the bourbon tastes.

Sad thing is, 4 of the 6 guns work in O&G construction in some way or another (contractors to major owners).  Just monitoring the group texts, it sounds like I’m not alone.  Quail going to get a pass this year I guess.  I’d appreciate the pics, I know how good the bourbon is...

eta: not sure you could survive our place. It’s a far departure from yalls

Edited January 25, 2021 by fattyflattie

[deadshank 24653]

25 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Sad thing is, 4 of the 6 guns work in O&G construction in some way or another (contractors to major owners).  Just monitoring the group texts, it sounds like I’m not alone.  Quail going to get a pass this year I guess.  I’d appreciate the pics, I know how good the bourbon is...

eta: not sure you could survive our place. It’s a far departure from yalls

I’ve been in some real dump deer camps before.  The rattlesnakes in the warming drawer under oven is always a nice touch for any deer camp kitchen.   

[Kennythetiger 9389]

4 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Quick trip with a friend and his GSPs.  Found two coveys.  Hunted to 7.5 hours and covered 14 total miles.  According to the GPS collars, the dogs coverer more than 80 miles!  Each covey was healthy and had about 12-16 birds each.  Popped two from each, just to justify the trip and give the dogs more experience.  Fun times

 

Beautiful picture. Belgian-made Browning?  

[fattyflattie 4639]

20 minutes ago, deadshank said:

I’ve been in some real dump deer camps before.  The rattlesnakes in the warming drawer under oven is always a nice touch for any deer camp kitchen.   

Funny you should mention that. We had a snake skin wrapped around the toilet and back into the wall the first time I was showing the place off to the wife and kids. So now I get to participate in the RV thread as well, fml. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

We have an old dumpy trailer we use as a blind. Think something about the size of a trailer for a jon boat with just enough room for a bunk and a little stove. Anyhow, we were cleaning it out at the beginning of the season and there was a nice snake skin left in the bottom drawer of the stove. So this hits close to home. CSB.

[Horns99 155]

Seems like an appropriate place to put this, found in our bunk house


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[Lat22 4015]

We've had them come up through the toilet.  It's very disconcerting.

[cabowabo 4487]

We've had them come up through the toilet.  It's very disconcerting.

T

[deadshank 24653]

27 minutes ago, cabowabo said:

T

You’ve got a lot of iron in your water.  
 

And snakes. 

[Lat22 4015]

We prefer the term “rust”.

[cabowabo 4487]

You’ve got a lot of iron in your water.  
 
And snakes. 

Don't matter. We have an ass sprayer.

[BabaYaga 15301]

14 hours ago, deadshank said:

I’ve been in some real dump deer camps before.  The rattlesnakes in the warming drawer under oven is always a nice touch for any deer camp kitchen.   

Best friends place in Millersview is like that.  Compilation of old trailers that looks like a Walking Dead camp.  Shit everywhere.  They "had" a single wide housing tens of thousands of .223 green tips that got hit by lightning.  Apparently the popcorn sounds lasted for hours as they cooked off in their cans.  

One old trailer I slept in, something crawled over my sleeping bag.  Probably a mouse, but damn.  

[Kennythetiger 9389]

15 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

Funny you should mention that. We had a snake skin wrapped around the toilet and back into the wall the first time I was showing the place off to the wife and kids. So now I get to participate in the RV thread as well, fml. 

When women or kids are involved, always do a walk-through first. 

[deadshank 24653]

1 minute ago, Kennythetiger said:

When women or kids are involved, always do a walk-through first. 

Agreed.  Let them go in and get bit.

[BabaYaga 15301]

1 minute ago, Kennythetiger said:

When women or kids are involved, always do a walk-through first. 

Yep.  Always do it @ the cabin.  This season, a pair of small mice got it.  Tiny little scat pellets everywhere, easy enough.  All the recliners and furniture covered in sheets, and one little trooper made his last stand on the back of a recliner near the fireplace.  Wife's scanning the place, lets out a scream.....tiny little mouse jerky laid out on the back of the chair.  Even my daughter laughed at her.  Summers are the worst, as everything starts moving:  especially the god damn bugs.  We don't have a scorpion problem, but the paper wasps and bees are a never-ending issue.  

[HOOKEM4 5037]

Almost every time we go to camp, there are signs of mice in the trailer. Over the christmas/new years week, I killed 8 mice. Cleaned everything meticulously, then went back the next week and had 3 of 5 traps with mice in them. Thankfully last week when I went up to grab the utv for service, there weren't any mice in the traps.  If anyone has a good idea of how to keep a large percentage of the mice out, let me know. I have tried everything I can think of.

[cabowabo 4487]

Fuck the offseason.....

[Spaulding Smails 1553]

16 hours ago, deadshank said:

I’ve been in some real dump deer camps before.  The rattlesnakes in the warming drawer under oven is always a nice touch for any deer camp kitchen.   

I had been dating my GF (now my wife) for about a year when I took her down to my lease in Live Oak County for the first time.  It was one of the first cool weekends of the fall and before deer season, so I knew nobody else would be up there.  Just us.  I think we went to a party in Austin Friday night, so we didn't head down until mid-day Saturday.  It was one of those perfect South Texas fall days.  Clear skies and highs in the 80s.  We got there right before the evening hunt, so we dropped our bags on the porch and headed for the blind.  It was a bad ass hunt at a blind we called Sleepy Hollow tucked back in a big Mesquite thicket along the banks of the creek.  TONS of activity for the duration of the hunt.  Whitetail, turkey, javelina, and hogs.  I ended up shooting a little sow about 30 min before dusk, so we loaded her up and headed back.  Picture perfect day, right?  She was loving it.  

On the way back to camp, shit took a turn for the worse.  In this tight little sendero, about 20 ft in front of my truck, a massive blue indigo decided to pass across the road.  She lost her mind.   I have only seen three blue indigos in the wild, and this one was a big ass snake.  Had to be at least 7' and as big around as a softball.  She chills out a bit by the time we're back at camp.  As we pull up to the old pier & beam cabin, she says "hey, check out those birds leaving the attic!."  They were bats.  Before going in the cabin, we walk around to the back to turn on the water.  I open up the cover to the valve and have her shine a flashlight for me.  It was standard fare for me, but she flipped out again when the entire valve box was pulsating full of daddy long legs.  We get our stuff off the patio and walk inside, and immediately to the right was the old gas range.  Well, a coachwhip had decided to shed his skin in the range and it was threaded through the burners of the stove.  At that point, I didn't even bother to warn her that she'd probably hear the mouse traps go off a few times during the night.  Needless to say, the rest of my hunting trips to that lease were solo.

[deadshank 24653]

3 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

I had been dating my GF (now my wife) for about a year when I took her down to my lease in Live Oak County for the first time.  It was one of the first cool weekends of the fall and before deer season, so I knew nobody else would be up there.  Just us.  I think we went to a party in Austin Friday night, so we didn't head down until mid-day Saturday.  It was one of those perfect South Texas fall days.  Clear skies and highs in the 80s.  We got there right before the evening hunt, so we dropped our bags on the porch and headed for the blind.  It was a bad ass hunt at a blind we called Sleepy Hollow tucked back in a big Mesquite thicket along the banks of the creek.  TONS of activity for the duration of the hunt.  Whitetail, turkey, javelina, and hogs.  I ended up shooting a little sow about 30 min before dusk, so we loaded her up and headed back.  Picture perfect day, right?  She was loving it.  

On the way back to camp, shit took a turn for the worse.  In this tight little sendero, about 20 ft in front of my truck, a massive blue indigo decided to pass across the road.  She lost her mind.   I have only seen three blue indigos in the wild, and this one was a big ass snake.  Had to be at least 7' and as big around as a softball.  She chills out a bit by the time we're back at camp.  As we pull up to the old pier & beam cabin, she says "hey, check out those birds leaving the attic!."  They were bats.  Before going in the cabin, we walk around to the back to turn on the water.  I open up the cover to the valve and have her shine a flashlight for me.  It was standard fare for me, but she flipped out again when the entire valve box was pulsating full of daddy long legs.  We get our stuff off the patio and walk inside, and immediately to the right was the old gas range.  Well, a coachwhip had decided to shed his skin in the range and it was threaded through the burners of the stove.  At that point, I didn't even bother to warn her that she'd probably hear the mouse traps go off a few times during the night.  Needless to say, the rest of my hunting trips to that lease were solo.

You cured her of pestering you to accompany you to deer camp.  I wish I would have had your luck!

[BabaYaga 15301]

32 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

I had been dating my GF (now my wife) for about a year when I took her down to my lease in Live Oak County for the first time.  It was one of the first cool weekends of the fall and before deer season, so I knew nobody else would be up there.  Just us.  I think we went to a party in Austin Friday night, so we didn't head down until mid-day Saturday.  It was one of those perfect South Texas fall days.  Clear skies and highs in the 80s.  We got there right before the evening hunt, so we dropped our bags on the porch and headed for the blind.  It was a bad ass hunt at a blind we called Sleepy Hollow tucked back in a big Mesquite thicket along the banks of the creek.  TONS of activity for the duration of the hunt.  Whitetail, turkey, javelina, and hogs.  I ended up shooting a little sow about 30 min before dusk, so we loaded her up and headed back.  Picture perfect day, right?  She was loving it.  

On the way back to camp, shit took a turn for the worse.  In this tight little sendero, about 20 ft in front of my truck, a massive blue indigo decided to pass across the road.  She lost her mind.   I have only seen three blue indigos in the wild, and this one was a big ass snake.  Had to be at least 7' and as big around as a softball.  She chills out a bit by the time we're back at camp.  As we pull up to the old pier & beam cabin, she says "hey, check out those birds leaving the attic!."  They were bats.  Before going in the cabin, we walk around to the back to turn on the water.  I open up the cover to the valve and have her shine a flashlight for me.  It was standard fare for me, but she flipped out again when the entire valve box was pulsating full of daddy long legs.  We get our stuff off the patio and walk inside, and immediately to the right was the old gas range.  Well, a coachwhip had decided to shed his skin in the range and it was threaded through the burners of the stove.  At that point, I didn't even bother to warn her that she'd probably hear the mouse traps go off a few times during the night.  Needless to say, the rest of my hunting trips to that lease were solo.

LOL.  Wife had a daddy long leg event herself on first ranch trip.  We were married and my folks were there.  She's in the bathroom, doing her thing.  Unrolls the TP and a dead daddy LL is stuck to the paper.  She's not happy......Then she gets in the shower, again gets going.....we hear a BLOOD CURDLING scream.  I thought she was really injured.  Like slipped and fell into a bucket of broken glass.  

She's soaking wet, covered with a towel, pointing to a cluster of them pulsing and bouncing like they do.....right overhead.  I still give her shit about that to this day.  It was a small cluster.  Less than 10.  She still likes going out there, but not when it's hot and the bugs come out.  

[Lat22 4015]

38 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Needless to say, the rest of my hunting trips to that lease were solo.

As God intended.

[Reagan1k 3024]

4 hours ago, HOOKEM4 said:

If anyone has a good idea of how to keep a large percentage of the mice out, let me know. I have tried everything I can think of.

Unless you can make it less comfortable (colder, wetter, etc.) inside than outside, you won't keep them out.  

Now, one rat snake per 250 square feet will minimize their length of stay.

[fattyflattie 4639]

4 hours ago, HOOKEM4 said:

If anyone has a good idea of how to keep a large percentage of the mice out, let me know. I have tried everything I can think of.

We leave no food in the trailer. Nothing. Not even chips in a bag.  It’s also cleaned like crazy before we leave.  Best thing I can think of is get a few barn cats.  We didn’t have anything to do with bringing them there but at night I’ll see a cat or two around.  Never see them during the day tho.  I’m sure that helps.  

[Spaulding Smails 1553]

9 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

We leave no food in the trailer. Nothing. Not even chips in a bag.  It’s also cleaned like crazy before we leave.  Best thing I can think of is get a few barn cats.  We didn’t have anything to do with bringing them there but at night I’ll see a cat or two around.  Never see them during the day tho.  I’m sure that helps.  

Removal of food is the way to go for sure, and I definitely second the barn cat recommendation.  We had one that hung around our Llano lease, and we never had any mice problems.  The rancher we leased it from would feed him a few times a week, and make sure he had water, and he said the key to that was to feed him just enough food to keep him hanging around but not enough to let him stop chasing rodents.  

[deadshank 24653]

It is strange, we have no problems with mice or rattlers at our camp or in our trailers.  We do have some bodacious indigos that hang around.  Maybe that helps.

[HOOKEM4 5037]

Our issue is the feeding of cats. If we put out an auto feeder the racoons would make quick work of that. Definitely no food and clean like crazy when we leave. We also have a no food consumed in the trailer rule for our kids because they are walking crumbs (we have a cook shack people eat in). I might try to come up with a way to feed cats. I have a few feral cats around my house I could trap, get spayed/neutered and release out there I guess. 

[BabaYaga 15301]

I used to get paid to thin them out.  G-mother would send me on seek/destroy missions.  Goddamn feral cats became a nightmare around the old sale barn.  So many animals, so much grain and hay.  At first the cats were welcomed.  Then after a few litters.  They became a mangy mess of ripped ears, constant fights, and feline screams.

Used that old H&R .410 or the old single-shot .22lr.  

Now they are overrunning all of Australia.  They are like little murdering, land piranhas.

[fattyflattie 4639]

4 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Now they are overrunning all of Australia.  They are like little murdering, land piranhas.

When I was over there, the TV shows would be hunting them like we have deer shows here.  There are a big problem there. 

[Brisketexan 105154]

Best friends place in Millersview is like that.  Compilation of old trailers that looks like a Walking Dead camp.  Shit everywhere.  They "had" a single wide housing tens of thousands of .223 green tips that got hit by lightning.  Apparently the popcorn sounds lasted for hours as they cooked off in their cans.  
One old trailer I slept in, something crawled over my sleeping bag.  Probably a mouse, but damn.  

Huh, I’ve been hunting with friends near there a few years now. Their place is pretty “nice,” although a good bit of the accommodations are trailers. Chasing out critters is just part of the deal.

[BabaYaga 15301]

11 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Huh, I’ve been hunting with friends near there a few years now. Their place is pretty “nice,” although a good bit of the accommodations are trailers. Chasing out critters is just part of the deal.

They're property is split into two parts by 765, between Doole and Millersview.  North and south, as 765 runs East and West.  Their little shanty town is right there at the junction of 765 and 4444, on the north side.  They are building a ranch house on the south side, further back off the highway and behind a gated fence as breakin's happen all the time at the other place, as it's right off the highway.  

Buddy's family all live in Angelo.  His step brother, who is out there all the time is a former Force Recon Marine and multiple Blackwater (and other) contractor.  Talk about having someone to sit around the fire and tell stories with.  Man.  

[BabaYaga 15301]

12 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

When I was over there, the TV shows would be hunting them like we have deer shows here.  There are a big problem there. 

Oh yeah.  Adam Greentree, big time Aussie bow hunter I follow caught a TON of shit for posting IG pics of him with his bow and cat kills.  People lost their ever-living minds, not knowing that these little monsters are absolutely devastating the ecosystem over there.  People post dead cats like we used to post Coyote kills hanging from the fence.