2021-2022 hunting thread

[Reagan1k 3,016]

This old SOB looks like I feel sometimes.  I'm not sure how old he is but his horns and waistline gave up years ago.......

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Reagan1k

[BabaYaga 15,208]

Am I the only one getting a kangaroo/Joey vibe fro my that doe head in the background.  

[Brisketexan 104,552]

So the old man’s birthday was yesterday. First one without mom around. So he’s been digging through old pics, in nostalgia. He’s found some gems.

This is probably opening day of white wing season in valley, probably 74 or 75. Momma brisket, hauling a side-by-side, probably to reload.



I think that’s me right behind her, in solid hunting fashion of….stripes and shit.

Hope y’all are able to do the same with your families this season.

[fattyflattie 4,636]

That is bad ass. 

[CHIEF 5,070]

CHIEF Jr. and I decided e need to go do some work at the deer lease, so we missed the Rice game. But the fire was nice, and so were the ribeyes:

You can see forever:

The roads are rough, pictures don't do it justice, but you hit some 60% grades:

and you have to pick your way through the wash at the bottom.

CHIEF

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by CHIEF

[ROFL BOX 6,647]

2 hours ago, CHIEF said:

 we missed the Rice game

 

Apparently Rice didn't show up either.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

10 hours ago, CHIEF said:

CHIEF Jr. and I decided e need to go do some work at the deer lease, so we missed the Rice game. But the fire was nice, and so were the ribeyes:

You can see forever:

The roads are rough, pictures don't do it justice, but you hit some 60% grades:

and you have to pick your way through the wash at the bottom.

CHIEF

 

An old tractor rim makes a hell of a fire pit.

Edited September 20, 2021 by Johnny Sack

[BabaYaga 15,208]

5 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

An old tractor rim makes a hell of a fire pit.

Almost as good as the inside of a old "warshin' macheen"

*the genesis for the "solo stove" IMHO

 

 

[BabaYaga 15,208]

10 hours ago, CHIEF said:

CHIEF Jr. and I decided e need to go do some work at the deer lease, so we missed the Rice game. But the fire was nice, and so were the ribeyes:

You can see forever:

The roads are rough, pictures don't do it justice, but you hit some 60% grades:

and you have to pick your way through the wash at the bottom.

CHIEF

 

[CHIEF 5,070]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

That was at Rednecks with Paychecks in about 2013-2014. Brand new Raptor, still had the paper tags on it. We didn't go until the next year, hopefully to see stupid shit like this. 

CHIEF

[BabaYaga 15,208]

37 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

That was at Rednecks with Paychecks in about 2013-2014. Brand new Raptor, still had the paper tags on it. We didn't go until the next year, hopefully to see stupid shit like this. 

CHIEF

In person, they are fantastic.  Been to quite a few tractor pulls and mud runs.  A blast!

[CHIEF 5,070]

That big fucker to the right of the corn feeder is going down when it gets cold. We have had the protein feeder filled for 2 months. Been throwing corn since Saturday. First time anything has been on the game cam besides coons.

CHIEF

[fattyflattie 4,636]

1 hour ago, CHIEF said:

That big fucker to the right of the corn feeder is going down when it gets cold. We have had the protein feeder filled for 2 months. Been throwing corn since Saturday. First time anything has been on the game cam besides coons.

CHIEF

Damn I wish we had some of those fuckers on our place.   Buddy of mine is on 110k acres and they kill massive aoudad every year.  And I’m always on a work trip or kids something or other. Need to fix that this year. 

[ROFL BOX 6,647]

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[Reagan1k 3,016]

@CHIEF   That's a big goat!  I think I can smell him from here.

I'm pretty sure the freeze took a toll on the ones in the hill country - not to the extent it did on axis and blackbuck, but our number appear to be down this summer.

Those are cagy beasts.  Nothing I hunt is as wary as they are.  They can be a pain in the ass if their numbers go unchecked but they can be fun to chase.

[hookemATL 11,604]

Really cool looking animal.

Is it considered a desired meat animal as well? 

[CHIEF 5,070]

25 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

Really cool looking animal.

Is it considered a desired meat animal as well? 

Supposedly inedible. I hate killing anything that I don't plan to eat, but we are overran with them. I found one guy on an internet search that made passable carne guisada out of aoudad. Think I'm just gonna shoot him and cape him out.

CHIEF

[hookemATL 11,604]

Very cool. Is there anything different about the firepower you’d use for them as opposed to your standard whitetail?  They look pretty stout. 

[CHIEF 5,070]

I normally shoot 150gr. out of my .300 WSM, I'm gonna up it to 180gr. He will probably go 300-350 lbs. on the hoof. They are amazing animals, can jump 30 feet from precipice to precipice on a cliff face. They have extremely good eyesight, its tough to get within 3-400 yards of them. If you are in a stand, at least one will be staring at you the whole time. You better have the window open and your gun already pointed in that direction when you see them.

CHIEF

[hookemATL 11,604]

Badass.  Sounds challenging and worth the reward.  Keep us updated on your efforts.

[BabaYaga 15,208]

1 hour ago, hookemATL said:

Really cool looking animal.

Is it considered a desired meat animal as well? 

Disgusting.  You'd eat if starving in the wild.  They are in many parts as big a problem as hogs and treated as such.  They are also much harder to kill.  I'd suggest nothing less than 7mm+ rounds and good placement.  

Some people eat them.  Some people also eat peccary and armadillos.  Smell like a menstruating skunk left out in the rain.  They do make amazing mounts and are majestic looking creatures.  

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

16 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

Damn I wish we had some of those fuckers on our place.   Buddy of mine is on 110k acres and they kill massive aoudad every year.  And I’m always on a work trip or kids something or other. Need to fix that this year. 

I am the opposite.  I would spotlight and murder every one of those things if they were on my place.  I hunted a friend's place in the hill country and could not stand those stinking beasts.  They run off the white tail.

I strongly dislike exotics, with the exception of maybe red deer and axis (because they are both so damn tasty).

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

4 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Disgusting.  You'd eat if starving in the wild.  They are in many parts as big a problem as hogs and treated as such.  They are also much harder to kill.  I'd suggest nothing less than 7mm+ rounds and good placement.  

Some people eat them.  Some people also eat peccary and armadillos.  Smell like a menstruating skunk left out in the rain.  They do make amazing mounts and are majestic looking creatures.  

My friend heli hunts them and leaves them where they fall just like hogs.

[Reagan1k 3,016]

4 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Disgusting.  You'd eat if starving in the wild.  They are in many parts as big a problem as hogs and treated as such.  They are also much harder to kill.  I'd suggest nothing less than 7mm+ rounds and good placement.  

Some people eat them.  Some people also eat peccary and armadillos.  Smell like a menstruating skunk left out in the rain.  They do make amazing mounts and are majestic looking creatures.  

 

5 hours ago, hookemATL said:

Really cool looking animal.

Is it considered a desired meat animal as well? 

@BabaYaga isn't doing it justice when he says inedible.  It's worse.  I'm convinced they'll ruin a good smoker or grill, and you wouldn't dream of putting one in the oven inside your house.  I had a buddy load one in the back of a suburban and damn near had to sell the vehicle because he couldn't get rid of the smell.

You might be able to choke down a young ewe, but an old ram will gag you.

He's also right about them being hard to kill.

Part of that is that they are as tough as an anvil and the other part of that is the fact that their anatomy is slightly different than a whitetail. 

Similar to a lot of African species, their heart is further forward in their chest than a deer.  A typical whitetail hunter will shoot one behind the shoulder expecting to get heart and lungs, but will only get lungs.  They can take a helluva pounding and go a long way on a lung shot.

That's also why they're so hard to kill AND recover when bowhunting.  They aren't going to die anywhere close when only lung shot.  With a broadhead, you have to get a quartering away angle and tuck the arrow behind the front shoulder and angling into the front of the chest cavity to get cardiac tissue.

Finally, their hide is tough and seals up, so they leave a shitty blood trail.

Amazing animals!

 

[BabaYaga 15,208]

36 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

My friend heli hunts them and leaves them where they fall just like hogs.

Yep.  They'll push WT's off feeders and basically take over a place if you let them.

[BabaYaga 15,208]

8 minutes ago, Reagan1k said:

 

@BabaYaga isn't doing it justice when he says inedible.  It's worse.  I'm convinced they'll ruin a good smoker or grill, and you wouldn't dream of putting one in the oven inside your house.  I had a buddy load one in the back of a suburban and damn near had to sell the vehicle because he couldn't get rid of the smell.

You might be able to choke down a young ewe, but an old ram will gag you.

He's also right about them being hard to kill.

Part of that is that they are as tough as an anvil and the other part of that is the fact that their anatomy is slightly different than a whitetail. 

Similar to a lot of African species, their heart is further forward in their chest than a deer.  A typical whitetail hunter will shoot one behind the shoulder expecting to get heart and lungs, but will only get lungs.  They can take a helluva pounding and go a long way on a lung shot.

That's also why they're so hard to kill AND recover when bowhunting.  They aren't going to die anywhere close when only lung shot.  With a broadhead, you have to get a quartering away angle and tuck the arrow behind the front shoulder and angling into the front of the chest cavity to get cardiac tissue.

Finally, their hide is tough and seals up, so they leave a shitty blood trail.

Amazing animals!

 

Heard stories of people ruining smokers with them.  Same with oily bear meat (coastal, full of fish).....smoker forever has that "fishy" smell to it.  They're neat animals.  Technically a sub-species and neither goat nor sheep.  I'd love to have one on the wall.  

[hookemATL 11,604]

https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/604834/

Quote

Fringed in long hair from throat to chest, aoudads travel in a massive herd called an anger and scale steep cliffsides with surprising agility and speed. Their curved horns can easily exceed two feet in length.

These things are metal af. Sounds like from the article that they should be exterminated with prejudice. 

[The Royal We 3,065]

I shot one near Rocksprings when I was in 8th grade.  Shot it in the neck with a .30-.30 and dropped it in it's tracks.  Probably got lucky af really.  They were begging us to shoot one and we caped it out and took the meat to the boneyard.  I hated to do it, but yea, it was a smelly dude and there was no way we were going to eat it.  It lives on the wall in my garage now.

 

 

[fattyflattie 4,636]

2 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

I am the opposite.  I would spotlight and murder every one of those things if they were on my place.  I hunted a friend's place in the hill country and could not stand those stinking beasts.  They run off the white tail.

I strongly dislike exotics, with the exception of maybe red deer and axis (because they are both so damn tasty).

I’d probably be the same way after I killed a few.  Buddy gets several over 30” for his clients every year. Of course they aren’t short on land for them.  

[CHIEF 5,070]

2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Yep.  They'll push WT's off feeders and basically take over a place if you let them.

The other guys on my lease shot twelve last year, not all trophy size. They shot ten in one day. I've heard that we have about 400 on the entire 90,000 acres. This herd is the only one I've seen, and numbers about 15. We usually see them on a cliff about 2-3 miles south. If they start hitting the feeder regularly they are gonna get lit up. We never see solitary animals, just this herd. The Aoudad never linger too long at the feeders. Plenty of time for WTs to come in.

CHIEF

[DalTxHornFan 3,085]

My group has a new 12+ section lease this year (has not been hunted in the past three years) and we are under orders to kill every pig and exotic deer on sight.  (We killed a big hog last weekend!)

Plus, we had to make a commitment to kill 75 doe this season -- we have lots of work to do. 

[fattyflattie 4,636]

Dang. That’s pretty serious acreage.  Jelly. 

[crimsonlonghorn 2,306]

1 hour ago, DalTxHornFan said:

My group has a new 12+ section lease this year (has not been hunted in the past three years) and we are under orders to kill every pig and exotic deer on sight.  (We killed a big hog last weekend!)

Plus, we had to make a commitment to kill 75 doe this season -- we have lots of work to do. 

I estimate we will shoot our 75th doe sometime in 2054 and my unborn grandson will probably be the one to shoot it. 

[DalTxHornFan 3,085]

31 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Dang. That’s pretty serious acreage.  Jelly. 

It is a really cool heritage ranch.  This lease is about 1/25th of what the family originally owned.  Texas is getting chopped up via probate courts and such.

[686 3,404]

Culling lots of does is work. One MLD ranch I hunted on as a guest had a scheduled does only hunt early in the season and it was a fun party type weekend, lots of guests and everybody HAD to shoot a doe. If you didn’t, you weren’t eligible for invitation back for buck hunting in December. Kind of like the legislated “earn a buck” tag structure in Pennsylvania I believe. I was usually the youngest guy there by far, so I’d end up gutting/skinning/quartering for several hours a day/night to help the old timers and pull my weight. I ended up kitting myself out with an apron, butchering knife sheath that’s easily taken apart for cleaning (so I can put a bloody knife in it no worries), two S30V cryogenic treated knives (drop point skinner and filet), and a cordless sawsall. When I have my tools, running water, can crack a beer and turn up a little Willie/George; breaking down a pile of does is a lot less tiresome. Especially when there is a shower, steak, cigar, and bourbon waiting for me when I’m done.

[fattyflattie 4,636]

I’m taking every doe I can this year.  Will just pay the donation at the processor. But we’ve got to get some does off our place. It’s starting to get ridiculous. 

[686 3,404]

I’m taking every doe I can this year.  Will just pay the donation at the processor. But we’ve got to get some does off our place. It’s starting to get ridiculous. 

I’d like to take 10 off our little family place. I really want to just go out myself early in the season and shoot at least 5, then have guests shoot some over the course of the season as well. I might have the 5 I shoot all done up into nice dried sausage and pair it with some jalapeño honey mustard and cheese in gift baskets for our clients. My biggest concern with this is explaining this plan and expense report to the corporate office in New York.

[fattyflattie 4,636]

1 minute ago, 686 said:

I might have the 5 I shoot all done up into nice dried sausage

Brother?  
 

Thats how roughly 75% of my venison is processed. The other 25% to various smoked sausages. Wife doesn’t like it any other way so it all becomes sausage. Just have to be careful where you get it done.  Belville was like 400% more than just usual place, so not doing that again. They can handle the smoked and the dried going back to my typical spot. 

[DalTxHornFan 3,085]

I promise that I have no personal or financial interest in these guys, but Hunter's Creek on US 183 north of State Highway 29 is by far the best game processing place that I have ever used.  Totally transparent processing room -- you will definitely be getting your own deer, cant say that about some other processors I have utilized.  They have a 24-hour automated way to get your game in.  Their sausages (especially the maple pan breakfast sausage) are really good.

Give these guys a shot:  https://hunterscreekprocessing.com/

[ROFL BOX 6,647]

12 hours ago, hookemATL said:

On a hot summers day, I really REALLY want to do that.

For now, I'll stick to pulling a fresh pair of tighty - whities out of the freezer & installing those over my nuts.

[deadshank 24,651]

10 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

My group has a new 12+ section lease this year (has not been hunted in the past three years) and we are under orders to kill every pig and exotic deer on sight.  (We killed a big hog last weekend!)

Plus, we had to make a commitment to kill 75 doe this season -- we have lots of work to do. 

How many members?  75 doe is not a terribly high number for the acreage you’re on.  

[BabaYaga 15,208]

11 hours ago, 686 said:

Culling lots of does is work. One MLD ranch I hunted on as a guest had a scheduled does only hunt early in the season and it was a fun party type weekend, lots of guests and everybody HAD to shoot a doe. If you didn’t, you weren’t eligible for invitation back for buck hunting in December. Kind of like the legislated “earn a buck” tag structure in Pennsylvania I believe. I was usually the youngest guy there by far, so I’d end up gutting/skinning/quartering for several hours a day/night to help the old timers and pull my weight. I ended up kitting myself out with an apron, butchering knife sheath that’s easily taken apart for cleaning (so I can put a bloody knife in it no worries), two S30V cryogenic treated knives (drop point skinner and filet), and a cordless sawsall. When I have my tools, running water, can crack a beer and turn up a little Willie/George; breaking down a pile of does is a lot less tiresome. Especially when there is a shower, steak, cigar, and bourbon waiting for me when I’m done.

I've been that guy.  Kind of fun to be the camp janitor/cook and let newbies hunt and get all excited.  I have an old army surplus medical bag that is my "OJ" bag full of various knives.

Maybe a half dozen uncle henry skinners.  And old buffalo skinner.  A havalon with extra blades, and a small rapala fillet knife for finer work and de-boning.  Bought it off the old Academy army surplus store off I35, north of where they put that Fiesta Texas.  Grew up back there, near Maplewood so we'd ride our bikes there all the time. 

We use an old metal swing set with meat hooks for the deer.

Speaking of knives, got my hands on my g-fathers favorite skinner:  his NRA Whittington Center knife.  It's basic 440 steel, but I keep it razor sharp and it does the trick.  Now officially a part of the "bag"

 

[BabaYaga 15,208]

9 hours ago, ROFL BOX said:

On a hot summers day, I really REALLY want to do that.

For now, I'll stick to pulling a fresh pair of tighty - whities out of the freezer & installing those over my nuts.

I do that with my sneakers and socks.  Also kills the smell

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

10 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I’m taking every doe I can this year.  Will just pay the donation at the processor. But we’ve got to get some does off our place. It’s starting to get ridiculous. 

We have had years where we kill 250 deer.  My last year of law school I killed over 100, 2/3 were doe and the rest were culls and management (I think the biggest management was a 130 class 8 point).  Did not quarter any.  Would gut them, rinse off, winch them up, and hang in cooler to dry age.  We have this railing system with rollers that you can winch the deer up and roll right into the cooler.  About once a week I'd tell the ranch hands to invite the locals over.  They would come after the evening hunt with massive coolers and knives, and use our racks to skin and quarter the deer.  Most would haul off 6-8.  I used to hang out and drink beer with them while they worked.  

3L was the best year ever.  I only had classes Monday to Wednesday.  I'd leave Austin Wednesday and make it to our place in Frio County in time for the evening hunt.  I would not come back until Monday morning.  It was a little over a 2 hour drive.  From October to February I just lived at the ranch.  It was glorious.  I miss those days.  Won't ever have free time like that again until I retire.

Seriously, find you some locals.  They will take all you can give them.  And they appreciate it.

[BabaYaga 15,208]

13 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Plus, we had to make a commitment to kill 75 doe this season -- we have lots of work to do. 

Live in DFW.  Have gun.  Will travel....;)

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

9 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I promise that I have no personal or financial interest in these guys, but Hunter's Creek on US 183 north of State Highway 29 is by far the best game processing place that I have ever used.  Totally transparent processing room -- you will definitely be getting your own deer, cant say that about some other processors I have utilized.  They have a 24-hour automated way to get your game in.  Their sausages (especially the maple pan breakfast sausage) are really good.

Give these guys a shot:  https://hunterscreekprocessing.com/

I will have to give it a shot.  I use Klein Smoke House in Boerne, even though it is a bit out of the way (but one of my best friends lives there so he can often schlep it for me).  I like Klein a lot.

[The Royal We 3,065]

11 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

Just have to be careful where you get it done.  Belville was like 400% more than just usual place, so not doing that again. They can handle the smoked and the dried going back to my typical spot. 

I grew up with the family that owns this place and they have definitely gotten more expensive over the years.  They are still crazy busy and growing though, so it seems like they are charging what the market will bear.  I coughed when I got my bill for turning two does into nothing but sausage last year.  But I've had their sausage for so long that it's really the only thing I like at this point.  Especially the sweet chipotle. 

I've still got a couple of their old button up work shirts from old meat cutters that stopped working there, I think I've got a Juan and a Jose.  It's become my brisket cooking uniform.

[BHMCruiser 1,813]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

I've been that guy.  Kind of fun to be the camp janitor/cook and let newbies hunt and get all excited.  I have an old army surplus medical bag that is my "OJ" bag full of various knives.

Maybe a half dozen uncle henry skinners.  And old buffalo skinner.  A havalon with extra blades, and a small rapala fillet knife for finer work and de-boning.  Bought it off the old Academy army surplus store off I35, north of where they put that Fiesta Texas.  Grew up back there, near Maplewood so we'd ride our bikes there all the time. 

We use an old metal swing set with meat hooks for the deer.

Speaking of knives, got my hands on my g-fathers favorite skinner:  his NRA Whittington Center knife.  It's basic 440 steel, but I keep it razor sharp and it does the trick.  Now officially a part of the "bag"

 

I have that exact same knife and it has the sheath lacing cut at the exact same place. CSB

[BabaYaga 15,208]

7 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

I have that exact same knife and it has the sheath lacing cut at the exact same place. CSB

That notch was from when I was a kid and "borrowed" if from the gun case and cleaned my first buck.  

[Izhmash 558]

On 9/22/2021 at 10:04 AM, CHIEF said:

Supposedly inedible. I hate killing anything that I don't plan to eat, but we are overran with them. I found one guy on an internet search that made passable carne guisada out of aoudad. Think I'm just gonna shoot him and cape him out.

CHIEF

To heck with the big one - shoot a female. They are fucking delicious! It's been 30 years since I've killed one, but I remember loving the meat (female).