2022-2023 Hunting Thread

[huge 3788]

5 hours ago, deadshank said:

I received that, as well.

Knowing it was aggy that sent it out, using crayons I drew stick figure images so they would understand my answers.

I went ahead and mailed them a cow patty

[Al Czervik 1228]

Any of you Surlys have any thoughts on deer with unkempt fur?  This guy should up early season with an obvious injury to his head and, more recently, been seeing the condition of his hair becoming more and more ‘shaggy’. 

[deadshank 24651]

15 hours ago, Al Czervik said:

Any of you Surlys have any thoughts on deer with unkempt fur?  This guy should up early season with an obvious injury to his head and, more recently, been seeing the condition of his hair becoming more and more ‘shaggy’. 

Who knows?   Some deer have genetic cowlicks in their coats.  This guy’s mussed up coat of hair seems to be more mechanically driven.  Maybe he’s got deer lice and rolled or rubbed to scratch.    

[686 3401]

[686 3401]

Had a good afternoon at the ranch today. Our little spring started running again a month or so ago, and I planted some apples adjacent to it. They’re doing well but I needed to put some bigger cages on them and got that done today:






Took the 10yo and she played with the catfish for awhile, did a little casting:





Did a little .22 target shooting and got my nightvision scope sighted in on my AR. Kid is into spray paint graffiti apparently now as can be seen.

[686 3401]

Forgot to mention there was a tom with 9 hens by the house when we drove in and we heard a bunch of gobbling, so that was fun too.

[686 3401]

30 turkeys around the house this morning. 9 toms.

[deadshank 24651]

End of season rifle douching.  

[RMac5 1549]

Can I send mine down there for cleaning?

[deadshank 24651]

2 hours ago, RMac5 said:

Can I send mine down there for cleaning?

Sure.  $75 per 

[Speedtrucker 2063]

Thermal monocular question?!?

So I have a wraith night vision scope, great for hogs when we know they are at my feeder.

We also have some green light motion lights around my feeder along with my wireless game cam.

What I am looking for is a budget thermal scanner, so I can scan the area without flagging everyone. To see what’s near or lurking but not actually at my feeder…

Any one have either of these or experience with them?
AGM Asp tm160
Or
AGM Taipan TM10-256

[Handcruser 2805]

Thermal monocular question?!?

So I have a wraith night vision scope, great for hogs when we know they are at my feeder.

We also have some green light motion lights around my feeder along with my wireless game cam.

What I am looking for is a budget thermal scanner, so I can scan the area without flagging everyone. To see what’s near or lurking but not actually at my feeder…

Any one have either of these or experience with them?
AGM Asp tm160
Or
AGM Taipan TM10-256

A few thoughts -
Yea NV is great when your focused on a location. Other than that, it can be tough.

Thermal monoculars are perfect to pair with NV. That’s what we did, although I still use a green light instead of NV. Too much of it hurts my eyes.

Tm10-256 is what we got. It’s nice. Does the trick. Good quality.

I’m waiting for the new Holosun thermal.

We do have a used flir thermal monocular that’s the tits. PM me if you’re interested.

[cabowabo 4449]

Was driving around on the property last week and saw 4 to 5 Nilgai in a back pasture. I picked up one on a game camera a couple of months ago and have had others report Nilgai sightings on our place, but this was the first in the flesh sighting for me.

Was driving around yesterday and came across several piles of scat. For you wild animal scat experts, do these piles look bigger that whitetail scat? According to my research, wild hog poop looks more akin to dog poop. Wondering if these piles are Nilgai scat.

[cabowabo 4449]

On 3/12/2023 at 2:01 PM, Speedtrucker said:

Thermal monocular question?!?

So I have a wraith night vision scope, great for hogs when we know they are at my feeder.

We also have some green light motion lights around my feeder along with my wireless game cam.

What I am looking for is a budget thermal scanner, so I can scan the area without flagging everyone. To see what’s near or lurking but not actually at my feeder…

Any one have either of these or experience with them?
AGM Asp tm160
Or
AGM Taipan TM10-256
 

I also have a TM10-256 which I use for a scanner.  I hunt with a Bering Optics Super Hogster.  The PQ quality in this TM10-256 is not great, but it is great for scanning for targets in a field before actually having to go to the rifle.  I paid $549 for mine on Amazon and noticed today they are on special for $466.65.  Pretty good deal.  The TM15-256 is also on sale on Amazon.  That gets you a little more magnification, but I assume also a slightly decreased field of view.

https://www.amazon.com/AGM-Global-Vision-Taipan-TM10-256/dp/B0988TDVTW/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.db5bdf6b-c3cb-4492-ada6-1426f4f364d5%3Aamzn1.sym.db5bdf6b-c3cb-4492-ada6-1426f4f364d5&crid=3O1HOEQGSSR0Z&cv_ct_cx=agm&keywords=agm&pd_rd_i=B0988TDVTW&pd_rd_r=ce5c29f5-ee5e-4535-b2b9-1cffc119029c&pd_rd_w=Es6Ht&pd_rd_wg=qzpky&pf_rd_p=db5bdf6b-c3cb-4492-ada6-1426f4f364d5&pf_rd_r=REQ3EYGZE0DV1FY2G3RZ&qid=1678809188&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=agm%2Caps%2C210&sr=1-1-a73d1c8c-2fd2-4f19-aa41-2df022bcb241-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUUY5UDNWRjIzR1ZGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzk0NzgxMkE5QzVWR0Q5MkZQNyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzY5NDg0MUpPTktUWTFSSzQxWiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3NlYXJjaF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= 

Edited March 14, 2023 by cabowabo

[hookemATL 11594]

Those are Wild Texas Milk Duds.  Totally ok to eat.

[BabaYaga 15202]

3 hours ago, cabowabo said:

Was driving around on the property last week and saw 4 to 5 Nilgai in a back pasture. I picked up one on a game camera a couple of months ago and have had others report Nilgai sightings on our place, but this was the first in the flesh sighting for me.

Was driving around yesterday and came across several piles of scat. For you wild animal scat experts, do these piles look bigger that whitetail scat? According to my research, wild hog poop looks more akin to dog poop. Wondering if these piles are Nilgai scat.

Doesn't look like WT scat.  My guess is one of your exotics

[Kennythetiger 9333]

4 hours ago, cabowabo said:

Was driving around on the property last week and saw 4 to 5 Nilgai in a back pasture. I picked up one on a game camera a couple of months ago and have had others report Nilgai sightings on our place, but this was the first in the flesh sighting for me.

Was driving around yesterday and came across several piles of scat. For you wild animal scat experts, do these piles look bigger that whitetail scat? According to my research, wild hog poop looks more akin to dog poop. Wondering if these piles are Nilgai scat.

I wouldn’t drink that soda. 

[fattyflattie 4636]

Thanks @cabowabo. Just pulled some Nilgai tamales out the freezer for lunch tomorrow.  Hope you run across one soon. 

[686 3401]

Target shooting, prepping for Turkey season. Probably going to set up on the ground under a tree like this on the edge of a spot we see a lot of birds.





Looking at getting her a left handed rifle soon.

[ImissWallyPryor 9045]

Snow geese arriving by the hundreds of thousands this week. 

This is one of the last shitty pics il be taking from my iPhone 8 as I’m getting a 13 next week. But, that is not snow in the background close to the ground.

[deadshank 24651]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:51 AM, cabowabo said:

Was driving around on the property last week and saw 4 to 5 Nilgai in a back pasture. I picked up one on a game camera a couple of months ago and have had others report Nilgai sightings on our place, but this was the first in the flesh sighting for me.

Was driving around yesterday and came across several piles of scat. For you wild animal scat experts, do these piles look bigger that whitetail scat? According to my research, wild hog poop looks more akin to dog poop. Wondering if these piles are Nilgai scat.

Yes. Nilgai scat.
 

Find the piles by a fence where they go under.  

Wait near pile.  

Nilgai show up.

You shoot big one.  

Your brother cleans nilgai.  

You drink beer. 

[Kennythetiger 9333]

9 hours ago, 686 said:

Target shooting, prepping for Turkey season. Probably going to set up on the ground under a tree like this on the edge of a spot we see a lot of birds.





Looking at getting her a left handed rifle soon.

I shoot left-handed shotguns, and enjoy them. 
I used to shoot left-handed rifles, but they never felt quite right, and were significantly more expensive than right-handed.  Several years ago I traded them for a right-handed 25-06, and never looked back. Hell, when you’re as good as me, you only shoot once anyway. 😊

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

1 hour ago, Kennythetiger said:

I shoot left-handed shotguns, and enjoy them. 
I used to shoot left-handed rifles, but they never felt quite right, and were significantly more expensive than right-handed.  Several years ago I traded them for a right-handed 25-06, and never looked back. Hell, when you’re as good as me, you only shoot once anyway. 😊

That's interesting.  As a lefty who struggles to do anything right handed, I'm the exact opposite.  I shot a lever action 30-30 as a kid.  Got a LH bolt action 270 as my HS graduation gift and still shoot it to this day.  I was in the stand hog hunting this weekend with my son and his new bolt action 308.  No shots fired, but it was so foreign for me to reach over the scope to chamber a shell.

On the other hand, I've never owned a LH semi-auto shotgun.  I shoot an O/U for dove and upland, but I've just gotten used to a RH semi-auto for ducks and geese.  I think I'd fumble around at this point trying to convert to a LH shotgun.

But, pistols are another story.  I've never been a big pistol guy, but have a couple of 9 mm semi-autos and a 45.  All RH.  I was plinking the 45 with my son this weekend, and thinking how much more natural a LH pistol would be.  This is still on my bucket list, but at $6K for a pistol, it's pretty far down the list of priorities.

https://cabotguns.com/left-hand-1911s/

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4965]

As long as a pistol has an ambidextrous safety there is no need for one that is specially made for lefties imo.

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

42 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

As long as a pistol has an ambidextrous safety there is no need for one that is specially made for lefties imo.

Agreed.  This is much more of a WANT than a need.  

[fattyflattie 4636]

3 hours ago, deadshank said:

Your brother cleans nilgai.  

You drink beer. 

This is the important part.  I’m never shooting another unless there is someone there to help clean.  Learned that one the hard way.  But then again, those tamales…

[BHMCruiser 1812]

6 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

That's interesting.  As a lefty who struggles to do anything right handed, I'm the exact opposite.  I shot a lever action 30-30 as a kid.  Got a LH bolt action 270 as my HS graduation gift and still shoot it to this day.  I was in the stand hog hunting this weekend with my son and his new bolt action 308.  No shots fired, but it was so foreign for me to reach over the scope to chamber a shell.

On the other hand, I've never owned a LH semi-auto shotgun.  I shoot an O/U for dove and upland, but I've just gotten used to a RH semi-auto for ducks and geese.  I think I'd fumble around at this point trying to convert to a LH shotgun.

But, pistols are another story.  I've never been a big pistol guy, but have a couple of 9 mm semi-autos and a 45.  All RH.  I was plinking the 45 with my son this weekend, and thinking how much more natural a LH pistol would be.  This is still on my bucket list, but at $6K for a pistol, it's pretty far down the list of priorities.

https://cabotguns.com/left-hand-1911s/

Cabot stuff is so nice it's crazy

[Speedtrucker 2063]

This is the important part.  I’m never shooting another unless there is someone there to help clean.  Learned that one the hard way.  But then again, those tamales…

Lol that’s the truth.

I’ll shoot hogs and yotes by myself cause I’m just dragging them to our boneyard…

Anything that needs cleanin and processing, I need at least 1 other man with me to help

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

I had a discussion a while back with a friend:  Do you gut in the field or gut at camp?  It seems like it's more of a landowner preference, and maybe depends on photos.  I grew up gutting in the field.  But, since we've had our own place, I load everything up to bring it back to camp to either gut / skin / quarter from the A frame, put the guts in a big tub and go dump them when I'm done.  

I've never shot a nilgai, but I can see that being a major PITA to do it solo.  

[RMac5 1549]

We used to field dress where they fell, the processor we use now is ten minutes from the ranch and charges an extra $10 to gut em. I let him do everything now.

[BHMCruiser 1812]

52 minutes ago, RMac5 said:

We used to field dress where they fell, the processor we use now is ten minutes from the ranch and charges an extra $10 to gut em. I let him do everything now.

Our processor in Alabama will not take them if you gut them. They got blamed for too many bad gut jobs that soured meat.

[SamsCorner 395]

  Too cold for golf in OKLA today so we decided to boil some heads.

[deadshank 24651]

I haven’t field gutted or camp gutted a deer in 20 years.  You can skin, quarter and pull straps & tender loins without gutting.  

[DalTxHornFan 3083]

16 minutes ago, deadshank said:

I haven’t field gutted or camp gutted a deer in 20 years.  You can skin, quarter and pull straps & tender loins without gutting.  

But then you miss out on the delicious hearts, kidneys, and livers!

[deadshank 24651]

6 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

But then you miss out on the delicious hearts, kidneys, and livers!

Meh

[DalTxHornFan 3083]

1 minute ago, deadshank said:

Meh

An acquired taste, for sure!

[deadshank 24651]

18 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

An acquired taste, for sure!

One guy in our camp pulls the organs so he can turn it into dog good for his hound. 

[MalibuSheriff 1088]

Speaking of deer organs, I have an old story to share…

My first buck was a little six point I shot down in the Ozark hills south of Locust Grove, OK.  I shot the deer and he ran downhill towards where my dad was sitting.   It was a really dry Fall and the reason I saw the deer is I heard him walking up the side of the hill in the dry leaves.  He sounded like an elephant racing back downhill with a .30-.30 150 grain in him.

My dad found the deer and waved me over to field dress the deer.  We were both bent over gutting the little buck, when out of no where, this old man is standing next to us.  We both kind of jumped as we never heard him coming whatsoever.  The old dude is dressed in dirty overalls that look like they belonged on Pea Eye from Lonesome Dove (literally looked like he walked out of the 1870s).  Old man says “ya gonna eat that liver?”.  My dad and I were still somewhat stunned by his appearance and said no, that he could have it.  Old man bends over and picks up the bloody deer liver and sticks the son-of-a-bitch in his coat pocket and walks off silently.  Weird as shit deal.

My dad turned to me and said “I think that  fucker was a damn ghost”. 🤣

[Sam Lin 3540]

I expected you to say he picked it up and took a bite out of it. Am disappoint.

[Jerry Callo 8658]

10 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

I expected you to say he picked it up and took a bite out of it. Am disappoint.

Yeah.  Picked it up, took a bite, and put the rest in his pocket.  That makes the story slightly better.

[686 3401]

I always pull out the heart and mix it in with the grind if I don’t cook it on its own. I’ve been wanting to try liver just haven’t yet.

I found a left handed rifle I’m going to present to the soon-to-be 13 y.o. for her birthday next week. Savage 110 Target/Varmint with Magpul adjustable stock in 6.5cm. These are sold out on GB, but I walked into Cabelas Buda on Monday just on the chance that they might have something and there it was. Going to load up some low power handloads with light bullets and run a suppressor on it in a tripod and see if she’ll tolerate the “recoil”. Pulled the spacers out of the stock to get it down to about 12.25” LOP. It will obviously be heavy, but we always shoot supported so not worried about weight and recoil reduction is paramount.



I like the Sig BDX scopes so I’ll probably get one of those for it, and if we do work out to long range eventually, she can just put the holdover dot on target and I don’t have to explain a complicated reticle.

[BabaYaga 15202]

On 3/15/2023 at 11:40 PM, ImissWallyPryor said:

Snow geese arriving by the hundreds of thousands this week. 

This is one of the last shitty pics il be taking from my iPhone 8 as I’m getting a 13 next week. But, that is not snow in the background close to the ground.

[BabaYaga 15202]

On 3/21/2023 at 6:55 PM, MalibuSheriff said:

Speaking of deer organs, I have an old story to share…

My first buck was a little six point I shot down in the Ozark hills south of Locust Grove, OK.  I shot the deer and he ran downhill towards where my dad was sitting.   It was a really dry Fall and the reason I saw the deer is I heard him walking up the side of the hill in the dry leaves.  He sounded like an elephant racing back downhill with a .30-.30 150 grain in him.

My dad found the deer and waved me over to field dress the deer.  We were both bent over gutting the little buck, when out of no where, this old man is standing next to us.  We both kind of jumped as we never heard him coming whatsoever.  The old dude is dressed in dirty overalls that look like they belonged on Pea Eye from Lonesome Dove (literally looked like he walked out of the 1870s).  Old man says “ya gonna eat that liver?”.  My dad and I were still somewhat stunned by his appearance and said no, that he could have it.  Old man bends over and picks up the bloody deer liver and sticks the son-of-a-bitch in his coat pocket and walks off silently.  Weird as shit deal.

My dad turned to me and said “I think that  fucker was a damn ghost”. 🤣

Now look at him....

[686 3401]

I heard the other day that the unlimited hunts really aren’t knocking down the snow geese population to near the degree needed. There was talk early on at the federal level of poisoning them to get the numbers down. Haven’t heard if that has come back or not.

[BabaYaga 15202]

14 hours ago, 686 said:

I heard the other day that the unlimited hunts really aren’t knocking down the snow geese population to near the degree needed. There was talk early on at the federal level of poisoning them to get the numbers down. Haven’t heard if that has come back or not.

[Brisketexan 104450]

I heard the other day that the unlimited hunts really aren’t knocking down the snow geese population to near the degree needed. There was talk early on at the federal level of poisoning them to get the numbers down. Haven’t heard if that has come back or not.

Man….I need to go on one of those hunts. Where’s the best place to go? I used to goose hunt 20X a year back in high school and college.
We’d eat platters of chicken fried goose breast strips while watching college football on Saturdays 10x a year. Loved those days.

[fattyflattie 4636]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Man….I need to go on one of those hunts. Where’s the best place to go? I used to goose hunt 20X a year back in high school and college.
We’d eat platters of chicken fried goose breast strips while watching college football on Saturdays 10x a year. Loved those days.

Not to be a smartass, but everywhere I've ever hunted snows was a really good place to go.  Everywhere up and down the coast for me, but know further north is loaded too. 

 

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

My god these things.  Spent the last few years working in Va/Wva/DC and these fucking things are EVERYWHERE, causing problems.  I went on a rather big money hunt for them in my younger days.  Guess one mans pest is another mans trophy.  Although, you dont see a bunch of notherners paying out the ass to come shoot buffleheads, so who knows. 

[BabaYaga 15202]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Man….I need to go on one of those hunts. Where’s the best place to go? I used to goose hunt 20X a year back in high school and college.
We’d eat platters of chicken fried goose breast strips while watching college football on Saturdays 10x a year. Loved those days.

My favorite goose recipe:

• Take goose
• Place in driveway
• Run over goose with car
• eat the tire

[fattyflattie 4636]

1 minute ago, BabaYaga said:

My favorite goose recipe:

• Take goose
• Place in driveway
• Run over goose with car
• eat the tire

Specks aren't that bad.  I've got a friend who will take as much as you can provide. #blessed

[Brisketexan 104450]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

My favorite goose recipe:

• Take goose
• Place in driveway
• Run over goose with car
• eat the tire

Yeah, yeah, I've heard people give that speech before.

I'm telling you, deep red meat soaked in buttermilk and hot sauce, battered and fried crispy and dipped in cream gravy while watching football?  It's fantastic.  Yeah, specklebelly is better than snow, and sandhill is better than both.  But red meat chicken fried is good.  Real good.