Hunting 24/25: big bucks and a lot of ducks!

[Lazarus Bocanegra 312]

took the doe I shot opening day to Longhorn Smokehouse in Manvel for boudin.  Had some this weekend at the ranch and it was a big hit all around.  Highly recommended if you're local to Houston.  They also turned it around in less than a week.  

 

[Lazarus Bocanegra 312]

13 minutes ago, Lazarus Bocanegra said:

Longhorn Lonestar Smokehouse in Manvel...

 

🤦‍♂️

[BabaYaga 15623]

1 hour ago, Lazarus Bocanegra said:

took the doe I shot opening day to Longhorn Smokehouse in Manvel for boudin.  Had some this weekend at the ranch and it was a big hit all around.  Highly recommended if you're local to Houston.  They also turned it around in less than a week.  

 

Nice.  I need to get some of it made.  I remember once I popped a big 8 near Fredericksburg.  Took it to this old German processing place, was in a hurry so I just told him all jalapeno sausage.  Two massive boxes later.  I was giving links out to friend/family for years.  Literally years.  

[solamente73 1147]

Thread title includes “a lot of ducks.”  I wish.

For 12 years our group has been duck hunting Port O’Connor.  We’ve slayed everything from teal to pintails to buffleheads to redheads and more… plus Ross and specklebelly geese.  We hunt with family who live there and guide for a living.

Last weekend (re-opening weekend) was the first time NOT A SINGLE SHOT WAS FIRED.  Not one.  Nothing was flying.  Going to and fro we’d scare up some rafting redheads and buffleheads, but that was it.  

From the blinds, we counted ~30 flying ducks all weekend, AM and PM.  Our guide said he’d seen more birds on Sunday AM than he’d seen in all of November.

We looked back over time, and this has been the trend.  We’ve decided to push our annual re-opening weekend trip to January to see if we can get more birds.  So, next duck trip will be January 2026 (wow, it’s weird to type that).

Fishing was good, though, as we were prepared to cast with the blast.  Reds and trout.  Everyone hooked up.

Some pics.  It’s a reminder - a day at the coast, no matter the haul, is better than a day just about anywhere else.

 

[DalTxHornFan 3130]

I suppose that we are fortunate that big wild hogs don't generally climb trees!

Hunter dies in freak accident after bear falls from tree in Virginia

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/17/hunter-lester-harvey-killed-bear-falls-tree-virginia/77042545007/

Edited Wednesday at 01:10 AM by DalTxHornFan

[Izhmash 580]

I survived hunting a few days in Tally Bottoms....no mountain lion sightings.

It is absolutely gorgeous down there, just feels different. Super quiet, isolated, deep woods...a lot to appreciate. I stopped while walking in / out several times and just watched the leaves falling from the trees (late this year due to weather, I guess). Therapeutic.

Didn't see any shooter bucks, but didn't care. Here's a view from my castle.

 

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

Nice.  I need to get some of it made.  I remember once I popped a big 8 near Fredericksburg.  Took it to this old German processing place, was in a hurry so I just told him all jalapeno sausage.  Two massive boxes later.  I was giving links out to friend/family for years.  Literally years.  

I did that with a 13 pt. about 6 years ago at Green’s in Zabcikville. Told them pull the straps and loins, make the rest into summer sausage. That was almost a $400 processor bill. And I didn’t have to have any summer sausage made for 3 years

[Anastasis 23716]

43 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

That was almost a $400 processor bill.

I am like $500 with my processor this year. Summer sausage and some breakfast pan sausage and other than that just the standard stuff. Shit is out of control. But just don’t have the time and refrigerator space to store and to break stuff down. Easy to drop and drive home. Gonna take the kids out for some does and we’ll process those ourselves. But a full freezer is nice. 

Edited yesterday at 03:45 AM by Anastasis

[RDCanecutter 26871]

10 hours ago, Izhmash said:

I survived hunting a few days in Tally Bottoms....no mountain lion sightings.

It is absolutely gorgeous down there, just feels different. Super quiet, isolated, deep woods...a lot to appreciate. I stopped while walking in / out several times and just watched the leaves falling from the trees (late this year due to weather, I guess). Therapeutic.

Didn't see any shooter bucks, but didn't care. Here's a view from my castle.

 

I gotta get me one of those binocular-shaped thermoses.

[RDCanecutter 26871]

8 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

I did that with a 13 pt. about 6 years ago at Green’s in Zabcikville. Told them pull the straps and loins, make the rest into summer sausage. That was almost a $400 processor bill. And I didn’t have to have any summer sausage made for 3 years

I ate so much venison one year in college that I almost started rubbing my head on trees.

Made some into meatballs for a Rotary party at the International House. Told the exchange students they were "Deer Balls."

[markstanco 12785]

Finally getting to duck hunting this morning at the lease. Coffee on and out the door in about 15 for a short ride to the hole.

[RMac5 1557]

12 hours ago, Anastasis said:

I am like $500 with my processor this year. Summer sausage and some breakfast pan sausage and other than that just the standard stuff. Shit is out of control. But just don’t have the time and refrigerator space to store and to break stuff down. Easy to drop and drive home. Gonna take the kids out for some does and we’ll process those ourselves. But a full freezer is nice. 

Between diesel, corn and processor, it’s about $200/lb for venison. It’s still money we’ll spent

[Anastasis 23716]

23 minutes ago, RMac5 said:

Between diesel, corn and processor, it’s about $200/lb for venison. It’s still money we’ll spent

Don’t get me started on corn damnit. 

[markstanco 12785]

2 gads and 2 bwts. Sigh.

[Kennythetiger 9618]

1 hour ago, markstanco said:

2 gads and 2 bwts. Sigh.

But you still went hunting. And you can wrap those teal in bacon.