Deer Hunting
Deer Season Post-Mortem, 2016
There is a brief window in our yearly hunting schedule where the lessons of the season just past are still fresh. I need to make record of them before my head fills with holiday glurge. My apologies for not doing this sooner. I just started a new day job, and it has been consuming everything. We celebrated our 16th season of Deer Camp. Everybody got a big buck. Everybody got a doe for the freezer. By weight and by antler, we bagged the new #2 and #4 bucks. Supercore’s buck had a bigger rack but was about 5 lbs lighter … More . . .
Hundreds of Deer Poached
Fleming and Mason Counties are just a stone’s throw away from our deer camp. Two brothers were arrested with over a hundred counts of taking deer illegally. Here’s the report from Channel 18 in Lexington . Fleming Co. Brothers Face Over 100 Counts Of Poaching FLEMING COUNTY, Ky (LEX 18) Two Fleming County brothers face more than 100 counts of poaching in a case that State Division of Fish and Wildlife says could have gone on for years. Conservation officers say that they discovered dozens upon dozens of deer antlers in a shed on a plot of land. They said … More . . .
Report from Deer Camp 2016 — Doe Double-Header
The last weekend of season is usually when Deer Camp gets serious. For each hunter, one of two things have happened. Either he has his buck and is just a last tag, or he has not had any luck and is trying to make something happen. For the Shamanic Dream Team, it was freezer filling time. SuperCore and Angus each had one antlerless tag left, and the doe were just not cooperating. The first few days of Kentucky’s Modern Weapon’s season had been a shooting gallery. We had each gotten our bucks Opening Weekend, and then the action turned off. … More . . .
More On The L-E-Vator
I had the GoPro out on Saturday afternoon but did not have a chance to get it out before the doe showed up. I still managed to get some footage of SuperCore’s new L-E-Vator. This is not the perfect deer lifter. You can see that from the video. However, it is the best I’ve found so far, and it beats the homebrew means I’ve been using the past few seasons. It really likes being on level ground and working it solo has its problems. It is heavy, but not too heavy. Think “sturdy.”  This is the best deer hunting gadget … More . . .
The Fastest Doe Hunt
Saturday afternoon was one of those days during season when it is nice just to settle in with a good book and wait for sundown. There was not going to be much moving so long as the wind gusting into the low twenties, but being in the cabin was no good either. We all left for our blinds early in anticipation of a window at sundown when would wind die down a bit and the deer might move out of their beds to feed. It had been blowing like that for 24 hours, and there had been a 4 hour … More . . .
Taking the L-E-Vator
As you know this old shaman does not make very many product recommendations. When I do, you can bet I’m not being compensated for it. Mind you, I’d love to be a complete advertising whore and throw my legs up for compensation, but no one ever offers. This is one of those times that I feel moved to mention the L-E-Vator by Viking Solutions. I have been experimenting with the S10 as a deer recovery vehicle for the past few seasons. It does work well, but getting the deer into the bed has been problematic. My latest attempt has been … More . . .
Report from Deer Camp– Opening Weekend 2016
In a lot of ways, this Opener started out as a replay of last year. By the time Angus pulled out on his way back to town Sunday afternoon, there were two big bucks on the pole, and neither of them were mine. For the second year in a row, the Patriarch of Deer Camp was left running a taxi service. The problem was I was that patriarch. Mind you, I’m not complaining, I’m just saying. However, by the time the walkie-talkie lit up with Supercore’s first call for assistance, I new my hunt was over. It had kind of … More . . .
Morning Scouting Trip
I was up early at Camp this AM to scout in preparation for the KY Rifle Opener tomorrow. Some say I’m lazy for doing my scouting from the Thoughtful Spot, armed with a hot mug of coffee and a pair of astronomical binos, but I respond that I’m saving myself for lugging the big ones out. Just to show you how this can be a successful scouting strategy, I give you this guy: I found him grazing around my 100-yard target stand. He then sauntered over and ate in front of Angus’ stand at Fountain Square. After I took this … More . . .
Should I Stay Out All Day?
I know a lot of writers encourage folks to stay out all day. I don’t. A good reason is that I can come in. Deer Camp is less than a mile from my furthest stand, and I can usually call for a pickup and have a truck out in 15 minutes. My routine is about the same throughout season. I try to be up in the stand a half-hour before legal hunting and I stay until 1030-1100, and then I’m back out in the afternoon with about 3 hours of hunting before end of legal hunting. For the Rifle Opener … More . . .
KY Muzzleloader Season Come and Gone
I only write this to mark the passing of KY’s Early Muzzleloader Season. It’s over; that is about all you need to know. All in all, it was not as lousy as it could have been. It was not the hottest, although we had temperatures in the mid-80’s. It was windy, but it was not as bad as some years. We heard a few shots. Everyone got out safe. It was pretty. If you’re going to bitch about it Shaman, why even go out? That’s a good question. I can tell you there are good reasons, especially now. For starters, … More . . .
Smokepole Season Shake Down
This past weekend, I got my Hawken checked out for deer season. Not much had changed from the previous year. However, I had a wee bit of Hodgdon Triple-7 left over from 2013. The previous week, I had used it in my .54 Hawken and found that it had gotten much hotter than previous years. I suspect that having so little in the bottom of the 1 lb jug caused it to happen.  I brought a 3/4 full jug from 2006 and it performed perfectly. The other problem I encountered was a bad case of hard balls. Muzzleloader bullets for … More . . .
Shortest Recovery?
From the 24HourCampfire: jr1968 Offline Member  Loc: Bolivar,NY I know each White tail is different. Under 200 yard shot trough the lungs, what cal. and bullet grain has been the shortest recovery? Just wondering. Thanks, jr1968. Dear jr1968: One of the nice things about whitetails is that they are not hard to kill. As a result, you can throw just about anything at them, and they’ll die. It also means that folks have a tendency to witness their first DRT/Bang Flop/Laser Beam/Pole Ax event and announce they’ve found the ultimate deer chambering. For the one-day-a-year average schmo, it’s … More . . .
Eight weeks and Counting
I just watched the countdown timer cross the 8-week mark. It’s now exactly 2 months to the start of Kentucky’s Modern Weapons Season. I stayed home from the farm overnight. It was going to be hot and muggy and thunderstorms have been moving through since sundown Friday. I’ve been busy down in the shamanic reloading cave all week, replenishing the larder. 25-06: 117 gr Hornady SPBT over H4831sc 30-06: Lots of 150 and 165 grainers over H4895. 30-30: 170-grain cast lead over H4895 — more green powder coated stuff 308 Win: 165 Grain Hornady SPBT over H4895 357 Mag: 125-grain … More . . .
A New 100-Yard Target Stand
Back when I was wringing out the new Ruger American Predator in .223 REM, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. There was a lot of wind, and my groups were getting spread out horizontally a good 4 inches while the vertical difference was less than an inch. I looked into it, and the horizontal deflection of a 20 MPH wind on that load was indeed 4 inches at 100 yards. I frequently have gusty winds out at camp when I’m sighting in deer rifles, so I began thinking about a fix. The nice thing about having a place of your own … More . . .
What the Log Tells Me
I have been compiling a deer log for a number of years. It contains pertinent data on every deer the family has taken since I got my start in the early 80’s. I didn’t start compiling it until about a decade ago, but I knew the dates and times of the kills. From there, I was able to extract a lot of items. For instance, you can get the weather info from Accuweather.com and the Weather Underground. My latest addition was the age of the moon at the time of the kill. I’d recorded the phase (Full, New, etc.); however, … More . . .
So you want a new deer rifle for Indiana
Now that Indiana has decided to take the great leap ahead and embraced modern centerfire rifles for deer, the question is going to be what rifle to buy. I have had a lot of thoughts on that very idea over the years. Dig around on this weblog, starting with the suggested readings at the bottom of this article, and you will find the sum of my thoughts. Â However, in celebration of the new rules, I am going to give y’all something fresh. If you want the bottom line, just skip down to the last paragraph. Any way you go … More . . .
Indiana Passes New Deer Rifle Rules
What the Indiana DNR failed to do in 2015, the Indiana Legislature has done in 2016. It’s official. Hoosiers will be able to hunt deer with rifles in 2016!
More . . .
R.I.P D&DH Forum
I opened up my web browser this morning, and discovered a hole. I have FireFox programmed to show me the front page of a couple dozen websites using a plug-in called SpeedDial. The little thumbnail for the Deer & Deer Hunting Forum had gone blank. When I clicked on it, I was informed that D&DH was no more. D&DH Forum had not been much for over a year. Some of it was due to consumer tastes changing. Most of it was due to neglect. Nobody wanted to invest the time and energy into keeping it clean of SPAM. In fact, … More . . .
Deer Camp 2015 — The Final Ritual
I mentioned to Angus last week as we were on our way out to Campground that it seemed like everything at Deer Camp had become a ritual. Even the most mundane things, when repeated for a decade and a half take on a ceremonial quality. Last weekend was the yearly last trip to camp to close up. We were on our way to the stand at Campground to take down the last of the treestand skirts. Last year, Angus had not attended this rite, but he could see my point. Lily, the Beagle, always does, and always has to scour … More . . .
Deer Camp 2015 — Ineff is Ineff
0630 ET Although it is still dark, it in a little while it will be light enough to hunt. I still have a tag. The end of the season is over ten hours away. Why am I back in town? Why are the rifles already back on the rack? Why has the shaman stopped hunting? Look, guys, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but if you spend your life driven by the great ineffables of Life, eventually one of them is going to say “Ineff is Ineff’ing Ineff,” and leave you in the rain watching a 60 lb button buck … More . . .
A Doe in the Scope
We are heading home today from deer camp, marking the end of week #1. It is time to go home, do some wash, eat a big turkey dinner, and watch some football before heading down after dinner on Thursday. No, I have not gotten the big buck. Nor have I seen him. However, I am pleased that SuperCore and Angus got theirs. I picked up Angus’ from the processor in Lenoxburg on Friday– lots of meat. SuperCore had to borrow a cooler off me to get all of his home. I won’t say I was jinxed this year, but I … More . . .
Report from Deer Camp — The Opener, 2015
SuperCore left today before lunch. Angus had to go home for school Sunday afternoon. That left me here at camp to watch the wall of rain roll over the ridge followed by a 35 MPH gust front. When it hit, it was like a bucket of water had been thrown at me. That send me inside. I have not been out since. That is sort of how it has felt in general since the Opener. It was looking really great on Saturday, the Rifle Opener. The first shot rang out in the first minute of season. Around 0830 Angus saw … More . . .
So What Deer Rifles Are You Using, Shaman?
So what rifles are you using this year, Shaman? There have been a lot of changes to the deer battery this year. I just thought I would give y’all a quick rundown. Mine: Savage 99, 308 WIN This is the same rifle I’ve been using for most every Opener since 2003. I’m still shooting 165 grain Hornady SP over H4895, downloaded to 300 Savage levels. This is my favorite gun for the deep woods up in the stand. Last year I put a new Bushnell Banner Dusk-to-Dawn 3-9X40 on it. This added a good 10 minutes to my hunting time … More . . .
New blinds for 2015
We have new hunting venues at camp this year. I thought you would like to see some pictures. S10: SuperCore had open heart surgery over the summer, so he’s not quite ready for the long treks out to the Jagendehutte. I remedied the situation by building a blind out of 2X4 and the cap off the old S10. It overlooks Skunk Hollow from the other side and cuts SuperCore’s morning walk in half. The 2X4’s are pretty self-explanatory from the photo. The S10’s fiberglass top fit on top of a 2X2 rail on inside and clamps on just like it … More . . .
O.D. and the 2 of 7 Rule
I mentioned the 2 of 7 rule a while back. I’ve had a bunch of people ask me about it. I have to come clean. It is not my idea. It is not original. I cannot even say I fully believe it. However, I know the man who seems to have invented it. That fellow is O.D. I have mentioned O.D. before. He’s related to O.T, my turkey hunting buddy that owns the mower shop. O.D. is one of the regulars at the store in Browningsville and I frequently find myself propping my feet up next to his, drinking the … More . . .
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