Deer Hunting
Loose Ends
Dang. Here it is almost Christmas, and I have not written a jot since November. You will be wondering what has happened to me. No, I did not fall into the alligator pit in front of the gun locker. No, Scooter the Intern, did not go berserk on Oxy’s and shoot up the Black Hole Institute. Thanks for the email, but no. There is no truth to any of the rumors. It was cold. I’ve been busy at the day job with a big project, and all the bad weather has kept me kind of low-energy. However, I have not … More . . .
The Shamanic Wheel of Death
No, this is not some New Age drivel. This is all about mice and deer camp and the removal of the former from the latter. This is not an original idea either. I’ve been reading about this for years, and it finally dawned on me last year as I was leaving camp to try and make one. Supposedly it was going to be a perpetual mouse trap that would remain effective from the end of deer season to the beginning of turkey season. Wheel of Death MK I was constructed in less than 15 minutes, AFTER I had already locked … More . . .
And So It Ends Again
If you had told me twenty years ago that I would be sitting here, the week before Thanksgiving with 5 deer taken off my property, and a 188 lb buck of my own in the freezer I would have been ecstatic. Here it is, the Monday after season, and I am feeling quite a bit less so. If this was going to be just a lot of belly-button gazing, I’d shut up and just start cleaning deer rifles. However, I think it is worth sharing. For starters, I set out this year to get two deer myself. I only got … More . . .
Another Double-Header for the Shamanic Dream Team
This was Weekend #2 of the KY Rifle Season. Angus, SuperCore, and I still had tags to fill. SuperCore was looking for a buck. It was warmer than usual, about 48 degrees. The big blow was expected overnight going into Sunday. At 0830, I heard a shot from over at the Jagende Hutte. SuperCore had taken a shot at a doe. A few minutes later another shot came from that direction. As it turned out, SuperCore had a doe come out of Skunk Hollow. He had drilled it and it had run off. A buck had come in shortly thereafter, … More . . .
Shamanic Dream Team Scores Double-Header in KY Opener
We’re just in from the field with fuzzy windchimes hanging on the meatpole. Both Angus and I bagged bucks this morning. This was an average sort of Opener — average temperatures, an average number of shots. The weather was cool, but sunny. Angus and Moose hunted together. This is Angus’ last year hunting as a Yute. Moose decided not to buy a license this year and accompanied his younger brother unarmed. SuperCore went to the Jagendehutte. I went to my usual stand at Campground. Angust took his Mosin Nagant M44. I went out with the Savage 99 in 308 WIN. … More . . .
Last Minute Scouting
This was the last weekend before KY’s Rifle Opener. If it was going to be done before the shooting started, it was going to have to be done before Sunday afternoon. Angus and I went down to camp. Do to my schedule, I still did not have a rifle sighted in. There was a big blow on Halloween night as a front came through, so we needed to check the stands one more time as well. Saturday afternoon I sorted gear while Angus went scouting. I really like seeing him stepping up this year and starting to do things like … More . . .
An Encounter with a Doe
It was the weekend after Muzzleloader Season. We had two weekends to go before the start of Rifle Season. We all went down on Saturday to finish up the mountain of chores left. Saturday evening, Angus and I did some scouting. On Sunday morning, Angus left early to scout Hammond North and Knowlton’s Corner. I slept in and rode out after sunrise to Garbage Pit to put a skirt on the treestand. It was getting on towards Nine when I finally got up the ladder and started working. I was in my Carharts, bibs and barn coat, yesterday’s socks and … More . . .
Henry VIII’s Favorite Dish — Venison Roast
I was discussing venison with a co-worker, and I mentioned KYHillChick’s recipe for venison roast. I realized when I went to send her a link that I had never posted it here. Click on it to make it larger This is a favorite at our deer camp table and it was a favorite of Henry VIII. I will warn you that Elizabethan cooking is odd if you have never tried it. They were dealing with a different world, and it shows. However, you will find this is great stuff. This goes especially well with the Opening Day Feast, and our … More . . .
KY Muzzleloader Hunt
SuperCore started his 5th season of deer hunting with . . . well, a bang pretty well says it. He nailed a nice doe on Saturday evening about 5:30. He took it from the Jagendehutte, with his Traditions in-line. The shot went about 110 yards, the doe was munching stuff just outside the back door at Broken Corners. At about the same time, I was trying to bust a cap on a doe at Virginia. She came, I dropped the hammer, but the Winchester cap did nothing. I actually had two doe come in Saturday evening. The first got wise … More . . .
Briar Archeology
I left a cheese wrapper on the ground this past weekend. I did not mean to. It slipped out of my hand at Lazy Boy and it fell to the ground and joined the leaves and such. I did not pick it up either. It’s my property and if I want to leave a cheese wrapper on the ground, I can. I’m like that. I leave shotgun hulls on the ground too. I used to hunt a place where the landowner told me before my first time out that he had thrown the previous bunch of hunters off , because … More . . .
Angus’ Last Yute Hunt
. . . and mine as well. At least it will be for a long while. We spent the weekend at Lazy Boy and Midway, celebrating Angus’ last deer hunt as a Youth. By next year, he will be 16 and be on and adult tag. It was Kentucky’s early Youth Season– you know Yute Season, where the yutes go out with their yute rifles and . . . you get the idea. The weekend itself was perfect– warm, dry, there was a moon at night. I don’t think the temperature dipped below 50F. There was just one problem: it … More . . .
Lazy Boy PT II
A year ago at this time, I described Lazy Boy, a stand site that my son wanted to develop for deer and turkey hunting. He’s about to go through his last Yute Season, and it’s time to start planning for the future. We went out to Lazy Boy on Sunday and set up a ground blind for next week’s Yute Opener. Angus has been out scouting several times to this site on his own and seen deer every time. Want a deer blind in a hurry? Take a 12 foot section of that die-cut or burlap blind material, a bag … More . . .
Become Your Own Expert
From Deer & Deer Hunting Hey guys, this will be my first hunting season and I have chosen to go after the deer with a bow. I have some basic knowledge on deer hunting and have become a fairly decent shooter with my bow. I live in New Hampshire and the woods I hunt in is owned by my family and is about 8 acres. The terrain of the woods is fairly thick no clear cuts or farmland, just big woods with oaks and pines. My question is how would someone like me try and hunt this terrain? I have … More . . .
The New Deer Rifle
Well, I’ve got a new deer rifle rifle– went down to the farm over the weekend to get it. I’d promised O.T. I’d be down first week in August for it. O.T. called earlier in the week to ask about my health, so I knew he hadn’t changed his mind. O.T. had a heck of a time getting the safe open. He blamed bad eyes, but it was obvious it more than that. He’s had his last hunt. We spent a long time talking about how it used to be. We were up on the front porch looking out over … More . . .
Deer Rifle Advice
Dear Shaman: I am a fairly new deer hunter, looking to purchase my first deer rifle. I’ve been reading the magazines and I’m pretty sure I want. . . . . . blah. . . blah. . . I figure I need it to be flat out to at least 600 yards. . . blah . . . blah . . . able generate n0000 foot lbs of energy . . . blah . . . blah. . should I get the Remington or the Ruger? Sincerely Newbie in Blah. . . Blah Yeah. Right. Dear Newbie: Put down the … More . . .
Tree Stand Update
I’ve been using treestands throughout the bulk of my deer hunting career. For the past decade or so I have gone almost exclusively to a buddy-style ladder stand. 15 footers get me far enough off the ground to be innocuous to the deer. They are a lot safer and easier to deal with than other styles. I originally got them, because of my sons, but I have kept using them as my kids got to big for both of us to fit, because they are so roomy and comfortable. Here’s my favorite. I call it “Campground,” because it is close … More . . .
But then again. . .
I went back and reviewed the Outdoor Life article again, and I am not saying they are wrong, but there are some ideas worth discussing. First off, here is the article again from Outdoor Life referenced in the previous post: Best Deer Hunting State: Kentucky Takes Top Spot in New Whitetail Scale Next let me give you my take on the criteria: Trophy Production: I think this is a good, valid indicator. However, let me just blow a little hint in your ear: not everyone in KY believes in B&C. That may sound like heresy, but I think I’ve got … More . . .
Hydrostatic Shock — More Distance Traveled
A mentor of mine on the subject of outdoor writing told me what his mentor told him: save everything you write for 8 years, and you will never have to write an original piece after that. You will spend the rest of your career re-purposing the first 8 years. Then again, my grandfather told me that when a man started to repeat himself, you pretty much knew that he had given you all he knew on the subject. Go figure. Anyhow. I vaguely remembered this topic, and I dug around a bit on the weblog. Viola! (How does she keep … More . . .
Additions to the Deer Battery
I have two new additions to the official shamanic deer battery. Both are customized Mausers from friends. One is a 8X57 K98 that I picked up from SuperCore, who was downsizing his inventory over the summer. Mauser 25-06 The other is O.T’s deer gun. My buddy O.T. is call it quits this year– just too old and tired to go schlepping through the hollows any more. O.T. had an early-model 2X Aimpoint on the 25-06. Even though O.T. is in his eighties, his eyes are are considerably better than mine for distance work. I am also a good head-or-so … More . . .
More Poop on the Poop
You know, with all that was going on at deer camp last weekend, I kind of forgot to mention some important deer-related stuff. Yes, it still is a little poopy, but . . . well, you’ll see. I was out doing my first bit of serious scouting for turkeys and I found deer scat everywhere. The snow had just melted. This was the first weekend where it had gone above 50 F in quite a while. There were endless acres of deer poop, preserved from all the snow and cold. This was a good time to be out scouting for … More . . .
Whitetail Deer — What is Overkill Anyway?
I am putting the deer rifles away for the year. Yes, my tail is still dragging, but I figure coming away with a zip is better than it could be. A day spent at Deer Camp is usually going to be better spent anywhere else. My mind still wanders back there, and I am forever working things through my head. I got to thinking about Overkill yesterday, and I thought I would share my thoughts. I see the idea of Overkill show up in a lot of threads out there in forums. I see it here on the search strings … More . . .
Deer Post-Mortem, 2012
I could have been out for late ML season in KY this weekend, but between the rain and the dismally few deer that seem to be on the property at the moment, I figured that it would be better to stay home, clean guns, and count the ammo. It has been rather dreary the past few days. The light is just coming up this morning– fog, drizzle. Blech! This is a good time to search the soul, contemplate my sins, and await the day when my thoughts will turn towards turkey. The Savage 99, and the Eternal Search for the … More . . .
Tag Soup
I look back now on that nice 10-pointer I had standing broadside to me in October and I have to wonder.  If I knew I would be sitting here today with no tags filled at the end of season, would I have shot?  Was there something more I could have done during season? Did I mess up somewhere along the way? Normally, I would not be all that worried. I have had bum years before. If I had really thought about this season, I would have seen it bore a close resemblance to 2002. Yes, we had a few acorns … More . . .
Report from Deer Camp — Week 2, 2012
Forty Years ago, I remember a writer for a fishing magazine proposing a time machine for every tackle box. You get to the bait shop and everyone is saying “You should have been here last week. Boy, were they biting!”  I was reminded of that when stopping in to the processor to pick up SuperCore’s doe. We had missed two fantastic days of hunting, last Wednesday and Thursday. Peak of the rut? Probably. It was certainly the peak of an otherwise unsatisfying season. Often times Weekend 2 of KY’s Modern Weapon Season rivals the Opener.  This one was a fizzle. … More . . .
Report from Deer Camp — 2012 Opener
First it was the Reds, then the Bengals, then the Republicans. There is a lot that sort of thing running around this year. Deer hunting can have years like that too. A good part of it is the expectations. The Reds really looked like the could go all the way this year. Let me begin by giving you the good news. SuperCore broke his losing streak. It was a long, roundabout path from the end of 2010 to now. He had a lot of disappointments along the way, but the dry spell ended Sunday morning at 0730 when a doe … More . . .
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