2017-18 Bambi wacking thread

Striper69 · Sep 21, 2017

I wasn't going to try to hunt tonight because it had been very hot and humid all day here in Iowa/Nebraska. I live in Iowa but hunt in Nebraska on an indian reservation.

I was only going to drive down by the river bottom to see if any deer were moving about at dusk. I parked on a dirt road next to a creek that runs into the river about a mile away. After a few minutes I saw what looked like a small animal crossing the road a few blocks down the road. It was a nice sized deer but looked small because it was far away.

I got my compound bow from the back seat and decided to go and see if I could spot it in the brush. I got down to where I saw the deer go into the brush and saw a tail on the other side of the creek. The tall brush on the side of the road hid me from their view. There was an opening in the weeds and I saw a nice size deer facing away from me. It turned broadside to me and I guessed it was around 30 yards. I thought I had a good shot so I took it.

I'm pretty sure I had a good hit and thought the deer might've went down but don't know for sure. I had on shorts so I didn't want to try to track it in the tall weeds and decided to let it expire and track it in the morning. My neighbor said he would help me get any deer I get so I hope he can help me tomorrow.

Pretty exciting hunt!

BTW: If the deer fell into the creek and died will the meat still be good by tomorrow?

Scrapdawg · Sep 22, 2017

Striper, I personally would not trust the meat even if it fell in the creek. it stayed pretty warm over night. Just my opinion

outrider58 · Sep 22, 2017

Striper69 said:
I wasn't going to try to hunt tonight because it had been very hot and humid all day here in Iowa/Nebraska. I live in Iowa but hunt in Nebraska on an indian reservation.

I was only going to drive down by the river bottom to see if any deer were moving about at dusk. I parked on a dirt road next to a creek that runs into the river about a mile away. After a few minutes I saw what looked like a small animal crossing the road a few blocks down the road. It was a nice sized deer but looked small because it was far away.

I got my compound bow from the back seat and decided to go and see if I could spot it in the brush. I got down to where I saw the deer go into the brush and saw a tail on the other side of the creek. The tall brush on the side of the road hid me from their view. There was an opening in the weeds and I saw a nice size deer facing away from me. It turned broadside to me and I guessed it was around 30 yards. I thought I had a good shot so I took it.

I'm pretty sure I had a good hit and thought the deer might've went down but don't know for sure. I had on shorts so I didn't want to try to track it in the tall weeds and decided to let it expire and track it in the morning. My neighbor said he would help me get any deer I get so I hope he can help me tomorrow.

Pretty exciting hunt!

BTW: If the deer fell into the creek and died will the meat still be good by tomorrow?

This is a moral dilemma many deer hunters face-

"I want to go deer hunting, but it's very warm". "If I kill a deer tonight, can I properly take care of the meat?".

"Am I prepare to put forth the effort tonight?".

"IF I shoot a deer tonight, am I prepared to track it and recover it lest it spoil?"

If the answer is no to any of these, well, you know what to do and not to do...

67temp · Sep 22, 2017

09/21 15yd quartering away shot. She trotted (not ran) 40 yds after she was hit and fell over.

15 minutes later the group of bachelor bucks I filmed during the summer came through at 35-45 yds. 8 were shooters (2.5yo or 15"), and 6 small bucks but nothing came close enough for a shot.

newmuzzleloader · Sep 22, 2017

outrider58 said:
This is a moral dilemma many deer hunters face-

"I want to go deer hunting, but it's very warm". "If I kill a deer tonight, can I properly take care of the meat?".

"Am I prepare to put forth the effort tonight?".

"IF I shoot a deer tonight, am I prepared to track it and recover it lest it spoil?"

If the answer is no to any of these, well, you know what to do and not to do...

AMEN

Archeryrob · Sep 22, 2017

My buddy and I built a cooler at his place this summer because of not hunting last early season and early muzzle loader because of how hot and warm it was last year.

Neot · Sep 22, 2017

Went out last night....saw 3 does and a fawn...nothing I was going to kill. Was a good night overall until my crossbow string snapped :sad20:

fscwi · Sep 22, 2017

newmuzzleloader said:
AMEN

outrider58 said:
This is a moral dilemma many deer hunters face-

"I want to go deer hunting, but it's very warm". "If I kill a deer tonight, can I properly take care of the meat?".

"Am I prepare to put forth the effort tonight?".

"IF I shoot a deer tonight, am I prepared to track it and recover it lest it spoil?"

If the answer is no to any of these, well, you know what to do and not to do...

I keep 4 or 5 jugs of ice in the freezer, use gallon milk jugs or those large plastic juice jugs. I get the deer quartered and backstraps out and in a cooler with ice as soon as possible. If I have room in the freezer I will also put each quarter in there for an hour or so for a quick chill down. I rotate the ice jugs between freezer and cooler every so often. Works pretty well to get them cooled down.

Inigoes · Sep 22, 2017

Neot said:
Went out last night....saw 3 does and a fawn...nothing I was going to kill. Was a good night overall until my crossbow string snapped

Are you okay? Didn't get hurt?

Neot · Sep 22, 2017

Inigoes said:
Are you okay? Didn't get hurt?

I'm good, thanks. It snapped near the left cam. Shockingly no limbs cracked either. Sounded like a 22LR going off. I guess the 12 year old Barnett Revolution will keep chugging along! It's old but still pretty fast for it's age.

Striper69 · Sep 23, 2017

Scrapdawg said:
Striper, I personally would not trust the meat even if it fell in the creek. it stayed pretty warm over night. Just my opinion

Everyone I talked to said the meat would not be good by the morning.

I went down there to see if the deer died in the creek but I think I missed the shot cause I couldn't find a carcass anywhere in the vicinity. The shot was really probably only about 25 yards and I used the 40 yard sight. I think the deer just jumped in the creek and ran down a ways (the creek is pretty shallow).

I jumped a small deer that was resting right on the high side of the bank when I walked down to check the creek and another one ran off from the other side. I didn't try to find the arrow because I'm afraid of water moccassins and rattlesnakes that are probably in the tall weeds next to the creek. I'll check after the first frost.

I did see quite a few deer around even though it was very hot today so it should be a good year around these parts.

lazarus · Sep 23, 2017

I am hoping for cooler weather soon, though really I probably won't get out till Columbus Day. Pretty sure I can hit the field all day. Probably talk to my neighbor, I think he has that day off too.

lazarus · Sep 24, 2017

Not really about anything from this year, but I rummaged around trying to make room in my chest freezer and found a package of back strap from 2 seasons ago from that 8-point I bagged. It slipped down between the two bags of venison from the deer from last year, so my wife and I missed it. Still tasty as heck. Thank goodness for good vacuum sealing. A nice glaze of sunflower oil, garlic paste, powdered onion, a little salt and pepper with some orange blossom honey. Damn tasty and tender.

I am really looking forward to Columbus day now to get out hunting again (wife is going to flip shit if I bag another deer. The spike yielded about 35lbs of meat (I didn't put it on a scale this time) and I still have about 30lbs left from the two deer last year because I haven't had the time to cook much this last year. AND I still have maybe 10lbs of lamb (long story, but my wife bought a whole lamb from a neighbor last year without asking. She had never before had lamb. She does not like it. Groan). At least the lamb I can cook through camping next weekend with friends.

Anyone know the deal with Catoctin/Cunningham for hunting? On the State Park website it sounds like a couple of thousand acres are huntable, but I don't see anything about maps or anything else like that. It is the closest rifle hunting area to me...

Thanks.

elind · Sep 25, 2017

I know deer like to eat the foliage, but do they actually eat the green bean pods. Maybe a silly question. I got a bunch of green beans for free, but they don't look edible for human consumption but maybe for deer

j_h_smith · Sep 25, 2017

elind said:
I know deer like to eat the foliage, but do they actually eat the green bean pods. Maybe a silly question. I got a bunch of green beans for free, but they don't look edible for human consumption but maybe for deer

Something will eat it as long as it's not spoiled. Maybe there's something that would eat them even if they are spoiled.

Nature has a way of not letting anything go to waste.

Racer Doug14 · Sep 25, 2017

I put acorns out where they aren't normally. I have not gotten anything on the cam eating them yet. They are brown and starting to dry out in this heat.

wilcam47 · Sep 25, 2017

Striper69 said:
Everyone I talked to said the meat would not be good by the morning.

I went down there to see if the deer died in the creek but I think I missed the shot cause I couldn't find a carcass anywhere in the vicinity. The shot was really probably only about 25 yards and I used the 40 yard sight. I think the deer just jumped in the creek and ran down a ways (the creek is pretty shallow).

I jumped a small deer that was resting right on the high side of the bank when I walked down to check the creek and another one ran off from the other side. I didn't try to find the arrow because I'm afraid of water moccassins and rattlesnakes that are probably in the tall weeds next to the creek. I'll check after the first frost.

I did see quite a few deer around even though it was very hot today so it should be a good year around these parts.

If the yardage is true to what you say, it probably sailed over the deer.

Sticky · Sep 25, 2017

wilcam47 said:
If the yardage is true to what you say, it probably sailed over the deer.

Yes, especially if the deer loaded up to 'jump the arrow'. They will often crouch to load their hind and fore legs to be able to jump/spring from the spot where they stand if they are suddenly spooked. Shooting a deer that is closer than you aim for can amplify that quite a bit. If so, your arrow is stuck in the ground just behind where that deer was standing when you released.

I agree totally with Outrider as well on early season evening hunting. I hunt for meat first, sure, horns are on the list, but I need the meat first (meaning I won't shoot a small buck, but does are fair game), so an afternoon/evening early season hunt in this weather means recovering the deer, getting it cooled down for transport and going straight to my meat cutter and getting it hung in the cold box ASAP! I like hunting evenings in the early bowseason, but it's a challenge if you shoot one near dark that requires more than a brief track. It can be a long night to recover that venison and still keep it edible. It is way too hot right now here in MD to let one 'sit til morning' when it's easier to find and recover.

67temp · Sep 26, 2017

Well this sucks! :mad54:

Neot · Sep 26, 2017

67temp said:
Well this sucks!

Ugh that sucks! Hopefully you can get it up and running ASAP

2017-18 Bambi wacking thread

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