Of Those Who Hunt

Here in Texas there are huge ranches that breed deer with these gigantic racks that go all over the place and charge even more gigantic prices to shoot them.

I don't think you can make a deer antler tender enough to eat...

I just don't get it.

rodwha said:

I thought you guys were just kidding. Cant say I’ve seen those types with a firearm of any sort, much less hunting or fishing or anything...

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That’s because they all have moved to Tennessee!

Bob, that sounds exactly like the Guys that were enjoying the lunch a couple weeks ago across the road from my place when I shot this buck < 250 yards from their picnic area....



I mostly hunt my property here in Tn, but do apply for some WMA hunts.
As Bob said, 2 Bucks per season no matter if killed with archery, m/l or modern rifle/ shotgun.

Most of my hunting is from ladder stands now, at 63 yo I quit climbing with portable stand a few years back.

I do have 1 box blind and 1 redneck shooting shack on my place that I frequent on those days where conditions warrant..
3 Doe's per day limit here as well.

I do have permission too hunt another property that a Friend owns as well in another County.

Here in Oklahoma, the season starts October 1st and runs through January 15th.
Archery, muzzleloader and rifle seasons.
Here in the southeast part of the state where I live, there are thousands of acres of public land. Seems like not many people muzzleloader hunt but everybody and their cousin hunts rifle.
You can take up to 8 deer but only 2 antlered bucks.

hanshi said:

Most of my deer hunting was done in my native Georgia. There the limit is 12 per season with only two bucks; and one of the bucks had to have 4 pts to a side. I hunted public land, small leases and private land. I guess I used some sort of elevated stand about 60% of the time. I never put out anything to draw them in, I just found where they were moving. Many were taken while I sat on a dove stool, walking trails, etc. Other than being able to see a bit farther from an elevated position than from a ground blind, I found the results to be about equal. The only thing I won't do is hunt with dogs, I like solitude.

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Hunting Georgia as well. We have an archery only season, and a short primitive/muzzleloading season before regular firearms season. I hunt on my private property and use ladder stands. I have started putting out corn and mineral blocks as supplemental nutrients to the acorns, persimmons and scuppernongs on the property. I have been eight times this year, and have let 26 deer walk. I’m on a well traveled path near a bedding area and small pond. Everything I’ve seen this year appears to be a yearling and they are small this year. I’m using my Pedersoli Classic sxs .12 gauge. The season runs from October to January.

All my muzzleloader hunting has been done in the Northeastern woodlands. Areas I have hunted have always been in constant flux due to changes in land ownership and development, but with a bit of work, But deer populations remain strong, and good hunting still exists. My hunting approach is a combination of sitting, and still hunting. Living near the border of two states, between the muzzleloader and general gun seasons for both states, I can hunt with a muzzleloader through November/December for 3-6 deer.... but might shoot one, maybe two. After +50 years of hunting, I mostly enjoy just being out their.

Another Missourian here. Archery starts 15 Sep and goes until regular rifle season (10 days in the middle of Nov) then opens back up until 15 Jan. "Alternate methods" season (formerly muzzleloader season) is 10 days or so and starts right after Christmas. Its open to anything EXCEPT center fire rifles.

I got this buck last week during regular rifle season, still hunting to my stand on my land.

"Or I go to my native lands of Louisiana and hunt on my brother's lease or my Dad's farm. "

Being in Louisiana, that has to be some fine eating in the evenings.
Folks there know how to cook.

FishDFly said:

"Or I go to my native lands of Louisiana and hunt on my brother's lease or my Dad's farm. "

Being in Louisiana, that has to be some fine eating in the evenings.
Folks there know how to cook.

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Yes sir. It's where I learned how to cook. Best food in the US!

"I must be getting old. Its hard for me to consider sitting in a heated box blind, over a bag of corn as HUNTING. Its deer SHOOTING, no hunting involved."

After hunting in New Mexico, Wyoming and Alaska you are right, sitting in a box blind is not hunting. But, that is the way it is done in Texas.

I read about folks sitting in their blinds talking on their phone and texting each other. To me that ruins the solitude of deer hunting. I cherish the quiet time.

I take a lot of pictures of the different critters. Was walking to the blind the other morning and had the flash light turned off. I sensed something and turned it on, the was a skunk about 10 feet away. We exchanged pleasantries and he ambled on off.

Phones, I take one with me since there are 5 guys that I worked with who died at their leases from heart attacks. Wife said it is a condition of sitting by myself.

I read about a place in Texas where the owner's daughter in laws were complaining that they had nothing to do while their spouses were hunting. He built them a hexagonal blind (?) with windows all the way around it. It was heated and air conditioned. He had numerous feeders around it so they could have deer to watch.

This is interesting reading on how other folks hunt and the limits and conditions for hunting are set by the different states. Kinda eye opening.

RoaringBull said:

Yes sir. It's where I learned how to cook. Best food in the US!

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My kin folks lived in Minden and I have spent a lot of time fishing in Cocodrie.

My Grandmother said there were no critters left in the woods at the end of the Depression. I asked her, where did they go? She said we ate them. She raised me and we ate a lot of Depression dishes. She knew how to cook critters and fish.

Our ml season starts the second day in September and runs through the following weekend. All ml tags are by "draw". You can hunt with ml during any rifle season though. Colorado is approximately 50% public land. I have never hunted private land in Colorado.

Our deer population is very low. Tree stands are used to som degree but our deer and elk are not as habitual as whitetail. We do have whitetail in the eastern half of the state though.

FishDFly said:

"I must be getting old. Its hard for me to consider sitting in a heated box blind, over a bag of corn as HUNTING. Its deer SHOOTING, no hunting involved."

After hunting in New Mexico, Wyoming and Alaska you are right, sitting in a box blind is not hunting. But, that is the way it is done in Texas.

I read about folks sitting in their blinds talking on their phone and texting each other. To me that ruins the solitude of deer hunting. I cherish the quiet time.

I take a lot of pictures of the different critters. Was walking to the blind the other morning and had the flash light turned off. I sensed something and turned it on, the was a skunk about 10 feet away. We exchanged pleasantries and he ambled on off.

Phones, I take one with me since there are 5 guys that I worked with who died at their leases from heart attacks. Wife said it is a condition of sitting by myself.

I read about a place in Texas where the owner's daughter in laws were complaining that they had nothing to do while their spouses were hunting. He built them a hexagonal blind (?) with windows all the way around it. It was heated and air conditioned. He had numerous feeders around it so they could have deer to watch.

This is interesting reading on how other folks hunt and the limits and conditions for hunting are set by the different states. Kinda eye opening.

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I first hunted in Oklahoma with my father and his group. We either went our own ways or pushed deer. Never was there a blind or bait. And then I came to Texas where it’s about all there is. The place my old boss hunts is about 460 acres or so, and when the others are there it is not safe or proper to go “stomping” around so I followed the rules. However when it was just us I had the run of the place and would do so during mid day when most people around here call it quits until the evening. Not me. I bring a snack or lunch. I need a lot improvement on my stalking skills as I’m one of those ADD guys who refused to take the nasty manure they gave for that. Regardless I find it much more enjoyable. And many times I’ve just sat and watched the deer. For me it’s always been about getting into the calm of nature, just like when we backpack or car camp.

Next im wanting to try the gutless way of bringing back meat.

FishDFly said:

My kin folks lived in Minden and I have spent a lot of time fishing in Cocodrie.

My Grandmother said there were no critters left in the woods at the end of the Depression. I asked her, where did they go? She said we ate them. She raised me and we ate a lot of Depression dishes. She knew how to cook critters and fish.

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I was born in Minden. My Moms parents lived in the house next to the fire station under the water tower on Germantown Rd. Spent a lot of time there!

Shooting deer accustomed to a feeder is not hunting. Shooting deer from a heated shed on stilts is not hunting. Deer season is usually cold. No such thing as hunting in shorts and t shirts.

I hunt public land as well as a piece of private property I have permission to hunt on. I only hunted out of a tree a few times. Didnt feel safe so stopped. I park my arse next to a tree and sit on a turkey hunting seat, overlooking a funnel area

When I lived in southeast Ohio the gun season was typically 6 days, and only a year or so before I moved did they start a state wide muzzle loading season. During gun season you were required to use shotgun slugs, and the only exception was a single shot .38 minimum caliber muzzleloader. I usually hunted from tree stands I or my uncles build and all on private property. The earliest muzzle loading deer seasons were restricted to two or three state parks. I ended up at one of those parks (training class for work) on opening day of muzzle loading season. Eating breakfast at the lodge, you could look out over the hillside and it looked like a patch of blaze orange every 20 yards up and down the hillsides. It's a wonder they didn't shoot each other they were so thick.

In Texas, a basic lease starts at $2-3 thousand a gun. With that you usually get a bunkhouse, comfortable stands, feeders, crop beds, etc. Deer shooting, not deer hunting.

When I got back to Texas, I was extremely fortunate to become an extra man on a small buckskinner's deer lease. The only aminity was something resembling a gravel road up to a flat camping area. I got to fill in if someone could not make it that weekend. Best deer season of my life. Primitive camp, hand dug hooter, primitive dress, primitive hunt, terrific friends, great food and magnificent stories. No feeders, no stands, bring your water, sleep in the tipi or under a diamond. The only thing modern was flashlights for tracking after dark, one four wheeler to haul out deer, and ice chests filled with barley pop (if they'd have had it they'd have drunk it). Best hunting experience of my life. We taught each other whatever skills we knew when we weren't hunting. One guy brought 3 sacks of deer legs he got from a processor and we salvaged sinew and deer toes. I got pretty good at that. We had over 100 legs done, the sinew drying, and that was when the game wardens showed up. But that's another story.

Private property, for years I also sit back to a tree in all kinds of weather, a few years ago built a roof over my head, not much of a roof but it works, very good spot intersecting trails, took a lot of deer off that mountain and hope to continue to do so, the roof is nice beats water running down your back when it rains. I hunt deer from a hour before daylight until it is to dark to see the sights. Since I hunt alone my wife insists I take the cell phone with me, hell god forbid if something would happen bye the time someone got to me I probably would be bear bait. Quiet and alone with the critters of the woods it does not get any better than that.

I live in Ohio, Columbus actually. Our seasons have changed over the years. Bow season use to start 1st weekend in October now it is the last weekend in September and goes till the first weekend in February.. For 2-3 years we had a Muzzleloader weekend in October does only. Deer Gun Season also know as Shotgun Season (slugs only.) has always been the week after Thanksgiviing. About 20years ago they started allowing pistols. Then 4-5 years ago they allowed straight walled cartridge rifles along with Shotgun, Pistol, and Muzzleloader for Gun Season. Then they add another weekend 2 weeks after the traditional Gun Week (using the same weapons) off and on over the years. Years ago the 3-4 day Muzzleloader season was either the 1st or 2nd weekend (can't remember for sure) Saturday thru Tuesday of January. Then for a number of years Muzzleloader Season was the week between Christmas and New Years. About 6-7 years ago they put it back put a 4day Muzzleloader season back in January. With all the agriculture around most don't bait. So right now we have 2 opportunities to hunt with our Muzzleloaders the week of Gun Season and any added weekend, plus the 3-4 day Muzzloeloader Season in January. Most of the time Gun Season isn't really "cold". Most of the time, maybe the teen's or low 30's in the AM and 30'-40's in the PM and we have had some years it has got into the upper 60's. Muzzleloader season can get cold but not always. Wish we had a Traditional Muzzleloader season though, but we don't. How many deer you can take depends on where you live in the State. I know it sounds crazy compared to a lot of you, but it is what we live with. DANNY

"No such thing as hunting in shorts and t shirts."

When it is 80 degrees, you are going to find me in a t-shirt and shorts and it's not going to be camo..

rusticbob said:

I must be getting old. Its hard for me to consider sitting in a heated box blind, over a bag of corn as HUNTING. Its deer SHOOTING, no hunting involved.

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FishDFly said:

After hunting in New Mexico, Wyoming and Alaska you are right, sitting in a box blind is not hunting.

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Sidney Smith said:

Shooting deer accustomed to a feeder is not hunting. Shooting deer from a heated shed on stilts is not hunting.

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I tried to make that distinction in the ‘hogs’ thread and the hog shooters didn’t seem to want to understand.

Reminds me of the guys ice fishing with shacks, coffee, heat, TV, atv's, charcoal grills etc.
I drag it in a sled, drill holes by hand and sit on a bucket freezing my perch off.
Old school fishin' and huntin'. The waaaay life should be.