Georgia Deer Hunting

GunDog · November 11, 2009, 08:19:46 PM

Hummm.....how to begin.....my past hunting week.....

This was just the sixth buck I've seen from the tree this year, and the first decent one for my area. I've been in the trees a lot here lately. This buck was taken around 10:00 on the morning of the 4th. Came in to check out the grunt, rattle, and roll about fifteen minutes behind a six pointer........it's getting better around my house.......

Now, here is where it gets interesting.......

Talk about the deers getting plentiful this time of year in a hurry - I seen 26 from daylight to 11:30 this morning (on the 5th) out of the stand. Seven bucks and 19 does............one of the bucks bigger than anything I have on the wall..........just would not present me with a good shot..........I'd already named him...........'NEXT TIME'...........

Please bare with me......

I took my ten point on the morning of the 4th and killed this dude the next evening on the 5th. This buck was one of the ones I'd already seen and let walk earlier with the buck that I nick named NextTime. Well I got to look at NextTime again the afternoon of the 5th at about six hundred yards in very windy conditions and on the wrong side of the fence. Anyway I did not take the shot. Before anyone jumps to conclusions I did have permission to shoot him if I seen him again from my neighbor, it really was just to windy to chance the shot on a deer of his quality (and I had the fever) grin. If the wind hadn't been howling here, and the Good Lord steading my aim he'd been on the ground.

Anyhoooo.....It was just about time to get out of the stand when I seen this buck making his way to me in the direction NextTime had vanished. In the fading light I instantly assumed that this was him, my buck of a life time and he was headed my way. I wouldn't even look at him. I was running out of legal shooting light in a hurry and did not want him to get by me again. At 210yds (according to Leica) he stopped and looked to his right. It was now or never.....I had him where I needed him so I touched off the shot and it found it's target. Now I'm all messed up. I'm all tagged out on the bucks and my "buck of a life time" is alive and doing well. Matter of fact he visits here in my pasture on a regular basis. I think he is living right behind my house. Maybe he'll be safe and grow even bigger, or even better, present my son Jason with a crack at him. I'm thinking of maybe changing his name.......

Here's a few pictures of alot smaller buck that NextTime has been seen with. This deer was just over the 200lb mark on the rusty old scales.

GunDog

FOsteology · November 11, 2009, 08:37:22 PM

Nice deer, Congrats! I hope your son gets a crack at "Next Time".

Todd Rahm · November 11, 2009, 09:16:01 PM

Some great hunting there GD, and it sounds like filling the freezer is never an issue. I wish ya luck for the "Next Time"

iahntr · November 11, 2009, 10:10:49 PM

Good lookin deer.

Too bad on the big dog, hope there will be a next time for ya.

Sounds like ya had a pretty good season though.

golfertrout · November 11, 2009, 10:15:11 PM

u still have 2 nice ones down

GunDog · November 11, 2009, 11:32:33 PM

Thanks for the comments fellers! Todd - Just because you mentioned it......we have been kinda busy filling the freezer here.....

I'll share a couple of more pictures of what becomes of those poor deer....

Here is one of Fat Daddy himself at work....

about 25lbs of this stuff tonight.....man I love the cubed....

And..... my better half doing her part.....

around 120lbs of these things..... I was going to put about half of them in the smoke pit for a while..... but was to tired to crank it up tonight.... may be on the next run.....

golfertrout · November 11, 2009, 11:36:01 PM

oooooooooooooo looks good.

Todd Rahm · November 11, 2009, 11:55:46 PM

Yeah, looks darn good and like you got the system down.

Hey, in your parts shouldn't it be "Fat Diddy"

JohnP · November 12, 2009, 12:12:46 AM

Nice looking deer, better looking end product! Just thought I'd let ya know that FedEx and UPS have overnight shipping.

FinsnFur · November 12, 2009, 05:42:18 AM

Quote from: JohnP on November 12, 2009, 12:12:46 AM
Nice looking deer, better looking end product! Just thought I'd let ya know that FedEx and UPS have overnight shipping.

:roflmao:

Looks like a nice pile for the freezer.

Very eccentric looking rack on that bad boy.
How wide was it? I've never seen so many tines on a rack that size

coyote101 · November 12, 2009, 05:58:19 AM

Very nice.

Looks like alot of work has been going on.

You have got to love those FoodSavers. Even though the bags are expensive, they are well worth the money. What is your sausage recipe?

Pat

pitw · November 12, 2009, 06:20:34 AM

Nice deer

. Lovely help

, beautiful product

.

GunDog · November 12, 2009, 01:53:44 PM

Again, I thank you for all the comments folks......

Pat - I don't really have a recipe wrote in stone. I have learned from making a couple hundred pounds a year what we like around here the best. I think when it comes to good sausage everyone has their own taste. Here's the basics for my sausage and I use the same for the links or patties.

I really like the No.25 LEGGS Old Plantation sausage seasoning. The pack says it will correctly season 25lbs of meat and it will season it....barely. I use a pack for every 20lbs, but do not add any salt at all. I'll also add Rubbed Sage, Crushed Red Pepper & Seed and some Black Pepper to the mix. These spices will change it up a bit or make it hotter if you wish. You can add the extras to suit your family's taste buds. For the fat content - and we like our finish product to be lean, not greasy, and definitely not dry - I like to use Boston butts. I'll mix the butts pound for pound with the venison before grinding. I have (and do) sometimes use what the butchers here call half-N-half, which is just pork trimmings. They will have a lot higher fat content than the butts. If I'm working with trimmings instead of the butts I'll mix about 80% venison to 20% pork trimmings. Either way the sausage will cook out in it's own oil but not be greasy.....

Mr JohnP - I know about the over night shipping, I do send some south every now and then to some old friends down that way. If you get a hankering for some venison I'll put it in the mail! The smoked links that come out of my brick oven are the ones to get! The folks that have had them seem to really like them a lot. I want to build me an old timey smoke house here. It is at the top of the things to do list come spring. I think I have a few picks of the brick oven - I'll have to post up a couple.

Mr Jim - The ten wasn't but 16 1/2" wide and the eight was right at 17" wide. Both had very uniformed racks, the pictures really didn't do them justice IMO.

Todd - I thought you were the "FAT DIDDY"..... Please tell me that I'm not wrong....

:roflmao:

Carolina Coyote · November 12, 2009, 03:58:05 PM

Gun Dog, Looks like you been doing some good work down you way, Congratulations on the nice Bucks, so far looks like a good year in Georgia , 5 nice Bucks killed on our place this year and several more big Buck spotted. What part of Georgia are you in?

cc

GunDog · November 12, 2009, 05:49:42 PM

CC - I'm in the middle GA area. About 16 miles ENE of Macon, a little town called Gordon. It has been a good year for the deer here. It started slow here for us but man it has come alive in the past week or ten days! I am seeing some really nice deer and one hanging around here now that would be anyone's dream buck.

I am really hoping that he will show himself out around the pastures to one of my two sons. If not he'll just disappear like most of the good ones do here. If we don't get'em this year ..... maybe ..... "NextTime".....

....

Carolina Coyote · November 13, 2009, 04:10:20 PM

Gun Dog, You guys are not really that far from us, maybe 1 hour drive, sounds like the activity there is similar to what we are seeing, seeing lots of Deer moving and last year was even better in December, sure hope one of the boys get "Next Time" always great to have something to look forward to, I have been seeing Two nice Bucks for the last two years and hoping for the good shot this year. cc

alscalls · November 13, 2009, 05:13:24 PM

WTG !

Looks like some fine eatin.....

Frogman · November 13, 2009, 06:23:23 PM

Good shooting!!

Jim

JohnP · November 14, 2009, 10:05:27 AM

Mr JohnP - I know about the over night shipping, I do send some south every now and then to some old friends down that way. If you get a hankering for some venison I'll put it in the mail! The smoked links that come out of my brick oven are the ones to get! The folks that have had them seem to really like them a lot. I want to build me an old timey smoke house here. It is at the top of the things to do list come spring. I think I have a few picks of the brick oven - I'll have to post up a couple.

My deer season is less than two weeks away, if I don't tag out you may be hearing from me. Heck you may be hearing from me even if I do tag out!

SCcoyotehunter · November 15, 2009, 12:06:00 PM

Great pics and deer, Hope your biggun grows even bigger for next year.