Lookee what we found whilst wandering....

[Andy]

My new office decor:

 

[Other_Erik]

So living in VA, I've got very minimal hunting options available to me - 3 hour drive to the closest Game Reserve, or try to find a farmer who'd be okay with me culling on his land (and even then there's a billion and one laws restricting how and when I hunt). Anyone in Pennsylvania have a hankering for bringing a pair (self and wife) out to a relatively good spot? We've got the etiquette and would be happy to share in any anything we shoot, but not knowing the area is almost as bad as having no area at all.

Secondary question is going to be how to cross the People's Democratic State of Murderland with arms and ammo locked in the trunk since I'm not trying to get stopped and arrested. At least I've got a relatively easy path up that way - straight 15 North, just have to watch speed in certain spots.

Maybe time for a dedicated thread for a possible trip?

O_E

 

[Bruce]

Well, we travel through Murderland on I-81 - parallel to US 15 - with guns and ammo heading south to go to our huntin' grounds in VA - where we do have permission to hunt this farm.....!

Then there is the technical issue of bringing the meat across state lines... PA is getting snarky on that issue. So, we had our deer butchered, we froze the meat and I packed it across the lines through Murderland and into Penn's woods.

Basically, if ya just obey the speed laws, the risk is much lower. We keep the ammo locked, the bolt of the gun out, etc... anything we can think of to minimize issues. Oh and we never stop in Murderland! Never! Even with no guns.....

I may know of a farm you can hunt for a fee in PA. They actually run the farm for hunters, growing crops to feed the deer. Not sure what their price is but could look into if you want. I would expect it to be $1000 or more.


And your point about learning the land - how the deer move and all that - well taken. My first two hunts in VA were not successful. As were Andy's and my attempts in PA on unfamiliar ground. Andy also tried NY state... unsuccessfully. So yes, knowing the land and where the deer are moving helps a bunch!

 

[Uwe]

So living in VA, I've got very minimal hunting options available to me

That's because you live in the wrong part of VA. Down in the SW corner of the state, you'll hardly find a pickup truck w/o a rifle in it during hunting season.

 

[Other_Erik]

Well, we travel through Murderland on I-81 - parallel to US 15 - with guns and ammo heading south to go to our huntin' grounds in VA - where we do have permission to hunt this farm.....!

Then there is the technical issue of bringing the meat across state lines... PA is getting snarky on that issue. So, we had our deer butchered, we froze the meat and I packed it across the lines through Murderland and into Penn's woods.

Basically, if ya just obey the speed laws, the risk is much lower. We keep the ammo locked, the bolt of the gun out, etc... anything we can think of to minimize issues. Oh and we never stop in Murderland! Never! Even with no guns.....

I may know of a farm you can hunt for a fee in PA. They actually run the farm for hunters, growing crops to feed the deer. Not sure what their price is but could look into if you want. I would expect it to be $1000 or more.


And your point about learning the land - how the deer move and all that - well taken. My first two hunts in VA were not successful. As were Andy's and my attempts in PA on unfamiliar ground. Andy also tried NY state... unsuccessfully. So yes, knowing the land and where the deer are moving helps a bunch!

Not that I'm trying to horn in on your spot, but you have permission on a farm in VA? Nice. I (had/have?) permission from a nice elderly gent who's got a piece of property up by the WV line, but there's a swanky fest-hall type place next door, and he has to check with them a month in advance, can't do any shooting when they're hosting a wedding or whatever, which usually ends up being every day that I could possibly go there...

I'm not asking you to share your spot, especially having never met me, but if you'd be interested in a shared trip elsewhere to verify that I'm not an axe-murderer, I'd be down to go wherever. I haven't had much luck here (5 trips, including a sanctioned bear hunt, and I've seen exactly 1 deer that was being chased by someone else's dogs).

Yea, $1k+ for a tag, even if they pretty much guaranteed a shot at something, not exactly in my budget at the moment, saving up for a down payment on a house has to take priority...

Erik

 

[Other_Erik]

That's because you live in the wrong part of VA. Down in the SW corner of the state, you'll hardly find a pickup truck w/o a rifle in it during hunting season.

Agreed, but then down in SW corner of the state, there's actually land to hunt on, open to the public. The game reserve I mentioned earlier is down by GW National Forest (and accidentally crossing the unmarked border is a federal offense that gets all your gear and vehicle impounded, plus fines and possible imprisonment) :|

O_E

 

[Uwe]

Not that I'm trying to horn in on your spot, but you have permission on a farm in VA?

Nah, it's not a farm, it's mostly wooded acreage in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The property's terrain is too rough to be conducive to farming. There are some farms around, but what farming happens there is primarily raising beef cattle and hay.

 

[vreihen]

Well, we travel through Murderland on I-81 - parallel to US 15 - with guns and ammo heading south to go to our huntin' grounds in VA ...

IIRC, it is only 11 miles through Murderland on I-81, tucked between the PA/WV borders. I'll be driving down that way tomorrow, taking I-81 south through the SW part of VA and then turning south on I-77. No guns or ammo traveling with us, though.....

 

[Uwe]

IIRC, it is only 11 miles through Murderland on I-81, tucked between the PA/WV borders.

Yep, about that. I do it a pretty often. At no more than 5 mph over the limit.

I'll be driving down that way tomorrow, taking I-81 south through the SW part of VA and then turning south on I-77. No guns or ammo traveling with us, though.....

Pretty scenery when the weather is nice.

 

[vreihen]

I've driven this route almost a dozen times in the past. I like the runaway truck ramps going down the hill on I-77 towards the NC border.

I-95 would get me to my destination an hour or more faster, except that I have had nothing but nightmares in NC/SC traveling I-95 south on the Christmas driving weekend due to numerous accidents. One year, I was towing my race car hauler down I-95 for the holidays, and it took me 9+ hours just to get through SC due to three different accidents. IIRC, it is 194 miles, and I should have blown through it in 3 hours with no traffic. I was tempted to try I-95 again, but US-209->Rt 33->US-22->I-78->I-81 should trim a little more time off of the I-81 route versus my usual route via I-84/Scranton. The only thing that would make me consider I-95 is a snowy forecast.....

 

[Uwe]

Yep, I utterly despise I-95, particularly between roughly Baltimore and Richmond. Even if traffic flows the whole way (which is exceedingly rare), it's way more stressful, and much less scenic.

 

[vreihen]

Living in the Hudson Valley, the scenery everywhere else is meh. It was a clear day with low humidity today, and the mountains on both sides of I-81 were clearly visible. I'm just so used to seeing mountains at home that they aren't special any more when traveling. One exception was the peak near Provo, Utah that is visible for miles on I-15 IIRC. I could see why Brigham Young chose to settle the Mormons in that area.....

 

[Andy]

Last night I prepared my wife's favorite venison backstrap recipe, courtesy of my possibly wine-influenced at the time Mother in Law :

"Cut meat into 1.25 - 1.50" thick. If you like pepper, pepper both sides, In a pan, saute chopped garlic, diced yellow onion, and mushrooms in olive oil. ([Step father in law] likes everything chopped fine but I do like fine). After sauteing,out aside. In large pan, heat olive oil to med - high. Heat to smoking. Add meat and brown 1.5 - 2 min on each side. (Do not overcook!) The meat should be pink-red in the center. Remove meat to a covered casserole to keep warm. Finish browning all of the meat.
After all the meat is browned, deglaze pan with red wine (something that you would enjoy drinking - never cooking wine). Add 3 -4 Tbsp. tomato paste to thicken wine. Add mushroom mixtures to wine. Turn heat to simmer, add meat. Spoon wine sauce over meat and heat through. Serve with fresh chopped parsley on top. DO NOT OVERCOOK MEAT! Enjoy!!!"

Needless to say, I did NOT overcook it. It was fantastic: tender, juicy, just plain delicious. Not a hint of gaminess or other unpleasantries.

 

[NZDubNurd]

Now I'm hungary....

 

[Uwe]

Last night I prepared my wife's favorite venison backstrap recipe, courtesy of my possibly wine-influenced at the time Mother in Law :

Doesn't your mother-in-law know that you're not supposed to hunt (an activity that presumably involves loaded firearms!) while "under the influence"?

 

[Andy]

Doesn't your mother-in-law know that you're not supposed to hunt (an activity that presumably involves loaded firearms!) while "under the influence"?

She's on the demand side of venison, not the supply side. Her husband goes hunting every year (she stays home and samples wine). There is often a buck hanging in the garage when he gets back.

 

[Welder75]

here are some pics of Whitetail deer i have shot.



This one i shot in 1997. Scored 167 2/8

this one i shot 1st day of hunting season in 2014. was waiting for day light. parked on a back road playing on my phone. when it was light enough i started my truck , and this guy stood up from his bed on the hill side. broad side at 120 yards. Bang

And this guy i got on my trail camera, nice little drop tine on this side. about a week later, it was snowing like crazy, but i walked to the back corner of my Quarter section and he was coming down the fence line. BANG

front pic you can see drop tine

and this one i never seen again on camera or in person

and a cool pic of the watering hole

 

[Andy]

Wow, Welder75 those are some big-ass deer ... literally!

I made some venison jerky with a new dehydrator I got for Christmas. Overall it came out good but for my next batch I will add some sugar to the marinade since the "mild" stuff came out kinda of bland. I used soy/worcestershire/garlic powder and the meat was all from a ziploc we labelled "side thigh". I trimmed as much fat/gristle as possible and sliced to about 3/8" and marinated overnight in a ziploc. It took about 7 hours to dehydrate to the correct consistency:

I used another Christmas gift, a Foodsaver vacuum sealer to package up half the results (the rest is 90% in my belly, 8% in my kids' bellies, and 2% in my dog's belly ... thanks to my kids ). Bonus pic: vacuum sealer is good for stuff other than food too:

 

[Uwe]

Now I want a vacuum sealer too!

 

[vreihen]

I bought one for doing carbon fiber work a few years back. Not as good as a real vacuum pump for compressing layers, but it was an acceptable substitute for what I was doing with airfoils.....