Lookee what we found whilst wandering....

[Andy]

I got another one, a big buck this time about 5 minutes before the end of hunting time.

 

[Uwe]

8 points.

You should leave a few for Bruce, m'ok?

 

[Bruce]

Well, since they walk right out to Andy, and he doesn't have to work much to see and find them, it's cool that he is having such success. This one walked up your driveway at Tree Stand 1 Uwe. I sat there all morning - no deer except the 4 that passed as I sat down long before first light. Could hear them eat, breathe, walk, see their silhouettes but could not take such a shot. Could see nothing but black in the scope. But then, I was sleepy so maybe my eyes were still closed?

 

[Andy]

Yep, 8 pointer with some signs of damage on the main beams presumably from battling other bucks.

I measured the rack this morning at 15 inches. A bit smaller than the 16.5 rack on the 10 pointer above the camp dining table.

 

[Uwe]

I measured the rack this morning at 15 inches. A bit smaller than the 16.5 rack on the 10 pointer above the camp dining table.

Have ya told Megan yet that this one is going to be overlooking her dining table?

 

[Andy]

I removed the antlers and will be doing a mount kinda like the one in my office. Probably also in my office rather than at home.

Bruce and I just dropped the buck off at the butcher looking very much like a side of beef and it weighed 98 lb, figure 150 lb when it was walking around yesterday. Definitely the biggest buck I have ever seen while hunting.

I paced off the distance at the tree stand it couldn't be more than 15 yards.

A is for Andy and D is for Deer:

I think the bullet actually impacted an inch or so lower than I aimed due to parallax between the bore center and the center of the scope. .30-06 is more than enough firepower for a shot like that but there doesn't seem to be much of a downside to using it. The bullet went in between two ribs on the right side and broke a couple ribs exiting on the left side after going through the heart/lung. There was no damage to any usable meat and I asked for neck roast, shoulder roasts, backstrap, and the rest as ground mixed with beef fat.

 

[Uwe]

^^^ Neat. Assuming it dropped where you shot it, no dragging it up the hill was needed (unlike the doe on Friday).

 

[Andy]

The buck walked/ran about 50 yards behind me and to my right. I was afraid he had bolted down the hill over the barbed wire where I would need to contend with an agitated farmer and/or cow to retrieve him. It turns out, there was a very obvious blood trail that I was able to follow to find him, still on your property.

From where I found him, Bruce and I had to drag him 20 yards or so up the hill through thorns to get to your driveway where Bruce had the Tiguan waiting. So far, all three deer I have ever shot, have disappeared from view shortly after being shot, only to have me find them dead not too far away.

 

[Andy]

Final deer camp update for now ... Bruce and I are done hunting and I will be heading back home tomorrow morning. The butcher shop has the doe and the buck and should take 2-3 weeks to process. I'm splitting the venison with Bruce since I certainly couldn't have done it without him (and he'd probably insist on the same if our roles were reversed). From both deer, I removed the inside tenderloins (also called the inner loin) which are very tender and delicious muscles inside the ribcage, with a form pretty much like small pork tenderloins. Bruce is going home with some and I'm bringing some up to a friend's for Thanksgiving. Thanks to Uwe for letting us hunt his land and for the hospitality of his totally-not-roughing-it camp experience.

Lesson for next year ... sharpen my knife. I had to borrow Bruce's.

 

[Bruce]

Send it to Buck.. while it will cost a few bucks, it will help with the next bucks!

Was a great hunting trip. 25+ deer interactions for me.. seeing their butts as I jumped them, pushing them around, having muzzleloader rifle fails, learning the problems with these..., but, I unfortunately did not enjoy the luck Andy had. Some would be bummed by the lack of luck. Others will say it is a lack of skill and it may be. Me, I say, the trip has been awesome. I am not disappointed. Each time I go to the woods, I learn. That is fun!

Taking a day to relax, clean up "camp", and then drive home tomorrow. Back to grind on Wednesday.

To Uwe and Linda, thank you for the use of your home, your property, but most important, you hospitality and kindness. Ross Mountain is an awesome asset! May you enjoy many hours in these woods for years to come!

To Andy, thanks for the camaraderie. I hope you had a blast too!

 

[Andy]

Last night I made some inside tenderloins with a friend and they came out AWESOME.

The larger buck got Jess Pryles Hardcore Carnivore black rub and the smaller doe got smoked sea salt and black pepper. The Komodo Joe was cranked up to 500*F or so and it didn’t take long to get it to medium/medium rare.

Some more pix of the cooking session:

https://imgur.com/a/6377h

 

[Andy]

I got a call yesterday from the butcher shop that the venison was all processed. Yay! That only took 8 and 9 days. Uwe was down in that neck of the woods so he graciously picked up both boxes:

The doe:

The buck:

I asked for any scraps to be turned into burger (mixed with beef fat) since I found their sausage to be overly salty.

 

[Andy]

Ha, quote from 2 years ago when we brought two smaller deer to the butcher shop:

Two boxes wouldn't fit in the small freezer, but it all fit into one box:

So... Two small deer equals one bushel of meat.

 

[Uwe]

Right. But this year's doe was about 2/3 of a bushel, and the the buck was a full bushel.

 

[DV52]

I got a call yesterday from the butcher shop that the venison was all processed. Yay! That only took 8 and 9 days. Uwe was down in that neck of the woods so he graciously picked up both boxes:

.

Andy: I often wondered how the recipient of the bullet was processed for eating - I thought perhaps that the butchering was done @ the kill-site. Does the butcher keep the skin and do you need to worry about parasites on the beast (it's a problem down here)? And more importantly what's that weird unit of measure on the box - down here Bushel(i) is a tea manufacturer!!

Don

 

[Uwe]

Andy: I often wondered how the recipient of the bullet was processed for eating - I thought perhaps that the butchering was done @ the kill-site. Does the butcher keep the skin and do you need to worry about parasites on the beast (it's a problem down here)? And more importantly what's that weird unit of measure on the box - down here Bushel(i) is a tea manufacturer!!

The head, hooves, and skin have to be off when you take the deer to the butcher -- at least the butcher we use.

Andy did butcher one himself two years ago, but it took all day and then some, so the $55 the professionals charge seems like a bargain. Also, the professional vacuum-packing and labeling increases spousal acceptance factor.

The boxes appear to be re-used, having once held apples. Other produce and even grain are often measured in bushels. FWIW, a US bushel equals 35.24 liters.

 

[DV52]

^^^ hmm......... makes sense from the butcher's perspective (just a carcass to cut-up). I assume that the head goes to the taxidermist - how many deer heads will a shooter's wife permit on a living-room wall? What happens with the skin - please don't tell me that Andy has a bath of stale urine in the basement of RT HQ for curing leather?

Don

 

[Andy]

This year's 8-pointer (15" wide) on the left with the 9-pointer (12.5" wide) from 2 years go:

As they say "you can't eat horns" but they are nice to have up on the office wall.

 

[Uwe]

Pic stolen from Bruce (who's up on the mountain):

I think we need to stock the place with some of this:

 

[Andy]

I picked up some of the butchered venison from Bruce, to transfer to my freezer and figured we should weigh the complete haul.

Doe: 42 lb
Buck: 59 lb

So, 101 lb of processed, ready-to-cook venison. Not bad at all.