# Anyone do any good?



## dialout

Anyone do well deer hunting? I got skunked ( literally and figuratively ) twice... Was in a field between some round bales and suprise...skunk home. Luckily I heard some rustling around on the opposite side of the hay and peeked over, so I saw him first. Few days later totaly different area in woods, I walked up on one, and it saw me first. I put on my best moves with a head fake to the left while I dodged right. He took a Squirt at me and missed. Although I smelled skunk the rest of the day, I'm not sure if it was in my head or if he did nail me a little. 

On top of that my trucks tranny capped out so I was out of comission for about 5 days mid season. 

And the weather here was crazy. Swinging from 50s to below 0, bright sun, pouring rain, sleet, and incredibly no snow. 

I'll have to put some effort into late season hunting after Christmas to try and get some in the freezer.


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## DaBig2na

I am actually working on finishing up fifty pounds of Italian sausage right now..(taking a small break). Cube steak for the year is finished along with most of my stew meat.

Started deer hunting two weeks ago and have processed four deer so far. Still need at least two more which is doable between now and Jan 2..

I can't eat antlers so I could care less anymore .. I've killed my share of things with big antlers. I usually just pass bucks up now anyway, even if they are "shooters."

My little Sako .308 has been Rockin'em, it's not seen action in the last couple years. Now I remember why I like that rifle ..


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## Finger_Mullet

My son shot a nice 6 point during muzzleloading. He shot it on his birthday. 180lbs and 16-17 inches wide. Going to do a skull mount after season.
I shot at a really nice buck on the opening morning of muzzleloading. It was 140 yards following a doe. Didn't connect. 

I shot a few does for the freezer but nothing worth bragging about for me.

Darin


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## spydermn

I didn't even make it out . Hell, I didn't even sight in my rifle


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## Papa-T

Got this screwed up rack muzzle-loading. This doe during rifle. And this 195Lb 7 point during rifle. So lots of hamburger and canned deer meat for the winter.


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## DaBig2na

Got up a stand at about 3:30pm saw three hen turkeys and two fox squirrels. Then at about 5:10 pm (21minutes left of legal shooting time) walked down the path in front of me, that was similar rack wise, to the one pictured just above this reply.

I Let him walk...


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## dialout

There is such stupid regulations and split seasons here that you end up passing on on deer just because you can't shot it where your standing until the next day, or because the antler points are laid out wrong. Super micro managed.


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## DaBig2na

Where are you dialout? MD, IL, PA?

Our rifle season runs from mid October to Jan 2 this year. I could have dropped this mentioned deer, had I wanted to. I just let the Bucks walk now..it would have to be the size of "Bullwinkle" for me to consider shooting it.. I have #4 hanging in the cooler now.

We don't have to take a deer to a reporting station for inspection...we just call "1-800 I Got One" (yes I'm serious on the number)..follow the phone prompts and register it in the phone.

I've been known to "fib" a little back in the day..

I judged that deer I let walk to be about 3 1/2 years old..


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## dialout

I'm in PA. They have these wildlife management units here that govern when and what you can shoot...if you hunt archery, rifle, muzzle loader (percussion ) and flintlock season...and happen to live in or atleast hunt in the right areas you can hunt from mid September until the end of January in one form or another. It just gets complicated because different WMU'S seasons start on different dates, and some overlap. Then there are some units that are in more than 1 county and one of the counties may have different regulations such as shotgun only. Then there is antler restrictions...most of the state requires 3 points on one side, but my area is different and have to have what they call 3 up or 3 points not counting a brow tine so atleast 4 on one side. Of course if your on the other side of the road that doesn't apply. 

It would take a serious discussion to try and describe the stupidity...I had a real nice 6 point walking around me. Big deer, heavy wide rack and I really don't care to hang another head on my wall so I would have shot him...but his antlers were laid out wrong and didn't have the points in the right places.BUT I guess in theory if nobody else kills him, nobody poached him , he doesn't get hit by a car, starve in the winter, or get eaten by the coyotes ...he should be a real wall hanger next year.


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## Papa-T

Well I don't antler hunt. I let 8 pts walk all the time. I shot the first buck because his antlers were screwed up and it's meat in the freezer. Always take out one or two adult does with no fawns or yearlings with them. The third deer was taken because it was a big bodied deer and with the antlers and size it's considered a mature buck here in NC mountains. Yea I have to say most hunters like to take a nice buck and I'm no exception but I try to be selective about what I take. I don't put the bucks on the wall anymore and haven't for 20 years now. I don't have anything against it I just don't do it anymore. To each is own. I consider any deer taken as a trophy now days. Of course we have few restrictions here except two bucks per season.


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## DaBig2na

I've heard that more deer are killed by motor vehicles than by hunters in PA. Seems like the micro managers would do something about that. The way you change that is you hunters in PA put pressure on your state politicians. They in turn put pressure on Your DOW.

I hunt all private land and never see anyone from the DOW while I'm deer hunting .. NEVER EVER ! I'd like to see. Point restrictions in NC as well as 2 buck limit in the Eastern Region.. As it stands right now a person can shoot 4 Bucks in the east. 
"Finger Mullet" who lives in the Central NC region only gets 2.

If you were on Public Land and chances were slim you'd see someone. Chances are I'd have shot it based on your rule system, then took my chances.
I like the way Texas does their point restrictions. 

Here in NC
Ducks, and Bears well that might be a different story as far as DOW, However they are easing up on Bears in the east
After deer season is out I get about two months of chasing bunnies with top notch beagles.. I love hearing the beagle races and I never ever shoot a bunny on the Jump!

That's probably why we so many of you cats from PA, DE, NJ, and NY down here hunting with these "outfitters" LMAO (another topic for a later discussion)
I have a couple of friends who make a fortune on you guys who come down here pay 1100 to 3000 dollars to shoot six of our deer. The flip side they lease up a lot of land and drive everyone else's hunting leases up.


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## Papa-T

Bunnies! Man we use to hunt the crap out of them when I was growing up. My best friends dad had some great beagles. One named Katie was fast and would climb a brush pile and go strait down into the middle. Another named Roudy was slow as crap but could straighten out a track only to be left in the wind again once he straightened it out. Missy and Brownie were all round great dogs. Growing up we rabbit hunted every weekend in season. Great memories there. My buddies dad past away less than a month after he retired. I still love to hear beagles open up on a hot track. Not many around rabbit hunt any more.


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## andypat

My Daughters boy friend got this 14 point in Federalsburg MD.


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## Papa-T

Nice one.


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## Finger_Mullet

I wonder what changes are coming to NC next year. I took some survey on line a few months back. I understand there is a meeting sometime in January to discuss regulation changes. I look for a major change coming soon.
Our regulations are pretty easy to understand but that could change. I look for a cap on the number of doe you can shoot and possibly a point rule of some sort. I am just guessing of course.

It really don't matter what they change them to because a lot of hunters will kill what they want anyway. It is happening now.

Darin


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## Carolina Rebel

NC needs to implement something to slow down harvest of 1.5 year-old bucks. I don't advocate for point requirements, as about 30% - 40% of the mature bucks we have harvested in Richmond/Montgomery Co. area have been 6 points, but I would love to see a 14" spread requirement. 

I got 5 this year, two spike bucks, a 2.5 year-old 6 point that had been injured, a doe, and a nice mature 8 point. If I could go back, I would unkill the two spikes......was misinformed regarding their growth potential.


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## Finger_Mullet

Carolina Rebel said:


> NC needs to implement something to slow down harvest of 1.5 year-old bucks. I don't advocate for point requirements, as about 30% - 40% of the mature bucks we have harvested in Richmond/Montgomery Co. area have been 6 points, but I would love to see a 14" spread requirement.
> 
> I got 5 this year, two spike bucks, a 2.5 year-old 6 point that had been injured, a doe, and a nice mature 8 point. If I could go back, I would unkill the two spikes......was misinformed regarding their growth potential.


I agree 100% on the killing of 1.5 year old bucks. My issue is in the past I pass up younger bucks that has a lot of potential only to hear a shot an hour later and someone else killed him. I watched a 2.5 year old 8 point a couple of years back for about 30 minutes. I called him back with a grunt call several times. I passed him up. 30 minutes later a hunter that hunts beside me shot it. We have 600 acres that we try to manage. If they stray very far they get shot. There is no way to get everyone on the same page. 

Darin


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## River

Filled my freezer, two mature does and a buck ..... The problems we're seeing up here in the lower triad area has nothing to do with rules and regs, last year's fawns got eat by coyotes ..... We saw no young deer this season, even the processors are talking about it. I killed a female coyote just before Christmas, word is .... It takes 30 to 40 fawn to raise a litter of coyotes. We need the NC wildlife to put a hearty bounty on coyotes .... Or we won't need rules and regs ..... Attend those meeting ..... River


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## Finger_Mullet

River said:


> Filled my freezer, two mature does and a buck ..... The problems we're seeing up here in the lower triad area has nothing to do with rules and regs, last year's fawns got eat by coyotes ..... We saw no young deer this season, even the processors are talking about it. I killed a female coyote just before Christmas, word is .... It takes 30 to 40 fawn to raise a litter of coyotes. We need the NC wildlife to put a hearty bounty on coyotes .... Or we won't need rules and regs ..... Attend those meeting ..... River


They are hard to kill. I have been deer hunting for years and have shot every coyote I have seen while hunting. I have only killed 3 in my life. They do not come in like a fox to a electronic call. They circle down wind before they come in. I have bought some traps to set on our lease but I can't set them until after rabbit season because a guy rabbit hunts it several times a week and I don't want to catch a beagle.

Darin


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## aardvarkgraphix

got this fellow in Ohio, 9point 225, saw some monsters could not get them in bow range


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## Papa-T

Nice congrats.


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## 10NKO

Congratulations to all of you who had successful hunts this season. It has been a long time . . . but, I was skunked this season.


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## runincode

Finally got the mount back!
View attachment 37945


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## surfchunker

did ok on this bad boy in bow season last year

View attachment 43378


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## dialout

Knocked down a doe tonight about a half hour before season ended. It was another tuff year so far. Crazy weather again and very low number of deer. There were days when I didn't see a thing, and didn't hear a shot. 

Apparently since last winter was so warm there was a big outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) . It never got cold enough to kill off the biting flies that spread it. Had been finding lots of bone piles in the woods, and even found a few the last couple days that had died recently and only partly decayed. 

Hopefully the stupid coyotes catch it .


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## js1172

a bear, 2 bucks and a doe, still have 7 days of doe season, and 3 doe tags left
js


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## dialout

That's a good year. Congrats. How big was the bear.


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## js1172

200# dressed
js


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## SloppyTilapia

View attachment 48874


At least one shooter in the bunch.


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## SloppyTilapia

At least one shooter in the bunch.


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## carbine100

Sunday 1/21/18 got a 168# 8 pt.
Monday 1/22/18 a big ol' sow pig
Tuesday 1/23/18 a 196# 8pt. (The ninth buck I saw that day)
Just watched deer the next two days
Friday 1/26/18 a 188# 7 pt.

I had a great little hunting trip, came home 8 days early cause my coolers were full. (Hunt club in Alabama)


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## dialout

Wow that's a hell of a trip. Congrats


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## psychodiagnostik

This little 7 pointer Thanksgiving morning, he's small but I didn't think I'd get to hunt much more this year.
View attachment 59097


Already eaten tenderloins & some backstrap & the rest is in the freezer, he's little but tasty. 

I'm going to try to shoot a coyote this year, we're lousy with them in this part of NC but they seem pretty tough to call. Most of the ones I hear about shot around her were "targets of opportunity" shot from a deer stand while deer hunting. I've seen one fox so far & coyote tracks but haven't gotten a shot yet.


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## dialout

Has been a horrible outdoor year for me. I had surgery in April on my left elbow and right hand which had me laid up just as the fishing seasons kick off until late June. The weather has been horrid with streams blown out. I read we are +17" of rain from average. Now that hunting seasons in it's been bouncing between rain/sleet/snow mix and teens temps...to almost 60 the other day. Deer tracks are about 6 inches deep in the mud, and the few doe I've seen look like they had been mud wrestling. 

It is what it is, and I'm plenty happy to keep plowing on as best I can.


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## Finger_Mullet

dialout said:


> Has been a horrible outdoor year for me. I had surgery in April on my left elbow and right hand which had me laid up just as the fishing seasons kick off until late June. The weather has been horrid with streams blown out. I read we are +17" of rain from average. Now that hunting seasons in it's been bouncing between rain/sleet/snow mix and teens temps...to almost 60 the other day. Deer tracks are about 6 inches deep in the mud, and the few doe I've seen look like they had been mud wrestling.
> 
> It is what it is, and I'm plenty happy to keep plowing on as best I can.


I am in the same boat. We have had more rain this deer season than I can ever remember. We were 17 + inches above normal a month ago. Who knows what it is now. I heard the weatherman on tv say the other day it could not rain agin until Summer and we would not be hurt. I have seen 0 shooter bucks while hunting. This time of year I am generally getting ready to shoot a doe or two. Not this year. I am still trying to find a mature buck.

My best stand is located on a hardwood creek bottom surround on one side by green fields. The other sides are pine thicket. I have always had my choice of several shooter bucks. Not this year. I have logged hours and hours in this stand and have seen a few doe and several 1.5 year old bucks. Now it is flooded to the point that I have to wade to the stand in several places. Those 2 hurricanes that passed got the creek way out of the banks and made it a muddy mess. It dried up enough last week to get the deer to start using it again but on Saturday we got another couple of inches. I am hunting Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning and all day Saturday but now they are calling for rain/sleet/snow all day on Saturday into Sunday.

It has to eventually quit raining. I am just before shooting a few doe and writing this year off and start getting ready for next season.

Darin


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## Hikes run

I picked up this guy last monday....although I had to go back to PA to find him. I'm still looking for a couple doe yet.


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## dialout

Nice buck. Just came back In...skunked again. Hit some state game lands thinking people may have the deer moving around. Didn't even hear a shot.


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## Finger_Mullet

View attachment 59115


Popped this one at 1620 this afternoon. Dry spell broken. 

Darin


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## js1172

got a couple
















couple does also to complete filling the freezer
took this doe at 70 yards with my 10 mm








js


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## dialout

Impressive congrats


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## js1172

had an average year
















deer numbers way down for some reason.
js


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## david-e

This year is going good so far, Happy with the results, and hoping best for others. Happy Hunting!


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