Deer again.

Just two hours in my blind this afternoon and I saw 5 bucks and 19 antlerless deer. They were everywhere. But too warm to kill anything. 64 degrees. 50 in the "deer shed" tonight. We like to hang deer for at least 3 weeks. Yhree is better.

Yup, been hot here too, plenty of deer.

I got to help Dad on his 2nd one today. He said he shot a doe, when we found it it was a 1 1/2 year old buck with both antlers broke off. I guess he was undercover, or a crossdresser maybe.

My 14 year old granddaughter went out over the Columbus three day Junior hunt here in NY. First hunt first day (it was pouring down rain) and she got a big doe. Dressed out at 130 pounds. I didn't get any pictures because it was so warm they had it cut up and in the freezer before I got over there.
She called me today and asked if I wanted to see her deer. Her father got an 8 point yesterday, first day of the season. I think he said it dressed out at 170lbs. Today she got a 4 point at the same location. dressed 105 lbs. She used a 20 gauge on the first one, and dad's rifle on the one today. My other granddaughter got hers with the pontiac.

The texas season has more days 60+deg than below 40. Many camps have a "garage refrigerator"to cool the meat. There are also a lot of reefer vans set up to recieve deer. Then we still have hunters who hang the carcass in a tree for 2 or 3 days then tie on the hood or cab and head home.
The 2 processors near me both refuse several every year because they are brought in like they fell,not field dressed and/or starting to smell bad. I am pretty sure that accounts for many who don't like the taste of deer and others that have treatments for taking "the wild taste out of the meat". I bet they would say the same for beef if it was treated like that.
Any how if you wait for it to be cool enough to cool then outdoors,deer would be thick as rats around here within a couple years.

Maybe she's 15

My 17 yr old Grandson got skunked in Western IL. Saturday. Said a 8 pointer came within 100 yards but was just into the treeline and He couldn't take a shot. Plenty does though.

Helped my cousin get his out yesterday. Decent sized doe. Nothing for me this year, couldn't get away from work. Plan to go next year though.

We,ve taken out 3 so far,and plan on more here in Mo

I've never seen where hanging deer does a thing for them,lots of time its only an hour until I shoot one until its cut up in the fridge.Might leave it in the fridge a couple days before final cutting and grinding up the meat then vacum pack and freeze.

When you hang them the rigor mortis in the animal has time to break down. The reaction in the animal makes the stiff and can make the meat real tough. We let my buck hang last year for a week and you could cut it with ease. The most tender meat from a deer I've had. The longer you hang them, in cold weather, the better they get.

Son and I got ours Thursday morning, and evening. They're in the freezer, and in jars in the pantry. We don't wait around for the meat to spoil! There were some nice bucks taken nearby, (not by us). Where were they when we were scouting?

Sw Michigan. Not much shooting going on lately and not a lot on the opener. Saw six opening morning but too far away. We did get one someone hit, so we have venison in the freezer. Wife canned most, made jerky and froze the steaks. Had a neck roast yesterday--yum yum! Used a food processor to "grind" burger. Worked very well.

Larry

Nice size deer and a beautiful rack from that angle. Bet he's proud.

Our season ended yesterday. I saw a lot of deer this year but nothing of any size.
So I never pulled the trigger this year. Got skunked. Wah!

Wife and I each shot smaller bucks. 10 year old couldn't set still long enough to fill her tag.
We always left ours to hang untill Thanksgiving 2-3 weeks. Haven't had a deer season in several years where it was cold enough to do that. Actually so warm here this last week of season the deer quit moving. Gotta get some cold to get em up and eating.

Deer I kill aren't tough at all to start with,I think you got tenderizing mixed up with rotting

Yup. I agree! No reason to hang a deer - or beef - except to let them ROT. Can't eat a steak in a restraunt - their "aged 21 days to perfection" always tastes like rotten meat. Kill it, clean it, put it in the freezer, and have some for supper that night.

Gun season started here Saturday...Took one 10 pt. in the morning....57 degrees....have to get him in the freezer like now.

Next weekend 30 degrees for a high...we"ll get after them with more enthusiasm then.

Then we have 10 days of muzzleloader, followed by a 4 day statewide doe season, and bow season runs till Jan. 9------life is tough here for a deer hunter...

Everybody shoot a big one!!

Tim

Pretty decent opening weekend, though cooler would be better. I never got a shot (have only seen one, and my 7 y.o. spooked it before I saw if it was a buck or doe), but my crew has gotten 8 off my farm - 8pt., 4pt., spike, two does and three nubbin bucks. Need to thin those corn moochers some more!

Yeah,He is.We shot him together.Best memories I have are farmin and huntin with my Dad.Thanks for the nice comment

Well I don’t do three weeks, but do shoot for at least 3 days. Rigor begins within a couple hour of death and is usually done after 24 hours. By the time most folks have field dress and removed the animal from the woods rigor has, or is setting in. So a day/night in the barn with 40ish temps, the carcass is past the rigor stage.

(from link)
“the muscles go into rigor mortis lasting at most 24 hours. Butchering a deer during rigor mortis is one of the worst things you can do. It can cause a phenomenon called shortening, where the muscles contract and remain tougher....

Proper aging begins as soon as rigor mortis ends-and this process is definitely not controlled rot. Rot is zillions of bacteria eating the muscle cells, their waste products creating the familiar stench of decaying flesh. Bacteria attack only after meat is exposed to the air, and bacterial rot is accelerated by higher temperatures.

...above freezing and below 40 degrees. This holds bacteria (and rot) at bay, allowing natural enzymes to do their work.

Young deer don't have much collagen, so aging for a couple of days is plenty. Older bucks benefit most from the extended period, and many hunters who do it properly actually prefer the taste of mature bucks."

Personally, I never did see aging as a benefit for Doe and young deer. A nice 4-5+ year old buck, maybe, but I only go a week on them.

To solve the issue with early hunting in 70-80 deg weather, I have a 72 cubic foot cooler that I can keep around 35 degrees and hang two deer in. And in the off season I can store garden veggies in. (we plan to make a bigger one as soon as I can find something cheap for a floor pan)

Cheap cooler (under $150)

5 sheets of 7/16 OSB, 5 sheets of 1.5 inch foam, 8 2x3x8 and a roll of 3 mil plastic - $75 – Big box store
1 small old window ac unit - $25 Garage sale
Screws, hinges, fiberglass shower pan and commercial thermostat (30-110) - $30 Habitat restore

The plastic is hung up with thumb tacks for easy removal/replacing and laps into the floor pan to keep the sides clean.
Field and stream Deer hang time

I shot a big doe yesterday about dark. Had her quartered and in the refrigerator within and hour. It was 52 degrees at dusk. Besides, If it left this hang out under my shed, my cousins dogs come over and eat on the thing as far up as they can reach, so I dont do that any longer.

Great pic. and memories To-far-gone.

Gene

You easterners sure count the points funny. I shot an 8 pointer out here it would be in the record books.
Walt

They count total, out here we count per side. What I refer to as a 4X4 would be an 8 pointer back east.

Yea but they also count the eye guards.
Walt