successful hunting photos thread

[DrJohn]

My son's first deer. A button buck taken late Saturday afternoon.  This past weekend was Youth Hunting in VT.  The kids (15 and younger) can harvest any deer.  He used a Remington 700 VTR in .308 with Trijicon optics.  Shot was 100 +/- yards.

[radtke]

great job!!!!!

[Nicodemus]

I'm not seeing the pic, DrJohn.

I don't know if you removed it or if you've never posted a picture before...

Just in case, here's Sis' awesome tutorial How To Post A Photo To The Forum

[TexDaddy]

The picture is there just fine for me.

...and congratulations on that kill!

[Nicodemus]

I'm seeing it now as well... Oh well.

[LibertyBelle]

My son's first deer.

WooHoo! Nice Job!

[DrJohn]

2012 Pheasant Hunt.  We limited out at 8 for the day.

2012 Pheasant Hunt by DrJohn802, on Flickr

[nelson96]

My brother and I had a very good hunt this year if you don't measure by numbers of elk tagged (2 out of 6).  We left on Thursday night (11/1 @ 10:00pm) and returned on Thursday evening (11/8 @ 6:00pm).  Opening day was Saturday (11/3) and we left before season ended on this coming Sunday (11/11).  The weather was abnormally nice (sunny and low to mid 60's during the day) for most of our hunt with no snow.  That didn't stop the elk action though.  We saw more elk than I've ever seen in my total hunting career.  This was a “spike hunt” only and the only spike my brother and I saw is now in our freezer’s.  That doesn't mean that there weren't a lot of spike's to be found, but as you know, a lot is determined on the luck of being in the right place at the right time.

Our hunt started in our favorite honey hole where I spotted a herd of about 100 just before shooting light.  My brother was on the next ridge over and couldn't see them through the timber.  The elk I spotted were simply feeding away from me so I made an attempt to get around them to set-up for them at shooting light.  Unknown to me at the time, there was another hunter just below me on the other side of them.  About 30 seconds after a bull bugled this other hunter took a 500 yard shot, missing and blowing up the herd right out from underneath me.  I watched where they went and located my brother for a plan to go after them.  As it ended up, I found I had an advantage to spot the herd off in the distance as they ran in to openings, so I used this to coordinate with my other partners (we had a total of 6 guys in our group).  As things unfolded I discovered that there were about 400 head split up in three herds of 100 each and two herds of about 50 each (estimating).  And I could see them moving in all different directions.  By now it was like world war two with gunfire going off in the distance and me being able to do nothing about it.  Luckily my brother and I had placed the other four guys in strategic places about 1.5 to 2.0 miles away, as they did not know the area and were more than pleased with us for including them in our hunt.  I could see one of the herds of 50 heading south east near the furthest point we had told one of them to sit at, so I called him on the radio and let him know that if he hiked out due west of his location (hoping he had gone to where we told him to at daylight) he should have this herd run right in to him . . . .  At about 8:30 he had shot his first elk since 1974.

We continued to mill around the area the rest of the day, finding split herds and lots of branch antlered bulls.  Sunday came around and presented itself as not quite as fruitful in terms of elk numbers seen but a good day of hunting never the less.  Monday came and we decided to switch it up a little.  We decided to try the backside of our weekend hunts and see if we could find some kegged up outside of our honey hole.  Sure enough, I found myself staring at a lone spike quartering toward me.  He was down at 8:40 (see pic).  Not knowing the area we were in, as well as our normal hunts, we found we had a secondary prize when two unknown hunters approached me as I was waiting for my brother to bring the packboards and meat bags.  They were more familiar with the area and told me the direction to find a road just 0.15 miles away from me.  This proved to be the shortest pack I have ever made.

My brother was unable to find a spike this week, but the two of us together was reward enough, and we were in a good number of elk every single day of the week.  Camp life was great, we ate like kings and slept like babies in our tent heated by a direct vent propane stove (NO WOOD CUTTING).  The stove has a thermostat SO NO FREEZING WHEN WE WAKE UP and we came back to a comfortable tent at the end of each day.  Our new Eberlestock packs were perfect for our use and the scabbard came in very handy.  I was able to draw my rifle out of the scabbard to kill my spike with no issues.

[DrJohn]

Nice looking elk, but why are you wearing a paper plate on your face?

[ID_Joker]

My S.O. got her first deer!  We sat down near the corner of our property and about 10 minutes later a group of does came wandering down the trail right into line of fire.   It went something like this...

Her:  "OOoo, OOooo!  Look!"  <point>
<her rifle goes up>
<her rifle comes down>
Her:  "Should I do it?"  <looks at me>
Me:  "Um, yeah!  That's what you're here for isn't it?"
<rifle goes back up>
<Boom>
Her:  "Did I get it?!?!"

She did! 



Freezer's getting full!

[Vulcan]

@Nelson: nice elk!

@DrJohn: I'm assuming because he doesn't want anyone to know his face. A lot of us around here have an OpSec to keep up in case SHTF really happens.

[nelson96]

@Nelson: nice elk!

@DrJohn: I'm assuming because he doesn't want anyone to know his face. A lot of us around here have an OpSec to keep up in case SHTF really happens.

Thanks, and yes . . .  I simply used an enhancement feature that photobucket provides.  You guys don't care what I look like anyway, right, you want to see the elk.

[The Sage of Monticello]

Just came back from Bridger-Tetons National Forest and spent 4 days in sub zero temps, -20 degrees during the day, out on ATVs and on foot and I was unsuccessful.  My body is battered, bruised, my face is raw and wind and ice chapped. The area is a 22 percent success rate tag, so I knew it would be challenging.

My antelope tags expired and I failed in filling. Now I am left with 2 deer tags that I have until the end of the month to fill. Heading out this weekend for deer.

In my failures with elk, I have learned a ton of experience and enlightenment on how harsh and cruel the weather can impact us. I think I will truck hunt next year and strictly try for early season. LOL.

I was imagining how I could survive in a SHTF event if I needed meat, and when the elements are this harsh it is sobering on how delicate and difficult hunting for survival can be. My wife was wet from rain and ice and practiced an emergency fire with wet wood, she managed to dry herself.

I congrat all the successful hunters this year so far.

[nelson96]

In my failures with elk, I have learned a ton of experience and enlightenment on how harsh and cruel the weather can impact us. I think I will truck hunt next year and strictly try for early season. LOL.

I was imagining how I could survive in a SHTF event if I needed meat, and when the elements are this harsh it is sobering on how delicate and difficult hunting for survival can be. My wife was wet from rain and ice and practiced an emergency fire with wet wood, she managed to dry herself.

Don't be too hard on yourself and DON'T give up.  I beleive the average success rate (all things considered) for harvesting an elk is 1 every 7 years and there are a lot of things you can do to increase those odds.

[Vulcan]

And let's not forget: in a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation there won't be hunting seasons. The seasons will be dictated by your need for protien at any time. I think success rate would go way up on that situation lol.

[ag2]

Dropped this elk almost a mile from the vehicle over a mountain (not pictured).  Stalked the herd for a few hundred yards.   Had a blast!  Made a heart shot with my 7mm Rem Mag at 204 yards.  Dropped her where she stood while grazing.  This was a medium-sized cow that we had to quarter right before sunset and pack it out under the stars with headlamps.  Aged the meat for 1 week.  Looking forward to trying this one.

Glad I had two hunting buddies with me.  I've been able to drag it out whole in the past, but this country was very rugged so we did a gutless quarter.  This was my first time quartering it.  I left a little too much meat around the front shoulders.  We were able to talk to the butcher dude at the meat locker.  He was the coolest back-woods hill billy dude who took the time to show me how to take a little more meat the next time.  He took us in the walk-in fridge to show us on some whole elk that he was aging.

Just curious, how many pounds do you guys typically get on an average cow when quartered?  How about when whole?  I only got 81 pounds on this one.  All the cuts are boneless.   I'm disappointed, but glad to learn from the experience.  The next time I that I have to quarter, I'm going to do a better job on the shoulders, but also go ahead and take more meat.  I don't see a reason that I couldn't just gut when done and take rib meat and more in bits and pieces and bag it (for burger).  Do you guys take the time to do this?  I took the minimum required by law, but I don't feel obligated to leave meat for the crows and coyotes.

IMG_20121116_160853

[nelson96]

Just curious, how many pounds do you guys typically get on an average cow when quartered?  How about when whole?  I only got 81 pounds on this one.  All the cuts are boneless.   I'm disappointed, but glad to learn from the experience.  The next time I that I have to quarter, I'm going to do a better job on the shoulders, but also go ahead and take more meat.  I don't see a reason that I couldn't just gut when done and take rib meat and more in bits and pieces and bag it (for burger).  Do you guys take the time to do this?  I took the minimum required by law, but I don't feel obligated to leave meat for the crows and coyotes.

Congratulations !

How much meat to take is certainly personal choice and most learn to take more and more each time they harvest an elk, figuring out how to deal with it the more they do it.

If I understand correctly, you didn't skin it and only took the four quarters?  So did you not get the backstrap and loins?  These are the best cuts of meat and something you won't want to leave next time.

Personally, I take every ounce of meat I can strip off . . . .  I gut first, then skin and quarter (skinning and quartering one side at a time).  It would be pretty tough to explain how to quarter (it's a visual thing). . . .  I keep four meat bags with my packboard.  One for each hind quarter, one for both front quarters and one for the backstrap/loins/barrel meat.  The barrel meat consists of every ounce of meat you can get off that carcass that didn't come with the four quarters.  The backstrap (2 total) will be cut into steaks, the loins (2 total) will be left whole and the barrel meat will eventually go in to two piles.  For me, those two piles will consist of the best and cleanest cuts for jerky, the rest for making peperoni sticks/summer sausage/canning meat.  Some will also make hamburger.  The pieces of meat from the quarters that won't make a perfect steak, will also go in to one of these two piles.

Take your time and keep the meat clean (free from dirt, grass, hair, flys, anything but clean meat).  I butcher my own but I've been told that if you send dirty meat to a butcher to have it processed, he'll figure you don't care, so he'll treat it like you do. 

[ag2]

We caped it, quartered it, then took the backstraps.  A bag for each hind quarter.  A bag for both front quarters and the backstraps.  After that, I SHOULD have gutted, pulled the tenderloins and stripped the bones clean.  There's always next year...... :-)

I would love to have a place to age, cut and pack my own meat.  Maybe some day.

[nelson96]

I would love to have a place to age, cut and pack my own meat.  Maybe some day.

I live in the Pacific NW.  During hunting season we usually see days between 40 and 60 degrees, with nights somewhere in the lower end of the same temp's.  If I need to hang it for a period of time (wait for the next weekend) I pay to hang it somewhere, but I have had no problem hanging it for a few days in these temperatures.  You just need to keep the meat dry.  We use the kitchen tabe to cut and pack.  We use blocks under the legs, to save our backs and we've used all sorts of methods over the years to pack it.  Currently (and my favorite) we pack the meat in to vacuum sealed freezer bags using a vacuum sealer I purchased at Cabela's.  Just my brother and I butchered and packed my elk this year, it took us 8 hours, and that was with breaks (good football games to scan).  The scrap meat we freeze for a couple weeks until we have time to knock those tasks out (usually takes a weekend). 

I also make my own jerky, this year being the first that I used a dehydrator (and will never go back to using a smoker).  This was also the first year we made our own peperoni and sausage.  If I had known how easy it is and how much better tasting it is, I would have started 30 years ago.

With the very few items you actually need, the realative low cost to invest in them, you would never pay someone to process your meat ever again.  My advice is just do it!

[MightyRunt]

DH and I don't hunt anymore, but the day may come, so we've just trained the deer to hang around the shooting benches. 

[TexDaddy]

DH and I don't hunt anymore, but the day may come, so we've just trained the deer to hang around the shooting benches.  ...

+1

[cbowseriii]

OK, I am almost ashamed to admit this but I am 48 and have never gone hunting. My Dad was against guns when I was little. I have identified this as one of my skills I need to aquire as part of my preping skills. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to start?  I have no idea of how to find where they are, where to shoot them (in the body), how to skin them and harvest the meat.

Any suggestions?

[nelson96]

OK, I am almost ashamed to admit this but I am 48 and have never gone hunting. My Dad was against guns when I was little. I have identified this as one of my skills I need to aquire as part of my preping skills. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to start?  I have no idea of how to find where they are, where to shoot them (in the body), how to skin them and harvest the meat.

Any suggestions?

Rather than answering a few questions that won't really help you get any closer to reaching your goal, the best suggestion I can give is to suggest you take a Hunter's Safety Course.  These are good programs that not only help you be a safe and ethical hunter but will also answer most of your other questions.  And it is a good place to meet other people in your area that have the same goals.  You can usually get a list of available classes from your State Department of Fish & Wildlife.

[radtke]

didn't get to shoot a buck this year but i still have some meat in the freezer so all is not lost. keep up the pictures i love looking at them.

jeff

[endurance]

OK, I am almost ashamed to admit this but I am 48 and have never gone hunting. My Dad was against guns when I was little. I have identified this as one of my skills I need to aquire as part of my preping skills. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to start?  I have no idea of how to find where they are, where to shoot them (in the body), how to skin them and harvest the meat.

Any suggestions?

I agree with nelson96's suggestion, but would also suggest posting something in your local regional board on the forum and seek out a hunting mentor.  That's actually how I met one of my closest friends from TSP.  He was from a family that didn't hunt, posted on wanting to learn, I took him out the first year, let him follow me around for the day, then he joined me in Wyoming for Antelope in September and in Colorado in October for Deer and Elk.  By the end of deer season he felt comfortable enough to strike out on his own.

[nelson96]

I agree with nelson96's suggestion, but would also suggest posting something in your local regional board on the forum and seek out a hunting mentor.  That's actually how I met one of my closest friends from TSP.  He was from a family that didn't hunt, posted on wanting to learn, I took him out the first year, let him follow me around for the day, then he joined me in Wyoming for Antelope in September and in Colorado in October for Deer and Elk.  By the end of deer season he felt comfortable enough to strike out on his own.

That's awesome endurance.  I am always hesitant to offer that to someone I don't know.  Hunting is sacred to me and one of my only ways to get a release from my job.  And there is always the fact that you are with someone who is carying a firearm and may not know how to use it safely (it only takes one mistake).  Ironically my brother and I are often looking for another guy or two to complete our group.  Another issue is that of the people we know and trust, and have taken with us on a hunt, can't hack our style and wimp out.  We've had two different guys on two different occasions leave camp early and go home.

[cbowseriii]

I plan on taking the hunter safety course even though I am exempt in my state. My weakness is not firearms and firearms safety, I am a NRA Instructor. I am week on where to hunt, how to track, how to process the animal and such.

[Cedar]

Thanks, and yes . . .  I simply used an enhancement feature that photobucket provides.  You guys don't care what I look like anyway, right, you want to see the elk.

LOL.. it would be easier to ID you if you wore the plate all the time. But, I have met him, he is nice looking.

Cedar

[nelson96]

I plan on taking the hunter safety course even though I am exempt in my state. My weakness is not firearms and firearms safety, I am a NRA Instructor. I am week on where to hunt, how to track, how to process the animal and such.

Unfortunately you are 3000+ miles from me and almost that much from endurance.  I still say that the Hunter Safety Courses are a good way to meet the kind of people you are looking for.  With your knowledge, how about you find a way to volunteer your time at the courses?  You could benefit by helping your community and meet good people who hunt (the parents of the kids taking the course that is).

[nelson96]

LOL.. it would be easier to ID you if you wore the plate all the time. But, I have met him, he is nice looking.

What she means is, he's nice looking for a backwoods redneck hick hunter.  That's not saying much.