Hunting

[WildCat]

Since I was a little kid reading Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett novels, and a religious reader of Field & Stream, I always wanted to go hunting. But I didn't know anyone who hunted, nor have access to any private land to hunt on and Illinois is pretty sparse as far as public land goes. But this summer I entered the lottery for a coveted public land deer tag, and as luck would have it my name was drawn and I have an either sex deer tag good for castle Rock State Park for the 1st firearm (in Illinois that is restricted to shotgun, muzzleloading rifle, or handgun) deer season Nov. 17-19.

Since I still don't know any hunters I've been learning how the modern way, through YouTube videos. I've made several trips to the area to scout around, and saw deer sign where the Google Earth scouting told me I should. But then I hit a snag last week. Bow hunting season there started October 1, and on my final scouting trip damned if there wasn't some bow hunter's tree stand right at MY spot!

So back to the drawing board, with the understanding that all the easy to get to places have had bow hunters spooking the deer for over a month now. So now I found a great looking spot that is very hard to get to because of thick woods, a steep grade, and very deep ravines, but I found a path there that avoids the steep grades and deep ravines, The thick brush will make it difficult though but I'm confident I can manage the mile long trek with 35 lbs of gear (tree stand, shotgun, GPS, knife and bone saw for field dressing, and snack) on my back... but I had to win another lottery Saturday at a pre-season hunter meeting for the parking area necessary for that spot. I lucked out and was the 3rd name picked and got my preferred parking area.

And my concern that all the deer were either taken by bow hunters or spooked into becoming nocturnal were brushed aside when not 200 yards from the building the meeting was at I saw a gigantic, monster of a buck with a massive rack and massive body, had to be over 200 lbs. Holy fuck it was like a buck you see in hunting magazines! So now I'm just giddy with excitement, even dreaming about deer. But still I estimate my odds at 25% at best given my complete lack of experience and because there's going to be 50 hunters on just 1700 acres of hunting land.

So that's what I'll be doing in less than 2 weeks.

[WildCat]

This is the best video I've found on field dressing, not for squeamish girly-men like Lister.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Doctor X]

Fag:

[youtube][/youtube]

--J.D.

[ed]

Good for you and good luck.
I hunted a few times. I dont care for it myself but I bought a lisence for years to support the activity.

[WildCat]

This is the path to my happy hunting ground I found using Google Earth, that whole area at the top is a prime deer funnel. Where I put my tree stand depends on which way the wind is blowing that day. It's about a mile long, and has a 270' ascent and no trail and the brush can be crazy thick. And I'll have to do it in the pre-dawn darkness. But if I do get one it's downhill all the way back to the Jeep! I have a roll-up plastic deer sled to haul it.

[Fid]

You're hunting deer with a shot gun?

I'm sure there is a good reason, but I've only ever used a 30 06 rifle.

Not that I've ever killed any thing. I did however perfect the art of jerking off 20 feet up a tree.

[Evolver]

You're hunting deer with a shot gun?

That was a typo.
What he meant was that he hunts with a shogun.

[Fid]

You're hunting deer with a shot gun?

That was a typo.
What he meant was that he hunts with a shogun.

Now that is some ballsy hunting. The tiny samurai,the ninja, and the gal so one does not have to jerk off 20 ft up a tree.

True story: I was in my stand near a beaver ruin with my gallon jug of piss. This buck stopped in and proceeded to masturbate. I mean dammit hunting is one thing but I'd never shoot a boyo doing that.

That was the last time I went hunting.

Well except for squirrels.

[WildCat]

You're hunting deer with a shot gun?

I'm sure there is a good reason, but I've only ever used a 30 06 rifle.

Not that I've ever killed any thing. I did however perfect the art of jerking off 20 feet up a tree.

Only legal firearms for deer in Illinois are shotguns, muzzleloaders, and handguns.

They think a .30/06 will fly too far I guess. It is a flat state.

eta: but you can use any firearm to shoot coyotes all year round, go figure.

[Witness]

Good luck. Be weary of your colleagues (that's an anti-hunting site, I smell some glee). And if there are deer, perhaps Lyme disease?

[WildCat]

Good luck. Be weary of your colleagues (that's an anti-hunting site, I smell some glee). And if there are deer, perhaps Lyme disease?

Gonna be way too bundled up in clothes to worry about picking up a tick. This is, however, a CWD area so all deer harvested have to be tested. Park super said no deer from Castle Rock tested positive last year but 6 in the county did.

Which is why hunting is good for the deer, when they become too numerous diseases like CWD spread much more easily.

[Anaxagoras]

Would you shoot a doe or are you holding out for a buck?

Venison is good eating last time I had it. Venison stew in particular. You'll probably have more meat than you know what to do with unless you have a big freezer. So think about what to do with it beforehand.

[WildCat]

Would you shoot a doe or are you holding out for a buck?

Venison is good eating last time I had it. Venison stew in particular. You'll probably have more meat than you know what to do with unless you have a big freezer. So think about what to do with it beforehand.

I'd shoot a doe, I'd much rather have meat in the freezer than freezing 3 days in a tree stand holding out for some monster buck. I have a chest freezer, and if I get one I'll have it professionally processed. I know a butcher who specializes in this, plus he doesn't mix the meat with other deer as many processors do. I want only the one I shot, not meat from some gut shot deer or one that wasn't properly field dressed.

He separates the cuts and will make sausage out of the lesser cuts, mixed with pork because venison doesn't have enough fat to make sausage. Or rather the fat is cut off the venison because it has a bad taste, nothing like beef fat.

But I think a buck is more likely than a doe, this will be in the height of the rut and the bucks will be on the move looking for love while the does are likely nocturnal at this point in the hunting season. And the spot I picked is very attractive to me because it's close to the farmland where they feed at night and any buck roving from bedding area to bedding area looking for does should be funneled into that spot by the geography.

[Doctor X]

I'd shoot a doe. . . .

--J.D.

[WildCat]

No Bambis around until spring... and in Illinois a full third of them get eaten by coyotes.

[Fid]

At least coyotes are good for something.
A few years ago a family reunion in the N Georgia mountains we had to stop about every 10 minutes for deer crossing the road.

Not the deers fault of course but still scary on hilly terrain.

[WildCat]

Well I'm off to the wilderness of north central Illinois, staying at a cheap motel in Reagan's boyhood hometown tonight. 13 and a half hours until legal shooting light!

[ed]

Good luck.

Take pictures.

[Witness]

Second ed: good luck & take pictures.

[Fid]

Good luck bro try not to get gored by wild hogs. That may be eds domain.