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Hunting 2022

MikeD

MikeD

I'm Your Huckleberry
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Shot a doe last night just before dark with the crossbow. Swhacked her at 40 yards. She ran maybe 30 yards. Complete pass through and embedded into a old log breaking the end of my arrow.

Sorry didn't get any pics, it was dark by the time I recovered her and she's already in the cooler.

How's everyone elses hunting seasons going?
 
I haven't been able to do any hunting yet other than a few trips squirrel hunting. My youngest is wanting to xbow hunt early in the morning. We have some deer coming in. Just a matter of crossing paths with one.

There's also been a forest fire the last day or two. Not sure how that is going to affect anything. It's not been very close, except you can definitely smell the smoke from it when you're up there.

I'm glad you were able to get one. Right now, that meat in the freezer is worth a small fortune.
 
Well, we were able to go deer hunting this morning. It's probably one of the best hunts that I've ever been on, and we didn't get a thing. Didn't even see a deer.

But, we saw a record number of squirrels. We saw 35 this morning from 7-11AM. I've not ever seen that many squirrels before, even in a whole season, let alone in a single morning.

And just look at this view.

ZzJCYc5.jpg
 
@John A. If I judged the success of my hunts by the game taken I'd have quit many years ago.

Some of my best memories are of watching critters I would never see otherwise, beautifull scenery and sounds of the woods.
 
Around here it has become increasingly expensive to deer hunt, mostly to the point of being ridiculous. Unless one owns some prime deer land, most good habitats have been leased out to hunting clubs for exclusive rights to hunt. Each club member has to put in so many hours each year on habitat improvement, etc. Like 2-3 weekends or so. Then there is needing a truck, trailer, 4-wheeler, small camper, generator, meal planning, sanitation, fuel, club dues $$$$$ etc.

It just isn't as fun anymore.
 
nitesite said:
Around here it has become increasingly expensive to deer hunt, mostly to the point of being ridiculous. Unless one owns some prime deer land, most good habitats have been leased out to hunting clubs for exclusive rights to hunt. Each club member has to put in so many hours each year on habitat improvement, etc. Like 2-3 weekends or so. Then there is needing a truck, trailer, 4-wheeler, small camper, generator, meal planning, sanitation, fuel, club dues $$$$$ etc.

It just isn't as fun anymore.
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Sadly that is the trend everywhere. Landowners have realized how much the can make by leasing their land to hunters vs. just granting permission to those that ask. The restrictions on baiting increases the number of food plots which drives the prices if property/leases up. I love to see big deer but I have never been a "big" deer hunter. I think that mentality is pushing hunting to be a pay to play activity favoring those with the means to pay.

There are other side effects to this as well. Most hunters I know started out in small game. Small me is great for kids as the success rate is good and its fun. People who lease for deer don't like to disturb the land by small game hunting. I believe that's one of the reasons we are losing hunters. Another is the rack mentality that looks down on anyone who doesn't shoot a deer of the right age, genetics, etc.. Its been turned into a competition where people are shamed for not toeing the the line. When I was young nobody I was around cared and any buck taken was cause for praise and celebration.

I've been lucky to have access to private land through friends but that access may be ending soon due to events outside of my control. I also have a family cabin (on shared property) in the northern part if the state but the deer numbers there are some in the lowest in the state and there are no turkeys (my true hunting passion). In my lifetime I have only killed two deer at my cabin and both were yound bucks.

My state has a huge amount of public use land but most if it near my home is to scary to hunt during deer season due to the number of people out there and the mentality of many who feel they have exclusive rights to "their" hunting spot on public land.
 
I know a couple of head hunters. But I can honestly say that their philosophy and mine, don't match up. I'm just as content taking a doe as a I am a buck. And to be quite honest, I kind of prefer it because I think Doe tastes better.

I have killed bucks. Young and old alike. And of the two, I prefer the younger ones again.

As for where I hunt, I'm fortunate that my family owns a piece of land where I can hunt and do stuff. It does border a state forest/animal preserve, but that has it's drawbacks too because if I shoot an animal and it makes it to the state forest, I can't retrieve it. Which I ran into that problem year before last with a 6 point.

I have had to deal with trespassers a few times, but I don't deal with that for very long.

My cousins aren't even allowed to hunt in there because they are a lot like you described above. Myself and my sons are the only ones that hunt up in there because we have worked our tails off to provide the animals with a good habitat. Plus, I won't hunt them into extinction just because I have more tags that I can fill. There has been seasons recently where I didn't even hunt them at all because their numbers were so low and was a hard year for them.

I don't have any deer mounts hanging on my walls. True story. But, I do have a round belly to show for my work and effort and have quite a few deer that also call the property home.

This year, I would like more than any other to put some meat in the freezer because times are certainly getting harder. And to be honest, eating deer jerky and deer burgers and roast and steak, for me is a treat.
 
PICT0003.JPG

Caught this on the trail can any ideas?

Looks like a pig to me but there are no pigs in this area so I'm guessing bear.

Spent the week hunting in N MI. Never saw a deer but saw the same black wolf twice and had a pine martin in my hunting blind and it would not leave.

The wolf I saw driving into camp and again driving into town. Maybe 5 miles from my cabin. Very dark with a white tipped tail.

I went out to check a blind I have not hunted in a few years. When I got there something had opened up the hole I had in the floor (its elevated 4 feet) for a gas line for my heater and there was poop all over in it. I came back the next day top patch the hole and found a pine martin in there and he would not leave, even as I yelled at it and pounded on the sides of the blind, just sat on the chair hissing at me. I finally decided to leave the door open and walk away. Looking back I saw him jump out and climb a nearby tree. I hurried back , patched the hole in the floor and closed the place up.
 
young bear.

They've been gorging themselves the last month getting ready for winter and heavily on the move.
 
Just found out the farm I hunt has been sold. It was a good run.
 
Did they give you the contact info to the new buyers? They gonna let you get back the shack?
 
John A. said:
Did they give you the contact info to the new buyers? They gonna let you get back the shack?
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You know what I know. I found out from a neighbor of the owner. Hopefully I can find out more but as of now I don't even know if I can finish out the season.
 
I think I'd at least try to swing by there and speak with them. Ask them if it's OK and to hunt there, and if not, if they'll allow you to go in there and get your shoot shack out of there, since it is really yours. I'd want it back if I had to completely disassemble it board by board before I'd just give it to the new owner if they're not going to let you hunt.
 
My blind is pretty dismal, I intended to re-sheet it this year but never did, the only thing I want is my office chair and my buddy heater.
 
Hopefully they will let you at least get your chair and heater. Maybe you could barter some meat for the right to hunt. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
 
Looks like it sold to the commercial farmer who has been leasing it for several years. Working on getting contact info.
 
Least it wasn't sold to china. (that's not sarcasm)
 
Great job buddy! Looks like the 350 legend is off to a good start living up to its' namesake !
 
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