All Things Deer

[rkelm]

Back from the hunt, it was an experience this time. Left just before the weather got really bad, we were rained on every evening so evening hunting was not real productive. We did see a lot of bucks this year but a lot of them were just out of range. Several does came close enough but some still had small ones so we let them go. I say we left before it got bad but it poured on us several times, hailed on till the ground turned white, lightening so close you could feel the hair bristle on your neck, and I saw a funnel cloud but it went up instead of down - good luck. The lightening was so close I put all my hunting garb - pack and bow under a tree and then backed off about 75 yrds and huddled in a elk "hole" so I wasn't close to anything metal and as low as I could get for a while, lightening hit a tree close to my son and he said he saw it hit and smolder for a while but with the rain it went out. When we left, rained most of the night before and washed out several places on the "dirt road". We checked out the "dirt" road before we started down and I thought I could make it and I put it in 4L and Low gear and didn't have a real problem, it slid a little but that was expected (pulling a 16ft low boy) and we were glad to get down off the mountain. The next day they had several inches of rain and it moved to Boulder and Denver and it was bad. One place in the back of the area may be closed to hunting due to the access, this is the area that is closed from Oct 1 to spring due to the access, you have to have a 4 wheeler or horse and it is about 30 degrees plus, the game warden says he wants to close it before someone rolls it off the mountain and gets hurt, they do not blade it as it looks like the only thing that could would be a dozer and you would have to have a big set of you know whats to go up and down that with a dozer, even the game warden says you can feel the back of the 4-wheeler starting to bounce up when coming down. Anyway, no deer this year but it was fun and just really nice to get away from everything and enjoy the outdoors. (Sorry about writing a book).

 

[kmcconaughey]

Rodney, WOW!

Sounds like quite the trip, glad to hear you made it safely back.

 

[kmcconaughey]

The boys are starting to play. Same two deer from two different cameras. I have a bunch more photos from this sparing event.

Not sure what's on the bigger one's antler but it shows up in a couple of other photos.

 

[kshultz]

Kraig,
That's cool! I love watching them do that. Any short videos?

 

[kmcconaughey]

Shultzie, no video. It was dark out and my cameras will only take video during daylight.

 

[akleyla]

Im so ready to go deer hunting this year....im a lil behind to setting my stands up but plan on doing it tomorrow.....

 

[jbaker]

any updated pictures,

 

[kmcconaughey]

Jeff, none from me. I had one camera that malfunctioned that I sent in for warranty repair. I have it back but have not had time to put it back up or check the other two. Not much spare time this fall. I knew I was not going to have much of a chance to bow hunt this year so I decided to pass on it. I might not even have a chance to do any hunting, deer or otherwise, busy, busy.

I have to stop at the farm tomorrow to take care of some other stuff so I might take a few minutes and check the cameras as I'm curious myself.

 

[fcurrier]

Dear Kraig,
For us that don't know (or haven't been paying attention or are too lazy to dig through your 9496 posts) could you tell us a little about the "farm"?
"Ours'" in OxBow, has been in the family for somewhat over 100 years. It's now in a "trust" that's supposed to keep it in the family, but right now it's hard to imagine the coming generation having any interest in it.
I can keep this on topic. Deer do frequently walk, feed, and play in the field across the road from the house and it's one of Mom's pleasures seeing them. As a matter of fact, there's a little hardwood that's leaves have turned brown and as far as Mom is concerned it's a deer. We're learning not to contradict her.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Frank, here's probably more info than you were looking for regarding "the farm." The farm is the 80 acres that my father grew up on. His family moved there when he was only a few months old. My father was the youngest, he had two older twin brothers (interesting side note, he was born on their 5th birthday) and four older sisters. My parents purchased the farm around 1958. My father passed away in 2007. Before he passed away he and my mother put the farm into a trust. Hopefully we can keep it in the family... I have two older sisters and one younger brother. A few years ago I started a thread on making a wildlife food plot. I posted some aerial photos at that time they can be found HERE The adjacent 80 acres to the north are owned by my older cousin. He also owns 125 acres immediately to the east and he owns a 20 acre parcel to the north west and some other properties in the area. He plants crops on a portion of my parent's farm and occasionally he lets his beef cattle graze on some of it. Here's a photo of my dad (second from the left) with his two older twin brothers and, I believe his nephew on the far right. I believe this nephew is my cousin that owns the properties I mentioned above. I should ask him next time I see him... The photo was taken on the farm.

Here's another photo of my father and his older twin brothers taken somewhere on the farm. Some day I need to try to locate exactly where this was taken.

 

[wshytle]

Kraig-

That's very interesting and also neat that you have these old photos. I bet your father had to go through some rough times with TWO older brothers. Hopefully they took good care of their younger birthday present.

 

[jstertz]

Kraig--thanks for the history lesson on the family and the great old photos. I love to read back stories like that which include folks still living on the land that they grew up on. My dad lives on the same street that he lived on as a kid and has a parcel of land that has been in the family for nearly 70 years. In this day and age, it is a rare thing to see people actually value their heritage.

Frank--good to see that your family property is continuing in the family as well.

BTW--the north edge of my dads property is a fence row and the deer love to travel it. He has seen many a nice buck on the route at all hours of the day over the years of living there. I really need to convince him to get a trail cam!!!

 

[mgwin]

Planted some oats in the garden spot a couple of weeks ago, and the deer are eating them up! Gotta get a trail cam. The garden is covered with deer tracks of all sizes.
I have 6 hams (last years deer)cubed in the cooler ready to be canned tomorrow and Saturday. I am trying to get the freezer cleaned out for more deer coming, starting Nov.16th.

 

[vthomley]

here's a nice 10 point taken by my kid's trail cam this past Tuesday. I think I'm buying my Bow License today, and some camo, and a bow. Or maybe I'll just see this in the back of my kid's truck tomorrow.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Vince, nice deer! Good luck to your son.

 

[mgwin]

Just finished canning the first seven quarts of deer meat. I will probably do another round tomorrow evening.
My trail camera is on its way, can't wait to see some deer pics. Found a rub on a small tree in front of the house yesterday.

 

[mgwin]

Nice deer Vincent.
Canned 13 quarts of deer meat last week. Gonna finish the rest this week.
Got a pretty nice 6 pointer on my camera the other night. Hope to see him again on the 16th!
In the first pic you can see the width of the spread.

 

[mgwin]

What the heck, here's two more to show about how high the rack is.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Marty, that's a good looking deer. Very nice proportions on his antlers. I'm hoping for a photo of you holding those antlers.

The few deer hanging around the farm have all gone nocturnal. Hardly any photos and those photos I have gotten don't show anything but glowing eyes. I do have LOTS of photos of turkeys and squirrels this year however.

 

[kshultz]