Chefben4 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 Went out bow hunting this weekend. I'm not generally a "trophy" hunter and was really getting out for meat.. Low and behold I saw a lot of deer and had the opportunity to take a nice doe that'll start filling up the freezer (until rifle season that is ) Now, during rifle season when I go up for a week I dont have to worry about passing on a doe and having an empty freezer. May sound strange, but everyone has their ways. For specifics.. I hunt from a 20' treestand. This particular deer came in with 2 others. A spike and what looked like a smaller doe. When she stepped in front of the tree I knew was my 30 yard mark I let the arrow fly. Double lung, dropped in the spot but started crawling so I took another shot and ended it quickly. Pic below. Shots may look a bit "far back". These were exit wounds as she was quartering towards me. Unbelievable exit wounds with the broadheads im using. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riffleriversteelheadslayer 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 way to go Ben I started hunting this past week I passed on 6 deer yesterday but tomorrow morning if the big doe comes in shes done for I know the meat freezer ratio too Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 When you see the exit hole on an animal with a good hide you can only imagine the mess when we humans used bows as our main weapons on each other. Do you make any items from the legs or is that a less popular thing stateside? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agn54 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 Nice shot, it looks like you will have a tasty feast. Did you keep the tail or any parts of the hide for tying? My brothers-in-law are hunters and supply me with tails every year. It's a great way to stay supplied, and it's really cool to catch a fish on a fly you tied from materials you processed (probably even cooler if you actually hunted the animal). Plus, I find that the bucktail I get from them is often better quality than what I buy in stores Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 Agn ... how do you process those tails for storage? I tried doing a raccoon tail and it just shriveled up on me ... I can hardly get a good cut of hair off it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
netabrookie 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 Nice shots Chefben4. I like to see someone being merciful with a second round or arrow when an animal is suffering. I have been checking my buddies memory card from his deer-cam and so far have seen a fat 8 point, a 4 point, a couple spikes and a bunch of does only a few hundred yards into the woods behind where I live. I will wind up with some of the meat when he drops one. Piker20, we think alike (I don't mean that as an insult) The exit wounds was more than likely from a broad head or something similar, but the ancient ones was from chipped stone and then bronze and made a much nastier mess and not to mention a long sword or broad sword or even lance or morning star. I read somewhere years ago that a Japanese katana or Samuri sword was nick-named a "knee-sword" because when the defeated enemies was kneeling before their victors the katana would actually slice completely through their neck and wrists and unually stop in the mans knees. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chefben4 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 Thanks guys. Those wounds are indeed from broadheads. These were 100 grain 3-blade broadheads that cut an incredible wound channel. If I have a chance to take a good clean second shot on a deer still moving I always do. Luckily during rifle season its not necessary due to shock trauma. I keep tails. I just let them dry out for a while in my cool garage. Same thing i do with squirrel tails as well. As far as hair goes..its good to know local taxidermists that will hook you up with hair! Riff, good luck bud! Piker, i do not keep the legs. However, the place i take it to get processed does clip the legs off and sell them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riffleriversteelheadslayer 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2012 no luck this morning everything was already bedded down 80 yards from my stand so all I got was a good cold ice shower I did see a big fox and 3 partridge so I may take out the 12 gauge and see if I can get enough of them birds to make a nice classic garlic and rosemary roast partridge breast for dinner and have some perfect slate colored winging material for some blae and blacks for the wet fly swap Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted November 2, 2012 Piker, i do not keep the legs. However, the place i take it to get processed does clip the legs off and sell them. Ben you should think about keeping a nice 6" straight section of leg bone one of these times. Then next time/if you ever have me build you another custom rod I could probably turn the bone into a reel seat insert for you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riffleriversteelheadslayer 0 Report post Posted November 2, 2012 hmmmmm deer bone seat and grip? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted November 2, 2012 Yep, leg bone is no different than a bucks rack which is easily turned into inserts. So no reason a leg bone couldn't be done the same. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ikerajala 0 Report post Posted November 2, 2012 I was about to start my very own topic on deer hunting when I came on here this morning. But there already was a good one, so. I will just type right here that I shot my first deer the other day. It was a doe about 75 yards away on a mountainside. It's head was pretty much disintegrated by a 30 06 so I don't really have any pictures. I did not keep any of it's hide or tail. I got plenty of that. So, Congratulations Chef ben 4! Ike. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agn54 0 Report post Posted November 2, 2012 Agn ... how do you process those tails for storage? I tried doing a raccoon tail and it just shriveled up on me ... I can hardly get a good cut of hair off it. I debone it and scrape off as much fat from the skin as possible. Then I cover the skin with Kosher salt and leave it for a few weeks. It is probably ready after about a week but I let it sit a bit longer just to be sure. You could nail it to a board to keep the hide stretched during curing but I have never had a problem with it shriveling. Next, I wash the tail in a bucket with water, bleach, and Oxy Clean. The Oxy Clean really helps get the tail clean of salt and blood and makes the hair nice and soft. You could also just use Dawn. The bleach gets the bucktail nice and bright. I have never done raccoon so it may be different but I would imagine the same process could work for any animal. This is pretty much the process I use and it works great (Link) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chefben4 0 Report post Posted November 2, 2012 Piker, i do not keep the legs. However, the place i take it to get processed does clip the legs off and sell them. Ben you should think about keeping a nice 6" straight section of leg bone one of these times. Then next time/if you ever have me build you another custom rod I could probably turn the bone into a reel seat insert for you OHHH MANNNN. This is a GREAT idea. Good thing I plan on taking 1 more deer this year Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chefben4 0 Report post Posted November 2, 2012 I was about to start my very own topic on deer hunting when I came on here this morning. But there already was a good one, so. I will just type right here that I shot my first deer the other day. It was a doe about 75 yards away on a mountainside. It's head was pretty much disintegrated by a 30 06 so I don't really have any pictures. I did not keep any of it's hide or tail. I got plenty of that. So, Congratulations Chef ben 4! Ike. Congrats Ike! I remember my first deer like it was yesterday. I shot the first deer I saw like 1 min after legal shooting hours. My dad laughed and said "now that you got that out of the way, give it some more time next time" lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
