This last Saturday was opening day for deer hunting using a rifle here in south Texas. If it can happen, it happened to me this opening day. First, I get to the stand I am hunting in before daylight, and come face to face with a wild boar hog, a big one. Here it is dark, I am holding a flashlight, and my gun isn't even loaded, and I am 5 yards from a wild pig. I didn't have much choice, so I stomped my feet and grunted at him and he took off. That got the blood flowing. I get in the stand, set there awhile, and as the sun is coming up, I here a noise behind me. I turn and look and here is a raccoon crawling up a tree limb towards me. He's about 5 feet away. Now, I do not want to tangle with a raccoon up in a tree stand or on the ground. I turn my flashlight on him and hiss, and he takes off at a dead run. Ok, I am thinking any deer around here are going to be long gone with all the noise and movement I have made. I was wrong. Not five minutes go by, when a doe and yearling step out. They won't come on into the clearing however. They stamp around and blow, and then finally leave. Then I hear them, those stupid hogs are back, not just one but a whole herd of them. That's what scared the deer off. Besides they are eating all the corn out of the feeder. Enough is enough, I am now irritated and in hog hunting mode. I shot the smallest one first and planned on shooting everyone that stuck his nose out into the clearing. Well, the hogs all ran off and didn't come back. I had one dead, laying right by my feeder. I decided to get down out the stand, and move the hog over into the brush, with the idea that the deer just might come back. Wouldn't you know it, I am halfway down the ladder when out walks a doe at about twenty yards. Alright, you get the picture. i am climbing down a ladder stand with no gun, making all kinds of noise. I got still for about two minutes and decided, I might as well climb back up in the stand, I've got nothing to lose. Low and behold, the doe pays no attention to me, she is more interested in the dead hog. Now the hunting gods must have had pity on me, it wasn't 5 or 6 minutes when a nice 8 point buck walks out. He too, is more interested in dead hog than me, and the rest is history. All of these events all took place in the span of about two hours. It was one of the most interesting hunting adventures I have ever been on. The facts:
8 point buck with 18 inch inside spread, weights about 135 pounds.
one wild pig, weights about 60 pounds.
two pigs got way, but I am laying for them
two raccoons who will soon see my 22 rifle
Fresh backstrap in the freezer!
4 comments:
Coon is good baked! Mix the pork with venison and make sausage. I can send you a tried and proven sausage recipe from SW La. You will have to adjust the quantities. Did you cut it up on the kitchen table? You know, inside, with the AC on, hang it from the ceiling! I can tell Becky is excited!!! Tan the hide and make her something nice--like the Indians did! You know beads, feathers, etc. What kind of cannon are you using? 22 hornet, .17 cal.?
There are lots of rock and fox squirrels out here, in fact, they are way too many.
Later,
Send me the sausage recipe. I am hoping to kill another deer in December. I may make the whole thing into sausage.
I gutted, skinned, and quartered both outside, then de-boned them on the kitchen table. I used my 308 an shot them both at about 25 yards. I could have thrown a knife at both of them and done just as good.
Forget the hides, Becky won't even let me bring the antlers in from the last 4 deer I have shot. I am thinking of making a hat rack out of them. Ha!
Quote for the day:
Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.
This is Becky - I helped cut up, package, and store all the deer meat and the wild pig meat (as Bethany always calls it). Finally, we get to eat again!!!
As far as the antlers in the house: there's just something about dead animals hanging around....
But now if it could get enough, maybe we could take them all, wrap them together and start a home business selling them as fancy chandeliers. :)
There is mega bucks in antler chandeliers. I'll have Sharon send some pics of some kinfolks have. I don't have a big enough house like you do!
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