Hunting Season 2023 & Wild Game Cooks

[realdocBBQ]

Gave up my hunting lease several years ago. Was too far and never saw anything (live) when I went out. Wish I had someplace nearby...

[Murdy]

How's the public land in OK? I'm primarily a public land hunter, which is rough in Illinois but a lot better in Wisconsin (which is nothing compared to out west, of course).

[texastweeter]

Tossed one of the hams from yesterday's wild hog in the crock pot this morning after liberally dusting with salt and rub along with some apples, sauce, and a little apple cider vinegar. Let it braise all day, then used the pulled pork for wild hog hot dish.

[WayneT]

Dang, dude, you are kil… Never mind. Far too cliche.

[DavidNorcross]

What a great thread. Thank you for sharing.

[SJUfeller]

Huge elk shot by a a 13 year old in northern MN. Minn is not known as elk country, but there has been a bit of a comeback in recent years.

I like that the DNR has made an effort to expand the elk herd Also, I like to see kids passionate about hunting, rather than just the countless on-line and electronic options kids have these days.

https://www.startribune.com/elk-license-minnesota-boy-hunter-dnr-dennis-anderson/600309555/

[texastweeter]

Nothing better than the great outdoors.

[texastweeter]

Saw 3 bucks this morning; 1 shooter and two legal deer. Never could get them within bow range. Was hunting a fence row out at the farm with my oldest daughter. Unfortunately around 1100 I became violently ill. By the time we made it back to the farm house, then drove to our house outside Tyler, I had body aches and fever to go with it. Took a test which came back negative, then went to sleep for 4 hours. Going to go first thing in the morning to my primary physician and get tested for strep and flu. I have been banished to the master bedroom suite pending those test results. Unfortunately I am expected to fly to NY and present on Tuesday and return Thursday. Not sure how that's gonna work out but the show must go on.

[Donw]

The like is of course for the photos and not you getting sick. Hope you feel better soon.

[Jerod Broussard]

That is why bowhunting in a thick fog is the best, you don't get nervous for nothing.

[texastweeter]

Opening weekend of youth season. Emma chose the .243 Remington 600. Rolled her up some low recoil handloads with standard Hornady cup and core pills. Had some breakfast tacos I made the night before for breakfast, then for first snack she had a pepperoni stick, and I had some habanero dusted dried mangos. Just after snack we saw a lone doe, but she was on a mission to get somewhere and wouldn't stop. She never got a shot on her. Then lunch, smoked turkey sandwiches, pretzels, and a couple clementines. During lunch a small 8 point (was a 6 last year) decided to join us. At one point un time he was 10 yds away. He hung out around us or the feeder for about 30 minutes before easing off back into the brush. Then snack time. I had sardines on saltines; Vienna sausages and saltines. About that time we could smell the rain about to roll through, so we packed up and headed out. Side note, an armadillo has decided to move in under that box stand. Worst thing that happened today; I drove off and left my thermos of coffee on the breakfast bar. Great start to the rifle season.

[Jerod Broussard]

Love my 243, it's a Howa action/barrel, Hogue stock, 2.5lb timney trigger, any 95 grain ammo but the Hornady SST Superperformance kicks some serious rear end.

[texastweeter]

Jerod Broussard my .22-25 build is a Howa 1500 action and heavy bull barrel, a 1.8oz timney, and a Boyd's custom laminate thumb hole stock. I also have a weatherby vanguard , and those are Howa 1500 actions as well.

[Oak Smoke]

What a great dad you are! Emma chose a great gun those little Mohawk 600 are about the best youth rifle around. I helped a friend build a scout rifle out of one in in 350 Remington magnum. You certainly eat well while hunting! I was more prone to gas station burritos and a Coke. The rut has started here and the chase scenes are really picking up.

[texastweeter]

Actually the Mohawk is the 600 with no barrel rib, and manufactured later...my first deer rifle was a Mohawk in .308. Yes they make AWESOME scout rifles, the first one built was built with a 600. Your friend wouldn't be willing to sell it would he?!?!?!

[Oak Smoke]

He won’t sell it or I’d own it. I’ve been waiting 20 years for him to have a weak moment , it hasn’t happened yet.

[texastweeter]

Here is the Remington 600 she chose to hunt with this year. Chambered in .243 and topped with a Leupold fixed 6x optic.

[captainlee]

My wife's step grandson is here this week using our house as his base camp. He is 22 years old and just finished up with the Army. -2 degrees here this morning, better here than camping. Said that he shot low yesterday at a buck. It's 5 AM , -2 and he is out the door to get set up again. Hopefully he gets one and we get some meat to start enjoying.

[texastweeter]

Good luck. I took off next week, should be rut in full swing!

[texastweeter]

Venison Texas red.

NOTE* No beans were harmed in the making of this chili.

[Oak Smoke]

There are so many does here that everything with horns has a chance. It’s terrible for the gene pool. There are many more deer taken with the family car than by hunters now. My wife has an old school bell I mounted on a pipe pole that she rings when she goes out to feed the
deer. They literally come running from every direction when she rings it. The vast majority of the does are just pets. The bigger bucks only come in once in a while. The true trophies never show themselves on purpose.

[Oak Smoke]

We have an overpopulation problem that will most likely resolve itself when some disease runs through the heard. I hate to see that but it’s natures way of dealing with such problems.

[texastweeter]

Can you not harvest does in your county? Oak Smoke

[texastweeter]

Not from my dinner table tonight, but dad sent me a picture of some venison ribs he smoked today.

[texastweeter]

Emma harvested her first deer today, a doe, then doubled up with a 14.5 spread 8 point! My wife had success hunting with the youngest 2 ant took a doe that had no tail...weirdest thing.

[texastweeter]

58limited no, but I know him. He is quite the blacksmith.

[58limited]

texastweeter Have you seen Bailey Bradshaw's recent work? OMG! Most amazing rifles I've ever seen. He does his own engraving and stock carving; definitely a bucket list gun for me. I went to school with Bailey - 9th and 10th grade, we were in FFA together then I moved away.

[texastweeter]

He makes some fantastic knives as well. 58limited small world

[texastweeter]

Put some of the trim to good use from those 3 deer.

[texastweeter]

The wild game aging fridge only has room for maybe 1 more whitetail. Shanks/hocks loins, and tenderloins wet aging on the bottom. 4 hams hanging. Hams and shoulders on the middle and top rack dry aging. Trim, hearts and liver (not shown) are bagged and in the door. That is the complete yield from last Sundays 3 deer minus one heart and a small roast cut off one of the hams that we prepared and ate in the field, and 3lbs of trim that got ground and turned into meatloaf today.