Modern gun season opens today in Kentucky.

[Uzi2]

I've been up for a couple of hours and been outside a couple of times since dawn. Already heard about 6 separate shots from different directions, so the hunters are out.
I'm sitting out this weekend and waiting to see what the weather is going to be like the next few days. Looks like it will be low sixties this week which sucks for hanging a deer for a few days. Probably just wait until the second week hoping the weather cools down a bit.

Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans and Good Luck to all the hunters heading out into the woods. Be careful, lots of idiots out there.

 

[peterk123]

Don't let weather discourage you. Go whenever you can. I deal with warm weather here because we start hunting early september. Heck, they are talking mid fifties this week and we have a three day hunt planned. I hope to have three deer by the end.

We will quarter the animal in the field. No skin, meat left on the bone except for tenderloin, backstraps, etc. We have a cooler in the truck. Works just fine.

I will actually keep it in the cooler this way for a couple days so all the rigor is out of it and the meat can dry age a bit.

Never an issue with the meat when done this way.

 

[Uzi2]

Don't let weather discourage you. Go whenever you can. I deal with warm weather here because we start hunting early september. Heck, they are talking mid fifties this week and we have a three day hunt planned. I hope to have three deer by the end.

We will quarter the animal in the field. No skin, meat left on the bone except for tenderloin, backstraps, etc. We have a cooler in the truck. Works just fine.

I will actually keep it in the cooler this way for a couple days so all the rigor is out of it and the meat can dry age a bit.

Never an issue with the meat when done this way.

Ok on your meat prep. Our archery season opens in late August/early September. Way too warm then.

I don't have to travel anywhere to hunt, I hunt on my own land right outside my back door on 110 acres. Don't even have to buy a license as a landowner in Kentucky but do have to check anything I harvest....it's done online so it's not a big deal.
The second to last buck I shot here I was just a few steps out my back door, using a WWII surplus 8mm German K98 Mauser @ about 50 yards. Knocked him right off his feet.

The last buck I shot I decided to use an AR15.....bad choice. He was a nice 8 pointer with a big body, and it was just before sundown. Got a good lung shot but he ran quite a way out into one of my lower fields. I found him the next morning and luckily the weather was cold that night and it died later that evening so it was still a little warm when I found him.

I have several nice bucks and lots of does showing up on camera at a feeding spot a few hundred yards out in the woods. I don't hunt over the feed, I usually go a good distance away and use a grunt call to call in the bucks.

A few years ago, I called in three bucks so close, I could have jumped up out of my chair and grabbed one by its antlers. He was literally four feet from my face looking at my dumb ass sitting there with a shotgun across my lap.
The wind was directly to my face so he never got my scent. He stood there for a minute or so then backed away and walked off into the wind.

As I'm typing this, my grandson just sent me two pictures from his cell phone game camera. A big body 8 point buck with right side broken antlers at the feeding spot.

If I get my chores done by midafternoon, I might head out to a spot an see what I can call in.

 

[kerryman71]

Nice. Good luck to you out there. In regards to the AR, have you thought of slapping a 300 Blackout upper on it for deer season? I've heard of people having luck with that caliber.

I'm in MA, so it's archery, shotgun or blackpowder for me.

 

[Uzi2]

Nice. Good luck to you out there. In regards to the AR, have you thought of slapping a 300 Blackout upper on it for deer season? I've heard of people having luck with that caliber.

I'm in MA, so it's archery, shotgun or blackpowder for me.

I've thought about it, but never bought one. I could have used an SKS or an AK though but wanted to try out the .223. Probably would have been better if I'd taken a neck of head shot but it all worked out.....he went in the freezer.

 

[Atlantis]

I've thought about it, but never bought one. I could have used an SKS or an AK though but wanted to try out the .223. Probably would have been better if I'd taken a neck of head shot but it all worked out.....he went in the freezer.

What kind of ammo? Basic M193 or something hunting specific?

 

[Uzi2]

What kind of ammo? Basic M193 or something hunting specific?

It was lead tipped hunting ammo from a box I'd purchased several years ago. It did the job eventually but didn't transfer enough energy to drop the buck and he ran a good way before dropping. I'm sure if I'd hit his heart he'd not have run so far.

 

[Marty McFly]

It was lead tipped hunting ammo from a box I'd purchased several years ago. It did the job eventually but didn't transfer enough energy to drop the buck and he ran a good way before dropping. I'm sure if I'd hit his heart he'd not have run so far.

You're lucky any of the meat was harvestable with such a high powered round

 

[Mark from MA]

I used to take deer all the time when it was 60-70 out. Can't hang them. Gotta put on ice and quarter them up into a cooler. Not a big deal really.
Now is the rut and when you should be hunting.....KY is a little easier, if your just after a meat deer you can probably shoot one anytime.

As I'm saying this...I have not even sat a stand yet this year.

Taking 10 days of vacation starting Thursday, but most if will be going down South to see my kid for Thanksgiving and look at real estate. I'll probably hunt 2 days out of it maybe.

 

[Uzi2]

I used to take deer all the time when it was 60-70 out. Can't hang them. Gotta put on ice and quarter them up into a cooler. Not a big deal really.
Now is the rut and when you should be hunting.....KY is a little easier, if your just after a meat deer you can probably shoot one anytime.

As I'm saying this...I have not even sat a stand yet this year.

Taking 10 days of vacation starting Thursday, but most if will be going down South to see my kid for Thanksgiving and look at real estate. I'll probably hunt 2 days out of it maybe.

Yes, the cooler thing works, I just don't have the coolers. I really do need to buy a few large ones.

I prefer to hang the carcass and butcher it while hanging. I'll hang it neck down for two or three days and let the rigor pass, then invert it and remove the back straps, the tenderloins, then the hind quarters and debone them and cut my roasts and steaks. My wife does the wrapping as I cut, then the dogs get the femurs, and we make up a grind pile for burger.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Seems next weekend is the fullerish moon. And all them other hunters still in a food coma from Thanksgiving. Maybe leave a cooler of Thanksgiving Sammiches at the local parking areas and get them to get back in their trucks and nap. Reduce the competition.