Vermont deer hunting

[spud]

Today I did a little sugarbush management by shooting a 4 pointer in my woods. I sat in my stand for a fews hours taking cat naps and just fighting to stay awake. Finely with just a half hour of light left in the day the little buck came walking by. It weighed in at a whopping 120 pounds. Now my son is fired up and wants to get a buck bigger then mine (should not be hard to do). All in all it was a good day in the woods.

Spud

[Sunday Rock Maple]

He will eat well -- congratulations!

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Yea yea rub it in hejehe

[maple flats]

I went out (in behind my sugarhouse) yesterday morning and was just going to hunt until about 8:30. Well, at about 8:00 a group of does came in and I shot the biggest one. The hit looked good, she did the classic "kick up her hind legs" to suggest a heart shot. From where I sat all I saw was the group all run in the same direction. I waited a few minutes and then went to track it. Since they were standing in a few inches of water when I shot, I circled around and picked up the trail. I found no blood. I went back to where the doe was standing and found hair but no blood. If it wasn't for the reaction at the hit I'd have quit and thought I only grazed her, I saw no other tracks going away. I started making a grid pattern search and soon found her. It seems she went at about 45 degrees from where the others went and she only went about 70 yds. Then I had to drag a heavy deer. I did so for about 40 yds and then I was at a point where I could get my tractor to her. That was much easier. It turned out she only weighed 150 but that drags harder now than it did 10 yrs ago. 1 down, 4 tags to go. (I've never gotten more than 3 in a season before.

[BreezyHill]

Great job! I hate bucks in the bush. I had one along time ago that liked to play with the mainline. I think the saddles rubbed of the velvet nicely in the forks of the rack. That year one friend got a nice 8 pointer that had walked up the tubing right to his stand.
Good luck to your son! Its great when they show us up! Just make sure you give him the biggest huge!

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

got one, 8 pt small basket prob around 125lb checking it in tomorrow

[spud]

got one, 8 pt small basket prob around 125lb checking it in tomorrow

Oh yea rub it in Flat Lander. You had to go out and get twice the points I got.:) I am going to guess your deer weighs in at 137LBs. Anyone else care to guess before the weigh in?

Spud

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

812981308131

will take some better pics today in daylight

[Outdoorsman0490]

I got a nice 7 yesterday with the bow, if I didn't he probably would have been taken with a gun on a larger property next door. He should be about 180 dressed.

[tcross]

congrats guys on all the downed deer! I sure am a little jealous! sure hoping for some snow and a little better weather up here this weekend! the **** wind and rain was insane Sunday and Monday! saw some does, but that's about it!

[lyford]

got 2 doe so far and this 7pt all with the bow, so far 138lbs in the freezer[

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

113 lbs tiny deer

[Thad Blaisdell]

Too bad to shoot that deer....... It was only a 1.5 years old, and had a rack like that. It would have been a fantastic buck in a couple of years. And the breeding potential, crying shame. Instead lets leave a spike horn to breed all the does. Whatever.

Off my soapbox

Nice buck flat.

[spud]

Way to go guy's it looks like a lot of us are having some luck. I plan to take two of the kids out this weekend in hopes they will each get one also. Hey Flat Lander it looks like I beat you by 7 Whopping pounds. :lol: Oh well they all taste the same. A guy in town is turning some of mine into Sausage. Everyone has been telling me he does a great job so I can't wait to try it.

Spud

[FDA]

Too bad to shoot that deer....... It was only a 1.5 years old, and had a rack like that. It would have been a fantastic buck in a couple of years. And the breeding potential, crying shame. Instead lets leave a spike horn to breed all the does. Whatever.

Off my soapbox

Nice buck flat.

The good old spike horn debate... Don't forget the doe carries half of the offspring genes. Your much better off harvesting a doe than a 1 1/2 year old spike as it just might develop into something with age. DEAD DEER DONT GROW!

[Randy Brutkoski]

Flats shot that deer across the road from my house. I shot an identical 8 pointer on my lawn 2 or maybe 3 years ago and it only weighed 118. Biologist said it was only a 1 1/2 year old. Probably the same genes. The deer are here because I have about 25 apple trees on my lawn.

[spud]

I'm sure there is not to many bucks in Vermont that are much older then 3-4 years old. I really don't care how many points a deer has I just want the meat. My 120 LB buck will be better eating than a 200 LB buck.

Spud

[maple flats]

While I think QDM (quality deer management)is great and the way to go, in my area no one else seems to care. Thus, if you want to reduce the herd you shoot a tender young one or nothing. However, while I shoot all does at 2 1/2 or older, I don't shoot a buck unless he is sporting a nice rack. The few around here who make it to 3.5 or older are still not carrying a big rack. My oldest one was aged by a DEC checker at a check station . He was 6.5 and only carried 7 points. I shot one other 7 pointer who was 3.5 yrs old in years past.
Besides I truly think the does eat better, that 6.5 yr old was not good eating, we ended up turning it all into sausage.

[Thad Blaisdell]

The good old spike horn debate... Don't forget the doe carries half of the offspring genes. Your much better off harvesting a doe than a 1 1/2 year old spike as it just might develop into something with age. DEAD DEER DONT GROW!

Its true the doe carries half of the genes, but if you keep mixing in the same old crap (spikes) it only degrades the pool. If you mix in some fresh good genes once in a while it improves the next generation. Keep adding good genetics and pretty quick you have some nice racks on some of these deer. Personally I would rather shoot a nice 2.5 or 3.5 year old buck with a nice rack. But if we keep mixing in low genetics the only thing you end up with is smaller and smaller horns.

[bstewar]

I have been hunting the same area for several years with good success. I will add that I have only harvested one buck with brow tines with all other without brows . This year I shot my best buck to date......again no brows. 8133I suppose it speaks to the gene pool in this area. I am still thrilled over my buck. 8 pt, 161 lbs

[lyford]

Great Buck!

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

I know this is Vt. deer thread and don't want to hijack it, but I wanted to share the buck I shot tues. night. 150 lbs. dressed.
Neil8134

[spud]

Those bucks are very nice guy's. Please don't think this thread is for Vermont only. It's great to see everyones bucks or does no matter where your from.

Spud

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I have been hunting the same area for several years with good success. I will add that I have only harvested one buck with brow tines with all other without brows . This year I shot my best buck to date......again no brows. 8133I suppose it speaks to the gene pool in this area. I am still thrilled over my buck. 8 pt, 161 lbs


Those bucks are very nice guy's. Please don't think this thread is for Vermont only. It's great to see everyones bucks or does no matter where your from.

Spud
That's a Shrewsbury deer? Wow nice wide rack.
Yea that I thought the same after I was told how old it probably was but I yelled to the guy " hey how old are you" he didn't answer back so I shot him bullet he caught it but still didn't answer me.
I think there still a five two fours and a spike.
Randy Bates his deer so unfair.
The small rack bad genes is only to blame the old time Vermonters who almost shot to extinction the white tale deer in this state. So to keep the herd going a smaller deer from Arkansas were imported to keep the herd alive. Yes still a few true Vt deer out there that haven't cross bred with the poorer genes deer.
Correct me if I'm wrong which I know I'm not

[Thad Blaisdell]

You are wrong. and that is the way it is.

New York not Arkansas

http://books.google.com/books?id=oPDvBUL-ywcC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=deer+hunting+vt+1865&source=bl&ots=LZUqeWTps9&sig=YhJ1L_osMcKCABNVlhNiG9ksZG0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UmaRUpbKDMa4qAGGyYHoCw&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=deer%20hunting%20vt%201865&f=false

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Rutland county, assisted by a lew from adjoining counties, made up a fund by subscription to purchase some deer which had been advertised for sale at Dannemora, New York. Several hundred dollars were raised for this purpose. Fen animals were purchased at Dannemora and two or three from other sources.

As noted last sentence
http://books.google.com/books?id=zYQ9AAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA68&lpg=RA2-PA68&ots=_Q0odf_SIM&focus=viewport&dq=introduction+of+deer+into+vermont&output=html_text

[spud]

You guy's think the Gene Pool is bad for the deer in Vermont? You should look at the Gene Pool for the humans in Vermont. We need truck loads of new people brought to our town so we don't have to marry our sister's.:lol: When your family tree has no branches you know there's a problem. :o

Spud

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

You guy's think the Gene Pool is bad for the deer in Vermont? You should look at the Gene Pool for the humans in Vermont. We need truck loads of new people brought to our town so we don't have to marry our sister's.:lol: When your family tree has no branches you know there's a problem. :o

Spud
At least you know where she has been you whole life:lol:
We are bringimg in new people coming in on amwreck from NYC most upstanding kind you can think of

[PerryFamily]

As far as I am concerned as long as they come up here, spend there money with local contractors and businesses fixing up their second home (most likely) and support the economy they can come in droves. Now if they could leave the posted signs at the store we would be all set.

Anyway sorry to get off subject, nice deer fellas! We have seen quite a few nice ones in my area as well.

[spud]

We have a lot of posted land in our town from outsider's. Most of them do allow hunting on their property but they want to choose the people. I think this is a very good way of keeping the not so nice people out. All my land is posted (135 acres) but I do let two different father/son groups hunt on my land. We have three food plots, 3 tree stands, two shooting tents and my favorite the heated shooting shack. The two father/son teams hunt in different sections and on different days because of their work schedules. Everything works out great and they are very thankful for the chance to hunt. Because I have a bunch of kids I really don't want strangers hunting my land shooting their guns in directions they are unsure of. There are a lot of people mad about all the posted land in Vermont but I tell them they can fix the problem by buying their own land. The funny thing is once they buy their own land they then go and post it. I also have 8 game cameras on my property that I don't want stolen.

Spud

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

81408141

Speaking of posting, this buck makes me want to. My neighbor shot this one last night about 400 yards from my house. I have two trail cam shots of him and have been targeting him all season. More power to him as I was inside when I heard the 3 shots watching kids. He called him in. 199 lbs 9 point. I have a blind within sight of where he shot it. Nice buck. It made it hard to get back out there today.

However my father told me not to ever hunt someone else's land if I posted my own. So far I am sticking with that, but as I spend money on food plots, trail cams and shooting blinds I may rethink it.

Ben

[PerryFamily]

Second- good point! People posting land yet hunting on others happens here a lot.

Spud- good point at well. I only own 1 measly acre or about 6 taps. The remainder of my 1100, soon to be 1500 taps are on leased land so I totally understand and appreciate the generosity of landowners . I think knowing who is hunting on your land is important as well, especially with kids running around. A friend of mine has permission to hunt on governor Shumlins land here in Westminster, which is lined with posted signs. Shumlin is one of the largest landowners in town.

[tcross]

for those of you saying the gene pool sucks here in Vermont, i'm not sure where you hunt, but where I hunt here in the NEk (big woods, no fields), we have great genetics! if I could figure out how to upload pictures i'd post some nice pics from the last 5-6 years of dear we have taken out of my camp! Just had a beautiful 8 pt taken Saturday! i'm clicking on the picture attachment but the pictures won't upload?

[n8hutch]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8154[/ATTACH
Maine Deer shot about 3 miles from my house. 200 lbs
I should clarify , my friend took this deer. I am jealous.

[jrmaple]

9523
9524
Just stumbled across this thread, (a few months past deer season but oh well), a family friend shot this nice 8 on our land in CT and I took the easy 10 in the field where we could drive the tractor right up to it :)

[spud]

Very nice deer.

Spud