Texas deer

[USMC2010]

Ok, so I've been a lazy hunter in my life. Growing up dad never took is big game hunting, that was his thing. In college, 1988 I think it was, I shot my first deer, it was a doe and fed em for the school year. He passed in 2000 after having this rifle built but I know he never got to hunt with it. Prior to this year I was 0-5 in seasons, 3 in NY, 2 Camp Pendleton. When the move to Texas came about last fall I decided enough was enough. I didn't go last year because my job was 100% ttavel. This year has been different. I've been out bow hunting a lot, 2 misses but I have plenty of time to still drop one that way. Last Sunday I got this one. It wasn't a long shot, 71 yards, but the first kill with dad's gun and my first buck if anyone has been paying attention. My new scope, love it, the parallax focus matched the distance I ranged it at.

We grilled up the tenderloins that night.

Today I grilled the heart. I've never eaten heart, I'm surprised it is good. Also did a chunk of back strap. And a back strap stew.

I have the hide being tanned and the antlers will be a bare skull display. I'll share those when they are done. Texas is expensive and very complicated but I'm going to make it work.

 

[Spot]

Very cool, congratulations.

 

[Ultra...Good]

Nice shot. All the food looks great, but for the life of me I cannot stomach venison for some reason. Maybe if I started eating it at a younger age?? Oh well.

Gun season for deer opened this morning. It was in the single digits and maybe made it just over 20 degrees today. Sometimes I am glad that I cannot stomach venison. Supposed to be nicer later this week, but who knows.

 

[USMC2010]

Nice shot. All the food looks great, but for the life of me I cannot stomach venison for some reason. Maybe if I started eating it at a younger age?? Oh well.

Gun season for deer opened this morning. It was in the single digits and maybe made it just over 20 degrees today. Sometimes I am glad that I cannot stomach venison. Supposed to be nicer later this week, but who knows.

I have eaten it when it's very gamey and agree. Not one bite so far has been like that. It isn't beef but it is much more tasty than I remember.

 

[Ultra...Good]

I have eaten it when it's very gamey and agree. Not one bite so far has been like that. It isn't beef but it is much more tasty than I remember.

Yeah, I have heard that a lot of it has to do with where you get them. Did they live near apple orchards and corn fields or were they munching on tree bark and whatever they could find to get by? Near me it can be a mixed diet so you never know what you might get.

 

[USMC2010]

Yeah, I have heard that a lot of it has to do with where you get them. Did they live near apple orchards and corn fields or were they munching on tree bark and whatever they tcould find to get by? Near me it can be a mixed diet so you never know what you might get.

This was taken in a pecan orchard.

 

[pronstar]

Very cool!
That rifle will be a family heirloom hopefully for generations to come

 

[RiverDave]

Some good lookin dinner! Well except those round things.. what is that?

 

[USMC2010]

Some good lookin dinner! Well except those round things.. what is that?

Heart

 

[pkbullet]

We have taken 11 so far this season, 26 tags left to go. No matter how much we like venison, there is no way to keep up. We started making dog food with the grind. I look forward to having our population under control, then hunting will be a pleasure not a job.

 

[Caydens Cat]

My W.Texas buck. Love those memories. Next one will be with grandpa’s 30.06.

had it mounted as well

 

[Done-it-again]

Nice one. My uncle got his 1st of the season last week, few more to go to fill the freezer.

What do you mean by this?
Texas is expensive and very complicated but I'm going to make it work.

 

[USMC2010]

Nice one. My uncle got his 1st of the season last week, few more to go to fill the freezer.

What do you mean by this?
Texas is expensive and very complicated but I'm going to make it work.

I am from South Dakota, you don't need to spend thousands on lease land or thousand to thousands to kill an animal on someone's private land. Yes there is a lot public land here but I haven't figured that part out yet so this year I paid to shoot on someone's property. As my time goes here I will stop that but for now it was the easy way to hunt but it wasn't cheap.

 

[jetboatperformance]

Nice Buck and Beautiful rifle ...My California deer at the ranch anymore are/pets/pests and my days of busting brush are long gone , several racks on the man cave walls but I've lost that will to kill (deer) Loads of good times to remember , My deer rifle is a 30 06 03a3 custom built before my purchase , dime size groups and lots of Antlers and hogs to its credit

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Nice one. My uncle got his 1st of the season last week, few more to go to fill the freezer.

What do you mean by this?
Texas is expensive and very complicated but I'm going to make it work.

Very little public land in texas....leases are big bucks. I spent roughly $5k in 3 years just for access to hunt. Deer are LITTLE... I've hunted a lot of places, and after leaving texas Idk if I would hunt there again.. WA, WI, KS, are my go to's...I'm not out fees for land...deer are way bigger etc.

 

[USMC2010]

The buck I'm still trying to get with my bow is decent size for anywhere, he's also going to cost me $2400+ when/if I don't miss again but yup, overall they are small here depending on where you are at. I missed him opening weekend, I know he's still around. I will have him mounted.

 

[Done-it-again]

Very little public land in texas....leases are big bucks. I spent roughly $5k in 3 years just for access to hunt. Deer are LITTLE... I've hunted a lot of places, and after leaving texas Idk if I would hunt there again.. WA, WI, KS, are my go to's...I'm not out fees for land...deer are way bigger etc.P

I am from South Dakota, you don't need to spend thousands on lease land or thousand to thousands to kill an animal on someone's private land. Yes there is a lot public land here but I haven't figured that part out yet so this year I paid to shoot on someone's property. As my time goes here I will stop that but for now it was the easy way to hunt but it wasn't cheap.

Very little public land in texas....leases are big bucks. I spent roughly $5k in 3 years just for access to hunt. Deer are LITTLE... I've hunted a lot of places, and after leaving texas Idk if I would hunt there again.. WA, WI, KS, are my go to's...I'm not out fees for land...deer are way bigger etc.

Didn’t equate “Texas is expensive” to only hunting, thought in general.

People pay big money for deer leases in TX. My uncle has 100 acres (spit up in 2 different areas) so I’ve been lucky to hunt those places. If I had to spend 1-3k to hunt a deer, F’ that I would rather buy my meat. I know it’s a “sport” but it’s pricey to eat of the land if it’s not yours.

I agree TX white tail are small and I do prefer Idaho deer taste vs TX. If TX has a lot of rain then the deer taste better.

 

[USMC2010]

Didn’t equate “Texas is expensive” to only hunting, thought in general.

People pay big money for deer leases in TX. My uncles had 100 acres (spit up in 2 different areas) so I’ve been lucky to hunt those places. If I had to spend 1-3k to hunt a deer, F’ that I would rather buy my meat. I know it’s a “sport” but it’s pricey to eat of the
Land the land if it’s not yours.

Which is why I said I'm figuring it out. One of these years I will either buy some land or sadly invest in a lease. I was fortunate through casual conversation to come in contact with the individuals I'm dealing with this fall. They are really good people and have given me a start at something vs nothing.

 

[Done-it-again]

Which is why I said I'm figuring it out. One of these years I will either buy some land or sadly invest in a lease. I was fortunate through casual conversation to come in contact with the individuals I'm dealing with this fall. They are really good people and have given me a start at something vs nothing.

Makes sense to me now, lol.
What part of TX?

 

[USMC2010]

I live in south Austin.

 

[Orange Juice]

I’d have to own enough land, to shoot from the front porch, before I’d move to Texas, or anywhere east of the Mississippi River.

 

[pkbullet]

The last three myself, wife and son have taken. If you are a really responsible hunter in TX you can shoot a buck on my place for free but have to take two doe. Don’t miss or shoot through and hit a Sable heffer, that will cost you 55k.

 

[Done-it-again]

The last three myself, wife and son have taken. If you are a really responsible hunter in TX you can shoot a buck on my place for free but have to take two doe. Don’t miss or shoot through and hit a Sable heffer, that will cost you 55k. View attachment 1174120 View attachment 1174121 View attachment 1174122

Are tags required? For some reason I’m thinking your situation is different and not needing them.

 

[pkbullet]

License is required, we have our own tags. We are an MLD 3, giving us our own tags and longer season. We can used any weapon Oct-Feb. Our problem is lowering the whitetail population ourselves is a lot of work. We feed year round for our exotics, the whitetail numbers are causing us to burn over 4k pounds of protein a week. That’s a lot of expense for a species we don’t get a return on. In retrospect we should have opened the gates before we bought exotics, but then we would have pigs and more coyotes.

Are tags required? For some reason I’m thinking your situation is different and not needing them.

 

[Done-it-again]

License is required, we have our own tags. We are an MLD 3, giving us our own tags and longer season. We can used any weapon Oct-Feb. Our problem is lowering the whitetail population ourselves is a lot of work. We feed year round for our exotics, the whitetail numbers are causing us to burn over 4k pounds of protein a week. That’s a lot of expense for a species we don’t get a return on. In retrospect we should have opened the gates before we bought exotics, but then we would have pigs and more coyotes.

If your serious about hunting message me. My uncle lives in a small town not to far pretty sure he would be “game”
Lol. He hunts all his meat.

 

[USMC2010]

License is required, we have our own tags. We are an MLD 3, giving us our own tags and longer season. We can used any weapon Oct-Feb. Our problem is lowering the whitetail population ourselves is a lot of work. We feed year round for our exotics, the whitetail numbers are causing us to burn over 4k pounds of protein a week. That’s a lot of expense for a species we don’t get a return on. In retrospect we should have opened the gates before we bought exotics, but then we would have pigs and more coyotes.

Where is this?

 

[pkbullet]

Where is this?

Breckenridge, we would prefer bow hunters. Less risk in hitting something else. Our exotics like to come to corn, some are federally protected. Our goal is to not have outside hunters, but 37 tags this year is a lot.

 

[Zeke27G]

Nice Buck and Beautiful rifle ...My California deer at the ranch anymore are/pets/pests and my days of busting brush are long gone , several racks on the man cave walls but I've lost that will to kill (deer) Loads of good times to remember , My deer rifle is a 30 06 03a3 custom built before my purchase , dime size groups and lots of Antlers and hogs to its credit

Beautiful rifle! Is that a "Richards Microfit" stock?

 

[Done-it-again]

Few from my Uncle's place this weekend... one's his, his son and DIL...

He said Bucks are everywhere and hasn't seen many doe's

 

[jetboatperformance]

Beautiful rifle! Is that a "Richards Microfit" stock?

Thankyou and sorry for the thread jack to the OP , It has a pretty rich history I bought it in the eighties at a yard sale It actually came in a home made (custom) wooden gun case , Its an 06/03A3 custom built By a place called Santa Barbara gun works , the floated barrel is beautiful (like a file at issue) Has some jeweling on the reciever and a custom made turn down bolt handle , canjar trigger and the stock I was told was Cochise walnut, Its deadly accurate at 100 yards (dime size groups) I have two other 06's as well Great shooters , awesome "mauser type" action

 

[USMC2010]

Thankyou and sorry for the thread jack to the OP , It has a pretty rich history I bought it in the eighties at a yard sale It actually came in a home made (custom) wooden gun case , Its an 06/03A3 custom built By a place called Santa Barbara gun works , the floated barrel is beautiful (like a file at issue) Has some jeweling on the reciever and a custom made turn down bolt handle , canjar trigger and the stock I was told was Cochise walnut, Its deadly accurate at 100 yards (dime size groups) I have two other 06's as well Great shooters , awesome "mauser type" action

Not jacked at all, the conversation has been great and that's a beautiful gun.

 

[USMC2010]

Just got the hyde and this back last night.