I love the pumpkin it is awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was doing my own processing but I don't have much time to deal with it right now. I had a friend that would help me and I would help him. It would take us around 4 hours from start to finish. I would like to donate some to the hungry but the only way you can do that is to pay the prossecing fee and I don't have the money to do that. The reason I started doing it myself was because the cost was getting to high. I may try and do one for myself this year but I don't know. I have never processed a deer all by myself and when I used to do it with a friend we would just cut it up. I have no idea how to do it right. I am going to have a big get together and roast a hole one if I kill one this year.

I think that on the offical score card Rob has our score wrong I think it is supossed to be 327 6/8 not 317 6/8 but I am sure he will catch it. Good luck to the rest of the team.

William

Yep, you are right about the score, I come up with 327 6/8 too. I PM'd him this morning about the score for my buck, he had it down for 79 2/8ths, and it was really only 72 2/8ths. Has anyone let him know that it is wrong yet?

RYBO.... that's one badazz pumpkin! I LOVE IT!

Hey guys...I went out scouting this afternoon; man am I stoked to hang a stand back in on this natural funnel I located in Ole Yellers area. I hiked around about4 miles, it felt good to be out in the rain checking out all the new sign being laid down..thankGod for gortex too....I have a good feeling about his spot. Does are using it daily from the sighting and sign I read in there this evening, the thermals are perfect for evening hunts and the structureof theterrain is perfect for a stand site.The "killer" spot isan inside corner created by a field, a timbered flat that bends around the back corner of the field and then bordering the other side of the timber flat,arelong 1/2 mile....ridges...3 of these beauties..dumping down onto the flat. It is pounded with sign... The 3 mountain ridges serve as runways dumping onto the flat from a northtosouth direction..the timbered flat is about 70-100 yards wide out to the open field corner where it makes the bend...which serves as that hour glass type structure...deer are coming down off of the ridges if they are using the thermals..which makes sense..and if they want to travel east and west around thetimbered inside corner..in a cross wind which breeder bucks love to doduring the rut to catch as much scent as possible...the ridges serve as walls that will steer them right across this 70-100 yard wide flat...as they curve around the bend. I have been wanting to get a stand in this general area for some time but after finally having the time Ifelt I needed to look it over one more time....versus just barreling in ...tonights scout sealed the decision for me .... once I was confident in the exact spot...I slipped down of the mountain, crossed a big timbered bottom to view from awind in my face direction...the field'sback corner...I got in thereso I couldcheck wind for the last hour of daylight. I was impressed as I sat quietly watching the timber back in where I want to put a stand.... I saw 4 does and 1 buck a little 2.5 year old 4x5. come from the timber out out to feed...and I grunted now and then... I heard a few big ole branches breaking behind me as well...This spot is located about 500 yardsfrom where I filmed Ole Yeller this past August and is in the direction that he would come from to eat alfalfa in the evenings...I am confident he lives in thisarea and will most likelybe using this inside corner sooneror later...scent checking thoseresident does..Above and behind this inside corner are the big ridges that are seperated by big draws, which areall THICKLY TIMBERED and brushed in...and serves as a huge area for deer to hide out/bed/feed and feel safe, yet only minutes away from fields and of course they have natural browse all over in the timber. I was looking over about 1000 acres of total country tonight which is both private and federal that I can hunt both..... I can't wait to hunt it! I know that big ole buckor bucks...are back up in on those ridges somewhere ...close, I know he is.....I just had the feeling tonight telling meI need to hunt that spot, the nice thing is..its one of those special places that the thermals will work pretty consistent in that I can hunt it a fair amount of times...without spooking critters..I am stoked!


Good luck everyone on your hunts..be safe.. I see we are the 2/8ths club so far!

Rybo - that pumpkin is awesome. Definitely awesome. It puts the neighborhood kids on notice that they're messing with a bow shooting renegade. Pumpkin Smashers,Window Soapers, and TP ThrowersBeware!

Troy - It sounds like you're closing in on old yeller. Here's to you making a successful bag & tag.

Darren - Congrats again on that buck. That moment will stick with you forever. You'll see it replay in your head about 50,000 times over the next 20 years, and it'll make ya feel great every time.

Things are starting to heat up, and the leaves are coming off, which means more crunch on the floor and increased visibility. Last night, I got off work a shade early and ran over to WV andsaw three doe being followed loosely by 2 bucks right at dark.

One was a little forkhorn that stood around under my stand watching the girls, but he had a bigger friend who lingered way behind. I never got a good visual on the second buck's rack, but he was obviously bigger. I was in WV where there are no AR's, so I drew and thought about taking him, but I backed off. It was probably way past legal shooting light anyway, and I didn't really know what the heck I was shooting at. I just know it was a buck, b/c I got a visual on some horns when he walked through a bunch of bright yellow leaves. He stopped in a lane to my right, and I had an open shot into the vitals. I could barely see the pin, and came ever-so-close to touching one off, but amazingly, I fought backthe urge. I'd have just liked to know what he was - I need bigger pupils, I guess.

I usually give my deer to a friend, his family (5 kids) eat about 7 or 8 deer a year. I usually give him 2 a year. I got a doe Tuesday night, gave it to him....he was happy. He lets us turkey hunt on him, we keep him supplied with deer meat, its a nice trade off. I usually process one deer myself a year. Its about $60 around here with no slim jims or snack sticks...what ever you call them. They are about $4 a lb...that gets a little pricey. I'm not sure if I am going to get one processed or not this year...with moving and all the headaches involved with that, I may give him all of my deer. I still have one archery tag left, a shotgun permit and a muzzleloader permit. Now if I have time to go????[&:]

I always just give my deer away except one. Processing fees around here, as Rybo said, are creeping up on $65, and the deer we get are usually too small to even get 60# of meat. I take one nice-sized one to the butcher, and have him made into all deerburger for my own enjoyment.

Once I getmy deerburger processed, I start making lots of deer chili, fajitas, spaghetti, hamburgers, sloppy joes, etc. It's good and lean, and cheaper than supermarket burger (about $1/pound). I'm not a big deer steak guy, but I really like the burger. I also like the slim jims, jerky, sausage,kielbasa and bologna, but those items are expensive, so I just go with the burger for now.

A couple of the guys I give deer to butcher them themselves, and Ialwayshelp themskin and quarter. It's a fair trade, they're taking the deer off my hands, and getting some free meat. I help them out for a few hours, and I don't have to fool with it anymore.

Awesome button, happy for you on the doe harvest...

Quick good luck man..in WV I hope ya hammer a good one...I really like this necked down spot I am hunting the big boy in... question is...if highrack comes by ...by chance in that area..can I hold off..good problem to have I reckon...I really want to leave the highrack alone though..hes gonna be a tremendous perfect typical 5x5 next year... he may push 170's next year.. and he is so clean and even..I am gonna let my brother hunt both of these bucks next weekend and thanksgiving, knowing my brother he will pass though.he always does that saying..naw you hunt them...you found them..I have a dandy 150 class on the property I shot my 6x6 on that Rob wants anyway..if we can find him......I would just as happy if he got one of them...

Rybo I expect you to go"recluse" for those days you're off until you hammer one!

My buck really butchered up nicely..he's a hawg, lots of meat to grind and jerky now...I mix all my deer burger with a little bacon...yummy...I have no idea what processing fees are around here..we've always cut our own..I am building a shopt this summer at my new place and will be making a walk in cooler in the back corner of the shop.... I cant wait..

Well Rybo - your vacation is about to begin. Good luck over the next couple weeks, it should be awesome. It looks like the weather might not be too bad over the weekend, so you'll be off to a good start.

I'm pretty excited about tomorrow, I get to sit dark-to-dark for the first time since opening day. I put fresh batteries in the radio so I can hear the Nittany Lions during the afternoon - if Ican get the radio coverage down there in Hicktown, WV.

I have a halloween party that starts at 8:30 andI'll be hotfooting it from the treestand, grabbing the fiancee, jumping into the Bunny Suit and racing to the party. If all goes well, I'll havea deadbuck balled upin the trunk that she won't even know about. LOL. From here on out, I'll get to hunt every Saturday, and every morning before work 6:30 - 8 (daylight savings time).

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Man, I've been debating over how exactly I should wear this HNI victory hat... I'm thinking maybe a sharp v-bend in the center of the bill, perched high atop my head, with my mullet fluffed out the back- "the Trucker Look." ...or perhaps a nice, hard, round bend, worn low-profile down over my eyes for the "shady look." Maybe "Straight-up Gangsta" with the bill flattened, and tags still attached, turned to maybe 11 or 1 o'clock. I'm thinking the "Trucker Look" would go best with the mullet.

How will you guys be wearing yours? Troy, you'd probably look best, "Straight up Gangsta" with a red bandana hangin' out your left side - yeah, that's the Crip side.

Troy, you'd probably look best, "Straight up Gangsta" with a red bandana hangin' out your left side - yeah, that's the Crip side.


ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!

QUIK.. BUNNY SUIT!!!! I hope it is hers..

Congrats Darren on the buck
Very cool pumpkin Rybo
I am cheep so I process my own deer also.. I mostly eat the burger so that is the easy stuff to make...

Well I have been reading the post but have not had time to post. I also hit a buck on Monday... did not have a huge rack... in fact it was a main frame 6 but had one side all busted up. Not real sure what was left on the one side..... anyway... put a great shot on him at 30 yrds.. did not get a passthrough.... found about 12 yrds of blood 100 yrds away from where I hit him... another 30 yrds to 12 more yrds of blood????? That was it.... the blood I did have looked as if it had been poured out and was real good blood.... I have 9 hours into looking for this deer and the help of my brother for 5 hours....I have never had a blood trail to follow.. ever... I am trying different broad heads this year to change that... well I am now on my second set of heads... Still trying to get one on the board for us but not having much luck... Deer cam is going crazy with the corn down but not durring daylight hours....and thats what I am seeing.

good luck to the rest of you