2026 Deer and Fish Tales

[Pullstart 71,350]

On 9/12/2026 at 11:54 AM, SylvanLakeWH said:

1/2 hour long early doe season!!!

 

2 tags 2 doe

 

15 minutes after sunrise I drop the first one... while I'm gutting it, no. 2 moseys by... dropped her as well... both fell where they stood!!!

 

 

Random thoughts with @Pullstart…. Sylvia did you make high shoulder shots?  .350 or .450?  How much meat loss from the bullet?

 

Would you have the room to double lung shoot the deer and let them run a bit and drop?  I love an easy track job.  I also love meat.  I’m just curious as to your methods, or reasoning.  I’ve done both.  

[WHX?? 58,285]

On 9/12/2026 at 10:54 AM, SylvanLakeWH said:

2 tags 2 doe

C'mon over Sylvia I got 12 doe tags. Ducks in a barrel too. 

[SylvanLakeWH 32,677]

8 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

 

Random thoughts with @Pullstart…. Sylvia did you make high shoulder shots?  .350 or .450?  How much meat loss from the bullet?

 

Would you have the room to double lung shoot the deer and let them run a bit and drop?  I love an easy track job.  I also love meat.  I’m just curious as to your methods, or reasoning.  I’ve done both.  

Neck just above shoulder. Really no meat loss.

 

.350 at 75 yards and 25 yards.

 

I have had good luck with this method. Very little tracking.

[Pullstart 71,350]

1 minute ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Neck

I have been seeing some pretty interesting neck recipes.  If you got em in a barrel like Uncle Jim, maybe a head shot or two would be in order?

 

4 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

C'mon over Sylvia I got 12 doe tags. Ducks in a barrel too. 

 

What season is plow day again?  Bow?  Maybe I need to come on Wednesday 

[WHX?? 58,285]

8 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

interesting neck recipes.

I've got quite a few for rolled roasts if you have the patience to bone it. Was always dad's favorite. He always got ticked off with my 7mm-08neck shots. 

 

10 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

What season is plow day again?  Bow?

Yep or x bow. Problem with this time of year is getting it cooled down without a walk in. I plan on taking a pick up load to a donation place once it cools down out. 

They pay the butcher 135 to cut & wrap all you gotta do is gut it and get it to them. Problem is here the nearest place is hrs away. They recently upped it from 125 to try and get more processers to participate. 

[Pullstart 71,350]

Have buck knife, will travel.  

[SylvanLakeWH 32,677]

1 hour ago, WHX?? said:

Problem is here the nearest place is hrs away.

I'm very fortunate. Shot to processor is 1/2 hr.

 

Early season is crazy with temperatures... it was 65 when I dropped my two early doe this year.

 

Looking forward to regular season!!! 

[Ed Kennell 47,530]

2 hours ago, WHX?? said:

They pay the butcher 135 to cut & wrap

Wow, here's my Amish butcher's price list.     I skin and debone all my deer, but I use the butcher to make me a 10 lb 5" diameter bologna for $7.50 and he cures two hinds for dried deer for $1.30/lb.     This includes slicing, vacpac, and freezing.

 

1 hour ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Early season is crazy with temperatures.

    Yeah, I don't shoot doe till November.  Then 50 yd head shots with the .223 WSSM.

[adsm08 5,183]

9 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

I skin and debone all my deer, but I use the butcher to make me a 10 lb 5" diameter bologna for $7.50 and he cures two hinds for dried deer for $1.30/lb.     This includes slicing, vacpac, and freezing.

 

I got a place in New Kingston that I can drop a field dressed deer, with the skin on, $100 for a basic cut. I get the steaks and roasts, and everything else gets ground, and it all gets vacuum packed, for $100.

 

Or I just do it myself for free. I only take them to the butcher for sticks or baloney anymore.

[SylvanLakeWH 32,677]

You guys are lucky... around here it's ~$160 standard processing... 

[SylvanLakeWH 32,677]

This morning...

 

He's a  guy...

 

 

[adsm08 5,183]

The boy got off his first shot of the season tonight, a little later in the evening than I would have liked, but a shot is a shot.

 

We searched around for almost half an hour and did not find his arrow, or so much as a drop of blood. Obviously without the arrow I can't be 100% sure, but I think he missed.

[PWL216 1,294]

Opening day of Pheasant season in MA. 

[Ed Kennell 47,530]

1 hour ago, PWL216 said:

Opening day of Pheasant season in MA.

Brings back memories of opening day in the '70s in Pa.

[adsm08 5,183]

9 hours ago, PWL216 said:

Opening day of Pheasant season in MA. 

 

Kids phesant has been in for a week here, we've been out 3 times and only had one flush.

 

I'm hoping the adult season goes better.

[Ed Kennell 47,530]

Finally got to spend an hour in my tree stand this evening.    The Steam-o-Rama, crabbing vacation, and caretaker for Mrs. Ks new Knee had me busy for the first two weeks of archery.   Archery is in till mid November and the bucks are usually nocturnal till November, so I have plenty of time.   It's been too hot to butcher anyway.

.   This week muzzle loaders can also be used to take doe only and Thur. - Sat. seniors can also use rifle for doe.  This is when I usually fill my doe tags.  

I did bump 3 deer near my stand and saw 12 more feeding in the field when I got in my tree.   Not bad for the first hour sit.

 

[adsm08 5,183]

I had the day off, so we got out there early. We were moving spots because I had to go look for a landmark that starts a trail to one of our stands, about 5, when we walked up on one bedded.

 

Shot fired about 5:30. Deer located, but alive 6:15.

 

7:00:

 

 

8:30 (we had to get dinner) 

My dad is showing him how to skin it. We do know what we are doing, but the boy wants to get this hide tanned, and we don't usually leave them in any condition worth keeping.

 

10:00

[Ed Kennell 47,530]

The doe herd (10) showed up right on schedule at 6:00PM tonight.    Five more are at the right out of frame.

[SylvanLakeWH 32,677]

Scouted the property today with my BIL for bow and bought my first crossbow, with crank cocking / decocking. First season of bow... we'll see how it goes...

 

Only doe for me, as I've used my 2 combo doe/buck tags for doe already... ok by me. I like venison...

[oliver2-44 11,767]

Corn Buzzards at my feeder. Didn’t have any for years. Then Parks and Wildlife stocked a bunch of them in my area about 10 years ago

Edited 12 hours ago by oliver2-44

[Ed Kennell 47,530]

1 minute ago, oliver2-44 said:

Wildlife stocked a bunch of area in county about 10 years ago

If they stocked 10 years ago, they must have been transferred wild birds.     Pa tried stocking pen raised turkey unsuccessfully for many years.  They just never survived to reproduce.     Then they started the trap and transfer of wild birds which was very successful.  We now have a decent wild turkey population in every county.

I wish they would do the same for the ringneck pheasants.

[Ed Kennell 47,530]

Good evening in the deer stand.      Like clockwork, at 6:16PM the doe filtered out in the field.   But unlike previous nights, the piebald buck followed.  This is the first he showed since I saw him on the trail cam about four months ago.    I had him in the rangefinder broadside at 55 yards.  I was tempted but there was a doe at 30 yards and I felt sure he would come closer.to check her.   Then a bigger buck ran in and chased the piebald off and all he$$ broke loose in the field with that buck chasing doe till dark. 

 

Sorry, I was too busy with the bow and range finder to get any pics.

 

 

[WHX?? 58,285]

Mr. Piebald don't have too shabby a rack Ed. Looks like he's still in velvet?? 

[Ed Kennell 47,530]

16 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Mr. Piebald don't have too shabby a rack Ed. Looks like he's still in velvet?? 

That's an old trail cam pic from July when he was in velvet.    Tonight is the first I've seen him since July and he looks smaller without the velvet, but I would rather take him than the larger brown buck that chased him off.     Looks like the rut is early and time to spend some serious time in the tree.   The wind is wrong tomorrow and Tuesday, but the rest of the week looks good.