I think the end has come

I've been out with the flintlock looking to fill a doe tag. I was out in falling snow and the bitter cold. I have my cold weather clothing fairly well sorted out at this point, that I'm actually not too cold when I'm out, even when it was in the single digits. (I know Cheyenne will giggle at me calling that "bitter cold," but for this PA boy, that's pretty darn cold.)

I did miss one on the first afternoon of flintlock season (12/26). Not a slam dunk, but I should have hit that shot. I followed every bit of sign I had, and every recently used trail for another 200 yards, no sign of a hit, no deer, so I felt good it was a clean miss.

Then it got hard to find deer. I finally riddled it out, and saw a few last night. I had a small one in range Sat. AM, but she was a fawn of this year, I think.

As I watched two very nice, mature doe headed down a field edge toward me last night, I found myself thinking, "You know, these deer made it through 10 weeks of bow season, 2 weeks of rifle, a week or so of flintlock now, and this miserable weather. I don't really want to kill them." They didn't get anywhere near close enough, and I was kinda relieved.

Same thing tonight. One slipped across the field near me before I could have ever even pretended to take a shot, and never gave me a clear shot while she was in the woods. Saw one way far off, and heard a few more that never showed themselves. I was kinda relieved, again.

I killed a cow elk in Colorado in October, my biggest buck with a bow to date in November, and my daughter killed a super 8pt in rifle season. We don't need meat.

Any deer I got would be given to folks who want a deer.

But....with hunting season having been basically non-stop for me from mid-Sept to now, I'm enjoying going out, but I don't want to kill the deer I see. I just don't. The end has come.

I think I'll spend whatever time I have for hunting to take my small bore flintlock out for squirrels. It gets me out hunting and I won't be shooting deer.

I think this is the first year I've been in this situation, but it's also the first time I've killed an elk, and we've got half our "spare" upright freezer filled with meat, and that's always been there in case the main freezer died. That's all meat that'll be ground to make into sausage, bologna, snack sticks, etc, but we've never had so much meat on hand, and I think that's pretty well squashed my drive to shoot any more deer. I'd rather they be around next fall.

Good luck to those still chasing 'em...and I hope you fill all your tags. Shoot straight, folks, and keep your powder dry. I'm rootin' for ya...but I think my time as come to call it.... my deer season 2017 is officially done. It's been a great one, without a doubt. Lots of memories and firsts for me, and my family. And now it's in the books.

Don't be surprised if it begins to happen more as you age. I call it maturing as a human being. I've been hunting this cold weather too trying to get a mature doe for my son but I'm not seeing anything. Personally I don't care if I kill another one this year or not. I just enjoy deer hunting with a flintlock.

I do, too, and several people have said that they'd love a deer if I got one. We have no need for any more meat whatsoever, lol. The elk was 2-3x a whitetail doe in meat, plus two large-bodied bucks between my daughter and I, and we're usually eating 3 mature doe a year, so we're in pretty good shape, lol.

I struggle to shoot deer to give away. We don't have a shortage of deer, but I don't feel like just killing one to kill it and give it away. This will end my 62-cal rifle's deer a year streak, and a deer this year would have been my first with a round ball I cast myself, but those are trifling things in the big picture.

I'm gonna make those tree rats feel the bite of the 36-cal Berks Schimmel, though!

tddeangelo":9ax3ginq said:

I'm gonna make those tree rats feel the bite of the 36-cal Berks Schimmel, though!

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My season ended last evening with the last day of the late antlerless season.
Almost took a squirrel chattering in the tree next to me with the 450 Bushmaster. :mrgreen:

TD- sounds to me like you had a "season of a lifetime" 'specially those moments with your daughter. Congrats sir, its the memories that keep you warm through the winter and keep you looking forward to next fall. CL

I've got a very serious grudge with red squirrels...lol

CL, you've very much correct. My dad killed a nice 8pt as well this year, so three generations of our family punched tags this time around.

Go get them tree rats! CL

I completely understand. Sometimes we reach a point where we've taken "enough."

And although we could go take more, we choose to not take anymore.

That's okay. Even commendable.

Regards, Guy

Catch and release hunting is great fun. This should be, for most of us, about the adventure not the body count. Highly commendable on your part.


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Yep your maturing

Tom you had what I would call a very successful season hunting and gathering meat for your family.
As you discovered killing game isn't everything though it is nice to put meat on the table.
There is a time when you realize that a successful hunt is getting out exploring the country side,fields and mountains finding game watching what the do in a daily routine and learning their habits.
Some call it maturity I call it winning the game of hid and seek. They hid and I seek, sometimes I'm successful sometimes I'm not but it is a game I play and it's best played with someone wanting to learn the game. Your daughters are learning the game and will reach a point where they just want to get out and just be with nature and play hid and seek.
Bitter cold? Yeah to us lower east coast hunters this is bitter cold, 5-F this mourning at my house and probably below zero up in the mountains near my home where I hunt. There is a late deer season going on right now in my zone but have no desire to fight the cold.
So for me the end has come also.

Good season Tom. Great memories and great eats in the freezer.

I'm still wondering if I was told I grew up, or told I got old....?

tddeangelo":2qr6v9nc said:

I'm still wondering if I was told I grew up, or told I got old....?

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Take it as a compliment since you have mastered hunting, success is more then just harvesting game.

truck driver":10b2day0 said:

tddeangelo":10b2day0 said:

I'm still wondering if I was told I grew up, or told I got old....?

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Take it as a compliment since you have mastered hunting, success is more then just harvesting game.

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+1

I was almost afraid to read this thread, because of the title. lol

I don't see myself as mastering hunting. I've had good luck, and I've had my moments of success. I've also had moments I look back at with a cringe and "what the heck was I thinking???"

Make no mistake, had I a hole in the freezer space and a need for meat, those deer would be in danger, but any deer I get would be given away, which really takes the wind outta my sails on hunting any more deer.

By Sept when deer season begins anew, I'll be chomping at the bit, have no doubt about that.

tddeangelo":3ube29r2 said:

I don't see myself as mastering hunting. I've had good luck, and I've had my moments of success. I've also had moments I look back at with a cringe and "what the heck was I thinking???"

Make no mistake, had I a hole in the freezer space and a need for meat, those deer would be in danger, but any deer I get would be given away, which really takes the wind outta my sails on hunting any more deer.

By Sept when deer season begins anew, I'll be chomping at the bit, have no doubt about that.

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Hey Buddy we understand and like you next fall the fire will be burning for us also.

Tom, take this from an old whitebeard, you may have grown up but you have not gotten old. When you get old you "will" know it.

I have no doubt. I'm 42 and I still feel pretty good. I stay active, work on my health, and don't consider myself old. I have coworkers who are my age who complain all the time about "getting old," about all their various aches and pains and such. They looked at me like I was insane when I went elk hunting and they asked what the hunt was like and I told them.

A fellow from another forum I'm on has mentioned he's been laid up with a health issue and can't get out hunting. I offered to him that if he's in need/want of venison and can't get out, I'd be happy to go try to harvest a deer for him. If he is interested in that, I will saddle up the 62 again and go deer hunting. If not, squirrels it is.

There's an older gentleman, a Korea vet, who is hunting our lease looking for a deer yet. He struggles to get out, and he has a tracheotomy tube....or whatever it's called. He had throat cancer and has to have a stoma, I think it's called? He has that in his throat to talk, but the real cold temps we have are very dangerous for him, because that could freeze shut. He just wants to hunt, as far as I know of the situation, and isn't super concerned about more meat, but if he wants meat, I may make him the same offer....I'll help him out and try to take him a deer if he wants one.

I have until Jan 27 if either/both of those gentlemen want a deer.

I have until late Feb for squirrels for my own enjoyment. And vendetta against those little blankety-blanks.

I'll be the first to admit that each year deer hunting is getting harder and harder, and I don't know how long I'll be able to do it, but I'll hunt as long as possible. Someone has to be in really debilitating health to get my sympathy.
I just turned 65 in 2017, I have had a left knee and a left hip replaced. The knee did great but the hip not so great. I have spinal stenosis which will require surgery, soon. I have 2 discs in the neck which are gone. Just bone on bone. I have impingements in both shoulders and I don't know what kind of fix that requires yet. The spinal thing right now keeps me in almost constant pain. I use a lot of ice. But the shoulders are a close second and shooting offhand is really tough.
Getting a deer out of the woods is intimidating. I shot a doe today and even with an ATV it just about did me in getting her home. I also hunt alone, and cherish it. The kids are living too far away to help, it would be nice if they were closer.
But I'm not complaining, just sharing. I also own 6 Arabian horses including a stallion and at least twice a day, every day, regardless of the weather I can still take care of them. I still manage to keep the homeplace in fair condition also.
Just saying, it's how bad you want to do something that counts, and how much effort your willing to put into it. Sometimes people just need to get off the couch and get outside. I am so active I never felt like I was getting old. Until one day I begin to notice the aches and pains and realized I was finally feeling my age.
It happens to us all sooner or later.