Oh I know tons of ways to prepare it, I just Don't care for it.
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That sucks. Sad thing is, you will probably think about that deer the rest of your life.
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Got my first Wood Duck this morning. IMO one of the prettiest ducks there is. Been pretty slow down here so far in the early season. Not many ducks, and the few that are down here don't work much. If I only knew someone with land in Stuttgart, He'd be my new best friend.
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Global warming is no longer a concern. Many methane producing, chlorophyl and field devouring, car destroyers are no longer a threat to our environment. Nothing spectacular this year. I was 20-30 yards from 2 young cousins who got their first bucks.

This was all overshadowed for me a little bit due to a couple of factors I won't get into.

Last Hunt.
A life long mentor and father of 3 of my friends went on his last hunt saturday. He's been fighting Cancer, refused to go to the hospital friday, went out with their group to hunt saturday, went home in the afternoon, sat down in his chair and passed away. I noticed their group was gathering sunday morning at daylight for what I'm sure was a less enthusiastic hunt that I'm certain he'd have wanted to happen.
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At least he went out the way he wanted to, and not laid up in a hospital. Sorry to here about your loss.
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A friend of mine's father passed away in the field. He was probably in his mid 70's. He went to his tree, and sat where he always sits. The boys came back a couple hours later, and he was peacefully leaning back against the tree, a small smile on his face. He had passed away not long before. I suppose there are worse ways to go...

He certainly died doing what he loved best.
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Heirloom

So I took my girls to visit my grandparents, spur of the moment because I my grand-dad isn't doing to well these days. Its pretty obvious they're numbered. I lost my other grandfather when I was a boy, but this one has been around my entire life, living in my hometown and whatnot.

Anyway, as we got ready to leave, he took me back to his room, asked me to fetch a key and open his gun cabinet. We'd looked through them and talked about his guns a couple of years ago.


Anyway, he reached in and grabbed his prized rifle and handed it to me and said "take it home, clean it and its yours to keep, its not something to hide, shoot it"

I felt kind of funny about it...large family and I asked if he was sure, because I have many uncles and many-many cousins. I'm the oldest grandson, and he said he'd chosen me and its mine.

I had an alternative choice of a shotgun, that was HIS grandfathers...my great-great-grandfather.

I decided on the first one because it was his "butcher gun". As a boy, it was the rifle that was in his truck, and the one they always used to put down animals to butcher. I told him I would be proud to have it, and that it would never, ever leave our family. that pleased him. Its not likely "valuable" in money, but Its priceless to me. If I have a son, they'll have it, otherwise, maybe a nephew.

My grandpa told me the story of the gun. As teenagers, he and his brothers had gone to Wyoming to work on a ranch. They worked fields, broke horses and were all around hands. They all came back except a cousin who ran off and wasn't seen until he showed up as a stunt man in old westerns.(jumping on horses, stopping runaway stage coaches and whatnot).

Anyway, when they got back, he and his brother, who I also spent alot of time with growing up, decided to order rifles from a magazine.

There were $7 and $9 rifles available, but $9 was "too much" so they ordered the $7 gun. They were out of stock or something, and both received "the $9 rifle" instead. My grandpa's arived with the tip broken off of the trigger.

Anyway, this was his "every day" gun.....and as of today, I guess its mine.

It feels funny, owning his gun while he was alive, but in a way, it was nice to have him hand it to me, and to be able to thank him and tell him I'm honored to have it.
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Story.
Some of you may recall a story I've shared about my granddad and my first "shocked" memory of life. This is the very gun I recall so vividly being used to put down the animal.

In short, as a maybe 4 year old boy, my grandpa, my great uncle and dad were getting ready to butcher a hog. Grandpa told me to run to a corn field not far away and fetch a "good cob". I shot away like from a cannon, and ran my stubby legs over to the field, fetched up a good corn cob and ran back.

Now being a boy, unfamiliar with many words, some things just didn't make sense.

I asked Grandpa what he was going to do with it, and just after the crack of the gun and the falling of the animal, as it was being raised by the tractor scoop, my grandpa said "i'm going to put it in his anus"....as he did. I asked why he did that, and the answer had to do with keeping the feces off of the meat, but I didn't understand that either.

I was floored. Shock and awe. He stuck that cob where?!!!

They proceeded to butcher the animal, as usual. It wasn't shocking in and of itself. Its important to note at this time in my life, I was a big, big fan of The Dukes of Hazzard.

The next day at church, I remember looking at my grandpa, a little confused and asking myself...."Why would he do that to Enis?"

I told him that story last night and we had a good laugh.
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Its snowing, there is a rabbit in my back yard. From my elevated office position, and the fact that the above mentioned rifle isn't technically mine because I haven't shot it yet.....is pretty tempting.

very tempting indeed.
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Hunting type things.....I'm getting two English Setter pups on friday. They'll be eight weeks old. Let's see if I can post a coupe of pics of'em.






Well that didn't work...
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It's been bow season for a month, it's now November and the Rutt is within sight.

Anyone having any better luck than I am so far? The deer are tougher to find in my best spots because the corn is still in and the river is up due to heavy rains. I'm having trouble getting as excited this year for several reasons.

I put up a late stand yesterday in a hollow along a river, where I found trees as big as my waist shredded, several wrist sized trees snapped off and a big as scrape....near a major river deer crossing.

I saw a yearling buck tonight that was very unique...2 main beams on the left side, an odd 3 fork on the right, but very tall for a young buck. I'm thining he'll be very cool in about 3 years if someone doesn't kill him.

Biggest buck I know of so far, a friend took a 177" 12 point last week
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Haven't seen anything of note and haven't heard of any big'ns either.
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I got a new rifle this summer that I'm pretty proud of.....Chambered in 7mm-08. Shot my best group with it yet. It's light and maneuverable, and looks cool too, with it's Hogue inserts and triangular-cut barrel. I put a Simmons Prostaff 3x8x40 with a BDC reticle. Amped.
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got a doe opening morning, after that, its been tough. deer a sticking to the corn and the bucks are coming out after dark.

hopefully the rut changes that..
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Pretty much the same with me as well. Creeks have been up, rains every time I go out, been really windy in the wrong directions. Field & Stream said November 11 is suppose to be the best day of the year hunting wise.
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