Johnsfolly

Congrats on her first deer! They're all trophies!

No name so it must be jerky!!!

Our house in Maryland butts up against a large wooded block of land owned by the owner of our rental. We had many encounters last year with deer coming into the yard. Maryland allows baiting and we had corn piles out through the winter to continue to bring deer into view. I had put up a ground blind, but never did hunt the deer. This spring I bought a Parker crossbow to be used by Livie and my Betterhalf this year. Livie has been practicing and we got the bow fine tuned for this season. So once we started seeing does groups back in the yard she was champing at the bit to try and get her first deer. This last week I was at a conference for work in Toronto. But the two of them went out on Monday even though I was not around. They only saw one doe, but had no shot. I later found out that they did not go to the level of scent control that I felt was needed for the close proximity and the potential of the deer being down wind from the blind. Well they went out and bought scent free body wash, shampoo, odor neutralizers, etc. on Weds (they didn't go upstairs to my hunting/fishing room to see that I had what they needed already ). Weds evening I am at the conference when during one of the session breaks I get a call from my daughter whom is in hysterics. When I got her calmed down, she related her hunting story. They had gone out and around 4:15 to 4:30 a doe and fawn came into view. The deer approached the blind straight on. Livie was ready but waited for the deer to give her a good shot. Once she felt that she had a good shot, she pulled the trigger. She told me that she hit the deer and that they had looked at the bolt and it had blood but also stomach contents. She mentioned that the deer may have been quartering to her when she shot. Later they both mentioned that the bolt went through the deer and hit a small tree on the other side of the deer. She also told me that they followed the deer and bumped her. When she had stopped sobbing and apologizing that she made a bad shot to me, I told her to let the deer lay for the night and go back and try to find it in the morning. I also found out that Livie had probably less than 2 hours of sleep that night. Many of us, including myself, have had that same type of night when you are not certain of your shot. So Thursday morning I kept trying to get a response from my wife or Livie to see if I could help by looking at photos of the blood trail. Nothing until about 8:15 I get a text "we found her". That was followed up with a text that a predator(s) had found her before they did. The hindquarters have damage, but still a fair amount of meat to salvage. The two of them partially gutted the deer at the recovery site (left in lungs/heart in chest) and drug her back to the house. They got out the rest of the inside bits and rinsed the dear down well to remove any gut contents and got her hung before they started for the airport to pick me up. Looks like I now have work to do tonight and tomorrow to get this deer processed and packed up. Not a bad "honey do list" . I am so proud of the both of them! Here she is relieved that they found her first deer. Now she is back to being excited and wants to see if she can get a buck. Also she wants me to move the blind a bit so that she can get better broadside shot placement on the next deer.

Sounds like s great time! Congrats on making memories with your son! Could not agree with more about your comments about @duckydoty! A great and generous guide and fisherman!

In college I was dishwashing for summer money. The guy working with me was a center for East Carolina. He loved singing that song. It would make me laugh as this 6'9" guy was singing "He said shutup! He said shutup!" in a high falsetto voice. Of course I would say Jack you are so .... (add homophobic slur here😌)!

If the fish was poached I would suspect that the tag could have been removed. I don't know if they are using internal tags or external ones. Seems that external ones could be easily removed. The fish would only have to be gutted to remove the internal tags as well. I would think that if they were gutted that they may find a bunch of tags in one spot.

Glad that you found a few fish. Thanks for the report.

My dad stopped hunting when my older brother was born and he never took me out. I didn't hunt until I was 29 and shot my biggest deer to date that season. I have killed many since that time. Neither of my two oldest have actually shot a deer. Although I had taken them out. Both had a couple of chances, but they preferred to do some other things. I bought a crossbow for my wife and youngest daughter. She has been practicing and is dead on out to 25 yards. She is sending me texts of the deer that she is seeing. So I expect if I can get her in the blind when I get back home, she is likely to get a shot at one. I agree with Terrierman, I have always processed my own deer. Even though my oldest kids aren't active hunters yet, they appreciate where meat comes from and the sacrifice. They all love venison. Also squirrel is a big deal in the Folly household, not as much as a household in Milo MO. That guy is a flat out predator on those tree rats ! So Daryk keep encouraging your son. Hunting and fishing can provide great insight in ethics, conservation, and for many a greater appreciation for what one has been provided and can provide for themselves. Congrats!

Very nice. Congrats to your son buddy! Looks like a great shot.

Congrats to your son! Glad that we was able to gets his first buck with a bow. Looks like a great shot.

"In a gadda da vida". Not sure that the lyrics are misheard other than they were sung by a guy that was blind drunk😌.

Tonight was lemon chicken and capers with roasted brussel sprouts and rice.

It's probably been 12-14 yrs since I fished that area mostly targeting brown trout and not rainbows so much. Though my largest rainbow on a fly rod (at least for 4 or 5 years) came from a hole upstream from cardiac hill. Like 45acp said it was also my experience then that the best hole one year might be gone the next. Never seem to catch many fish, so shifted almost entirely onto the Current river for brown trout. Always liked fishing them more so than rainbows. @jfrith tell us how you do if you do go down that way.

Good luck on your guiding business! From your posts you have the passion for that work. I hope that you are able to make it successful for yourself and your family.

Sunday night I made a pork roulade. I followed an online recipe. The stuffing was a ginger and acorn squash chutney. Chutney had diced ginger and squash, onion, asian five spice, fresh nutmeg, chopped pecans and walnuts, craisins, cider vinegar, and maple syrup. Cooked until the liquid evaporated leaving a slight glaze on the chutney. Butterflied a pork loin roast. Used a meat hammer to pound the pork slightly. Spread the cooled chutney onto the flattened pork. Tied the roll and cooked it for about 2 and a half hours. Served with steamed turnips.

No problem just an excuse for gratuitous posting of previous catches😀!

I know that you are giving me a hard time, but I actually I love the research that I do to find spots that have species that I have never caught before, big or small I like them all. Some bass and trout photos, maybe not giants, but nice fish. I am partial to brown fish . Here are stream bred rainbows each were 13 to 14" in length. Crane Creek Barren Fork creek

Busch lakes do have different regulations for the urban trout season. Lakes 21 and 28 (August A. Busch CA) Violations? Report them >> Restrictions: Trout permits are required if trout are kept. Trout may be taken by pole and line using all types of lures and baits under statewide limits, except during the dates listed below. November 1 - January 31: Catch and release only for trout. Flies, artificial lures, and unscented soft plastic baits only. Only 1 pole may be used. Use of chum is prohibited. February 1 - October 31: You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession. Counties: St. Charles Lakes 3, 22 and 23 (August A. Busch CA) Restrictions: Year-round: You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession. Nov. 1 - Jan. 31: Only 1 pole may be used. Use of chum is prohibited. Counties: St. Charles I'm sure that there are a bunch of folks that fish Lakes 21 and 28 with dough bait, cheese, eggs, etc., and if caught just say that they were confused about the regulations. Not sure of why they make the distinction except to try to have a lake or two with less pressure from the catch and keep folks. I know that in Plover which is a catch and keep lake from Nov 1 that they stock it throughout the season. Before I headed out here in Maryland, I was working on fishing as many of the urban lakes as possible just for fun. I even fished the Bass Pro lake in Columbia the one year that they stocked it with trout. Ice fished for them in Kirksville once and Columbia a couple of times. My daughter loved ice fishing for those trout . Broke a lot of ice at other times to get after them Feb 1. Good times.

I took up microfishing since bass and trout fishing were too easy !

Great fish. Congrats! What a great trip on a productive creek. I used to fish a very similar creek (only caught a 4 lb largemouth) with lots of 14 to 16 inch fish. I never got the bug to try and bass fish any lakes when that creek produced everytime that I fished it. Those places are ozark gems.

Did you shock them in cold water to stop the cooking! That would shrink them for sure😂!

Not those. Now maybe if we were going out fishing with @Hog Wally .

Of course wait to do this when I am now in Maryland ! I see how it is buddy. Seriously have fun on these mission trips.

Glad to have you join. Lots of good folks on here. Looking forward to some reports and photos.

Looks good buddy! I would have like the onions, but to each his own.