Our first Deer Of The Season

The first buck we took this year and the only so far (Oct 14th) was a nice start to our Archery Season. Since we like Venison and make our own Hamburg, Sausage, Brats, etc. we always plan to put a nice deer (buck or doe) in the freezer as early as possible. Then we get more selective, start challenging each other, and focus on the top couple of shooters seen on our cameras. This year so far the top two have eluded us, but we still have the first and second rut to look forward to.

Crops Start To Come Off The Fields

At this time in the season the soybeans have already been taken off the fields while the corn is still standing, so as the two youngest boys took to the woods and focused on the acorns I decided to hunt the apple orchard. This young shooter was caught off guard sneaking into the Apple Orchard about 30 minutes before dark.

This young buck is a nice 8 point weighing in at 235 lbs and though it’s not a trophy or wall hanger it does provide a good amount of venison for the freezer. We will now focus on the two top shooters on the cameras and will hold off from taking a doe or young buck until the last couple of weeks left in the season.

Corns Off!

It’s a week later now and the corn has been taken off the fields, pushing the rest of the deer into the woods and swamps. So again, take a day or two off work and spend some time in the woods as this is one of the most effective times of the year for taking a nice buck. Why, for a couple of reasons; first the deer need to change their patterns for cover& food sources and second, since the rut is not in yet bucks will be traveling together. The best calling technique that works during this time is a lite rattle, like that of two bucks sparring.

Processing Your Deer

We process all our own deer using the deboning process and make our own Hamburg, Sausage, and Brats, which is very easy to do. The first deer we get always goes into chops (steaks) and Hamburg. If we shoot a second deer this will go into our Sausage, Brats, and Venison Sticks. For the Hamburg I mix equal parts of venison and 70% lean beef, then for every 10 pounds of mix burger I add one pound of bacon. I will then make 1/3 pound patties to freeze since they are great for taking right out of the freezer and grilling or frying. Then we will do one & two pound bags to be used in other dishes.