Hunting and Trapping

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This is about 150 yds from my house. I live on the edge of town in a woods/field setting. Not far from your typical residential neighborhood. I doubt most people even know they're around.
 
mykel m said:
Hey deer hunters, I have a question.

Do you chop or saw through the pelvic bone or not.
I was taught to so do, but have heard it isn't necessary.
It's been 32 years since I last dressed a deer and can't remember the reason for it except quicker cooling of the carcass.
What do you all think?
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I have only killed a couple deer, but have learned from guys who have hunted for 40 years. They both taught me to split the pelvic bone during field dressing. They said it helps with drainage while cleaning/hosing them out. I killed a young deer this year and was able to pop the pelvic joint with my Benchmade Griptilian.
 
mykel m said:
Hey deer hunters, I have a question.

Do you chop or saw through the pelvic bone or not.
I was taught to so do, but have heard it isn't necessary.
It's been 32 years since I last dressed a deer and can't remember the reason for it except quicker cooling of the carcass.
What do you all think?
Click to expand...
I don't, but have in the past. Probably cuz I saw others doing the same. Nowadays I leave as much of the pelvic area untouched so I'm not exposing the meat to bacteria and dirt/debris while dragging the deer out. Though in warm temps it would probably help cool things down quicker. Everybody has their own routines.
 
fishiker said:
Anyone getting excited about spring gobbler season? I covered several miles yesterday and only a short hike this morning listening for birds. The highlight yesterday was jumping three grouse in a single trip. I can't remember the last day I jumped more than two. The sign seems to indicate the coyote population has increased in one of my normally productive spots. I didn't hear the first bird there yesterday. Season is still a few weeks away, maybe they will be.
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I'm defiantly excited for turkey season. About the increase in coyotes. A KY state biologist told us that they need to be managed; they have no natural predators in our state. However, they don't have the negative impact on turkey populations that most people attribute to them. They will eat some poults and catch a few grown birds, but they aren't that adept at raiding nests. They do hunt/eat the animals (raccoons and possums) that if unchecked will decimate the nests by stealing eggs and eating the hatchlings.

mykel m said:
Hey deer hunters, I have a question.

Do you chop or saw through the pelvic bone or not.
I was taught to so do, but have heard it isn't necessary.
It's been 32 years since I last dressed a deer and can't remember the reason for it except quicker cooling of the carcass.
What do you all think?
Click to expand...
We, my dad and I, usually put up 4-5 deer a year and never split the pelvis. Just don't see it as necessary.
 
mykel m said:
Hey deer hunters, I have a question.

Do you chop or saw through the pelvic bone or not.
I was taught to so do, but have heard it isn't necessary.
It's been 32 years since I last dressed a deer and can't remember the reason for it except quicker cooling of the carcass.
What do you all think?
Click to expand...
I have seen it done... once, poorly by a yooper who almost injured himself in the process pretty seriously. Nothing against our challenged not quite canuck brethren but I've just never seen a solid reason to. Buy yourself one of these and save the hassle.
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YoungCurmudgeon said:
I'm defiantly excited for turkey season. About the increase in coyotes. A KY state biologist told us that they need to be managed; they have no natural predators in our state. However, they don't have the negative impact on turkey populations that most people attribute to them. They will eat some poults and catch a few grown birds, but they aren't that adept at raiding nests. They do hunt/eat the animals (raccoons and possums) that if unchecked will decimate the nests by stealing eggs and eating the hatchlings.....
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They may not impact the overall population but I do believe they affect how vocal the birds are in the spring. Many times it probably isn't anything more than the birds just not liking the way I sound:eek:
 
I'm not sure what it is that my clucks and yelps actually say in "turkey" but more often than not I suspect it's something like "I don't put out" or "I just want to be friends".

And if I were a Tom and the likely outcomes of me gobbling were 1) some knucklehead with a shotgun shooting me in the face; 2) a coyote trying to eat my ass; 3) another Tom trying to beat me up; or 4) getting laid, I wouldn't gobble near as much now as I would have when I was younger.
 
mykel m said:
Hey deer hunters, I have a question.

Do you chop or saw through the pelvic bone or not.
I was taught to so do, but have heard it isn't necessary.
It's been 32 years since I last dressed a deer and can't remember the reason for it except quicker cooling of the carcass.
What do you all think?
Click to expand...
I think there are 2 schools of thought on this and it comes down to a matter of choice..

I hunt with people that split the pelvis. It helps to cool the meat quicker, and helps clean the inner pelvis area better/easier.(intestines, bladder) Although after a long drag I've seen dirt leaves etc get into that area as well. I would only do this if you could hose the deer out when you get to where you're going, or it's pretty warm out. The other thing I've noticed and this depends a lot on the individual, some are a little sloppy when cutting and splitting leaving exposed meat to dry out when hanging.

My preferred method is use a butt-out. If used properly 3-4 feet off intestine will come out and there won't be risk of getting deer poop in the body cavity. (I think stomach contents is much worse for bacteria) the other important thing is to remove the bladder properly (on a buck). Reach in to the pelvic area and you should find a lemon size bladder. Feel around to the top of it, and grab the urethra. Pinch it and cut it carefully. The whole thing should come out without getting urine everywhere. Keep in mind a does bladder is usually empty so you wouldn't have to do this step. Our season in the northeast is Nov/Dec so it's usually cold and the meat cools quicker.
 
YoungCurmudgeon said:
I'm not sure what it is that my clucks and yelps actually say in "turkey" but more often than not I suspect it's something like "I don't put out" or "I just want to be friends". .......
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Perfect, my wife went with me one spring hunt several years ago and fell in love with it. She asked many questions about the different calls. I told her I wanted to sound "interesting but not desperate" then told her some Toms were like men anything sounded good if they "felt the need" strong enough.
 
On my first deer I used a Case Pawnee to hack through the pelvis and the blade was ruined from rolling so much.
On my last I used a Gerber folding Magnum Hunter and had no issues.
 
Close encounters of the turkey kind.

Had a Tom gobbling his silly head off this morning. Snuck in close to the roust and set up. A couple of soft yelps, which he answered immediately, then I shut up and waited. Heard the fly down and then several hens moving towards him. They led him in a semi-circle (180 degrees) around me while staying just out of sight. They were close enough to hear them walking in the leaves and to hear every spit/drum he did, all the while he is interupting every yelp and purr I do.
No matter how good I sound, and I am in no way implying I am any good at calling, I just can't call him away from the sure thing(s) he's looking at.

What a great morning and tomorrow is a new day and another opportunity.
 
YoungCurmudgeon said:
Close encounters of the turkey kind.

Had a Tom gobbling his silly head off this morning. Snuck in close to the roust and set up. A couple of soft yelps, which he answered immediately, then I shut up and waited. Heard the fly down and then several hens moving towards him. They led him in a semi-circle (180 degrees) around me while staying just out of sight. They were close enough to hear them walking in the leaves and to hear every spit/drum he did, all the while he is interupting every yelp and purr I do.
No matter how good I sound, and I am in no way implying I am any good at calling, I just can't call him away from the sure thing(s) he's looking at.

What a great morning and tomorrow is a new day and another opportunity.
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awesome! thanks for the story. now I'M excited. our season starts May 01. i don't do turkey very often, but have the itch to get out there this year.

good luck!
 
TPVT said:
awesome! thanks for the story. now I'M excited. our season starts May 01. i don't do turkey very often, but have the itch to get out there this year.

good luck!
Click to expand...

All I can say is "Do It" and speaking of having the itch...ticks are VERY bad this year in our area. So take precaution.

Now back to our story.
The Tom I worked yesterday was MIA or at the least silent. So after hearing a couple birds at the other end of the farm, I make the move at 6:55. I drive the 2300 feet (I know the distance because the water company was going to charge me $60/linear foot to run a water main to our build site) back to the front of the farm and hear a Tom gobbling in a section of hardwood I know to be across the property line.

It was already after 7am As I jogged down the hill to set up. When I got close I stopped and scratched out a yelp and he answered instantly. He was close; no time for a decoy. I sat down in a honeysuckle thicket ~50yards from the property line and gave a couple of yelps. He answered every one, so much so that he got another Tom further over on that farm worked up, and was moving closer. I gave one last yelp then set my slate down just as he came into view on my side of the line, ~45yards and closing. Full strut and spitting every couple steps. It took him several minutes to cross the small ditch I had set as the "point of no return". As soon as he did I moved the gun ever so slightly, which pulled him out of his strut, and fired.
7:15am I walk the 30 paces to collect my turkey. Nice mature bird with a 9"+ bird and a single 1"+ spur, the other was broken off.
Now the obligatory trophy pic.

 
YoungCurmudgeon said:
All I can say is "Do It" and speaking of having the itch...ticks are VERY bad this year in our area. So take precaution.

Now back to our story.
The Tom I worked yesterday was MIA or at the least silent. So after hearing a couple birds at the other end of the farm, I make the move at 6:55. I drive the 2300 feet (I know the distance because the water company was going to charge me $60/linear foot to run a water main to our build site) back to the front of the farm and hear a Tom gobbling in a section of hardwood I know to be across the property line.

It was already after 7am As I jogged down the hill to set up. When I got close I stopped and scratched out a yelp and he answered instantly. He was close; no time for a decoy. I sat down in a honeysuckle thicket ~50yards from the property line and gave a couple of yelps. He answered every one, so much so that he got another Tom further over on that farm worked up, and was moving closer. I gave one last yelp then set my slate down just as he came into view on my side of the line, ~45yards and closing. Full strut and spitting every couple steps. It took him several minutes to cross the small ditch I had set as the "point of no return". As soon as he did I moved the gun ever so slightly, which pulled him out of his strut, and fired.
7:15am I walk the 30 paces to collect my turkey. Nice mature bird with a 9"+ bird and a single 1"+ spur, the other was broken off.
Now the obligatory trophy pic.

Click to expand...
Awesome!...congrats.
Our season starts next Saturday.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
nice one! and a great commentary to go along with it. congrats man. :thumbup:
 
Nice bird:thumbup: It feels like I almost have some type of curse on me this spring. Between work and the weather I have yet to even hear the first gobble. Thanks for reminding me what a healthy tom looks like.
 
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