Free WV Geriatric deer

[WV Sawmiller]

   Shot the doe in the picture this morning. Its youth day and kids 8 & up and seniors 65 and up and can shoot an antherless deer that does not count against our season limit. We are out of sausage and canned deer so I decided to see about a re-supply. I shot for the right side heart and she ran with no indication she was hurt and I thought I'd missed so I went back to re-reading my old western. I finished it and decided to pack it in but went to verify my miss and found a big patch of blood splatter where I thought she was standing. I tracked her about 40 yards and found her just short of going over into a deep ravine we call "The Dark Holler" I found her laying by a tree all dead and deceased. I went and got my ATV, dragged her to a convenient tree limb I have used in that area before, threw my winch cable over it, lifted her and swung her into my ATV basket and took her down the hill to my skinning rack. Because it was  too warm to leave her hanging overnight I skinned and broke her down on the spot - pulled the backstraps and tenderloins, cut the shoulders and neck off, cut the hams off and trimmed the brisket and salvaged what small pieces could for grinding or canning. I may do all future deer that way as it seemed to work well.


 
She was a barren doe with no fawn this year, 110 lbs live weight on my spring scales (I never field dress my deer since I am so close to home) and she was alone. She never even looked at my feeder and I'm wondering if the battery is dead but we have big acorn and beech mast this year so they aren't stressed for supplemental feeding.

 Tomorrow continues youth days and I may go see about getting another one.

[Walnut Beast]

Congratulations. Tasty 😋 

[mike_belben]

Bumper crop on the acorns this year.  Thats all they seem to be on right now.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Plenty of beech mast here too. Lots of walnuts but that is a squirrel issue not a deer matter and a hard hat requirement when I walk under my trees in the yard.