Annual venison dinner will happen

[grouse]

My crossbow season so far has been frustrating and bloodless. I hunted about eight times, seeing deer nearly every hunt, but never fired an arrow. We have a four points on one side minimum for bucks where I hunt. Three times I had sub-legal bucks within easy range of my crossbow but no legal bucks (or any does at all) ventured to within range. Usually I have put one or two deer in the freezer with my crossbow before firearms season but it didn't happen this year. We've been hosting an annual Christmas season venison dinner for several years and this year I would have to use a rifle to provide the meat.

Nov. 16 was opening morning and I was in my stand 10 minutes before shooting hours. I was in a 16" high tripod stand in the corner of a harvested corn field. I saw several deer cross the field (including a nice looking buck) farther away than I care to shoot (I shoot a .270 with a nice Leupold scope but I'm reluctant to shoot over 150 yards). Finally a nice buck stepped out about 125 yards away and I put the scope on him to see if he was legal. The buck was big, his rack was wide and I could see 3 tall tines at the top of one side of his antlers. I put the crosshairs behind his shoulder and fired. The buck fell and scrambled into the nearby brush. I waited 20 minutes and walked over and found him dead about 25 yards away. To my shock the deer had no brow tines but he did have 4 points on one side of his 17.5" wide rack, so he was legal. He wasn't enormous but in the 175 - 180 lbs. range, awfully big to be barely legal and heavy to drag even a short distance.

I took the buck to the butcher shop, ate breakfast, watched some TV, ate lunch and went back out at 3:30. We can take only one antlered buck with a firearm but as a landowner, I get three complimentary firearms antlerless tags. Around 4:30 four does stepped out of the woods again at about 125 yards. I put the scope on the biggest does head to make sure she wasn't a spike, then aimed and fired. She fell in the cornfield and I think she was the biggest doe I have ever killed.

I have to make some room in our freezer.

[robertyb]

Congrats on your kills, Good story too!

[DuckHunt]

That 4-pt rule is both a blessing and a curse. You eventually start to see more big bucks, but end up seeing a lot more smaller bucks as well. It would be challenging with a 4-pt rule around here. Prior to this season, it had been 11 years since I bagged something with four points on one side with archery gear. I get it done in early November almost every season, but its normally a week after our archery season ends.

Congrats on the harvests to fill the freezer.

[CFD940]

I saw your post about the Christmas Venison dinner. We also have Venison for Christmas. I’m including a YouTube link for a Christmas Wellington. We started substituting A Back Strap for the beef. I usually cut a backstrap in half and make 2 Venison Wellington’s. Be prepared this is easy to make but the prep will take all afternoon. However it is something special and very very good. Check the video.
https://youtu.be/Cyskqnp1j64 Hope you try it. Have a good Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. BTW glad you got some “brown on the ground”.

[gerald strine]

That wellington looks great , I had never herd of it before.

[Carnivorous]

Congrats on the harvest!

My freezer is in good shape with Venison and I'm looking forward to my free range hog adventure in January!!

[mr meat]

Congrats

[xcaliber]

Congrats on your harvests, and the dinner! Loved the read very much BTW.

[longbow joe]

Congrats on pulling thru.

[papa bear1]

Congrats Grouse,
thanks for sharing your hunt with us.
now enjoy the fruits of the hunt.

Dave