Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Birth of a deer camp

I've got a book with this poem in it. A classic read from a bygone era.

Well how'd the Chickenbuckers do? Anyone get that big buck? Did Mrs. Dave show you guys how it is done? Did Chickenbuck Joe fill his tag?

I enjoyed that.

Joey and I just destroyed a mountain of fried deer hearts for lunch.

Flatulence report to follow.

Flatulence to follow all over the house.

Congrats and who got the deer, Dave?

I believe the use of plural, means multiple !

& am eagerly awaiting field report & pics.

Mr Joe





Mr Dave

heart feast.

Excellent job gentleman. And by gentleman, I mean Joe.

hurt my feeling.

Smilin like heck, here !!



Well done.

Looks like a very nice 8, but what happened to that 10-pt? Still out there?

Nice job Dave. Good looking buck. You guys staying out for the second week?

We believe there are a couple of very similar 10s out there yet. And a variety of random average and small bucks.

I hope pam or one of the kids gets the 10.




We're home, working much of the week but we will be out 2nd and 3rd weekend.

Good luck. Sounds like you have a heck of a nice crop of bucks this year.

Looks like deer heart chislic right there. Yum yum!
Chislic is a local delicacy I encourage people to try. There's several recipes online for it. It's very popular here in South Dakota

Joey got his opening morning. He watched a button buck mill around under his elevated box blind for a while. He video recorded it with his phone. It left and then this 5 point came out, same deal, Joe recorded it before he decided to shoot it. lol! I don't think I have to worry about buck fever with this one, Joe is a pretty mellow fellow.

We were not prepared with our regular hunting knives and sagen saws (pelvic saw). We typically field dress at the kill site, organs and guts out, transfer back to the cabin and hang from the meat pole. I know other parts of the country have different processes, that's how we do it here. We field dressed and split the pelvis with a 2.5" buck folder. I didn't hammer through the pelvis either, carefully push the knife tip in (difficult, takes a lot of pressure and some wiggling), then pry down like you are running a paper cutter. Do that about 5 times and we were through.
Same drill the following morning when I shot my little buck. Pocket knife field dress, lol.
Mine came in about 20 minutes into legal shooting hours, I heard it before I saw it. I have an elevated box blind nested up in a cluster of 3 trees. 2 very large cedars and a large tamarack. The stand has been there since 2011. I'm sort of up in that cedar canopy, I really like that spot. I'm on the outside edge of a decent stand of natural cedar, I love it back there. Anyway, I saw the body moving, coming out from under the dark cover of the cedar. I expected it to be a doe and was ready to wait it out for a rutting buck to be following. To my surprise it was a buck. I could see that it wasn't one of the bigger bucks that we are after, but certainly a buck.... he was moving straight through, opportunity was closing fast. I had to make that decision, bird in the hand? I thought about years past where I had opportunities on an average buck and passed... then never saw another deer for the rest of the season. Thoughts of the 2 toddler grandkids that needed a babysitter back at the cabin so Nate and Taylor could hunt.... Awe what the heck I thought. Swiftly grabbed the M70 FWT 30-06 with the 3x9 40mm turned down to 3, slid it up to my shoulder as I swept the familiar M70 safety with my thumb. Lined up on him, quartering away and walking, moved ahead clear of 2 large poplar trees, neck came into the crosshairs, then the torso, picked my shot and boom. Didn't see where he went but could hear that it wasn't far. I set my rifle in the corner and looked at my chocolate covered donut wrapped in a folding sandwich bag that I had carried out for breakfast. Well, I better eat that before I mess up my hands...

About 25 minutes later I carefully got down. Cautions to not be over confident, I've made that mistake before. I found the shot site, lots of hair, no blood. I picked away, pondering probable directions for him, basically there were 2 directions that made sense. No blood in either direction. Scanning ahead, there seemed to be a large area ahead on a swamp grass trail that had the tall grass matted down. That's where he lay, lots of blood where he died, but not a drop before. He went maybe 20 yards.

It was a warm day (sunday), I was worried about the 2 deer hanging. Joe and I decided to skin, quarter, debone and pack meat on ice. I'm glad we did it out there at the cabin too, much less work to do at home.

Congrats Joey and Dave. that's an awesome weekend at chickenbuck!

I always enjoy reading your stories Dave. You need to put them together in a book. Congrats you guys!