All About Pocket Knives

I think that's my cat that run off here while back.

Been living for three weeks on a diet of Black Sea Bass, Speckled Trout, Permit, Flounder, Oysters, Shrimp etc......................

Caught red snapper like they were going out of style but unfortunately they were out of season and had to be released

Now unfortunately it's back to the same ol' grind. Didn't take very many pictures but I have some fish back with me in the freezer

You cuttin' them tadpoles up for bait, Cutty?

Not those, thems dinner.

Black sea bass don't get very big but they are fine eating.

Cutty wrote:Not those, thems dinner.

I'm glad you're back. I didn't have anyone to pick on while you were gone.

Very knice Brian!!!

Yes they are FRJ, we caught several in the 17"-20" range which is fairly big for a black sea bass

Glad to be back Jerry.................................

Thanks Scott

Every year I take on a new hunter (young or old) to mentor - it's my way of arguing with anti-hunters (save your breath, just make some new hunters.) It is also my way of paying it forward to my Dad, Uncle Fred, and General Sloan - all important hunting (and life) mentors to me over the years. My buddy Billy, from my church and my VFW post, told me last summer he wanted to get into hunting - we've known each other for over 30 years - he never mentioned hunting until this year. I found him a great deal on a used, but like new, Browning A-Bolt in 270 WIN, and a cheap scope, mounts, and rings in an estate sale and put them all together; we zeroed the rifle and started hunting in October. Yesterday was our fifth hunt - he nailed a nice 90 lb. doe at 240 yards at 5:00 pm - one shot - one kill, down and dead! We cleaned her last night - his knives are a bit of an issue - an old Shrade Walden his folks gave him in the 60's - a dull, BIG blade - way too much blade - sort of like using a Buck 119. He pulled out a China knife he won at the NRA banquet - it was sharp, but full of fat and gore when we got done. We can get his old knife sharpened, but I think he liked the Buck 102 I pulled out of my pack to help him clean the deer - bet his wife gets him one for Christmas (I'll let her know). I love happy endings! Here are a few pictures of Billy, his rifle and his deer. OH

Old Hunter,
Good job with your friend and great attitude about the "anti" element !

I have a question about how and why y'all cut the hams apart while still on the deer carcass. We always let the venison age before we muscle bone the deer, leaving it whole in a walk in cooler or whole hanging in cold outside air (w/fly bag of course), or broken down into shoulders, hams and back straps in an big ice chest. Do you just pull each muscle out of the hams and then slice them or what? Notice also in the picture the deer had not yet been gutted, do you salvage the tenderloins and the rib meat?

It is interesting to see and understand other ways that folks process Bambi.
Treefarmer

Nice one old hunter My son killed his first last month

Congrats to your son on his first deer Robert!

TreeFarmer, we don't have a walk-in cooler, so no deer gets hung to age, but we do age the venison in an ice chest if it is going to be sliced into cuts (or ground). My buddy is holding a tenderloin in his hand that he just cut out; the backstraps are taken whole and are used for cubing or slicing. The hams from this deer are going to be venison burger, so taking them off whole wasn't an issue. I'll be grilling some venison sausage to tide us over while my brother-in-law deep fries the turkey on Thursday. By the way, we normally leave the guts in and drop them just enough to take out the tenderloin (I run my fingers behind them and normally only cut top and bottom). OH

Very knice Robert!

BRUCE.....you're my other hero!!! My first hero (still alive) is my brother......BRUCE!
Much respect to you my friend. I tip my hat and offer my best outdoor spirit sahhhhhhlute to you.
America needs more men like you!

Good on U OH thats the way I felt with old Benny he hunted till he was 92yo..I know what ya mean Trefarmer we gut em where we drop em

10-4 Old Hunter .

Different strokes for different folks! We hang the deer head up to dress 'em . We have a pretty standard procedure at our house on processing. Backstraps are cut into 1 1/2" boneless chops, each muscle in the hams is taken apart and cut cross grain for 1/4" fry meat, shoulders are used for good ground meat. The neck, rib, shank meat and trimmings are used for sausage. We also try and rescue the heart and liver as a special treat ! Biggest job is removing all the silver skin from the muscles, this is accomplished with a filet knife.


Garddogg, we are usually so close to the house that we never field dress a deer, pick up with loader and head to the house! We skin 'em first then slide the guts out into a tub and wash the inside with the water hose .
Treefarmer

Remington Model 700 in 30-06 springfield.....waiting patiently in the deer blind!

Good luck Mike - nice classic rifle/cartridge!

Scott, I just scrolled back and read what you had to say - you humble me, I will simply say thank you. Your Outdoor Brother, Bruce

This was in Sgt Grits newsletter this morning so I kyped it and modified it special for y'all.

Jerry, there is a big hen turkey roosting in a pine tree about 20 yards behind me right this moment. I'm deer hunting, but have enjoyed watching her move from branch to branch and cluck her tree calls this morning. OH

So you're looking for one shot, several meals?

313 Mike I used to have a Remington 700BDL that was the twin to yours right down to the caliber. My brother borrowed it from me so many times I finally just sold it to him. Nearly 20 years later he still deer hunts with it and has taken a BUNCH of deer with it. Good luck on your hunt.

OH your luck sounds a lot like mine. If I were turkey hunting I'd be seeing deer instead of turkeys.

Happy hunting everyone!

Getting up at 5:30 tomorrow to spend the day in my hut. No snow on the ground but still some icy patches from Wednesday's storm to make things interesting. I guess I'll be there for the next several days unless I get lucky and bag a buck early, which is fine by me.

Good Luck out there Red, hope you get a big one early.....

IM

Took 2 nieces and 2 nephews out (2 were rookies) to breathe in the outdoor spirit.....