NC4X4 Hunting and Fishing

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They're moving this morning. Just had a buck cruise by. Wouldn't stop for anything.

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Finally put this one down after he came around a few times in the last week. Sunday night he popped out long enough to lock horns with a little 4pt then went right back into the brush. Wednesday night he showed up at dark right after I had shot a coyote. Last night he came out 280yds away at a steady walk after a doe group walked by about 5 min before last light. Tonight he was on a doe and was out at 5pm. I let him work from about 230yds to 160 over the course of about 20 min before pulling the trigger.
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It's heavy but God I love shooting stuff with this 45/70. Only doe i saw today 5 minutes before legal light was up and it's only a doe day up here in the mountains means she got a truck ride home
Love it! Absolutely love it.

I've got a Pedersoli 1886 in .45-70 that needs to be bloodied. (I bought it because it's almost identical to what my main character carries in my book series)


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Weighs 9.8 pounds... unloaded. :)

But I am determined to kill a bear with it this year. (And hopefully a maine moose in the near future.)

I just REALLY dread lugging it around through the woods chasing after bear dogs. I am not in shape for that.
 
Love it! Absolutely love it.

I've got a Pedersoli 1886 in .45-70 that needs to be bloodied. (I bought it because it's almost identical to what my main character carries in my book series)


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Weighs 9.8 pounds... unloaded. :)

But I am determined to kill a bear with it this year. (And hopefully a maine moose in the near future.)

I just REALLY dread lugging it around through the woods chasing after bear dogs. I am not in shape for that.
Yeah they are definitely heavy. But it puts a hurting on whatever it hits. This is 3rd deer I've shot with mine. First dropped, second went 10 yards. This one we 30, but probably 15 yards was flipping and sliding down the side of the mountain. It looked like someone took a sprayer full of blood and ran through the woods with it. I'm color blind and had no problems following the blood
 
Finally starting to see some activity again since the beans have been harvested...found 2 rubs and watched a pretty sunset too
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Saw a spike in the clearing Saturday night and my buddy got a 6pt with his ML. Saw a 4pt that came out tonight ~2 minutes before end of legal, but I'm not that desperate....yet!
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A family friend that lives on the coast knows someone that might take me bear hunting...the whole reason I bought my 45-70 a few years ago!
 
Started on the euro mount. First time doing the simmer then pressure wash method. Skinned and trimmed the head, simmered for 2.5 hours then some more trimming whatever didn’t fall off. Hit it with the pressure washer after and here was the result. Still got a little meat left in the nasal cavities and on the back of the skull where it wasn’t submerged the full time as water evaporated.
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That was last year. After this he asked if I would teach him to deer hunt. He’s been atomizing apples from the two man stand with a 22 mag because he’s too small to shoot anything else. I was his unneeded backup shooter. One shot in the head. I’m going to start asking him for advice!
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Man that's awesome! This is how we keep the tradition alive. My dad didn't hunt but I was fortunate enough to have friends who's dad's didn't mind an extra kid tagging along.
 
His dad came down and asked where to take the deer to have it processed. The buttons on my shirt busted off when the little guy told him no and that he wanted the whole experience. We butchered the deer and got it on ice. In about 30 minutes he had trimmed off a couple pieces of backstrap and had the pan heating grease. He facedtimed me taking his first bite. He just turned 11!
 
Man that's awesome! This is how we keep the tradition alive.
^this

His dad came down and asked where to take the deer to have it processed. The buttons on my shirt busted off when the little guy told him no and that he wanted the whole experience. We butchered the deer and got it on ice. In about 30 minutes he had trimmed off a couple pieces of backstrap and had the pan heating grease. He facedtimed me taking his first bite. He just turned 11!
+100 internet points to you sir!
 
Started on the euro mount. First time doing the simmer then pressure wash method. Skinned and trimmed the head, simmered for 2.5 hours then some more trimming whatever didn’t fall off. Hit it with the pressure washer after and here was the result. Still got a little meat left in the nasal cavities and on the back of the skull where it wasn’t submerged the full time as water evaporated.
I'm curious how this turns out...the one I did with this method seemed to weaken the bones especially around the nasal cavity.
I bury them until summer rolls around, put them in boiling water with a bit of soap for ~5 minutes, pressure wash and then coat in 40% bleach creme for a week.
 
Hunted Thanksgiving day at my inlaws place. I was informed the night before that the farmer paid some guys to come shoot geese that morning. They rolled up right at daybreak, threw out decoys in the field and sat till 11. They shot 10+ times and came away with 1 bird. :lol:

Morning hunt was ruined, so I packed up and found another place to hang a stand in the back corner. Found one of the largest rubs I've ever seen and it was fresh. Evening hunt was better, had two does walk with 10 yds of me and hung out for a while but no bucks. I'll hunt there again over Christmas and see if I can put some meat in the freezer.
 
I'm curious how this turns out...the one I did with this method seemed to weaken the bones especially around the nasal cavity.
I bury them until summer rolls around, put them in boiling water with a bit of soap for ~5 minutes, pressure wash and then coat in 40% bleach creme for a week.

I think I may finish it out by burying it then cleaning again then bleaching. The brittle bone issue seems to be from the water being too hot IMO. With what little is left, I am not sure more heat is going to be the right answer without compromising the condition it is in now which is pretty darn good.
 
Love it! Absolutely love it.

I've got a Pedersoli 1886 in .45-70 that needs to be bloodied. (I bought it because it's almost identical to what my main character carries in my book series)


210116_base.png


Weighs 9.8 pounds... unloaded. :)

But I am determined to kill a bear with it this year. (And hopefully a maine moose in the near future.)

I just REALLY dread lugging it around through the woods chasing after bear dogs. I am not in shape for that.
You need my 45/70 revolver to go with it. lol
 
The brittle bone issue seems to be from the water being too hot IMO. With what little is left, I am not sure more heat is going to be the right answer without compromising the condition it is in now which is pretty darn good.
I think that's what did the most damage to mine...too much heat for too long. But you live and you learn!

I did this one with a fish tank heater and a 5 gallon bucket. Changed the water once a week for a month. All i did was remove the skin and fur. I covered the bucket with foil. Not much of a buck, but it's the only one I've ever taken. I only meat hunt.
I've heard of this too, but I like the ease of bury & forget about it for a few months. I was told of something similar if you have access to a private pond is to suspend the head under the dock/pier 1-2' off the bottom and let nature takes its course for a few months.
 
His dad came down and asked where to take the deer to have it processed. The buttons on my shirt busted off when the little guy told him no and that he wanted the whole experience. We butchered the deer and got it on ice. In about 30 minutes he had trimmed off a couple pieces of backstrap and had the pan heating grease. He facedtimed me taking his first bite. He just turned 11!
I'm sorry my loins never made you an uncle. But at least you can rejoice in making lil' dude a man!
Nice work BIL!
 
I’m lazy when it comes to skull mounts. I’ve mentioned it before in this thread. I just bury them dudes, tie them off so something doesn’t dig them up and drag them off, come back several months later when it comes to mind. I’ve had great success with little to no cleaning depending on how long you leave it buried. It does leave them with a darker tint than other methods. Nothing bleach won’t handle if that’s the look you’re after.
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Ive never tried it - but a friend who does typical taxidermy as well as skull mounts swears by sitting them on ant hills. He has a couple huge ant hills on his property he says the ants do all the work.
 
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