Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Bucks, Does, and Bluegill

Until I found Pond Boss, I was almost always embarrassed to admit that I was an avid bluegill fisherman. Friends made fun of me for catching "kid's fish." They always made me feel like their bass were better than my bluegill -- until they were invited to one of my bluegill dinners. And then, we really got a big boost when Bruce Condello started the Big Bluegill site.

Much like bass vs. bluegill, deer season ended here a few days ago. I can't even remember when I last took a deer with antlers. I live in an area with way too many white tail deer. In the morning I'll butcher and package two young does hanging in the barn. One was shot a week ago, the other was shot three days ago. Field dressed, both are about 75 lbs.

Four generations enjoyed melt-in-your-mouth venison for dinner tonight.

Just like I enjoy the pictures of big fat bass, I enjoy pictures of big bucks. However, when it comes to eating, I still love my bluegills, my ugly catfish, and my little anterless deer.

Good eatin'
Ken

We have WAY too many deer here, too. One can see a roadkill ever 1/10 mile or so on the state route I live on, and that's with many of the bodies getting removed by ODOT.

I've shot one buck and 9 does in the last 10 years. I realized when I did it that I'm not going to shoot another buck unless it's carrying the biggest rack I've ever gotten a shot at, one big enough I want to have it mounted. Until then, we'll keep eating does.

I don't know anything about hunting because I've never done it (I don't have anything against hunting, it's just that I grew up in the city and was never taught to hunt) anyhoo, I have to agree with you Ken. Bluegill are fun to catch and absolutely great to eat. The BG at the Pond Boss conference and then again at Lusk Lodge was some of the best fish i've eaten in a long time.

Sunfish on ultra light tackle is a blast.

I've had venison a few of times and really liked it.

We're gonna have too much venison; especially ground meat. I clobbered a big buck that created 84 pounds of ground meat and then some backstraps and a few other steaks. Then, last Friday my 10 year old Grandson killed a cull 6 point that went in excess of 120 pounds. He is still on cloud 9.

Nice problem to have Dave, I put 4 in the freezer this year, would like one more but I don't have the room and the wife doesn't want to help me butcher anymore, heh heh. I still have the itch but I suppose I will have to start ice fishing instead. We eat backstraps often, steak weekly, and I just love tacos with lots of venison burger in them. I also make meatballs, breakfast sausage, deer bologna, jerky, etc. I have never had too much venison, only too few meals of it.

Joe, we don't really care for the taste of venison. So, I have most of it ground and I use it in chili, spaghetti, enchiladas, etc. I recently "developed" a dang good chili recipe. Developed means that I found a recipe I liked and started messing with it until everybody liked it. It's the best I've been able to create and some of my creations are inedible mistakes. Look for the chili recipe in one of the next couple of issues of Pond Boss mag.

I also sent Lusk a recipe on how to create real nachos instead of the stuff you get at the franchise eateries.

My Grandson wants some chicken fried steaks so I have to tackle that. His Mom wants venison jerky so that shouldn't be much trouble.

I made dirty rice with venison last night for supper.