Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Deer Season

Eastlad, we don't have the 13 inch restriction. Just the one buck/two doe quota. I have a hog trap but they won't go in it. I'm still learning.


I know a lot of guys who have quit hunting because they enjoyed photography so much. I guess that's OK but, to me, it's kinda like kissing your sister. I'm still a predator but really wanting to spend more time passing on what little knowledge I have.

I'll quit when I no longer get the momentary twinge of regret when I walk up to the deer. I doubt that I'll feel that way about the hogs. We will start actual hog hunting after deer season ends. I have guys wanting to lease for hog hunting but I'm just not sure about that.

Dang, a 3rd gen night scope. $Ka-Ching$!

Dave, you need to fine tune your hog trapping skills I will be more than happy to lend the little info I know !

Theo, yes I really do think they want us to harvest does but they do charge $14 per tag. Every year they have public meetings to discuss why guys aren't shooting more does. I haven't heard many complaints about the cost but the main complaint is what is a guy supposed to do with all the venison? I suggested that the state either hire or ask for volunteer deer processors who could just take deer off our hands and give the meat to a charity. If they did that I'd be glad to shoot 5 or 6 does a year.

FamilyTraditions - what kind of camera was used to take the photos?

bz, in Georgia there is a program for hunters to donate venison meat to "Hunters for the Hungry".

Frank

Frank, it's a 2.1 meg Stealthcam that I purchased from Academy last year, I think the technology has improved from this model, I will have to look for the exact model # on the unit and will post later next week.

FamilyTradition
Thanks. I have a couple of other brands and find a lot of variation in the flash capability and distance. Your;s looks great!

Frank

Frank, Wal-Mart carries a 3 meg Stealthcam with a very impressive 90 foot flash for the same price I paid for the 2 meg last year ( $169 ). Mine only has a 30 foot flash. Question is will the deer shy away from that bright a flash? I'm willing to bet it's a battery eating dude. Their cameras have an external power supply jack where you can plug a 12 volt deer feeder battery in. I have two 512 MB CF cards that I switch out each time I check the unit. Hope this helps. FT

FT

Thanks. I have a 6 megapixel LeafRiver that has a 50 ft flash range. I am getting about 1000 pictures/one month on a set of 4 D cells.

Frank

Frank, I just bought the LeafRiver and installed it yesterday. Expensive sucker! It looks good but the customer service is terrible. I called 3 days last week and never got a return call. Each day, I was assured that I would get a quick call back. Guess I'll work it out for myself.

I tried a 3.1 megapixel Moultrie but it sucked a rechargeable 6 volt dry overnight. Moultrie has a bad reputation on battery usage.I hauled it back to Cabelas.

Well, last weekend was youth hunting weekend in Texas. In order to get more youths involved in the outdoors, the weekend prior to regular hunting season opener is reserved for children under 18.

My Partner/Grandson and I escaped yesterday and went hunting. We saw no deer but, just at twilight, about 15 pigs showed up. He got a 60 pound boar with Grandma's Remington 222. Perfect shot and one really, really, pumped 8 year old.

An evening he will NEVER forget.
My son, now 24 and enduring his first year of law school, can take you to the exact spot his first deer was killed 16 years ago. He'll be in or near that spot this saturday around 6am.

I've shot my share of animals and still enjoy it, but getting my wife on her first, second and third hog have been more exiting than any deer that I've shot. We have our food plot growing nicely with plenty of deer sign.

The hogs are our biggest problem as they take over an area and scare off the deer.

Here's a few pics of some hogs from the last few months.

Eddie

Dave

I have had better luck than you with LeafRiver support. Ask for Don - he was very helpful to me. My first LeafRiver had a problem with the slot the CF card inserted in. Don swapped the camera with no questions asked.

My brother has a Moultrie and he is getting 4-5 weeks or 1000 pictures on a battery. The flash range on the Moultrie is very poor compared to my LeafRiver.

What problems prompted you to call LeafRiver? Perhaps I can assist you.

Frank

Damn Eddie that’s a butt load of hogs. I usually try to shoot up my hogs two weeks before season starts and that seems to keep them away from the feeder during the daylight hours. I seem to see more deer that way and you don’t worry about scaring anything away shooting pigs during deer season. I shot mine up one morning in September this year and they still won't come to the feeder during the day.

Dang!

I've never seen a wild hog.

Are they good on the Bar B?

Wild hogs are unlike domestic hogs in taste. They really are two different species in behaviour and flavor. Wild hogs are lean, white meat that has a wonderfull flavor. Young ones under a hundred pounds are the best eating, but even an old boar is fine without any seasoning on the grill.

I can't say the same for deer, pronghorn or most animals. Elk is good just as it is and so is sheep, but that's about it.

Eddie

Eddie,

Around here, we have an old German family that processes our wild hogs into the very best sausage that I have ever eaten anywhere. We take them the cleaned carcass and usually get our sausage back in a couple of weeks. You are correct in that it has a unique flavor...is almost "fat free" and best of all, IMO, is completely chemical free. Wild hogs are a real pest, but they also have a redeeming characteristic.

Hogs are greedy buggers, too. I've dropped one dead from a blind in S. Texas, only to see another hog come back 5 minutes later to nudge his dead buddy out of the way in order to keep eating the corn

Frank, I had computer issues that I finally identified on my own. I was using Windows ME on a laptop and it just wouldn't accept the driver. A friend is installing Windows 2000.

Also, when I first turn it on, go through the 3 step process and hit display, I have to do it fairly quickly or it won't come on. Then, I have to turn it off and go through the process again. There were several other "issues" that I just didn't understand. I went ahead and installed it yesterday and will check it next weekend.

I expect it will take some time to get used to. I realize that I was calling at a busy time. However, if I'm not quickly satisfied, I have to make a decision. Cabelas only gives a short time to warrant electronic stuff. I either have to understand and like it next weekend or back it goes. They really ought to put on more help at this time of the year. At this time, I'm not thrilled about LeafRiver. Even if it is my ignorance, they weren't there when I needed them. BTW, I prefer that expensive toys are stupid proof and bullet proof. My previous 35mm was a dream. Of course, it quit working and I have considered ordering the stuff to rebuild it.

Oh yeah, on the video, they keep stressing the importance of going through the 3 step process. What happens if I don't do it right? Does it go up in smoke? Kinda got me worried about that one.

For the money you can't go wrong with the Stealthcam. Dependable, easy to operate, great pictures and easy on the pocket.

Does anyone have experience with an infrared camera?

Gator

Dave

I bought my LeafRiver from Cabelas. When I had trouble with the CF slot, I returned it to LeafRiver. As I said, Don swapped the camera no questions asked. The firmware of the replacement camera from LeafRiver was newer and had a few features the one from Cabelas did NOT have. One enhancement is the ability to turn the date/time stamp off if desired.

I don't know what happens if you dont follow the 3 step procedure. I don't have to do the 3 steps twice like you indicated.

If you can get to Don at Leaf River, ask him. Perhaps you have a defective cam and can get Don to send you a new one.

Frank

My dad bought a "Talon" from Bass Pro last year. It works pretty good. Most of the animals dont notice it. They may look at it but they dont look spooked. I will try and get some pictures on here later.

Hey Frank, I called several times before I got through. I asked for Don and had a long talk. Nice guy. He answered my questions and said call back anytime. Of course, the cam is set up 70 miles away and I will probably forget what he said by this weekend. I'll probably learn by trial and error like I usually do.

BTW, no real problem if you short cut the beginning 3 step process. You just have to start over.

Thanks for telling me about Don.

Hey Dave

I am glad that you got through to Don. As you said, he is a nice fellow.

Thanks for the tip on the 3 step process. BTW I got about 1000 pics on one set of D Cell batteries - almost all were night pictures using the flash.

Frank