Going to the ranch this weekend

[Ron M.]

Most of the family were on the ranch for opening day. They did fairly well, my son and brother both got really good bucks. The daughter and son in law got 2 does and a spike. Nephew Josh got a fair buck and a meat pig. Only 3 hogs spotted, and little sign. I suspect the ranch to our south is drawing a lot of the hogs, they put feed out all the time. They also book several hog shoots a month.

My wife and I are going this weekend, we'll have the place to ourselves. I'm planing on a pistol caliber (lever action rifle and matching revolver) hunt on Friday and rifle Saturday and Sunday if I don't get a deer on day 1. Trying to decide, Henry X 357 and S&W 586 or the Marlin 45 Colt and Ruger Carryhawk. I will be bringing the Henry single shot 357MAX for rifle hunting. The boss will have her 7mm-08 as usual. I'm trying to work a trade, my Ruger 77/44 for a Henry X 45 Colt. If it works out I might be taking that rifle.

[Tok36]

Sounds nice.

What is a spike? What differentiates a meat pig from another kind of pig?

[Lock-n-load]

Spike is a 1 point deer. Don’t you hunt?

[Hammer Time]

What is a spike?

[Tok36]

Thank you for the info. Currently i only hunt for CZ pics. I do find hunting interesting, it is one of the reason that i like Ron M.'s posts about the ranch. 

[crosstimbers]

Got a nice one myself on opening day. Thats only the second time in my years of hunting that I got one on the first day.

There are all kinds of different terms people use in deer hunting, some may be regional and Im still learning what some mean. Some call a yearling buck a button-buck, others call it a towhead and I recently heard someone use the term "nubbin". Also just learned that a "cow horn spike" is a term for a really big spike...which we had always just called a really big spike. 

[Ron M.]

Sounds nice.

What is a spike? What differentiates a meat pig from another kind of pig?

I don't think I need to add more about what's a spike.  Meat pig is a general term for a hog under 100 pounds. Usually when feral hogs get much bigger they're not very good table fare. I prefer hogs under 50 pounds for BBQ and larger ones for sausage or grilling. The belly slab from a 100 pound or so hog is excellent for making bacon.

[Tok36]

Thank you for explaining that Ron M.

[crosstimbers]

A "slaughter hog" was a neutered male of 40- 50 lbs. I wish the larger hogs around here were good for bacon. Im in the middle of cropland and they are still too lean for bacon. best case they have enough in-meat fat for use with venison making sausage. But most of the local feral hogs have the long snouts/ lean make up of what some call "russians". Whatever they are I havent cut a strip of bacon in well over three dozen hogs.

Interestingly deer are the opposite, and have steadily been more and more fat for the past 20 years. half an inch of fat on the back of this last one. Weird.

[Earl Keese]

A "slaughter hog" was a neutered male of 40- 50 lbs. I wish the larger hogs around here were good for bacon. Im in the middle of cropland and they are still too lean for bacon. best case they have enough in-meat fat for use with venison making sausage. But most of the local feral hogs have the long snouts/ lean make up of what some call "russians". Whatever they are I havent cut a strip of bacon in well over three dozen hogs.

Interestingly deer are the opposite, and have steadily been more and more fat for the past 20 years. half an inch of fat on the back of this last one. Weird.

We've noticed fattier deer over recent years as well(TN/VA/WV).

[George16]

A "slaughter hog" was a neutered male of 40- 50 lbs. I wish the larger hogs around here were good for bacon. Im in the middle of cropland and they are still too lean for bacon. best case they have enough in-meat fat for use with venison making sausage. But most of the local feral hogs have the long snouts/ lean make up of what some call "russians". Whatever they are I havent cut a strip of bacon in well over three dozen hogs.

Interestingly deer are the opposite, and have steadily been more and more fat for the past 20 years. half an inch of fat on the back of this last one. Weird.

We've noticed fattier deer over recent years as well(TN/VA/WV).

Same thing with the deer in Maryland. My younger brother is having fun hunting them with his bow and arrow. He said bow and arrow season is the the best time since there are more big and fat deer compared to hunting during the rifle season.

[Ron M.]

Got a big fat doe this morning with the Henry X 357. 45 yards paced, used a handloaded 180gr Swift A-frame, deer ran off about 35 yards and dropped. Spent the morning on "dad's ridge". Susan got a huge spike, he needed to be shot, 5 or 6 years old and never developed branched antlers. Saw 2 trophy class bucks, but couldn't get close enough for a shot. I spotted several nice turkeys and will be going out tomorrow with a 223 to see if I can bag Thanksgiving dinner.

[Tok36]

May the turkeys be of optimum plumpness and slow to react.

[Ron M.]

Got a nice hen turkey this morning. 80 yard paced shot using my .223 527 Carbine loaded with a 55gr soft point, base of the neck shot, no meat loss. Spotted a few decent bucks, didn't take a shot, the two deer we have are enough meat. Did shoot 6 raccoons over the weekend, the SOBs were tearing up the feeders. Very impressed with the damage a 55gr V-max does to a raccoon, dropped all of them instantly.

Saturday night I saw the bear, she (the state game folks IDed her as female) was eating deer entrails at the gut pile. We normally dump the remains after field dressing in an open area about 300 yards from the cabin. She's on the smaller end of the size range, I doubt she'd go much over 200lbs. Good condition and perfect pelt, just not a big bear. The coyotes did give her plenty of space while eating.

Lou will not be allowed to roam anymore, he's fearless to a level that will get him killed. He went after coyotes and raccoons. I had to shoot at the coyote to scare it off. Lou would have kept going if I hadn't started yelling and cussing at him. I think he didn't notice the shot over his head that was directed at the coyote.

[Earl Keese]

The coyotes aren't a problem? I have some friends that hunt north GA. They claim coyotes are having a big negative impact on whitetail.