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Any other hunters and fishermen/fisherwomen/fishers?


52Ponds

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What's the trick to getting safe edible mushrooms?

I normally only hunt morels and there is no mistaking them for poisonous mushrooms.  I'm planning on trying some others and I have a book that I bought years ago that is an excellent guide for picking mushrooms and wild greens but I can't think of the name of it.  I do love wild greens too, especially dandelion.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Oh a fun thread!  We are a hunting family too!  In fact my daughter who is 15, filled her youth cow tag last night!  It was pretty exciting and we are looking forward to getting that cut up and in the freezer.  

 

My son (12), and my husband and I are hunting first season with any elk tags next week, I hope we get a couple at least.  We drew a lot of tags this year so we know next year we won't have much meat/tags so we will have to make it last 2 years at least.  We are a family of 6 and you would not believe how much meat we go through with these kids and eating paleo!  We also really like grouse hunting.  My daughter also shot a bear last year, that only made good homemade breakfast sausage though mostly herbs spices no mix with garbage in it).  We tried a bear roast and steaks and I thought I'd have to replace my teeth eventually, it was like chewing gum. and never did break down to be very swallow-able!  lol  We'll stick to bear sausage since we aren't skilled at cooking it any other way. lol

 

We also raise pork and pastured meat chickens on our small acreage.  We'd like to consider a couple beef eventually (one to keep, one to sell) but so far we lack the facilities to do that.

 

We also live near a reservoir and love to fish on spring and summer evenings.  We also love mushroom hunting in the spring, morels but my favorite by far are oyster mushrooms, they are amazing!  Thanks for starting this thread it will be fun.

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I had my first hunt this week. I spent two mornings out with my compound. Deer trails everywhere. A few black bear tracks also, but we can not hunt those here (yet). Spotted a few doe, but it was buck only in the area I was in. The second morning, I let an arrow fly at a turkey, and it sailed right over her back.

 

I'll be going out with the bow again Sunday, and general gun is coming up soon. I am hooked!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Vanniek71,

Boy, I learn something new every single day. :) My next job, "Biltong Maker", hee hee. THANKS! That is strange stuff, never heard about it. We may consider that but have to read more about it. Do we need to make a box? Did you? Ingredients are simple sounding though for sure.

Appreciate it!

Summer,

Sorry for late response, I didn't make a box, I used a ladder in my garage and it worked perfectly! If you wanted to make one though I have heard if people using their oven, or even just a cardboard box, it doesn't need to be fancy.

Let me know if you try it, I'm going to do another batch soon as well.

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Thanks Vanniek71! I am not sure what we are going to do yet. We have an entire elk and deer in the freezer and I really want some jerky and would prefer to do that with a dehydrator.

Sam-I-Am, not sure I can help answer your question. I am in Colorado, and there are plenty of great places to hunt here.

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Elk season didn't go so well. Out of our hunting party with 6 tags we got zero. Elk moved out there were so many people...so our 60% elk success rate from previous years has been dinged. At least we have 1 elk and 2 bucks in the freezers so far. 2 doe tags left to go. How is everyone's seasons going?

 Archery season was nil, but it gave me a chance to scout. Our general gun dates are just starting, depending on the location. The forest close to me allows general gun starting November 9, so I will be going for a few more hikes to get things ready.

 

There are tracks and scrapes from some fairly large (by Florida standards) buck, turkey tracks, and evidence of hog. Our hunters will have to be careful this season, because our black bear population is exploding. Our bear are usually timid here, but you never know. 

 

I know a few guys who did well with gator season, but that will be a different year for me.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just found this thread!  Still haven't gotten out to hunt, but a friend whose husband would go every weekend if she let him dropped off a cooler full of deer and hog.  Happy me!  Bob loves the sport of it, but even with 2 freezers, Sheri can only store so much meat.  That's okay, I'll gladly take some off her hands.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Lucky you! Hell, I'd pay for some deer and hog!

No need to pay.  I'd be happy to share with you.  I get it free.  Let me check my freezer tonight.  I would gladly meet you somewhere with some meat.  I know I have a bunch of venison, just not sure what cuts.  I already made chocolate chili with the ground meat.  And I made breakfast sausage with the ground pork.  But I think I've got some venison cube steak, and either ham steak or backstrap.  I'll let you know.  It's about time we met, anyway!

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You are awesome. I'll be happy to share some greens with you when it's time to harvest. I have collards, turnips, kale, swiss chard, mesclun and red cabbage growing at the moment and our carrots should be ready in another couple of weeks. I might also have some green onions ready by the end of the week.

 

Weekends are best for us, we could meet at your store if you like?

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Sorry, Sharon, time got away from me this week.  I guess I've used more game than I thought in the last month.  Anyway, I have venison cube steak and stew meat.  Which would you like?  You can meet me at my store if you like.  I'm there all day on Saturday 10-6.  Let me know and I'll bring whichever you decide.  It makes no difference to me.

 

You got your garden in before I did.  I'm not near harvest yet.  This is my 'learning year' for Square Foot Gardening.  Next year, I will try to time things better.   For instance, I eat at least one crown of broccoli a week, so next year I will stagger my plantings so I have one ready per week throughout the season.  Same with the leafy greens and all the salad fixin's.  As I use up the crop in one square, it is available to be planted with something different. 

 

I also invested in a couple of avocado trees of different types so they fruit at different times of the year.  I should have avocados by next fall of the one tree.

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So far, I have yet to harvest my first animal. By the time I figured out what I was doing, many animals were already pushed off of public lands and seasons drew to a close. I do have a pig hunt scheduled for January 8, so perhaps a new year will bring my first kill. There is also a hog season on a wma nearby, and I will hope that pigs return during the six week break that the land is closed.

 

I have met a couple who I help trap pigs. They have taught me dressing and have taken me out a few times to teach me more skills during hunts. On the bright side, I have enjoyed parts of Florida that I have never really seen. I used to hike a lot, but always stayed on trails. Now, I wear snake boots and go in knee deep water wondering what I may step on (you can't see too far down in swamp water). It is the Florida that I always enjoyed, but now I immerse myself in it rather than simply walk or drive by it.

 

I also have a freezer filling up from the trapping. My new hobbies include sausage and bacon making. So, I can make my own "processed" meats that don't have crap in them, and they are from wild animals who ate naturally. I also have some venison from my wife's coworker and we have found a local rancher who may work out a deal for a portion of cow. This is how I will try to eat cleaner, since we do not have the finances to buy grass fed meats on a regular basis.

 

I would consider avocado trees, though I am not sure if Ocala stays warm enough. I may plant a loquat tree and start a small garden again in 2014.

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 I do have a pig hunt scheduled for January 8, so perhaps a new year will bring my first kill. There is also a hog season on a wma nearby, and I will hope that pigs return during the six week break that the land is closed.

AG, it's 1/8!  Let us know how the hog hunt goes, and be careful.  Are you hunting with dogs?  My vet makes a good living patching up hog dogs that got in too close.

 

Great on the trapping and sausage making!

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Maryann, the hunt was nada. We came across scat and rubs, but never saw or smelled a thing. There were a few deer scrapes and rubs to keep in mind for next season, and turkey sign that I can explore more towards March. I have a turkey quota for Goethe at that time. We could have brought down several ducks, but we had slugs chambered at the time.

 

I don't hunt with dogs. I do have a Lab mix that I would like to train for small game retrieves and possible tracking. He is the only dog I have for now, so I'm not sure if I'll get into the hog dog scene. I know many do it, but sending my dog after a hog would be like sending my boy after one and I would be nervous.

 

I am beginning to see why so many choose to go on leases. Public land makes for much harder hunting, but I am enjoying it. I am going to head out again next week, since Devil's Hammock has a special hog season for about three weeks. I want to stay optimistic for a harvest, but I am enjoying the learning process in the meantime. 

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Love reading about the hunting stories!!!

 

My whole family are fishermen. Me, my husband, kid, my dad, my bother, his sons etc....My dad is retired and almost lives on a boat and I have the freezer full of fish to prove it. Love you dad!!
 

 

My brother has recently started hunting again now that his kids are older. He just got a wild boar last week, 50 pounds of pork coming his way. I think we're going to have a big family feast coming up!! 

 

I don't like guns, Im too accident prone and clumsy. But I would love to hook up with some hunters for meat. I want to lear charcuterie and advanced fermentation (Salami anyone?!)  techniques as a means to barter :)

 

We have deer where I am at, at the edge of the city. I need to look at hunting regulations. I dream of they the day I have the time and land to have animals.  We just have a bunch of fruit trees.

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  • 1 month later...

Took one doe this past season. Also took a number of quail.

Getting ready now for turkey season and for fishing.

My 12yo son came oh so close to taking his first deer.  We had four deer come running past our blind. One stopped and starred at us. My son needed just a couple more seconds to get on target since he didn't have a good shot. To his credit, he didn't take a bad shot and risk wounding the deer.  So since the hunt he's been practicing with the goal of being able to get on target faster.

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I don't like guns, Im too accident prone and clumsy. But I would love to hook up with some hunters for meat. I want to lear charcuterie and advanced fermentation (Salami anyone?!)  techniques as a means to barter :)

 

We have deer where I am at, at the edge of the city. I need to look at hunting regulations. I dream of they the day I have the time and land to have animals.  We just have a bunch of fruit trees.

anzadel, do you have any interest in archery hunting?  Sometimes near heavily populated areas, it's the only way you could take a deer. I don't know what the regulations are where you live, but it might be something to look into. The options could be with a compound bow, or perhaps even a crossbow if the regulations permit.

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