2 FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
 

Truthfully, it has been a long season. I lost two bucks, and had both located by a drone. First one went down and lay on ground for fifteen minutes hit by 250 grain Hornady pistol bullet in muzzle loader season. Went to climb down and he got up, stumbled and fell. Climbed down and he was gone. Second one was shot at forty yards with a .270 Browning BAR and the Hornady ELD-X did not expand and went right through the shoulder of the deer. We could see him on drone video with a light licking a small exit wound.The drone operator assured me neither could get up from their wounds. Both did when I went to them.

But one can't give up so I was rewarded with an 8 and a 10 this week. Second time I've killed two nice bucks together in my long hunting career. First one was shot with my hand loaded 27 pellets number 1s (they don't make factory loads anymore) and the 10 after the 8 went down and went back into the woods, broke across a wide open field for some unknown reason. That was my great luck and 18 pellets of 00 took care of him. Season in ten seconds went from bad to very good.

Did the drone guy use a camera or a heat seeking device? Great bucks!!

Infrared. He found both bucks in five minutes. They appear red, and the items like rocks appear red. But the bucks were moving. The second time he had received a light. That's why he told me the second one could not get up. When he placed the light on him, he got up but fell back down. I know the first buck is still alive and probably the second one. Have a photo of the first one a week later hopping around. Photo attached below. Video of second deer. He gave me the exact gps location of both, but when I got within thirty yards, they both got up and left. I would never again go after one at night that was not dead. He can find them within 48 hours before heat signal goes away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kICAT5UziuY&t=29s

Nice going Jerry. Now the real work begins. I did that one time years ago. Shot two does at sunset, both dead on the spot, but dressing and dragging 2 deer in the cold, dark is something I'll never do again.

I dressed a moose with darkness descending a few years ago. Not a pleasant chore. In the sixties, in southern PA, after shooting doves, I would shoot mallards in the near dark and dark over a cornfield. My late English Pointer, Ranger, never lost one of those mallards.

Drone recovery is illegal here in New Hampshire but licensed leashed tracking dogs are not. Their is a fairly large number of volunteers who have passed a course put on by Fish and Game that you can call if needed. They do a great job and you have to be licensed to do this. They cannot charge for there services but tips are welcome. You cannot use your own dog unless you are licensed. I think it is great but I wonder why drones are not allowed also? It would seem to me that a drone could cover much more ground and cross rivers and swamps where a person with a dog cannot. Maybe in the future drones will be legal to use.

ATV grasshopper ATV ! Hook a loop around the neck or antlers tie off on the back rack and bring out ungutted . Hang them up pull the hide off them gut . It’s a good bit cleaner doing it that way and easier . I think in the last five years I’ve gutted one deer in the woods and that was last year in WV where I couldn’t get the ATV close enough and had to drag a ways .

We don't gut in the field. Load 'em on to the gator, bring them back to the shop, hang them ,gut them then skin and butcher. With help it takes maybe 45mins.

In forty five minutes if I’m back to the house and they’re still warm I’ll have the hide off guts out body cavity rinsed out and all the meat off the bone and in the house in forty five minutes by myself . And have discarded the carcass . Now if I’ve got two or three I can’t keep up that pace by myself . But I’ll still get three done in I’d say 2 1/2 hours .