Fish Pics

[JIMERAMS]

are those bluegrouse? man your killing me

 

[LesBaker]

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9" Dungy trapped about 15 minutes from my restaurant. Yum.

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Guys if you've never had Dungeness crab it's one of the top few things that come out of the ocean and that's no lie. That shit is delicious.

It's been years since I have had it 503 and last time I gorged myself on it, I shit out crab for the next two days LOL.

No kidding that is a real delicacy. How was that guy? Did you eat him by yourself or did you have to share. I'd have hidden somewhere until I devoured it!!!

 

[RamFan503]

are those bluegrouse? man your killing me

They are known as Speckled Sage Grouse. Blue Grouse are about the same size but the markings are more greys and blues. Sage Grouse and Ruffled Grouse are the much dumber cousins. Blues are harder to get up on. It was actually pretty comical. My nephew and I actually had to run at them and yell in order to get them to lite. A lot of people just give up and ground slues (sp?) them.

Here's a pretty amazing picture of my nephew and a Tullie Elk he guided a hunter into. My nephew is a part time deer, elk, and pig guide. My nephew is the one on the right.

 

[RamFan503]

Guys if you've never had Dungeness crab it's one of the top few things that come out of the ocean and that's no lie. That crap is delicious.

It's been years since I have had it 503 and last time I gorged myself on it, I crap out crab for the next two days LOL.

No kidding that is a real delicacy. How was that guy? Did you eat him by yourself or did you have to share. I'd have hidden somewhere until I devoured it!!!

That was one of 12 we got that day. The crabs were really big that day. Usually, you are lucky to get a couple that are maybe an inch over legal. That day, we were throwing them back if they were that "small". We pigged out on Dungies and then I made crab cakes with the leftover lump meat and Bisque with the legs and claws. And yeah... freaking tremendous when you get them right out of the water.

I put a new depth finder/GPS on my boat back in September and haven't had it out since. Just sad. I think we are going to get it out soon and see if we can bag some. We can set traps out and then motor back to the docks across the street from our restaurant, Then motor back out a couple hours later and pull pots.

 

[…..]

awesome pics all around guys!!! I bought some new bolts yesterday in prep for this years bow season. I lost a lot of good bolts and expensive tips last year by taking the wrong type of quiver through thick brush to get to a rare spot. This year, I'm starting early to get my gear straight so I can spend more time covering the spot I discovered last year. October cant come fast enough.

 

[…..]

@RamFan503 I love the stainless barrel and stainless scope rings on your piece, I can imagine in your part of the country its practically as necessity. 374 yards is a serious shot. Out here in Georgia, I'm lucky to find a spot with a 100 yard shooting lane, let alone 374. That's sniper territory to me!

 

[RamFan503]

awesome pics all around guys!!! I bought some new bolts yesterday in prep for this years bow season. I lost a lot of good bolts and expensive tips last year by taking the wrong type of quiver through thick brush to get to a rare spot. This year, I'm starting early to get my gear straight so I can spend more time covering the spot I discovered last year. October cant come fast enough.

Bolts? Are you talking crossbow? You can't hunt with them here.

I love bow hunting (if you are actually talking arrows) - especially for elk. Nothing quite like it if you like getting close in on the animals. I have been in a herd of over 50 elk and 15 yards away from one I was trying to get a shot at and couldn't get the shot. I've also been 10 yards away from a 6x7 bull elk and he stopped with his vitals behind a big fir tree, wrapped his neck around the tree, and stared right at me. I was at full pull with a 72# long bow and he just stared at me, sniffed the air and then bolted. Even though I didn't get a shot off, it is probably one of my most memorable hunting experiences of all time. We called him in and were in perfect position but all it takes is one thing to not happen right - like him not taking one more half step. Frustrating but so freaking cool.

I bought my wife a crossbow for her birthday a couple years ago. But it was mostly because she loves Darrel on Walking Dead.

 

[RamFan503]

@RamFan503 I love the stainless barrel and stainless scope rings on your piece, I can imagine in your part of the country its practically as necessity. 374 yards is a serious shot. Out here in Georgia, I'm lucky to find a spot with a 100 yard shooting lane, let alone 374. That's sniper territory to me!

I have lots of blued guns as well but that one is my go to. The stainless and synthetic stock makes it pretty trouble free for obvious reasons but it is a Sako 75 with a Swarovski scope. Sakos are considered the most accurate factory rifle and the Swarovski scope is absolutely amazing on light gathering. It actually looks brighter through the scope in the evening hours (deer:30) than it does to the naked eye. I have taken deer, elk, bear, pigs, coyotes, antelope, and even a couple turkeys with that gun.

Anyway, we do our own loading and practice at the gun range quite a bit. I'm pretty confident at anything inside of 600 yards - depending on the load and the animal. I double lunged and hearted that bear. He died instantly - which is what I am always after. Not only do I not like having to track an animal, I don't want any of the animals I take suffering any more than necessary and the faster you are able to get to the animal, generally, the better the quality the meat. BTW - bear meat is amazing in stews, tacos, and sausage. My favorite sausage is equal parts elk, venison, and bear meat.

Anyway, in Eastern Oregon, the shots are generally a lot longer than in Western Oregon. Most of my shots in Western Oregon have been inside of 75 yards. In Eastern Oregon, it is more wide open and probably my shortest shot was 175 yards. That was the 4x4 mulie in a driving rain. I had about 4" of his back showing over a downed fir tree. All I saw was hooves after I shot.

Sorry to derail @Selassie I 's thread but I love hunting and talking hunting. Those who hunt probably get it.
Those who don't are probably rolling their eyes or thinking I'm a Neanderthal. Oh well.

 

[Memento]

Those who don't are probably rolling their eyes or thinking I'm a Neanderthal. Oh well.

I've never hunted, and never really liked to fish myself (because I don't like to get the hooks out of their mouths), but I enjoy all of your stories. I appreciate them as a girl who loves to eat all kinds of animals. I can appreciate fishermen and hunters, even if I don't do it myself.

I love all of the pics, by the way.

 

[Selassie I]

I have lots of blued guns as well but that one is my go to. The stainless and synthetic stock makes it pretty trouble free for obvious reasons but it is a Sako 75 with a Swarovski scope. Sakos are considered the most accurate factory rifle and the Swarovski scope is absolutely amazing on light gathering. It actually looks brighter through the scope in the evening hours (deer:30) than it does to the naked eye. I have taken deer, elk, bear, pigs, coyotes, antelope, and even a couple turkeys with that gun.

Anyway, we do our own loading and practice at the gun range quite a bit. I'm pretty confident at anything inside of 600 yards - depending on the load and the animal. I double lunged and hearted that bear. He died instantly - which is what I am always after. Not only do I not like having to track an animal, I don't want any of the animals I take suffering any more than necessary and the faster you are able to get to the animal, generally, the better the quality the meat. BTW - bear meat is amazing in stews, tacos, and sausage. My favorite sausage is equal parts elk, venison, and bear meat.

Anyway, in Eastern Oregon, the shots are generally a lot longer than in Western Oregon. Most of my shots in Western Oregon have been inside of 75 yards. In Eastern Oregon, it is more wide open and probably my shortest shot was 175 yards. That was the 4x4 mulie in a driving rain. I had about 4" of his back showing over a downed fir tree. All I saw was hooves after I shot.

Sorry to derail @Selassie I 's thread but I love hunting and talking hunting. Those who hunt probably get it.
Those who don't are probably rolling their eyes or thinking I'm a Neanderthal. Oh well.

"Derail" my ass... you are expanding it's quality.

Muchas Gracias

 

[…..]

Bolts? Are you talking crossbow? You can't hunt with them here.

I find humor in the shocked looks I get when I tell my friends from the west coast that I'm using a cross bow. Its seems almost taboo on the left side of the country, but Its pretty common here.

I carry a Barnett Raptor. They're deadly these days with the cam systems. Mine is older but its around 340 fps with 150lb draw and has an anti dry fire safety to prevent costly unwraps. Very cool feature for the clumsy like me to insure it never fires unless its actually loaded.

Even though I didn't get a shot off, it is probably one of my most memorable hunting experiences of all time. We called him in and were in perfect position but all it takes is one thing to not happen right - like him not taking one more half step. Frustrating but so freaking cool.

And that's why we go....cool story! One of my best memories is when I finally bought into the whole idea of masking my scent and using a climbing tree stand. It was in primitive weapons season and I was carrying a CVA Optima black powder muzzle loader. You might think the range is limited, but its pretty accurate- 200 grain only 1/2" low at 100yds with illuminated V sights. Anyway, I was in the tree for about an hour when day finally broke, and in the mist about 70 yards off I let 2 nice sized does pass and settled in to wait for the trailing Buck. While my heart was still racing at the realization I jumped a trail, I hear a faint rustle in the leaves... and here comes a tiny red fox trotting my direction. In this area, those fox are so rare and spook so easy, this was the first one I had ever seen in the wild. And its was absolutely beautiful with striking red and silver coat. This little guy actually moseyed around and passed right under me, and then directly under me three feet from my tree he stops, looks around, yawns, and trots off on his journey. It was a magical moment, as if I inserted myself into a forbidden world un noticed....and got away with it. 10 minutes later...that buck comes along and became my first kill. But the thing I remember most about that day is the fox. To me its my right of passage.

 

[…..]

I have lots of blued guns as well but that one is my go to. The stainless and synthetic stock makes it pretty trouble free for obvious reasons but it is a Sako 75 with a Swarovski scope. Sakos are considered the most accurate factory rifle and the Swarovski scope is absolutely amazing on light gathering. It actually looks brighter through the scope in the evening hours (deer:30) than it does to the naked eye. I have taken deer, elk, bear, pigs, coyotes, antelope, and even a couple turkeys with that gun.

Anyway, we do our own loading and practice at the gun range quite a bit. I'm pretty confident at anything inside of 600 yards - depending on the load and the animal. I double lunged and hearted that bear. He died instantly - which is what I am always after. Not only do I not like having to track an animal, I don't want any of the animals I take suffering any more than necessary and the faster you are able to get to the animal, generally, the better the quality the meat. BTW - bear meat is amazing in stews, tacos, and sausage. My favorite sausage is equal parts elk, venison, and bear meat.

Anyway, in Eastern Oregon, the shots are generally a lot longer than in Western Oregon. Most of my shots in Western Oregon have been inside of 75 yards. In Eastern Oregon, it is more wide open and probably my shortest shot was 175 yards. That was the 4x4 mulie in a driving rain. I had about 4" of his back showing over a downed fir tree. All I saw was hooves after I shot.

Sorry to derail @Selassie I 's thread but I love hunting and talking hunting. Those who hunt probably get it.
Those who don't are probably rolling their eyes or thinking I'm a Neanderthal. Oh well.

I'm pretty much a novice hunter, my only big game experience being in California where we never actually saw anything, and the last 3 years learning to hunt deer in Georgia. I actually enjoy the scouting part of it, and finding signs like a wet scrape or seeing a cedar tree in the distance, then getting to it and finding a rub, is a necessary part of the hunt for me. I spent two and half seasons looking for my spot....and most of that time was spent learning just what the hell I am actually looking for. I found a rub on a cedar about 7" in diameter, and convinced there's a mature wall hanger that did it. I haven't seen him yet, but I've seen his tracks, his scrapes and I know he's still there. Its bordered on two sides by West Point Lake, and I also found the thicket where he's bedding down. I've seen his does go in and out of there, just not him. Just have to be patient, he's too smart to travel during hunting hours.

Tacos, spaghetti, and chili is what I use my venison for. But I always spring extra for sausage. I haven't learned yet how to cook the back strap and make it tender as everyone says. So I had them grind the back strap of my last deer.
The search is on for the right processor, because our usual guy retired last season. When I settle on one its going to depend on how well he does his sausage.

There's managed bear hunts in Georgia at the Wildlife Management areas, some are lottery and you need to know exactly when to apply. So clearly there are bear here, but I've never seen anything but a picture or two on someone's trail cam or in magazines.

 

[RamFan503]

I'm pretty much a novice hunter, my only big game experience being in California where we never actually saw anything, and the last 3 years learning to hunt deer in Georgia. I actually enjoy the scouting part of it, and finding signs like a wet scrape or seeing a cedar tree in the distance, then getting to it and finding a rub, is a necessary part of the hunt for me. I spent two and half seasons looking for my spot....and most of that time was spent learning just what the hell I am actually looking for. I found a rub on a cedar about 7" in diameter, and convinced there's a mature wall hanger that did it. I haven't seen him yet, but I've seen his tracks, his scrapes and I know he's still there. Its bordered on two sides by West Point Lake, and I also found the thicket where he's bedding down. I've seen his does go in and out of there, just not him. Just have to be patient, he's too smart to travel during hunting hours.

Tacos, spaghetti, and chili is what I use my venison for. But I always spring extra for sausage. I haven't learned yet how to cook the back strap and make it tender as everyone says. So I had them grind the back strap of my last deer.
The search is on for the right processor, because our usual guy retired last season. When I settle on one its going to depend on how well he does his sausage.

There's managed bear hunts in Georgia at the Wildlife Management areas, some are lottery and you need to know exactly when to apply. So clearly there are bear here, but I've never seen anything but a picture or two on someone's trail cam or in magazines.

Love the fox story. And I know exactly what you mean. Often it is what happens on the hunt more than the hunt itself.

I love scouting and tracking before the shot. I'm very good at finding animals after the shot (my buddies call me the blood hound) but I prefer to walk up on a dead animal right where I shot it. I have tried stands and blinds but I just can't do it. I set up on a trail that was extremely well used by at least one gnarly bull elk but every time I heard a noise, I wanted to go check it out. I much prefer stalking. Besides, you get a shit load of exercise that way.

Anyway, I love finding rubs. You should see elk rubs. It's really something when you come up to a bunch of little trees that are scraped up higher than you can reach. Practically gives me a woody. But being surrounded by elk is really something that is hard to describe. It is both exciting and frustrating at times. But talk about a rush. When you are scented up and in full camo, you can often hang right with them. And when they move off, you just run with them. It's something I've learned after many years of hunting. They can't tell if it is you or them making the noise. I was once in the same herd 7 times in one day. Every time we would spook them, we would just tuck our bows and run right after them. They generally don't like to leave their home and will often stop and start feeding again after a few hundred yards if they haven't been pushed away from their home by other hunters.

As far as the back strap and other cuts go, I butcher my own deer and have the butcher bone out my elk and then have him do mostly steaks. The most important thing you can do for the meat is to get that skin off as quickly as possible - especially if it is hot out. You also want to trim out any badly blood shot meat and definitely any meat tainted by organs if you hit them. Trimming out more than you want to sometimes is the only way to have everything left taste good. And then get that baby hanging and/or chilling down asap as well. When I get my animal home, I actually take a pressure washer to it and get every little pine needle or blood patch off the meat.

Depending on the butcher, I will have them do pepperoni but never sausage. I can do far better sausage myself and it allows me to make whatever sausage I want when I want. Even when I have a butcher cut up my animal, I figure on trimming any fat or sinew that the butcher left and then cutting them into about 2" medallions. Venison fat is very gamy and you should not leave it on the meat when you cook it.

Venison and elk has almost no fat in the meat itself so you have to either add fat or cook rare to medium rare or cook the crap out of it to make it tender. I generally just sear the outside in olive oil and garlic and then make a sauce to go over it. Try a combination of apple sauce, chopped bacon, a little soy, and a dash of cayenne. Just fry up the bacon and add the rest in a pan then pour it over the top. Using sage and/or fruit also works great for game meats.

 

[…..]

@RamFan503 ...yeah Stu, you're obviously on another level when it comes to meat preparation. I can certainly appreciate your thoughts on the sausage too. We do have a guy who'll do various types of sausage and now that you mention pepperoni, I recall he does that and does various jerky's too. His website was like 5 times the options of our local family owned processor. Problem is, he's almost 2 hours away. I'm starting to think the time spent to get to him would be well worth it!

I've tried stalking and walk hunting, but I've never seen anything when I did. I'll still do it, but only in the rain or soon after when the leaves are wet and silent instead of dry and crackly. In the woods I hunt, I think the best bet is to get to your spot and once you're there the most important thing to do is STAY THERE. Its difficult to me to remain too long because I start scoping the area out and always see another spot or want to know what's just around the bend or what kind of sight lines are on the next hill. I finally got the message to SIT STILL, and to use the scent spray, scentless antiperspirant, try doe piss around my perimeter, and when I did the amount of deer I've seen has shot up tremendously. I always thought I was some kinda Cherokee Ninja and that just being quiet and sneaky was going to give me an edge, but last year I learned way too much about scent. I'll tell you this....I will never shit in my woods again! hahaha In fact, if I get a bad feeling about a spot, I'll leave but before I go I will take a crap and drop a pin on the GPS to keep myself from coming back lol

One day I may get to hunt the type of game you get out the in the Pacific NW, your Elk experiences seem way cool to me.I was talking to a guy who was in town for work and his hunting stories usually involved a jeep. Evidently he lived in Montana and they're so wide open that they have to drive around looking for herds. The different styles and ways to hunt are pretty interesting! Every bit as interesting as the @Selassie I twins spearing a lobster, hauling in a big grouper, or cutting loose a bait stealin shark.

 

[LesBaker]

@RamFan503 In fact, if I get a bad feeling about a spot, I'll leave but before I go I will take a crap and drop a pin on the GPS to keep myself from coming back lol

Dog, you can drop a deuce on demand?

That's an interesting superpower.

dogwashere

 

[…..]

Dog, you can drop a deuce on demand?

That's an interesting superpower.

dogwashere

:shades:

why yes.....yes I can.

especially when I've been holding it all morning and never even took my coffee dump

 

[RamFan503]

I'm starting to think the time spent to get to him would be well worth it!

My best advice is to talk to other hunters. Some butchers tend to "trim too much" and you will find that the amounts of meat you get back can vary greatly. Most use very similar pepperoni recipes but others have their own. Generally, hunters that have been hunting for several years have tried almost all the available options. They may not tell you about their hunting areas but will usually share info on the best butchers.