SAD DAY ON THE FARM
Good evening Steemians.
If any of you have been following along with my previous posts/vlogs then you know a little bit about the struggle I face with hunting on my farm. If you have not seen them, go to my page and check it out. You may laugh, you may cry, or you may just shake your head in disbelief. For the last two months the number of bucks, does and yearlings that we have been seeing on the camera are driving me and my girls nuts. Not to mention all the darn raccoons...ugh! Anyway my kids love to name all the deer on the farm. Floppy, Bruce, Max, Charlie, and two new addition that the girls have not named yet.
Bruce:
Max:
Charlie:
New Guy:
New Guy with the twins:
Yesterday around noon I was out in the back of the farm checking the cameras and filling the feeders and then I heard a loud screeching sound coupled with what sounded like steel sliding across the concrete. I thought nothing of it because just up the road there is a construction crew working on building an addition to a subdivision. ( Ugh!) My wife and kids were in the front yard raking leaves and jumping in the leaf piles. I sent my wife a text and asked if she heard or saw anything. She said that she did not hear anything but there was a car parked on the side of the road near our driveway. Then within 10 minutes she sent me a text that a Police Officer showed up. My wife walked up to find out if everything was okay. The lady driving the car hit a deer. She had two children with her. All three were okay, just a little shook up. I immediately stopped what I was doing and ran back to the house to see two Officers in my drive way. I asked them if everyone was okay. I got a thumbs up from the officer. The officer said she hit a buck. He said it was not wise for the girls to see him. He said there were organs all over the road.
Not to rude or inconsiderate, but once the officer said that I began thinking of which buck could it be. Man could it be Bruce, the ten pointer, our first real buck we have seen on the farm? Could it be Max? The eight pointer we have been seeing by the shop and having fun with? Charlie? Or the new additions that we have not named yet?
I just had to find out!!
Well I walked up about 50 feet from our property line and found him in the ditch all mangled. The left antler was missing from the buck's head, lodged into the tire of the car. Well the right antler was still attached.
I thought I really need to get rid of this buck because all that he will do in the ditch is decompose, smell and attract more animals that will be danger close to the road. I got the garden tractor and wagon and loaded him up. Holy crap he was heavy!! Sad waste. I took him back to the shop and positioned him in the wagon so it would not be a total shock when the kids want to look at him. They were not too freaked out. But I told them that this guy could be Max or Charlie. I would have to review the trail camera photos.
Our first grave
Luckily for me my buddy Jason let me use his Bobcat to do some work on the farm. I jumped in the Bobcat and headed towards the trail that goes to the back of the farm. I found a nice little spot under an Osage Tree and began to dig the grave. Well after a few minutes the grave was dug and the buck was lying in it. I sadly filled the grave with buckets of dirt. After it was all filled in, I mentioned to my wife that it was fun to see him (at least that is what we think) on the trail cameras.
A bit of humor
When we were finished my wife said to me "First grave on the farm huh? Will this be one of many?" Referring to the fact that we have three daughters and one will probably begin dating within the next few years. Well, I am glad we have 10 acres to choose from and a friend with a Bobcat! Ha Ha
The biggest thing is that I am happy to say that the lady and her children were okay after hitting this buck and after a tire change she was able to drive home.
Folks, deer are out moving right now. Bucks are chasing does. Please be careful and observant while you drive.
As always, have a great and blessed day and continue to help each other grow in knowledge.
Kenny
Pfeiler Family Farm
Great post! Lately my deer cam has been mostly empty. I have a doe or two that that is about it moving around. I'm going to set up another feeder. So was it Max or Charlie?
I have reason to believe it was Charlie. And by the looks of the photos I pulled today, I am thinking Bruce and Max were sparring. Bruce's main beam is broken and Max is all pawed up on his back.
For Bruce watch his right antler all the way up to the 11th.
And for Max:
As for the deer not showing up, try using a bit of peanut butter and smear it around the inside lip of the feeder and crush a couple old apples and smear the juice around it. If you attract the does, the bucks come runnin'! Plus I dropped some buck urine around the feeders. Right now I think doing that will work because some unknown buck is in another buck's territory. If you know anyone that hunts and they get a buck, have them save the urine...kinda messy job there but worth its weight to attract more deer.
Again, wish you all the best of luck to fill those tags and the pantry!!
Kenny
Pfeiler Family Farm
Did you dig deep enough to keep the coyotes and dogs out? Nothing worse than meeting up with the deerly departed in your back yard 4 months after you thought you buried him! (Yes, I have dogs :-/
I believe so. It is not a 6' deep grave, but about 3' maybe a little more. The first layer I put over him was composing manure and then the topsoil. If I start seeing paw prints from coyotes, then I will cover the grave with some logs to ensure he does not resurface. Hate to have a carcass smelling up the farm and the subdivision next to me!!
But now that you mention it, tomorrow might be a good day to take my Weim over the area and see if he can smell anything. If he starts pawing at the ground, then the wood will get put down. Thank you for asking.
Kenny
Pfeiler Family Farm
Bummer!
I know the "authorities" frown upon it, but you can indeed harvest the good bits off a fresh road-kill like that. (though that one looks to be hit mighty hard)
I've done it, long ago in rural VA when a fat doe jumped into the side of my car, and broke her neck.
It is tough to mix cars and deer.
We should ban cars and give some sort of credit to folk who ride bicycles and other self powered (slow) conveyances.
I did look him over but he was covered in digestive waste (solid and liquid), gravel, dirt, asphalt, etc. I may have been able to salvage the tender loins, maybe one shoulder and remove the tarsals but I did not feel the work vs reward was there. Plus if I am not mistaken ( I am still new to Missouri hunting laws) but I believe if I tried to harvest him I would have to give up one of my tags...again not too sure. So I did not want to risk losing my opportunity for a full deer that I know I took and is not tainted.
Rural VA? I am familiar with Stanton/Waynesboro area. Nice deer up in those mountains.
My conveyance as of the last few months has been a Cub Cadet Garden Tractor...that is pretty slow. Ha Ha.
Thanks for replying @alexcaskie
Kenny
Pfeiler Family Farm
That's really beautiful country down there, I was east of Front Royal, the last of the Blue Ridge mts.
It was pretty rural 40 years ago, I understand I understand now it is more a DC suburb.
Too bad the "authorities" don't even encourage you use a carcass like that just for dog meat.
Likely the big dog food corporations would complain.
Good luck on your hunting season.
A.
Thank you. @alexcaskie