Hunting/self sufficiency

[High Plains Biker]

I was curious if you guys are into hunting. I'm almost 53. I had wanted to hunt all my life. I grew up in NW CT and as a kid I always wanted to hunt deer, but my dad had no interest. The closest I ever got was a 2 evening hunting safety course in 9th grade.

Fast forward to about 2019 or so, I live in WY... One day I'm like, bam, I'm going to go hunting! So here I am, total noob just binge watching anything I can on hunting antelope and field dressing. Veterans here in WY get somewhat of a preference and since we're mostly familiar with firearms can waive any requirement for a hunter's safety class.

I got my tag, and 10/13/2020 bagged my first antelope. I shot this boy in the heart from about 250 or so yards. He just dropped like a stone. Shot with a 1936 Turkish Mauser in 6.5x55 Swede, which was gifted to me by a friend.




10/2021 I got another on Columbus Day. My wife was with me and it really makes field dressing fast when you have help believe me. I shot the 2nd with my 270 Winchester from like 100 feet. He was just laying in a field relaxing and chewing on some grass.

10/2022 I chased one particular buck around what was essentially a 4 mile circle. I didn't allow myself to relax enough when I took my shot and the bullet went right underneath him, he and the rest of his little herd spooked and jumped the fence from public land onto private, so I couldn't chase.

12/2022 I went for deer instead in a pretty remote section of land about 40 miles west of Wheatland, WY. Weather forecast said it would be low 40's and slightly windy, sunny, etc. When I got up there the wind was about 30-40mph and with the wind chill was about zero. I saw some deer and with my caller was able to call a few over, but despite all of my weather gear, my fingers and toes were frozen. I had to climb up this rocky cliff of sorts which was pretty rough because where the snow would collect in various crevices, you didn't know if you were putting your feet into 8 inches or 20 inches of snow. By the time I got to the top, my vision was all fuzzy and I felt the distinct desire to put my pack down and take a nap. I was in the onset of hypothermia. That fight or flight is real, despite the sleepy feeling, my body was telling me to high tail it back to the truck. Once I made it back which took awhile, with the heat on I started to feel better.

10/2023 I took a change and went for deer despite a huge winter die off due to snow blocking deer migratory routes, I found nothing but other people in orange hats.

I have found that game meat, if prepared properly has immensely more flavor than what we buy in the store. Everything in the store is processed to the point where it has no flavor. Bacon-wrapped pronghorn backstrap IMO is better than NY strip.


Beyond the fun of hunting and the stalk, which is so much fun, It's a great skill to know. When I shot the first one, and he was just laying there, I had watched endless amount of videos that showed field dressing, and it was intimidating at first, but it's really not that bad. It's messy, but not as "gory" as one might think. Pronghorn aren't huge, but if you are frugal you can get a lot of meat from one. Mule deer too. I've wanted Elk and Mule deer for so long. I've gotten late season tags for Elk and Mule Deer. I've gone out for pronghorn and seen a herd of Elk. I've gone out for Elk and seen nothing but Mule Deer. I've gone out for Mule Deer and just seen Whitetail lol. Antelope/Pronghorn are challenging because they have like 8X vision. you can try to creep up to a ridge where you know they are on the other side and just peek the top of your head over using a rock as cover and they're already looking at you.

I'm looking forward to going out again this October. I go out on public land about 30 minutes from home. I just drop my pop up camper on my primo spot and live there for days or up to 2 weeks or until I'm successful...hopefully.

[Haumana]

Awesome rundown!

I have a neighbor who has a pig problem. He would shoot them but then he would just bury them. I was like WTF? Let me know when you shoot the next one and I'll come over and harvest the meat. If for nothing else other than free dog food. I watched a few videos on the how to butcher a pig. So simple. I have gutted and dressed about a half a dozen to date. I haven't hunted my own meat yet but I would. My goal is to get better at the more finer points of using the animal.

FYI, those pig ribs that you see at the store... They are nowhere near what they are like in wild pork. Wild pork ribs are like McDonald straw thickness.


C-Mag and SubFarmer should have some input in here too.

[High Plains Biker]

Oh wow, we don't have wild hogs here, I know they are a big problem in places like TX and other southern states. Man that is wasteful, bacon is expensive!!! You could smoke them or do whatever, I'd eat the heck out of them.
There is farm not far from here called High Point Bison, they raise bison and butcher them. You can go to the farmers market and buy whatever cuts you want or ground. It's pretty pricey but so tastey.

It's the same with veg really. Like tomatoes you get in the store are bland and flavorless. My wife grew a few tomatoes here, which really was a miracle, because I live at 6000 feet, essentially high desert. Anyway, the tomatoes she grew were so full of flavor. Same with peppers and cabbage. Here, we've found that it's best to start the plant off in a pot in the house, and then if the spring weather isn't horrible they might survive a transplant outside. I just need to build a greenhouse.

I purchased some of that pink salt for salting meat, I really need to dig it out and try to salt meat so that it doesn't have to be refrigerated.

My wife has gotten really good at taking some of the pronghorn offcuts and making jerky with it. She's got that down to a science at this pont. You can make jerky with your oven or even an air fryer, we did try that as well. Jalapeno antelope jerky is amazing.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Haven’t gotten myself to go hunting yet. It’s easier to shoot my own pig in the backyard.

But yeah, to add to your point, real meat is nothing at all like the factory slop in the grocery store. I can never go back.

[High Plains Biker]

I spent the first full week of October living in the mountains in my pop up camper, but no pronghorn anywhere really. It was a lot warmer than it usually is during this time of year. I saw a moose, some elk and mule deer, but no pronghorn. Fast forward to the first real cold snap we had on the nights of 10/17 and 10/18. Saturday the 19th headed back out to where I was looking earlier, and bam. Pronghorn everywhere. From the time I got out of the truck and put on my gear until the time I was able to make the shot was 15-20 minutes maybe, and only about 400 yards from where I parked. My wife named him Barney and now Barney lives in the freezer. Bullet passed through both lungs and his heart.

[SuburbanFarmer]

What are you doing for heat this winter? Not a lot of insulation in the pop-up I’m sure…

[High Plains Biker]

Pronghorn was the only thing I went for this year, so since Barney is in the freezer my season is essentially done. But yeah, my pop up has no heat. I rely on a cold weather sleeping bag and a really warm fuzzy wool blanket. I actually found myself getting too hot at night.

I've slept in this bag outside in a hammock once at plus 10,000 feet next to an alpine shelf lake in the Snow Range Mountains west of Laramie WY, was a bit on the cold side, but still manageable.

My poor old Coleman Santa Fe pop up needs a lot of TLC, it's ancient. I'm looking at giving it away and getting a travel trailer.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Oh I misunderstood lol
Thought you were living in the trailer now ‘for your first full week’. Like dude, you will not survive there we need to send Martin on a rescue mission in his chopper.

[High Plains Biker]

LOL pronghorn w/rifle in my area was from 10/5 to 10/31. Was a really nice October too. As soon as Nov hit, somebody flipped a switch and now winter is here.

Could try for a late season elk tag for Dec-Jan but that is a long haul into the mountains at the worst time of year, for probably little reward and a risk of severe hypothermia. I almost died of hypothermia hunting for deer in December of 2022.