Late Season Muzzlelaoder Mule Deer Hunt

[Chad E]

CoolBot Walk-In Cooler Controller

The CoolBot Walk-In Cooler Controller allows you to transform your room into a walk-in cooler.

www.storeitcold.com

There awesome for DIY walk in coolers.

 

[robby denning]

CoolBot Walk-In Cooler Controller

The CoolBot Walk-In Cooler Controller allows you to transform your room into a walk-in cooler.

www.storeitcold.com

There awesome for DIY walk in coolers.

Thanks Chad

 

[Michael54]

We have had the same one for over 10 years now. The ac unit has had to be replaced twice now

 

[robby denning]

OK while we’re waiting for Vandal to fire up this thread, I’ll post up what I’m doing today with the venison.

As we usually only take one or two deer a year, I’m not big on making jerky just because it takes a lot of meat. However, with three deer on the game pole this year I’m gonna go ahead and break out my old jerky recipe. I’m actually going to finish up last year‘s buck, as I still had about 8 pounds of steaks left. Need to make room in the freezer for what’s coming. This buck was aged too, so the jerky should turn out really well.

First, I am not a connoisseur of jerky by any means. Nope, I’m just using the basic booklet that came with my smoker. I’ll follow the directions, and smoke & dry away. We’ll see how it turns out.

-The recipe calls for 1/4”-1/2” inch strips cut WITH the grain.

-Soak 8 hours in the brine shown above

-Smoke and dry 12-16 hours, with three pans of alder, cherry, or mesquite (I choose mesquite).

I started the brine at 10am so I’ll pull everything by 6pm, drip dry, then load it in the smoker. It need three pans of smoke at beginning of process. At about an hour per pan, I should have my wood done by bedtime then it can dry all night

615 PM, Cash and I pulled the venison out of the brine and laid it out on the racks, giving it about 10 minutes to drip dry

Then I loaded the pan with mesquite and dropped the racks in.

Smoke was rolling within in 30 minutes.

815am next day, 14 hours after starting

3lbs 6oz raw dried down to 1lb 13 oz jerky

And it’s delicious. Cash and I had some with breakfast!

By starting with meat trimmed of any visceral tissue, and aged meat, it’s very tender. Very worth all the time it takes and very rewarding. Totally adds to the hunt experience.

Thanks for following

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[robby denning]

Next is meatloaf for my lunches this week. I absolutely love meatloaf. Been known to eat an entire 1lb loaf back in the day when calories didn’t matter. Nowadays a 1 lb loaf gets me about three lunches—just bring a salad or baked potato (sweet or white) and it’s a filling protein and fiber packed lunch.

I just buy the seasoning packets for hamburgers/meatloaf but man you can do about anything you want as there’s tons of recipes out there. I believe Rinella has or had one on his site. In short, meatloaf is simple and a great way to take advantage of all that grind.

I won’t start this till about 4pm but here are the simple ingredients:

Not shown are bread crumbs as I’m out out I’ll pick some up after church today. You could also use ground up Ritz or soda crackers or croutons.
-1lb ground venison
-1 egg slightly beaten
-1/2 cup finely chopped onion
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-1 TBSP mustard
-1/4 cup ketchup
-salt n pepper as desired or any burger seasoning mix

Glaze Topping:
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1 TBSP mustard
-1 TBSP brown sugar

I use this meat e-thermometer setting the alarm for 170 degrees,

then let it cool overnight. You can eat it right away but I think it’s better after it firms up.

Ok hacking back in here. It’s 430 so I combined all those ingredients. Forgot to say to add about a TBSP of high omega 3 oil, I went canola, as all these recipes are based on hamburger which has more fat in it.

Venison will be pretty dry without the oil, unless you added fat to your grind, which I did not. But of course if you like drier meatloaf, don’t add the oil.

Here it is without the ketchup/mustard/brown sugar glaze.

I’ll add that glaze when the meat hits about 150°

It probably only took 30 minutes to hit the 150 mark then I pulled it and applied the glaze

About 15-20 minutes later I set the oven to broil to brown the top. It hit 170 so I killed the heat. It climbed to 184 before it cooled. That was higher than I wanted but I’d got distracted or I’d have pulled it out around 175. Probably fine but I’ll let you know tomorrow after lunch how it turned out.

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[Travis Bertrand]

Well I did get out today...with the fam!

Saw some deer, couple small bucks, and harvested a Boone and Crockett Xmas tree. They always look so much smaller on the mountain .

The pics tell the story of the day...







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Awesome! Best harvest of them all and we are all excited to see some pics. Don’t forget to not X out Christ is Christmas


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[VANDAL]

Well I did get out today...with the fam!

Saw some deer, couple small bucks, and harvested a Boone and Crockett Christmas tree. They always look so much smaller on the mountain .

The pics tell the story of the day...









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[robby denning]

Well I did get out today...with the fam!

Saw some deer, couple small bucks, and harvested a Boone and Crockett Xmas tree. They always look so much smaller on the mountain .

The pics tell the story of the day...

View attachment 138423View attachment 138422View attachment 138421View attachment 138420







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Good to hear Corey, I just about guarantee this will be the day you remember the most of the hunt. You’ve got a pretty cool wife and some cute girls. (Unlike the father)


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[Macegl]

Well I did get out today...with the fam!

Saw some deer, couple small bucks, and harvested a Boone and Crockett Christmas tree. They always look so much smaller on the mountain .

The pics tell the story of the day...


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If only deer had ground growth like Christmas trees after they hit the ground

I swear they keep growing right up until you try and stand them up in your house and realize another 6 inches need to come off before it will fit.

 

[VANDAL]

In position just waiting for it to get light.

“The last day is the best day”

I’ve heard this saying but I have a hard time with it. Killing big bucks is a function of time. Simple as that.

My best day is the first scouting trip of the year in June/July when you make the long hike up and finally reach the glassing point, replace the sweat soaked shirt with a dry one, and settle in behind the glass. Days of scouting, unknown draw results, and hunting ahead.

Christmas is now just a couple weeks away and I have 8 hrs of season left. I’ll give my all today. Temp is -2 with patchy fog. I’ll give the fog a couple hours to lift so hopefully I can glass. If not I will start still hunting where I last left that big buck on Friday.

 

[Michael54]

Next is meatloaf for my lunches this week. I absolutely love meatloaf. Been known to eat an entire 1lb loaf back in the day when calories didn’t matter. Nowadays a 1 lb loaf gets me about three lunches—just bring a salad or baked potato (sweet or white) and it’s a filling protein and fiber packed lunch.

I just buy the seasoning packets for hamburgers/meatloaf but man you can do about anything you want as there’s tons of recipes out there. I believe Rinella has or had one on his site. In short, meatloaf is simple and a great way to take advantage of all that grind.

I won’t start this till about 4pm but here are the simple ingredients:

Not shown are bread crumbs as I’m out out I’ll pick some up after church today. You could also use ground up Ritz or soda crackers or croutons.
-1lb ground venison
-1 egg slightly beaten
-1/2 cup finely chopped onion
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-1 TBSP mustard
-1/4 cup ketchup
-salt n pepper as desired or any burger seasoning mix

Glaze Topping:
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1 TBSP mustard
-1 TBSP brown sugar

I use this meat e-thermometer setting the alarm for 170 degrees,

then let it cool overnight. You can eat it right away but I think it’s better after it firms up.

Ok hacking back in here. It’s 430 so I combined all those ingredients. Forgot to say to add about a TBSP of high omega 3 oil, I went canola, as all these recipes are based on hamburger which has more fat in it.

Venison will be pretty dry without the oil, unless you added fat to your grind, which I did not. But of course if you like drier meatloaf, don’t add the oil.

Here it is without the ketchup/mustard/brown sugar glaze.

I’ll add that glaze when the meat hits about 150°

It probably only took 30 minutes to hit the 150 mark then I pulled it and applied the glaze

About 15-20 minutes later I set the oven to broil to brown the top. It hit 170 so I killed the heat. It climbed to 184 before it cooled. That was higher than I wanted but I’d got distracted or I’d have pulled it out around 175. Probably fine but I’ll let you know tomorrow after lunch how it turned out.

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I like to use eggs, ketchup, lipton onion soup dry packets, crushed ritz crackers in mine. Seems the soup mix gives it more flavor to me than the onions and burger seasoning.

 

[robby denning]

I like to use eggs, ketchup, lipton onion soup dry packets, crushed ritz crackers in mine. Seems the soup mix gives it more flavor to me than the onions and burger seasoning.

Yip, there’s another way to do it right there. Thanks!


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[robby denning]

In position just waiting for it to get light.

“The last day is the best day”

I’ve heard this saying but I have a hard time with it. Killing big bucks is a function of time. Simple as that.

My best day is the first scouting trip of the year in June/July when you make the long hike up and finally reach the glassing point, replace the sweat soaked shirt with a dry one, and settle in behind the glass. Days of scouting, unknown draw results, and hunting ahead.

Christmas is now just a couple weeks away and I have 8 hrs of season left. I’ll give my all today. Temp is -2 with patchy fog. I’ll give the fog a couple hours to lift so hopefully I can glass. If not I will start still hunting where I last left that big buck on Friday.

All right buddy!!!


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[VANDAL]

I have two different groups of deer spotted within a few finger ridges of where I saw that buck Friday. Both groups have bucks. I don’t think I’ve seen the big one yet but it’s hard to tell from here. Gonna keep my distance and watch for now


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[VANDAL]

The wide 3x4 is back on public. He’s my plan B. Headed over now to get closer to the group of deer where I think the big one is


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[robby denning]

The wide 3x4 is back on public. He’s my plan B. Headed over now to get closer to the group of deer where I think the big one is


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Getting excited


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[d3ntalbliss]

The wide 3x4 is back on public. He’s my plan B. Headed over now to get closer to the group of deer where I think the big one is


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Good luck. I fully expect a cow elk to temp you along the way.

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[Fatcamp]

Do eeet! Do it.

 

[VANDAL]

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[VANDAL]

I’m 250 yards above the group of deer right now. Still can only see the smaller 4 pt and a hand full of does and small bucks. They are still bedded and on a spine. I’m going to creep another 100 yards down and wait. Hopefully that big buck is just over the ridge in the timber.

Getting video also I can download tonight


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