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Crazy Idea for Hunting from Front Porch
- Thread starter clunker
- Start date
22 years ago I did something very similar. I didn't have intentions of developing my property for game beyond the tree farm I currently manage, just harvesting what comes along as it's in an area very rich in game.
22 years later I've never killed a deer on my property (elk is another story). I see them pretty much daily, I've let friends and family hunt and shoot on my property, not sure how many have actually been taken. It's just different. I have no problem doing it, no moral compunction about shooting them eating out of the garden or grazing on the grapes. I usually just yell, throw a rock or let the little dog chase after them. There are 2 sets of twins on the place right now, I enjoy watching them grow up. My wife actually gives me crap about being a softy as she's the gardener and is the one complaining about them. I have venison in the freezer, almost always do. I'm surrounded by timber land, about 70 ft out my back door the woods start (state and private timber land).
To me there's a big difference between hunting and shooting. When I'm hunting I'm all geared up to deal w/an animal, when I'm sitting at the dinner table not so much. I'd rather chase them off then have to take them to the barn to process. We only need so much food, the animals aren't hurting anything, we give them a little sanctuary from the madness that is hunting season.
Another thought is that those deer are food in the bank. If for some reason I can't fill my freezer and the kids are hungry we'll at least have some protein in our bellies. When it comes to subsistence living seasons be damned.
22 years later I've never killed a deer on my property (elk is another story). I see them pretty much daily, I've let friends and family hunt and shoot on my property, not sure how many have actually been taken. It's just different. I have no problem doing it, no moral compunction about shooting them eating out of the garden or grazing on the grapes. I usually just yell, throw a rock or let the little dog chase after them. There are 2 sets of twins on the place right now, I enjoy watching them grow up. My wife actually gives me crap about being a softy as she's the gardener and is the one complaining about them. I have venison in the freezer, almost always do. I'm surrounded by timber land, about 70 ft out my back door the woods start (state and private timber land).
To me there's a big difference between hunting and shooting. When I'm hunting I'm all geared up to deal w/an animal, when I'm sitting at the dinner table not so much. I'd rather chase them off then have to take them to the barn to process. We only need so much food, the animals aren't hurting anything, we give them a little sanctuary from the madness that is hunting season.
Another thought is that those deer are food in the bank. If for some reason I can't fill my freezer and the kids are hungry we'll at least have some protein in our bellies. When it comes to subsistence living seasons be damned.
Schandler
Silver $$ Contributor
nothing better than a loin sliced up and fried in the pan for breakfast on a biscuit or the cheapest leanest sausage with an egg or two. you eat the meat obviously because you want to fill your freezer and i used to hunt hard and climb on limbs 50 feet up to cover the bottom when i was younger and the colder the better but now -i got to be at work monday morning early - well i have a house with lots of land and work 40 plus a week and i couldnt agree with you more on the garden of eden. dad always told me to work smarter not harder and im beginning to get it. i have planted more fruit trees than i can count just for the later years and i have shot more deer lately than i ever did when i was hunting just to get rid of the devils. they wreak havoc on my trees and garden and i cant seem to get rid of them. i do put a couple young ones in the freezer in the fall but the rest are coyote buzzard food and it doesnt bother me one bit or the game warden for that matter as long as they dont leave my property when shot. i have passed along the important parts of hunting to my son and he rags me about shooting them as i go out the back door but he understands because he helped me plant the trees and garden and sees the damage but he still goes on the coldest days to sit in the friggin rain and cold for whatever walks. Go for the garden i say
You have definitely pointed out one of my handicaps. At 46 years old, I have the joints of a 70 year old man. I worked too hard for too long in construction, and I had to close my contracting business, hoping I might still be able to walk when I retire. Apparently, I did not get good genes. I can trek 5 miles through the woods, but I cannot trek back to camp with 100 lbs. of meat on my back. Now I work in ag research at one third the wage I could make as a contractor. The money from construction isn't worth the physical sacrifice, but that means I have to be frugal, and a hunting license and tag are a no brainer. I will probably raise chickens and meat rabbits for the same reason.
I'm not a zombie apocalypse conspiracy theorist, but I like the idea of off-the-grid living and being 100% self-sufficient. As a general rule, supermarket foods are less healthy and taste like garbage compared to what you can raise, grow, and hunt. I fish at Rock Lake instead of a well-stocked pond because the meat is in a class by itself. I might get skunked at the lake instead of catching my limit within an hour at the hatchery pond, but at least I would be eating real food. Wild game is no different. I will take a venison burger over some pink slime hamburger from any commercial supplier or restaurant any day. If SHTF ever happens, you sharp shooters are welcome at my homestead.
Hi Clunker,
With respect to the debate, in my opinion, if it is your land, you pay the taxes, put in the sweat equity, you can hunt any way you damn well please.
Hopefully without sounding critical, your once a year, "small sacrifice" may not be realistic. It takes an investment of time and money often beyond what most sportsmen are willing to spend. If you can spread the investment over several years, following a plan, you can achieve your goal.
Over the last 20 years, I have invested easily $30,000 into equipment and material to support the deer on my land. I have a Case backhoe that cost me $14 k to dig rocks, stumps and carry top soil to places I need it. I have a Ford 8N with a two bottom plow, 8 foot disc, 5 foot brush hog, back blade and several hand built drags for leveling. Last year I invested $3K in rebuilding the entire tractor. This year alone I invested $400 in just fencing.
Seed, for the food plots this year cost me $75, fertilizer and lime was $200. I haven’t kept track of the gas and diesel that I have spent. Could easily be $100 just to get the plots ready in the spring/summer.
I am buying 100 lbs of corn a week now at $10 per bag. When the winter gets bad, that will go to 200 lbs a week.
Worth it, hell yes. I am planning on expanding again next year and planting a quarter acre of pumpkins.
This spring, a bad one, but the rutabaga came through again.
This years food plot in front of the house.
A couple of bucks that come in every day.
Clunker I feel ya on the joints, they want to replace both my knees.
Now to your original question.
I like my venison in the form of pepperoni stix. spicy of course. Guess who ate their last package of pepperoni stix?
Now guess what's gonna happen to a buck in my back yard?
Yup you got it, I'm gonna do everything in my power to turn him into pepperoni stix.
Now to your original question.
I like my venison in the form of pepperoni stix. spicy of course. Guess who ate their last package of pepperoni stix?
Now guess what's gonna happen to a buck in my back yard?
Yup you got it, I'm gonna do everything in my power to turn him into pepperoni stix.
if you move here to Idaho, you will have pretty stiff competition from the wolves. Here we have those big Canadian Lobo's 180-230 pounds. Packs of 10-20.
Don't have a dog or cat either, or go for evening walks...
I doubt any part of a deer that you cannot get to the house in one trip will be there to return for.
Don't have a dog or cat either, or go for evening walks...
I doubt any part of a deer that you cannot get to the house in one trip will be there to return for.
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Dear Jesus, pdhntr! That is breathtaking property. The small sacrifice that I speak of was meant to describe the one buck that goes in the chest freezer, so the rest of the herd can thrive. I do not discount for one second the amount of effort it will take on my part.
You are spot on with what it takes to maintain the land. I am fortunate to work in agriculture, and being a researcher, I have access to seed that is not available anywhere else in the world. My chickpeas are irresistible to deer, and they do not require any fertilizer (mesorhizobium provides all the nitrogen you ever need). Chickpeas also repel ticks and most insects, although the beneficial pollinators seem unaffected. The deer can rely on my chickpeas until a hard freeze, and after that, fir trees should do the job. No need to buy corn, but if you have the space, field corn is easy to grow. Just get a short season variety for this region. Of course, corn likes lots of fertilizer and water, so it might not pencil.
I will have to buy a tractor, and I have budgeted about $15k. The other implements are virtually free (except for the loader) if you know farmers in other programs and don't mind doing a bit of maintenance. There's a decent drill I could take home tomorrow if I had a place to store it. Fencing will be expensive, but I only intend to surround my garden and livestock.
Not all of this will happen in the first year. After 5 years, I should be ready to start building a house. Student loans will be paid off, and I can finally be 100% debt-free and self-sufficient. At least that's the dream. We all know that stuff happens, and I don't pretend to believe that there won't be complications.
Well said Sir ,many things to think about . I am missing a few toes and can't really feel my feet much at all .I can trip over high grass or a twig ,my old hunting partners are glad I harvest my meat from the comfort of my porch now ...much safer .
okie
Gold $$ Contributor
Guess not....must've been caananites
I put in mostly rutabaga, and some forage radish. I plant in late June, early July. This year we had some dry weather so I irrigated using a trailer with a 300 gallon tote and pump. I go down to the creek and fill it up. Irrigating takes more water than I ever expected. Don't want to use my well. I have pumped 1500 gallons in one day on the lawn and deer plots when needed.
Rutabaga works very well in this area. I pull the fences mid September, and the deer feed heavily on the tops until winter. In the spring when they need the nourishment the most, they will spend hours digging the bulbs up. The bulbs winter very well.
Good luck with your adventure.
Jim
I've been looking for land for probably close to a year. Everything that looks good is ridiculously overpriced. Pullman has a shortage of housing, and they can't build houses fast enough to keep up with demand, so all the neighboring towns have inflated values as well. We are almost totally surrounded by farmland, and acreage without CC&R's is hard to find. I'm maxed out at $50k (or maybe slightly more if a good well and/or septic are already in place. Can't find anything under $70k.
We are looking for our retirement homestead. Finding the same thing as you with regards to properties and pricing. All the best luck in your search. Unfortunately, Washington State is one of the fastest growing states in the union with all the new jobs up here.
Our hope is to find something in Oregon that is away from people, but offers some of the amenities within a reasonable distance.
My brother is a Real Estate Broker there. If you are interested, I can PM his office number to you.
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