Lol they’re always on your mind when out there. Vancouver island has the densest population of cats in north America. In 32 years I’ve only seen 2 in person and now 1 on my cam. But I can guarantee a whole lot more have watched me
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Ive never seen any til this year and I’ve seen two in the last couple months…
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Same here, I had one cross infront of my truck a couple weeks ago. The first one was atleast 10 years ago. Supposidly they are good eats
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fell out of my ladder stand this week. about 18 feet up. ladder broke when I got to the top. im lucky I bounce well. not much more than a sore back and scraped up side and shoulder. bought and set up a new one today and getting back in the tree tomorrow. wear your harnesses and be careful out there.
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Glad your safe.
I’ve known others with similar situations, I won’t tell.you about mine.
Wooden ladders not a good idea specially in the wood.
Lucky mfer.
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I was using a climber one year and got about 20ft up and the bottom didn’t catch right and fell down the tree and left me and the top part hanging… Hard to shimmy down a tree with the top bit…
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Broke my.leg out in the wood.
What an ordeal
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Thanks God you bounce well. He blessed with a hard head for reasons that became obvious throughout the rest of my life, as it’s been hit a few times 
Great advice on the harness. I’ve never worn one, but I’m going to next time.
I was given the privilege of helping to teach father and son how to be more self sufficient today. I wasn’t around for the harvest, but we got it quartered out and in ice chests. Here in about a week, the real fun starts. Time to break out the grinder and freezer paper!
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Buddy just called and asked if I wanted to go jump shoot some geese from the field as they were pretty close to where our blind is and I told him to take a shot if he could (it’s been a loooong weekend and I’m tired lol) and a few minutes later he sends me this
Lucky bastard already 2 geese up on me in his first year lol
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Beginners luck sometimes makes us veterans a bit jealous. Then proud kicks in 
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Officially, mountain lions are not here in Maine, same with wolves. Unofficially, my buddy has seen both wolves and a mountain lion while out in the woods. He saw the big tail on the big cat, so not a bobcat or lynx, and he hunts the local coyotes, he knew these were different. Either straight wolves, or hybrids heavy on the wolf side.
On a that note, I’m more a small game hunter. So when I’m out for squirrel and hares with a shotgun and size 4 or 5 shot, I’m a bit more nervous when I’m hunting in his area lol. I do carry buckshot and slugs, but there wouldn’t be much time to pop one in and pump it. Even for the multiple times I’ve jumped deer when squirrel hunting. I’ve seen more deer when going after squirrels than I ever did deer hunting lol.
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I never really wore a harness either but im going to now. I want to remain hunting on both feet and not from a wheelchair as long as I can.
I love the hunting and getting a deer but the break down and looking at a full freezer of food I processed will always be the best feeling. every year I offer to teach buddies how to break their deer down but they always take the easy way out and take it to a processor. I wont ever trust someone else with my deer. too many stories of processors giving weight and not your specific deer back. I want to know thats my deer im eating and that it was handled right. good for for helping folks get into butchering their own meat. its a great feeling
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@indyfarmer. Thankful you weren’t badly hurt. Have heard horror stories though the years about falls from trees. I am the same way about processing our deer. My FIL taught me everything I know. Cutting my own means the processor can’t give me that deer that someone shot and left lying in the hot sun!! Plus I don’t like to pay for shit I can do myself.
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Yea you always gotta pay attention, but like black bears they typically don’t want to deal with humans lol… just as long as they arnt hungry or have babies.
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Never saw this thread before. Love it.
Former deer hunter in CA and MI, Rams on an island off CA, Pigs in CA (javalina) and TX. Now, I just hunt for discounts at the meat counter…
Some one had mentioned yelling at folks killing deer, cutting off their heads and leaving “the meat”. I’ve got a better one for you. A few years back, here in CA, there was a big thing of hunting cats (cougars or mountain lions which ever you want to call them) illegally. They would kill a deer, and leave the entire deer to bait the cats. It was bad enough that the granola eaters here hated us already, but there was already a shortage of deer to take legally. Wanted to string them up by their balls
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Same with Illinois unofficially there are no wolves planted in illinois but a friend scared one up that had a tracking collar on it.
Otters relocating look like a black panther on the move, thats what the deal is on those.
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thanks. I just got home from buying a harness and some new ratchet straps. im going up the tree here in a few to make sure the new stand is never going anywhere. hearing about processors giving back weight instead of specific animal makes question all the venison I ate before I learned to do my own. a buddy in the army taught me years ago and ill be forever thankful he took that time to teach me. it really has become one of my favorite parts of the hunt. around here it costs around $100 to take a deer to a processor. I try for 2-3 deer a year. im saving hundreds by knowing how to spend a few hours cutting up my own deer. sounds like I owe my buddy a case of beer or two and your FIL probably has a cold one coming as well
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Aint nothing to it.
We used to do a big assembly line, a husband and wife used to work for IBP.
Wed have 9-10 deer done in 6 hrs. Thats clean up also.
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my brother was charged by a rutting bull moose while bird hunting with his 20 ga. had to shoot it in the face with #6 shot. did the trick and it turned off into the woods. he said he could hear it crashing and falling. probably blinded him. he felt bad after but a 1000lb animal hopped up on testosterone is dangerous!
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we used to do the same. got a whole 900lb. moose done in that time frame.
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