Oh baby, can’t ya just smell it in the air? Deeeeeer season! I can’t wait!
“But Ranger Man,” you say. “Take a sedative, bro. Maine deer season doesn’t start until November 1st.”
To which I respond, “Shit, bro. I’m talkin’ ’bout ARCHERY SEASON!”
To which you respond, “Yeah, OK. Well, you’ve still got to wait until October 2nd.”
To which I respond, “Shit, holmes. I’m talkin’ bout EXPANDED Archery Season! It starts September 6!”
Oh yes, SHTF party peeps in Maine - ready your bow. Some areas in Maine have such high concentration of deer that the state allows an “expanded” archery season in these specific areas. They’re typically along the coast and in populated area where the house lots make great deer ground and there are typically firearms ordinances.
In these zones you can take as many does as you want to buy $12.00 tags for and/or one buck for a $33.00 tag. The objective during this season is to put meat in the freezer - period. Whether it’s a little skipper, a big doe, or a button buck - bring ‘em down! Get ‘em in the freezer! Secure the protein! MORE MEAT!
For you see the problem with “regular” archery season is that if you bag a deer in October with your bow - you’re done! No November firearms hunting for you. Tagged out! Hang your hat! You’re . . . FINISHED!
But if you wait for the more exciting firearms season, you run the risk of not tagging out - NO MEAT! But expanded archery seasons - for designated areas - runs September 6 through December 13. It’s your insurance season in case you don’t get lucky during firearms (or get too drunk at deer camp to wake up early enough). It eases the pressure in November, and if you DO get something in November, too - shazam! MORE MEAT!
It’s not easy, though. Sure the deer population in these areas is more dense, but you gotta get pretty damn close to bring ‘em down. You gotta employ your ninja skills.
Friggin’ arrows ain’t cheap, though - are they? I had to replace a few, and bought these 6 PSE arrows at a local shop, and the damn things cost $45.00!
Yowzer! And that’s with target tips! Granted I went with the carbon fiber arrows instead of aluminum, but still. You don’t want to lose these things.
I know, I know, you start to think, “Hmmmm. $12 for a doe tag, $45 for arrows . . . how much meat would $57 buy?” Lol - I know, but hey. You can use the arrows over again - usually. And there’s the whole primal, man bring home meat thing going on, too. Self-sufficiency. You know, except I didn’t make the arrows . . . or the bow.
Expect more posts on hunting in the weeks and months to come. ‘Tis the season. Winter will be here before we know it. Secure your meat.
- Ranger Man
BTW: Some deer have all the luck.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Mama Squirrel // Aug 18, 2008 at 5:29 am
I don’t even have to push my boys to go outside and practice their archery. Can’t tell you how many times they’ve killed the compost pile.
2 Kipper // Aug 18, 2008 at 6:13 am
Hey, you forgot to tell us what sort of bow your packing?? and if its any good or not
3 theotherryan // Aug 18, 2008 at 10:29 am
Hunting is a good skill to have but lets be realistic, for a significant amount of hunters (if not a majority) it is much more of a hobby then a cheap way to get meat. Not saying that is a bad thing but it is the truth.
Add some or all of the following to your list:
That 200 dollar GoreTex jacket
The 100 dollar Pants to go with it
A bow plus accessories (400ish)
A rifle plus accessories (750ish)
often a second bow or rifle
Ammo and or arrows
Beer and Whiskey
assorted camping stuff you didn’t already have
assorted gifts for the wife since you are gone all the time
Vacation time off of work
GASOLINE
When it is all tallied up from a strictly financial perspective most hunters would be better off getting a beef or a half of a beef each year.
The exception to that rule is the old guy who wears his flannel jacket, takes his old 30-30/ 30.06 to the woods a half mile away from home and shoots a deer once a year. He spends 12 bucks for a box of shells every year (or every couple years) and gets a tag.
I am not bashing hunting. It is a great hobby and recreational pass time.
4 the urban survivalist // Aug 18, 2008 at 11:16 am
The important thing is that it’s a recreational pastime that you actually have something to show for when you get home. Sure it can get expensive if you let it but you can also get all that gear you need pretty cheap if you know where to shop and you cut corners. An expert marksman is going to be more accurate with a $50 bow than a guy that takes his $500 bow to the archery range once a year.
5 arctic hunter // Aug 18, 2008 at 11:35 am
theotherryan, you have obviously never been hunting, or no, you just had your first hunt. there are not two options for hunting there are hundreds, including subsistence(here anyways).
you dont need the gore-tex jacket and all that stuff. what typically happens is someone goes hunting with all their standard gear then they learn to love it and over time money gets devoted to this new hobby. of course there are the guys like you who come to the field, buy all their fancy gear for their first time and dont know what half of it does. it is rather comical but that is a small portion of hunters.
im not sure i understand what you are saying but if all it is is it costs more money to hunt than it does to buy meat. then yeah no sh!t, especially when you go about it like that. or your one exception (and the thousands of other hunters like him who may have nice gear but accumulate rather than impulse buy). you cant put a price on being in the field and bagging something, but even if you did want to put a price on the meat, it would sure as hell not be cheap.
beef is a few bucks a pound, but how much is venison. if i go fishing i get salmon which is a hell of a lot more expensive than microwave fishsticks
6 Kipper // Aug 18, 2008 at 5:37 pm
In response to “theotherryan”, in addition to what others have already said, you really should own your own bow/rifle, warm clothing and camping gear anyway as they can be handy for other SHTF scenarios, so your not really buying that “additional” gear, you should already have it.
7 Dragon // Aug 19, 2008 at 12:21 am
In response to “theotherryan”,
Bow 15 bucks arrows and razor points 30 bucks.
All the deer I’m bringing home - priceless.
8 theotherryan // Aug 19, 2008 at 12:39 am
Arctic Hunter, Kipper and Dragon, Excellent points. Of course there are many shades of grey between black and white. If someone has the motivation and discipline hunting can be a cost effective way to get meat. I imagine that there is something of a normal (bell curve) distribution between the guy who spends under 100 dollars a year on hunting and those who spend hundreds or more.
What I was attempting to point out was that you should do the math on how much hunting costs and then determine if it is truly cost effective subsistance or a hobby. From there even if it is more of a hobby as long as that is what you want then have a great time and good luck.
9 Compound Bow Choice for Archery Deer Hunting // Aug 22, 2008 at 5:06 am
[…] KM sends me an e-mail after my “deer season approaches” post asking what sort of bow I use and whether or not it’s any good. KM, it seems, is […]
10 branden // Nov 24, 2008 at 4:00 pm
theotherryan….
i understand your point and where you are comming from. What i dont understand is why you even posted you comment? it is not valid, you sound like you have been told this, by someone whom you look up to, which i do as well. but i think you might want to refigure whom this person you look up to has reasonable agenda for his life. is he happy with himself.
Humans have been eating ever since forever, weather it be fruit, meat, vegtables.
Everyone has different interests, and when you factor in to how much money you spend on hunting it doesnt compare to, to the priceless moments your share with the ones you love. wither it be aourd the fire, on the car ride there , 2-way radio ect.
plus you get some of the best tasting meat this is in most people’s opion that is more healtier than beef and most every meat
and its is a hobby. a hobby is something that people do and enjoy… regaurdless of price.and it just so happens to save money, and create memories that i will share with my children one day.
not to be harsh…just share some light for you.
11 branden // Nov 24, 2008 at 4:04 pm
theotherryan….
i understand your point and where you are comming from. What i dont understand is why you even posted you comment? it is not valid, you sound like you have been told this, by someone whom you look up to, which i do as well. but i think you might want to refigure whom this person you look up to has reasonable agenda for his life. is he happy with himself.
Humans have been eating ever since forever, weather it be fruit, meat, vegtables.
Everyone has different interests, and when you factor in to how much money you spend on hunting it doesnt compare to, to the priceless moments your share with the ones you love. wither it be aourd the fire, on the car ride there , 2-way radio ect.
plus you get some of the best tasting meat this is in most people’s opion that is more healtier than beef and most every meat
and its is a hobby. a hobby is something that people do and enjoy… regaurdless of price.and it JUST SO HAPPENS to save money, and CREAT PRICELESS memoires that i will share with my children one day.
im sure there are plenty on different people in this world that all share interests and disagree on different opions. but you disagreeing with hunting and wither it be “hobby” or saving $ is disagreeing with what we as 100 of millions of humans have done since for ever and again has no valid point.
not to be harsh…just share some light for you.
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