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Dave Hoskins

Member
Messages
5,252
Location
Parker County, Texas
Some of you know that I feed a lot of the wildlife around here. Started doing it several years ago when we were in a bad drought. Just hated seeing the deer and others struggle to find something worthwhile to eat for themselves and their young. So, I started feeding them and keeping fresh water out there as well and the rest is pleasant history. I know there are those who say I should kill some and eat them, but I like to think of them as pets. Besides, I have seen all the killing I care to as a 26 year Marine who started out in Nam. So, I just thought I would show these photos I took this morning. There were 4 of them, but only managed to catch 3 in the photos. The 4th one just kept off to the sidelines. Oh, well. Hope you enjoy seeing these. :D

 
Got some great pics Dave. Unfortunately feeding the deer is being banned here in MO in many counties due to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The conservation department studies have shown that it was mostly being spread when the deer were coming together, un-naturally , through deer feeding spots. It's usually spread by nasal contact from deer to deer and is 100% fatal if contracted.

http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20160516/NEWS/160519158

Of course, in your case, they would starve, so danged if you do...well you understand. ;)

Might be worth checking with the conservation department to see if there has been any cases of it around you, might not be an issue down there.
 
Darren, we do have CWD here. I read that there are 1300 deer breeders in Texas and from what I gathered the cases of it that have been detected where in breeder herds, not wild free roaming animals. Of course a wild animal can jump a fence and get in with an infected herd, then leave and spread it further. All I can figger is that these I have around here are nice and healthy good looking deer so I don't think they have a neurological disease. Them prions will get you every time.
 
Nice pictures. Somebody will say cull the herd to avoid overpopulation. Myself I don't really care for venison anymore.
Enjoy the wild life.
David
 
some nice critters, dave. 2 yrs ago we had a bad epidemic of EHD and it was an eye opener..looked like the world was coming to an end dead deer every where.. but things are picking up now.. i can enjoy seeing them before season and respectively take a couple during season.. so to each his own
 
hehe Chuck, I don't name the deer. Thought about it but my brain can't come up with enough names. I have quite an influx of them, I never know who I will see on any given day. But, these bigger bucks have been hanging around now for about 3 years. I don't hunt. Haven't since I was a kid. If a disaster hit, I am sure I would take one out to survive. Or, however many is needed. Most people that say they are going deer hunting is what I call "bait and wait". They also consider shooting something from 200 yards with a scope a "heck of a shot". Sorry, but that's child's play to me. I could take either the M-14 or M-16 with standard military sights at 600 meters and cut near center in 24" targets. And, I didn't even qualify to be a Marine Sniper. Anyway, enough of that. I like sitting on my deck early morning and watching my critters.
 
Had boss that said Texans don't hunt deer, they shoot their pets. Lot of truth in that.

Texas actually banned deer hunting in the early 20th century. With few natural predators due to predator control, the deer overpopulated and starved to death. Texas Parks and Wildlife took over herd management with hunting quotas (total numbers, number of does, numbers of bucks, etc) in each region of the state based on surveyed populations. Since then the herd has prospered and avoided starvation. I'm not a deer hunter either, but do recognize the need for scientific wildlife management.
 
I do recognize control is needed. I just ain't gonna control them here. :D They just come and go as they please and with this heat I think they are mainly coming up to get some fresh water to drink. It's still actually fairly green around here right now. So, they have a lot to choose from on eating.
 
Great pics, Dave. :thumb: Like you, I'm not hungry enough to hunt, but I recognize the benefit hunters do to wildlife populations.
 
My son was a police office in Lakeway, just outside Austin, for a short time... the deer were so populace there they lounged around people's front yards, ate their shrubbery and were considered a general nuisance.... one of his primary police tasks was to shoot deer that had been hit by cars and injured... think that's what turned him off on the police work.... that and the pay, he can make more as a computer geek.

On the shooting with scope at 200 yards... not sure I could do that well... according to the Navy I'm a marksman with an M1 carbine from boot camp... never had one in my hands. I'm also a qualified marksman with a .45... only target I ever short at with one of them was off the fantail at the Pacific ocean... I know I hit that....

When I was a teen, my friend and I used to set the brass off a .22 on top of a fence post and shoot them off without hitting the fence post from about 30-40 yards... not sure I could even see the fence post much less the brass now at that distance. .
 
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Shooting is something that turned out to come naturally to me. Didn't find that out until I went into the Marines. The shortest range we ever shot at while at the Known Distance range was 200 yards. And, just plain military sights. Even out to the 500 and 600 yard lines did anybody get to use a scope. Simply not in the Marine nomenclature. I heard once, "If God wanted a Marine to have a scope he would have issued him one". Five years ago I had to go to a range and set a 30 year old straight about how shooting was done. He had the civilian M-14 single shot, military sights. and he said he could out shoot me with it. The range we went to only went to 300 yards, and he lost the bet and it cost him $300.00 for running his mouth. A dollar for every yard. Don't know now that I could do that. My eyeballs are starting to show some age, I guess. Oh, well.
 
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