Got moved in to my new place last weekend, so after a month of bustin my hump moving every weekend I took this weekend to hunt. Saw a pretty forkhorn Saturday morning but just watched him. Got out early this morning and settled in, saw some does and I thought they were nervous and spooky and pretty soon all ran off followed by a big bodied something. Quarter to 8 a big bodied 7 point comes sniffing through and I dropped him. So far so good. First year to ever hunt with a 4 wheeler and now I'm wondering why I didnt get one sooner!
OK get loaded and head to the cooler...FULL. DAMMIT. Well I'll go to another place down the road...FULL. They had no idea who might be able to take him. Got some ice and packed my boy real good, found a shady spot and got on my phone. Long story short....deer down at 7:50, deer field dressed and loaded before 9, deer dropped off at a processor 40 or so miles away at noon!! What tha....
This deer was killed near Huckabys store on Hwy 16 in the corner of Fayette county near Senoia. I dropped him off at the ONLY place that had room in...Lagrange!! It seems of the 8 or so places around where I hunt, 4 are either not processing this year or are closed completely. The others were full! Some say Covid was keeping some older guys from opening, and/or they were just old and no family or young folks want to cut deer up all winter.
Now this, boys and girls, is a crisis!! I didnt have a place to do my own before I moved and I sure dont now, but this has me thinking I got to re-think the after the kill part of the hunt for me. I wish I could have a cooler and cutting room I would learn to butcher myself, but thats not a real option now. I cant believe no one wants to carry these businesses on and they are just done! A couple that are closed, probably for good, have been in business since I was a kid! I'm 55 BTW. Hard to imagine they wont re-open, but thats what its looking like.
Whats the situation like in other places?
OK get loaded and head to the cooler...FULL. DAMMIT. Well I'll go to another place down the road...FULL. They had no idea who might be able to take him. Got some ice and packed my boy real good, found a shady spot and got on my phone. Long story short....deer down at 7:50, deer field dressed and loaded before 9, deer dropped off at a processor 40 or so miles away at noon!! What tha....
This deer was killed near Huckabys store on Hwy 16 in the corner of Fayette county near Senoia. I dropped him off at the ONLY place that had room in...Lagrange!! It seems of the 8 or so places around where I hunt, 4 are either not processing this year or are closed completely. The others were full! Some say Covid was keeping some older guys from opening, and/or they were just old and no family or young folks want to cut deer up all winter.
Now this, boys and girls, is a crisis!! I didnt have a place to do my own before I moved and I sure dont now, but this has me thinking I got to re-think the after the kill part of the hunt for me. I wish I could have a cooler and cutting room I would learn to butcher myself, but thats not a real option now. I cant believe no one wants to carry these businesses on and they are just done! A couple that are closed, probably for good, have been in business since I was a kid! I'm 55 BTW. Hard to imagine they wont re-open, but thats what its looking like.
Whats the situation like in other places?
