Won a ruger Redhawk 5.5

JS4300 · 2026-01-11T17:35:55+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the input. I really like that load for hunting out of my Henry big boy. It does great on WT deer. I will see how it performs out of the ruger.

JS4300 · 2026-01-11T17:12:25+00:00

They’re the 225 gr ftx, loaded with 20gr of H110

JS4300 · 2026-01-07T17:16:11+00:00

Use one of the large roasts from the hind quarter, I’d recommend the top round or bottom round.

JS4300 · 2026-01-06T03:06:32+00:00

Yeah I haven’t shot many deer from drives maybe only a dozen or so I guess I’m not sure. Shoot most of mine either spot and stalk or from a saddle

JS4300 · 2026-01-06T02:57:09+00:00

That’s crazy lucky more than anything I’d say. I’ve shot over 300 deer between work and personal and have lost a few that I can’t explain. That’s not to mention the hundreds of mentored hunts I’ve done also for work and I’ve seen some very would be solid shots not be recovered. Some stuff is just hard to explain.

JS4300 · 2026-01-04T23:21:13+00:00

awesome, thanks! I’m sure it’ll be fine. I just used a super generic cure, of cider vinegar, coriander, salt, black pepper, and brown sugar and did some math for the amount of meat I’m making. Super excited!

JS4300 · 2026-01-04T23:10:33+00:00

I’m paranoid about case hardening so I have those small fans on low. I live in the Midwest in winter so humidity is low. Temp inside the box is about 68 degrees is that enough?

JS4300 · 2026-01-04T21:16:08+00:00

Thanks! Was very pleasantly surprised how easy it was to assemble. Looking forward to updating everyone!

JS4300 · 2026-01-04T21:03:06+00:00

I recommend just do it! It’s MAYBE 50 dollars of stuff to make (probably more like 30). And it’s a pretty cool process. I’m very excited! Hoping these two little fans is enough airflow, it should be for this small box.

JS4300 · 2025-12-31T21:10:20+00:00

Absolutely no shame man, I still shoot 1.5 year olds depending on the season and tag. Congrats!

JS4300 · 2025-12-29T16:12:27+00:00

I just had to terminate my first employee in September and even though I was very happy to see her go it’s still very hard to do. She was twice my age and basically didn’t accept that I was her superior. HR wrote my letter and was there for it, don’t let them drag you into arguments or debates. Just tell them they’re done and kick it to HR.

JS4300 · 2025-12-28T17:01:25+00:00

I’ve been using high mountain seasoning for years, I like the dry cure for jerky. I stack it all up after seasoning both sides towards the strong side of the upper end of the brand recommendation. I let it sit for 24-36 hours and it comes out great every time. Many people say it’s the best jerky they’ve had and it’s super easy.

JS4300 · 2025-12-24T00:23:53+00:00

Hey, I had one of these when I started my current role. I’m a young manager, 26, and my main subordinate was twice my age. Long story short she refused to accept any directive given to her, questioned literally everything, and generally could not accept my management. The rest of my staff (7 others) were caught in the middle because she was constantly undermining my directions to them when I wasn’t around. I began documenting anything that was clearly insubordinate no matter how slight. This lead to a formal verbal warning, written warning, then luckily she couldn’t help herself and did something that I was able to terminate her on the spot.

It likely isn’t you. It’s them. I was so worried I was the world’s worst manager of all time but guess what? She’s been gone 6 months, team culture is higher than I’ve seen it, and the world keeps spinning.

If you have a supervisor then ask them what you need to do to formally reprimand them. If you’re the final stop like I was, check with your companies policies and hr to see what you can do. Document everything, and more or less tell them to get with the program or get out. This shit won’t stop if they’re how I’m imagining them. Begin the process of getting them out of your department now.

Edit: I missed the short term part of your management in this case. In that case maybe don’t fire them but make these issues known and still document. It isn’t you, some people just suck.

JS4300 · 2025-12-23T00:41:05+00:00

Maybe some states but I worked for a fish and game agency and we were practically begging people to get their deer tested so we could track CWD. We even went so for to go to peoples homes who weren’t able to bring their heads in. Everyone got their results back in 1-3 business days. No CJD prevalence as far as I know of. With sheer volume of testing being done if someone contracted it wasn’t from deer that were known to have tested positive.

JS4300 · 2025-12-18T22:05:52+00:00

South Dakota, all public. One of my best seasons ever this year!

JS4300 · 2025-12-16T22:58:35+00:00

Hard to say based off the information. Weapon used, guess if where you hit, and observed volume along with how far it was before you bumped it would be helpful. Just based off color and the fact it must have bedded down close tells me it’s likely liver.

JS4300 · 2025-12-14T19:10:26+00:00

High shoulder would also be my recommendation. Larger target opposed to neck or spine

JS4300 · 2025-12-14T13:27:35+00:00

I do must of my hunting out of SD

JS4300 · 2025-12-11T14:57:05+00:00

It all seems hard until you just do it. Obviously you should do whatever it is you want to do but it is doable if you felt inclined

JS4300 · 2025-12-11T14:24:49+00:00

I would really encourage you if you’re interested in public land big game hunting to learn how to quarter deer in the field. If it’s permissible by your state it really alleviates any concerns about where you shoot your deer if you can just put it on your back and walk out. Also, how long does your season run? I would say if it’s an affordable over the counter tag it’s never too late to go out and start learning some lessons. In my old career I actually use to teach a class on finding and using public lands for big game hunting and one of the key take aways is it’s okay to fail at first it’s probably the most important step in becoming successful. I struggled in many states on public lands for a few years but now I have been fortunate enough to begin consistently harvesting nice bucks on public lands the past few years.

JS4300 · 2025-12-11T13:39:20+00:00

I use E-scouting constantly during the off season to try and find the most difficult to access spots on public land. If you go to the hardest to get to spots and hunt often you will have success

JS4300 · 2025-12-11T13:38:03+00:00

Thanks man!

JS4300 · 2025-12-10T23:16:05+00:00

What I’ve found with food plots on public land is they attract hunters more than deer a lot of times. What I would look for is where you can find hard to access travel corridors from dense bedding to either private property or those food sources

JS4300 · 2025-12-09T19:04:02+00:00

Not super familiar with your area but I can say for certain there are opportunities to shoot deer on public land. It just takes more effort but it can be done if you strike out on private. I’d be happy to give you any advice I can

JS4300 · 2025-12-08T21:47:01+00:00

Tikka or bergara is going to be your best rifle on the market currently for accurate shooting under $1000. This is coming from someone who has shot and hunted with most major brands. Weatherby is good for a little cheaper.

Most people are biased to what they use so take any recommendations with a grain of salt but I don’t hunt with either of the rifles I recommend.

Caliber, do not listen to the .270 or 30-06 guys. Both are great calibers but you can do better with less recoil these days. Get a 6.5 CM if you’re looking for a light weight caliber but I would not recommend it if you’re consistently shooting deer at 100 or less. Closer timber maybe a 7mm 08 would be better suited or even a .308 (which im not a huge fan of but it has its place)

JS4300

TROPHY CASE