Turkey Scratchin's!
I have been a busy little fellow. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of last week butchering the buck. I made sixteen pounds of burger; canned 35 jars of venison; made jerky; cut steaks; and sliced some thin “steak-um like strips of meat. My butchering influence stems from my grandfather. In my youth, I enjoyed going to his butcher shop. Man…I miss him!
Bob, as the Great Pumpkin!
On Saturday, I took my step-father, Bob hunting deer. I told him where he should go and watch during the early hours. I went along in another direction seeking bedded or feeding deer. I hadn’t gone far when I heard the rustling leaves and watched a feeding deer below me. I made a sneak from the site and located Bob. We quietly approached the site and the deer was absent. I eased along a gas well road when I spotted three deer in a thicket. I motioned for Bob and he came to me. One deer walked away and directly below our position. In the minutes following, Bob missed!
Storm site where I shot the buck.
I continued hunting with my camera. I saw four turkeys; squirrels and a grouse. I, also, saw a number of deer during my trek around attempting to move a doe past Bob. I did see a nice buck, but I couldn’t get a good photot due to brush and trees. Imagine trees and limbs in a woods!
We didn’t hunt the entire day. Bob failed to see many deer, but he seemed to enjoy our day afield.
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Sunday, December 5, the family all got together to celebrate my mother’s 81st birthday. Her birthday is actually December 6th, but we decided that Sunday, would work out better for all. We went out to eat and later filled up even more with birthday cake! My mother, Ruth (Smail) Miller is in remarkable shape. We all tease her a lot, sometimes, probably, too much.
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I spent the day finishing up my fourth painting depicting furbearers of Pennsylvania. The bobcat completed this series. The other three animals are: Muskrat; Raccoon; and a grey fox. Photos pending!
Larry A. Smail's Blog 
Gee, Larry…. that buck must have weighed 300 lbs to produce that much meat. Maybe you were using really tiny jars. (You knew I was going to poke fun… and if you you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen)! Congrats to your Mom on her 81st birthday! My Mom turned 80 last May. Finally… don’t forget to include in your series Pennsylvania’s most elusive fur bearer… Laurie’s ferret.. ‘er…I mean the ‘fisher’.
The drag sure seemed like a 300 pound deer! We hope our mothers remain with us forever…. AND..You just won’t let the “fisher” die down! You are still my friend!