Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[grapeman]

NW,
I like your suggestion for deterring the deer- the 30-06. I can put soap out or bags, but after feeding them all season, it's turn around time. Muzzleloading season began Oct 14 here - deer of either sex. There is one lessdoe after this afternoon to multiply next year thanks to my .50 cal muzzleloader. Big deer for a doe probably about 150 pounds field dressed. I'll see pretty soon if it has any apple or grape overtones. I'll have to pick out a nice wine to go with some venison.

Regular season begins this Saturday, see if I can double up this year(Only bucks here for regular season).

 

[grapeman]

Well, I got the venison back from the butcher this afternoon. I fried up some butterfly chops in some mushrooms, peppers and onions. Added some Australian Cabernet Shiraz and a Kung Pow pepper with seeds. It was certainly delicious and had a hint of apple and grape in it.

It turned out really tender. I had a nice couple glasses of the Australian Cab Shiraz with it at dinner. The whole family loved it. Sorry no pictures.


I passed on a small buck this morning- first day of rifle season-bucks only. I was in the same spot in the orchard I first saw the deer I shot the other day. Maybe tomorrow I will find a bigger one.

 

[Wade E]

where are the pcs of this meal this sounds extrordinary appleman!

 

[grapeman]

Northern Winos
I'm continuing on with thinning my vineyard out- of four-legged pests that is. The wind was blowing about 40 miles an hour today, but I went out to patrol the vineyard and orchard anyway. I leveled the .308 on a nice six point buck and it dropped like a rock. I went over to check on it and it was still moving on the ground some. Imagine my disbelief when it got to it's feet and ran off. I'm semi-heartbroken as I cannot locate it anywhere. It will feed the coyotes and ravens, but I would rather feed on it after it fed on my produce all season. Maybe I can find it tomorrow. At least it won't be feeding on the vines anymore.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Don't you just feel sick when you loose a wounded deer.....We searched high and low in the dark last fall...Jim found the bones this summer....as he was driving the tractor and brush-hog through the woods cleaning his trails...he was looking at the scattered bones and looked forward to see the horn rotating on the front tire....yes it went through the tire....We find many [shed] horns in tractor tires....usually in the spring with the first pass through the fields....
Our deer season opens next Sat. morning...there was a does only season a couple weeks ago, but we didn't partake....this year we can get one buck and buy permits for up to 5 does....guess the DNR wants to thin out the population....
Jim has finished combining the corn and was shredding stalks today...the deer kind of panic when their 'feed-plot' [our crops] get harvested....The deer are very active now...he saw many today out in the Fields and pasture....
Hope your season goes good...when we loose a deer we also think the scavengers will feast....and....the deer are one thing that does grow on trees....there is always another one....Good Luck Appleman....you feed them...you eat them!!!!

 

[grapeman]

Yes Nw I do feel sick about losing this one. It is the first one I have wounded and didn't finish off in many years. I should have finished it off when I saw it moving, but hesitated thinking it was mortally wounded. I found pieces of lung and blood with bubbles, but the rain and snow was coming down pretty hard and washed the blood trail away. There were about six deer in the group when I shot the buck and they scattered. I couldn't tell what set of tracks belonged to the buck. I was thinking of bringing in a friend with hounds, but I don't like bringing others in the area. I made the mistake of telling a friend about some coons we had raised. He said- " I need some coons to train my hounds" We never saw our coons again!

 

[NorthernWinos]

You got snow??????Ours will come tomorrow night...

Did you get all your apples and grapes picked...or are you going for ice-wine????Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[grapeman]

Everything is picked and stored away. I did leave some of the apples on the trees that were scabby as a result of all the rains this year. They are dropping and the deer are feeding on them. The vines have gone dormant for the year and all the leaves have dropped now. Last week we didn't get any snow right here in the valley, but ther was 8-12 inches a few miles away. Today the rain and snow kept falling, but no accumulation here. Hope you guys have a great winter there and the farm livestock winters well.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We don't have livestock anymore....just 2 horses, 2 dogs and 2 cats, 3 fish....that's enough chores for me...

 

[grapeman]

Well NW,
I am continuing to thin my grape pruners. Dropped my buck between the first two rows of grapes. Not sure if he was after the vines or after the gals after the vines. The .308 did the trick this time. I didn't hesitate this time to finish it off. It was in better shape than the doe was- just enough fat to make it tender. I look forward to this one- they weren't heavy in the rut yet. Hope your hubby gets his quota this year- like you said- better than geese.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Well NW,
I am continuing to thin my grape pruners. Dropped my buck between the first two rows of grapes. Not sure if he was after the vines or after the gals after the vines. The .308 did the trick this time. I didn't hesitate this time to finish it off. It was in better shape than the doe was- just enough fat to make it tender. I look forward to this one- they weren't heavy in the rut yet. Hope your hubby gets his quota this year- like you said- better than geese.

Glad you got your deer already...Your season is sure early out there. Our season starts this Sat, usually it is a little later than that....guess full rut around here is Nov. 15....Guess they figure harvesting them in full rut gives them that wild taste.

This summer water holes were pretty dry around here, our livestock/wildlife pit had water and was a very popular spot for deer and bear...Now we have a dusting of snow and Jim said he has lots of tracks in the woods...he is starting to get stoked...guns are out, hunting clothes hanging around....no guests from California this year, so will be pretty quiet and peaceful.

I prefer the young deer, nice and tender and not so gamey.....But they are all grain fed...soybeans, corn and alfalfa ...and all are included in the 3 food groups....

3 FOOD GROUPS IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY

1- BUCKS
2- DOES
3- FAWNS

 

[grapeman]

Yes they have early seasons here. Bow season(which I don't do) starts in September and runs until Regular season which started October 19th. Muzzleloading-the week preceeding Regular season. Then the Regular season(bucks only) which last until early December. And then there is a late Muzzleloading season for some areas. Much of the Northern Zone is VERY remote, so the season is extended like that. I live on the periphery area so it is much less remote, but we still have those same seasons. No doe tags here(except archery and muzzleloading). The DEC guy inspected the deer today at the local butcher. He asked if I wanted it aged and I said- "It's about a year and a half" He aged it at one year and six months. I thought that was a year and a half!

He took the skull to test for CWD(none up here yet and I hope we never get it). He was aging and testing bears. They had 3 fairly small ones there- the biggest was only a 200 pound plus male black.


I like your three food groups, but have to refrain the number three due to family Bambi pressures(my sisters).

 

[NorthernWinos]

Another one bites the dust....

This one appears to have died with a smile on his face....He was not molesting our yard trees and fruits...but was out in our crops...

I cut it up today...6 hours...including setup and cleanup...Lots of butterfly loin steaks, butterfly steaks, Ka-Bob meat...stew/goulosh/sweet & sour meat, stir fry meat, 2 roasts and trim...

Need one more to top off the freezers....

 

[Wade E]

I'll be over for dinner tommorow. Do you make any jerky. My friend use
to make it every year and I made sure I was around for that , it was
the best jerky I have ever had.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I do make jerky with venison hamburger and a jerky press....I have never done the meat strip jerky, but have recipes...
Right now I have some Moose and Caribou hamburger [from friends] and some local Buffalo hambuger...I am planning to make some jerky with some of that...tho the meat makes great hamburgers too.

 

[grapeman]

Nice buck NW. He must have just done what God set him on this earth to do with a smile like that!

Looks like you fed that one well! Now you guys can feed on him- lots of great meals there.


I watched 27 Thanksgiving dinners go by yesterday in the vineyard. Went out with the shotgun, but they left before I got there.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Nice buck NW. He must have just done what God set him on this earth to do with a smile like that!

Yes, he was following a couple good looking ladies [does] and trying to charm them with that smile....

 

[Wade E]

Sounds like you should host a hamburger tasting party.

I'll bring the A-1
Edited by: wadewade

 

[grapeman]

Well mid-winter is here and so far hasn't been bad. Coldest temp so far -9F last week. Only about a foot of snow so far this winter. The temps have been a roller-coaster so far. It will be intersting to see how the young vines fare through their first winter.


Pruning season will be here in a couple months so I thought I would post a few before pictures.

Edited by: appleman

 

[NorthernWinos]

Those are looking good...I wouldn't prune anything on those...at least till I see what has growth on them.....then just prune off the dead ends....They look real good as-is.