1 whitetail Hog and a Non Resident Alien - Hunter Host!

[scolopax-munster]

First posting on this forum I think! Came out to Alberta to see some family and try out my British Hunting skill on your wildlife! Well to say we dug in hard to try and find some wildlife was an understatement! We hunted out near Wolf Lake and wow was it hard going. Sign everywhere but no animals. We hunted heard on foot and covered lots of ground, before we found a lease that looked like it had almost every conceivable animal coming there. We sat there for two mornings and 2 nights, getting in at 3pm and staying till legal light.

We turned down a doe on the first night (my host could have shot it under his resident tag) but we waited. On the last night before we were off home we got in early and waited, faces masked, gloves, etc. Lots of branches cracking right the way around the lease and 15 minutes before the end of light out came our whitetail hog, 30metres and staring straight at us! My rifle on the floor, as we were expecting them to come out the far end, not where we had come in! 7 moves to get the rifle up when he wasn't looking and by this point a 20 metre shot, that apparently 2 seconds later he would have been gone as his ears had gone back!

That made me one happy chap, what a buck and what a way to earn it, digging in and not giving up, sitting still and just waiting for the hunting gods to look down kindly on us! Memories for a lifetime!

Black bear, wolf, etc etc will have to wait for another year We just didn't see them in the week. What a week and what a country, I will be back!! Hopefully my pic shows up!

[Team Anzac]

Nice Whitetail, congrats on a fine hunt.

[AB2506]

Congrats!

[manitoban]

looks like a great hunt. glad you enjoyed it

[coolpool]

Welcome to Canada BTW. Nice one! Looks like it's got some age judging by the grey muzzle; or it could be the light. From what I'm hearing the last couple of winters have really decimated our herds. The gods were on your side.

[scolopax-munster]

Originally Posted by coolpool

Welcome to Canada BTW. Nice one! Looks like it's got some age judging by the grey muzzle; or it could be the light. From what I'm hearing the last couple of winters have really decimated our herds. The gods were on your side.

Funny you should say that, but I though he looked grey; but I have no idea on how teeth wear in Canada, as it is all dependent on what the animals are eating, but despite what they eat, the teeth wear looked extreme and therefore old. Couple of pics and one of the finished skull....

[waterninja]

Congrats to you on getting a fine Alberta buck. Sounds like you really enjoyed your visit.
Opps forgot.....Cheerio old chap!

[jacenbeers]

Originally Posted by scolopax-munster

Funny you should say that, but I though he looked grey; but I have no idea on how teeth wear in Canada, as it is all dependent on what the animals are eating, but despite what they eat, the teeth wear looked extreme and therefore old. Couple of pics and one of the finished skull....

Great buck and nice job on the euro mount. did you do it yourself?

[coolpool]

Originally Posted by scolopax-munster

Funny you should say that, but I though he looked grey; but I have no idea on how teeth wear in Canada, as it is all dependent on what the animals are eating, but despite what they eat, the teeth wear looked extreme and therefore old. Couple of pics and one of the finished skull....

Thanks for the pics! Nice mount you have there. Unfortunately I don't know the first thing about judging age; it just looked old, lol. Heck, I just figured out how to tell the difference from a buck and doe

[scolopax-munster]

Originally Posted by jacenbeers

Great buck and nice job on the euro mount. did you do it yourself?

A European friend of my host boiled it for me, I just did the peroxide when I got home! I do like Euro mounts, the key to getting all the bits off is a pressure washer! Both inside and out!!

[Fwee6]

Congrats, well done.

[scolopax-munster]

Originally Posted by coolpool

Heck, I just figured out how to tell the difference from a buck and doe

Oh no, no one likes know it all! Next you'll be telling me its a buck and not a doe!

[huntinalberta]

Congrats!

[Stinky Buffalo]

What a great buck! Congratulations!

[trouty]

How'd you get it so white, can't seem to get them pure white. Thanks

[huntin'fool]

Originally Posted by trouty

How'd you get it so white, can't seem to get them pure white. Thanks

H2O2.
Fill a pan with just enough to cover the skull to the base if the horns (don't expose the horns to it!!) and then soak a rag with it as well. Cover the top of the skull that isn't immersed with the rag (allow the rag to contact all the exposed bone), but be sure not to touch the horns!!!

[scolopax-munster]

Originally Posted by huntin'fool

H2O2.
Fill a pan with just enough to cover the skull to the base if the horns (don't expose the horns to it!!) and then soak a rag with it as well. Cover the top of the skull that isn't immersed with the rag (allow the rag to contact all the exposed bone), but be sure not to touch the horns!!!

I think the trick is not to overboil it in the first place! I remove all fur and get all the brains out before boiling, even remove the eyes too. The least time ut spends in boiling water the better. Then bring your pan to the boil before putting the skull in it, adding a little biological washing powder or a dishwasher tablet (acts as a degreasant). Boil for 1/2 hour max, remove all flesh then I pressure wash it to get off all the extra bits and spray up the nasal cavity. If you can, do not boil again.

Then I cover the skull and all the cavities with toilet paper, put in a pan and pour 9% hydrogen peroxide all over it, then just every so often re wet with what has accumulated in the bottom of the pan. I usually leave it overnight like this then just take it all off and dry it in a hot room (if its summer then in direct sunlight).

Hope this helps!

[58thecat]

Perseverance paid off !

[Tatonka]

Originally Posted by scolopax-munster

Funny you should say that, but I though he looked grey; but I have no idea on how teeth wear in Canada, as it is all dependent on what the animals are eating, but despite what they eat, the teeth wear looked extreme and therefore old. Couple of pics and one of the finished skull....

I've aged quite a few deer....your buck actually appears to be a younger buck. By younger, I'm guessing 3.5 or possibly 4.5 years old. It's a little difficult to tell from photos, but the cusps on the molars look sharp and there isn't a lot of wear. Nice buck regardless of his age!

[scolopax-munster]

Originally Posted by Tatonka

I've aged quite a few deer....your buck actually appears to be a younger buck. By younger, I'm guessing 3.5 or possibly 4.5 years old. It's a little difficult to tell from photos, but the cusps on the molars look sharp and there isn't a lot of wear. Nice buck regardless of his age!

I will do some more pics tomorrow but if this is a 3.5-4.5 year old deer I would be surprised, I have never felt such smooth teeth all the way along there isn't a sharp edge in sight.

[shedcrazy]

I've aged quite a few deer....your buck actually appears to be a younger buck. By younger, I'm guessing 3.5 or possibly 4.5 years old. It's a little difficult to tell from photos, but the cusps on the molars look sharp and there isn't a lot of wear. Nice buck regardless of his age!

I would agree. The molars seem to be in good shape still. Those are the teeth to look at when aging.

Nice deer. Congrats.

[tight line]

Right On! Congrats!

[Tatonka]

Originally Posted by scolopax-munster

I will do some more pics tomorrow but if this is a 3.5-4.5 year old deer I would be surprised, I have never felt such smooth teeth all the way along there isn't a sharp edge in sight.

Like I said, it's somewhat difficult to tell from photos, but they don't look worn down much. A 1.5 year old buck will have 10mm of tooth (look at the 3rd molar).. A normal whitetail will lose about 1 mm of tooth due to wear each year, so a 3.5 year old buck will have about 8 mm of tooth left (measuring from the gumline to the top of the highest cusp). This link explains it pretty well..

http://www.dccl.org/information/deer/deerage.htm

[waterninja]

when I do a euro I add some TSP to the water. Skulls come out much whiter then if you just use water.