Catof9tails
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2005
- Messages
- 222
- Reaction score
- 3
I bought a new/used 54 Hawken this summer and broke it in on the shooting range. I drew a doe tag for modern gun season, but I can use a muzzleloader according to state law. So I decided to sport the Hawken for the hunt with a 530 round ball, 15 pillow ticking and 70 grains of powder. Turned out I had several hunts with the Hawken. I just couldn't find the does. Well, four days left of the season and weather was 20 degrees with 30 mph winds and snow blowing. I asked my wife if she wanted to come along for tough hunt. And to my surprise, she said yes (and this Old Cat fell out of the lazy boy).
The wife and I went on a mile hike (she volunteered to carry my backpack WOW) to my favorite spot and I explained the situations with whitetail activity and checked my tree stand that I use for bow hunting. Then we just slowy went into stealth mode just for a short hunt. I don't like stalking whitetail, but snow storms are good for stalking in my book. So we cruised up a drainge then up to a ridge and followed a hawgback down to the tree stand. And then I see movement. I give the halt signal to the wife and creep down the hill to set up for a shot. I confirmed twice that it was whitetail doe. The doe was slowly walking to my right so I picked out a shooting lane and popped the set trigger for the shot. The doe stepped into the shooting lane and I said, "Blaaat" and the doe froze. Two seconds later I dropped the hammer and the smoke covered the target.
The better half came to my position while I was reloading and said that was a good shot. She said, "The muzzle flash looked pretty cool from where I was standing" (she does not know much about muzzleloading). I told her I hope the shot was good, cause this will be the first deer I shot with the Hawken. We get to the fallen doe and field dress and get ready to head for the truck on a one mile drag. And then she said I'll tote the Hawken, bag, powder horn, and backpack if you'll drag the doe. I almost fell back in the snow to make a snow angel, Hee Hee. I told her that I need to dump the charge on the Hawken and offered her to shoot it, but she was afraid of the kick. So dumped the charge just shooting at the ground.
We got back to the truck after long deer drag and she was a little winded. She said, I'm out of shape, but that was a cool hunt with your blackpowder rife; we need to do this again. I told her I like hunting with a muzzleloader, kinda puts ya up front and personal with the game. She thought it was really cool to hunt with a muzzleloader.
Well, I got a doe with the new/used Hawken. But haven't convinced the wife to get involved with blackpowder. However, we had an excellent hunt together which I'll remember for years.
Best of hunting to all,
Cat9
The wife and I went on a mile hike (she volunteered to carry my backpack WOW) to my favorite spot and I explained the situations with whitetail activity and checked my tree stand that I use for bow hunting. Then we just slowy went into stealth mode just for a short hunt. I don't like stalking whitetail, but snow storms are good for stalking in my book. So we cruised up a drainge then up to a ridge and followed a hawgback down to the tree stand. And then I see movement. I give the halt signal to the wife and creep down the hill to set up for a shot. I confirmed twice that it was whitetail doe. The doe was slowly walking to my right so I picked out a shooting lane and popped the set trigger for the shot. The doe stepped into the shooting lane and I said, "Blaaat" and the doe froze. Two seconds later I dropped the hammer and the smoke covered the target.
The better half came to my position while I was reloading and said that was a good shot. She said, "The muzzle flash looked pretty cool from where I was standing" (she does not know much about muzzleloading). I told her I hope the shot was good, cause this will be the first deer I shot with the Hawken. We get to the fallen doe and field dress and get ready to head for the truck on a one mile drag. And then she said I'll tote the Hawken, bag, powder horn, and backpack if you'll drag the doe. I almost fell back in the snow to make a snow angel, Hee Hee. I told her that I need to dump the charge on the Hawken and offered her to shoot it, but she was afraid of the kick. So dumped the charge just shooting at the ground.
We got back to the truck after long deer drag and she was a little winded. She said, I'm out of shape, but that was a cool hunt with your blackpowder rife; we need to do this again. I told her I like hunting with a muzzleloader, kinda puts ya up front and personal with the game. She thought it was really cool to hunt with a muzzleloader.
Well, I got a doe with the new/used Hawken. But haven't convinced the wife to get involved with blackpowder. However, we had an excellent hunt together which I'll remember for years.
Best of hunting to all,
Cat9
