Filled a Deer Management Cooperator tag

[dragnetbill]

On the second afternoon of our Muzzle loader season I returned to the scene of last years failure (shot a handful of white hair off the bottom of a doe at about 75 yards) and sat down. I can hardly believe that I'm going to say this, but I sat on the ground; I must have looked like Hatchet Jack without broke leags and all the ice and frost. Luckily I wasn't there more than ten minutes when this small doe worked her way in eating acorns. I watched her for at least five minutes weighing the pros and cons of taking a young of year animal.
When she worked her way to nearly the same spot as last years doe I took it as a sign of offering for redemption and I decided to shoot.
I hit her high in the left shoulder; the ball passed just above the heart and passed through and out the right side. She turned and went a mere twenty yards.
My rifle for this hunt was a JP McCoy Classic .50. I used a .490 patched round ball in front of 65 grains of 3f.

 

[deermanok]

Congrats. Nothing wrong with that deer. Good meat for the freezer.

 

[Winchester97]

Nice, best eating there is.

 

[dragnetbill]

I got more freezer fare from her than I thought I would; and, I only cut myself once.......

 

[Christophero]

A hunt well executed with a beautiful long rifle expertly used. Funny how past mistakes can learn us lessons for future endeavors. I've been educated the same way and it is satisfying to right a wrong. A few need corrected from missed opportunities that transpired in last week's gun season for me.

When I switched over from decades of conical slug shooting to PRB's in the 50 caliber rifles I tried my tried and true load of 65 grains of fffg and found that it was/is a perfect combination with both types of projectiles.

Happy for your success and thanks for sharing with us.

 

[bushytail]

Congratulations on a nice doe and a nice shot!

 

[Rató:rats]

You had me at Hatchet Jack

 

[hanshi]

That's what I call great success! Any deer with a flintlock is a trophy.

 

[William Lincoln]

The management of the herd requires reductions in all deer except
spotted fawns. The problem is the deer population is exploding
at a time when hunting has declined. Great doe! Good skill.

 

[Spikebuck]

I can hardly believe that I'm going to say this, but I sat on the ground

First congratulations on a fine kill. Fawns may be smaller, but the meat is exceptional and when taken with primitive equipment the experience is as well.

The older I get, the more I like getting back on the ground. When I started hunting, treestands where not the "necessity" many think them to be today. I carry my light and low turkey chair and sit on the ground as much as I can. I haven't completely forsaken treestands, but sitting on the ground makes things especially special for me. Nothing like being eye-to-eye.

 

[zerosprk]

A bunch of tender meat at the end of a short track job! What's not to like about that???

 

[dragnetbill]

So, a little after story to this hunt; besides redemption this hunt revealed another aspect of good luck; during cleanup the lock on my rifle quit holding at full cock. I suspected the triggers and thought I had solved the problem by shimming the trigger plate with a tooth pick. After the shim was in place I cocked the lock and it held....bingo.....luckily I decided to check it further; I put a little moderate forward pressure on the hammer and it didn't hold. I removed the lock still thinking that the trigger placement was the issue, but, it wouldn't hold out of the stock in either half or full cock when a little pressure was applied to the hammer. I broke into a little cold sweat thinking about the possibility that my rifle could have gone off unintentionally sometime during the two and half days that I hunted with her.
My first thought was to try to fix this problem myself, but, I must admit that (in this case) I surrendered my cheapskate man card. The lock is an L&R #300 and after looking at L&R's web site and seeing that they would service it for $15 plus parts and shipping I boxed it up and sent it on its way to SC.
Tracking showed that it arrived at L&R on Friday the 17th; it was back home Yesterday the 23rd, sporting a new sear and tumbler. Billing showed the work done on the 20th. Great turnaround time from L&R especially at this time of year.
Merry Christmas to all.
db

 

[3Setters]

Now that you're all fixed up you can go kill another deer.

 

[Dale Lilly]

So, a little after story to this hunt; besides redemption this hunt revealed another aspect of good luck; during cleanup the lock on my rifle quit holding at full cock. I suspected the triggers and thought I had solved the problem by shimming the trigger plate with a tooth pick. After the shim was in place I cocked the lock and it held....bingo.....luckily I decided to check it further; I put a little moderate forward pressure on the hammer and it didn't hold. I removed the lock still thinking that the trigger placement was the issue, but, it wouldn't hold out of the stock in either half or full cock when a little pressure was applied to the hammer. I broke into a little cold sweat thinking about the possibility that my rifle could have gone off unintentionally sometime during the two and half days that I hunted with her.
My first thought was to try to fix this problem myself, but, I must admit that (in this case) I surrendered my cheapskate man card. The lock is an L&R #300 and after looking at L&R's web site and seeing that they would service it for $15 plus parts and shipping I boxed it up and sent it on its way to SC.
Tracking showed that it arrived at L&R on Friday the 17th; it was back home Yesterday the 23rd, sporting a new sear and tumbler. Billing showed the work done on the 20th. Great turnaround time from L&R especially at this time of year.
Merry Christmas to all.
db

L&R gave you a great Christmas gift Dale

 

[Okie Hog]

Good shot on the doe.