CapPopper
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2017
- Messages
- 554
- Reaction score
- 340
This evening was the last day of our regular gun season. After hunting every day of season dawn till dusk I had seen two deer whole hunting and both were already dead. That's a week and two days of dawn till dusk without seeing a single live deer. However our DNR assures us the deer population is higher than ever... (I don't buy it) but this evening in the last hour of the last day I finally had a couple in range (a very close 90 yards....)
I went to a spot I hadn't hunted yet this year since I didn't want to disturb others and they finally were not there. After confirming I had the whole wood to myself I managed to get a little hot so I took a break to cool off on a log by the road. The squirrels have been really active this year and they were everywhere. Which is fine they are quite entertaining.
Sat for about 30 then decided to slowly walk up the road since I know the deer travel the valley off to the left of the path quite often when it's early or late (about 4:30 at this point) and, just as suspected there were several deer walking down the small ridge in the middle. I snuck over to a small tree overlooking the valley for a rest as I watched the first two deer pass in between the trees on the way down without stopping. As the third came down I waited till there was an opening and whistled. Go figure it ignored me.... So on the next opening I whistled loud and long which proves successful in stopping them.
At 90 my front site covers a lot of deer but this is a shot I've made several times before. I placed the front site on the shoulder and squeezed. Ignition was immediate even though the rifle has been loaded nearly 3 weeks. All three deer take off running but I could tell mine wasn't moving right and then started to stumble as the smoke cleared. It fell and never tried to regain its footing.
As I approached the deer I noticed a small rack was upon his head. I believed it to be a doe. At that range I couldn't see the antlers but that hardly matters. This is the hardest I've ever hunted to take just a single animal. A deer around that age should be delicious and will keep my venison craving daughter satisfied.
load was 85grs goex ffg under a 360gr leem Improved minie lubed with beeswax and olive oil. Was using 100 grs of Pyrodex originally but the rifle shoots just as well with the lighter load and I just don't like Pyrodex. I'll avoid it whenever possible. Quite pleased with myself I was starting to doubt I'd get an opportunity at meat this year. Usually in years past I'm trying not to tag out at this point..... Wonder where all the deer have gone.... Now onto primitive season after the new year
merry not quite Christmas everyone!
I went to a spot I hadn't hunted yet this year since I didn't want to disturb others and they finally were not there. After confirming I had the whole wood to myself I managed to get a little hot so I took a break to cool off on a log by the road. The squirrels have been really active this year and they were everywhere. Which is fine they are quite entertaining.
Sat for about 30 then decided to slowly walk up the road since I know the deer travel the valley off to the left of the path quite often when it's early or late (about 4:30 at this point) and, just as suspected there were several deer walking down the small ridge in the middle. I snuck over to a small tree overlooking the valley for a rest as I watched the first two deer pass in between the trees on the way down without stopping. As the third came down I waited till there was an opening and whistled. Go figure it ignored me.... So on the next opening I whistled loud and long which proves successful in stopping them.
At 90 my front site covers a lot of deer but this is a shot I've made several times before. I placed the front site on the shoulder and squeezed. Ignition was immediate even though the rifle has been loaded nearly 3 weeks. All three deer take off running but I could tell mine wasn't moving right and then started to stumble as the smoke cleared. It fell and never tried to regain its footing.
As I approached the deer I noticed a small rack was upon his head. I believed it to be a doe. At that range I couldn't see the antlers but that hardly matters. This is the hardest I've ever hunted to take just a single animal. A deer around that age should be delicious and will keep my venison craving daughter satisfied.
load was 85grs goex ffg under a 360gr leem Improved minie lubed with beeswax and olive oil. Was using 100 grs of Pyrodex originally but the rifle shoots just as well with the lighter load and I just don't like Pyrodex. I'll avoid it whenever possible. Quite pleased with myself I was starting to doubt I'd get an opportunity at meat this year. Usually in years past I'm trying not to tag out at this point..... Wonder where all the deer have gone.... Now onto primitive season after the new year
merry not quite Christmas everyone!
