I smoked a buck today.

[Idaho Ron]

I was not lucky enough this year to get a trophy quality tag. I didn’t feel like spending a ton of money on gas. After some thinking I decided to just go on a short rang weapon hunt with my ML and keep the cost down. I got to the spot about an hour before light. Some local kids showed up and asked where I was going to hunt. I told them and they went in a different direction. About an hour into the hunt I saw a deer in the swamp. I closed the distance quickly to look it over, it turned out to be a small buck. I was about to make my way around this big bush when a Rooster pheasant was flying right at me. It landed right in front of the bush I was behind about 5 feet away. It started to crow like crazy so I slipped around the other side of the bush. The buck looked at the Rooster and saw me, It was now or never. I didn’t even look at the range finder. I knew the range was right about 100 yards. I couldn’t get a rest so I had to shoot off hand. The bucks body was facing away from me and his head was turned looking back. At the shot the smoke blew back in my face so I couldn’t see for a moment. When I could the deer was running to some very tall grass. I watched him go into the grass and he was gone.
I went to the place where he was standing when I shot but I couldn’t find any blood. I started to walk in the area I thought he had ran, still no blood. I was almost into the tall grass when I saw a bush move. The grass was over 6 foot tall but thin, and the bush was about 10 yards in front of me. I walked up on it ready to shoot again but the buck was done.
The 410 gr, 50 cal Hornady great plains bullet had hit in front of the flank and exited out through the shoulder. The shot ended up being 93 yards. Even though this was not a big deer I enjoyed the hunt. He exceeded my expectations for the hunt. I was ready to shoot a doe. So I am happy for this year.
The rifle is a TC Renegade with a Green Mountain 1-28 twist LRH barrel. The sights are a Lyman 57 SML peep with a Lyman 17 AML globe front sight. The 17 AML has a Lee Shavers long range insert. I was using 100 gr of pyrodex Select and the 410 was traveling at 1500 FPS. This is the second deer I have fully penetrated length wise with this load.
Sorry about the quality of the picture. I forgot my good camera so I had to use a disposable 35 MM that was junk. Out of 27 pictures I got 3 good ones, Oh well. Ron

 

[rabjr]

Lol, not sure exactly what can be called "traditional" here but grats on your deer Ron. :thumbsup:

 

[Goldhunter]

Congrates, Ron!! :thumbsup:

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Ron,

a great story, a great hunt and a real great shot. Seems you are a real marksman. Thanks for sharing and Waidmanns Heil! :thumbsup:

Didn't expect that a buck will go so far with a hit of this bullet type.

Regards :hatsoff:

Kirrmeister

 

[douglas duncan]

looks to be a nice two point Ron, and great shot

 

[beaverbill]

:thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Size up the world around you, and pick the hunting opportunities that you're offered. Use the best gear for the job and tune your skills to match. Cordial relations with your fellow hunters and venison in the freezer. What's not to be proud of in that?

Great hunt all around, and congrats on pulling it all together.

I'm wondering if you saw those youngsters again? I'm betting their hunt didn't have the benefit of your kind of preparation and experience, so probably wasn't as successful.

Sure would seem like a great opportunity to make a few converts. Nothing like a tag hanging from a horn to get the interest of folks with tags unused in their pockets. :thumbsup:

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Right on Ron !! :bow:
Thats a damn good off hand shot!!
:bow: :bow:
And a nice young tender buck for the freezer.
and some antlers for remembering or doing crafts with. All my interior doors have fork horn handles, give my cabin a good ol boy feel.
:hatsoff:

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Way to go! Sounds like a good hunt and enjoyed the story. If you are happy that is all that counts! :grin:

 

[Idaho Ron]

Size up the world around you, and pick the hunting opportunities that you're offered. Use the best gear for the job and tune your skills to match. Cordial relations with your fellow hunters and venison in the freezer. What's not to be proud of in that?

Great hunt all around, and congrats on pulling it all together.

I'm wondering if you saw those youngsters again? I'm betting their hunt didn't have the benefit of your kind of preparation and experience, so probably wasn't as successful.

Sure would seem like a great opportunity to make a few converts. Nothing like a tag hanging from a horn to get the interest of folks with tags unused in their pockets. :thumbsup:

I did see those kids again. As I was walking out to get the truck I talked to them. Since it was a short range hunt they were using shotguns. On that hunt ML's, shotguns, and bows are all legal.
They were very interested in the rifle. Most of the ML's they had seen were inlines. Like I said they were very interested in the traditional looks of my rifle.
They said they didn't see any deer but on the walk out there were several deer tracks running across the trail I was on. I didn't see the tracks there on the way in so I am sure they pushed them out. They were good boys about 17 years old, good manners, and polite. They offered to help me pack the deer out. I told them thanks but I was ok. It was great to meet kids like that. That says something about their parents. Like I said before it was just a fun hunt. Ron

 

[BrownBear]

They were good boys about 17 years old, good manners, and polite. They offered to help me pack the deer out. I told them thanks but I was ok. It was great to meet kids like that. That says something about their parents. Like I said before it was just a fun hunt. Ron

The world would sure be a different place with more of them around, wouldn't it? Time with kids like that is right up there with venison in the freezer for long term satisfaction.

We had a kid like that over last night for a short visit that turned long. He's an athlete and proud of covering lots of ground and shooting long with conventional rifles. But then he saw some of my muzzleloaders leaning in the corner.

Next thing you know we're handling them and talking about hunting slow and close. Then I'm signing up him and his buddy for a muzzleloader certification class and promising to take them shooting and hunting. Heck, I even got carried away and shared some of my hotspots!

My wife was really tickled with the way I got him so fired up, but it just feels right to feed the interest and enthusiasm of good kids. Got me a couple of young converts for sure, and proud of it.

Not quite as much fun as having a buck at my feet like you, but satisfying. Real satisfying.

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Ron,

I like that when the youth is interested in our thing and in ML, especially trad. ML. By the way what rifle did you use? Looks like a Lyman Deerstalker.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[Idaho Ron]

Hi Ron,

I like that when the youth is interested in our thing and in ML, especially trad. ML. By the way what rifle did you use? Looks like a Lyman Deerstalker.

Regards

Kirrmeister

The rifle is a TC Renegade with a Green Mountain 1-28 twist LRH barrel. The sights are a Lyman 57 SML peep with a Lyman 17 AML globe front sight. The 17 AML has a Lee Shavers long range insert. This is the first one I made. I have another 50 that s the same but it has two triggers. I also have a 45 with a 1-18 twist and a Lee Shavers Long range front globe sight with a level. Ron

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well done, sometimes when the pressure is on all the training/experiance all comes together in one smooth flowing action :thumbsup:

Nice outfit :thumbsup:

Britsmoothy.

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Ron,

so you built them yourself? Nice smokepoles with fast twist for conicals. :thumbsup:

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[smo]

Congrats Ron :hatsoff:

 

[ronrryan]

It is a wonderful and commendable thing to assist inbringing new younger BP shooters and hunters into the game. It hurts my heart greatly to think of the decline in hunting and all the skills that go with it, particularly stillhunting in woods, in this new age. God Bless, Good smoke,Ron in FL

 

[Rikeman]

Congrats! Still trying to get my buck! :v

 

[trent/OH]

Good kids, good deer, good hunt.

Considering how rare pheasants are in these parts, I might have taken the bird.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I will second that. That is the first wild rooster I have seen for a long time. When the season opens I might have to go look him up! :thumbsup: Ron