Makin Meat

[GAHUNTER60]

Whitetail deer -- lots of whitetail deer -- but only whitetail deer in my 53 years of muzzleloader hunting.

I must confess, however, until recently, muzzleloading was simply a deer season extender to my modern rifle hunting. I was a huge custom gun-guy, investing and hunting with modern rifles from .458 Lott on down. I used to hunt Africa, Canada, and Europe (in addition to the good ole US of A) for big game and never thought about using black powder to take an animal, other than the deer I hunted in Primitive Weapons season and on special WMA hunts. I've still got 40-plus modern rifles in my safes. However, those rifles will most likely remain in my safe as I now have chosen to limit my big game hunting to traditional black powder, only. The nice 8-pointer I took with my Hawken this year, while no where near my biggest buck ever, is one of my most satisfying.

Next season, I intend to hunt deen in Georgia with nothing but my Kibler .54 caliber Colonial rifle. At 70, I don't know how many elk hunts I have left in me, but I am hoping for at least one more with the Kibler.

 

[forty_caliber]

Went that week and purchased a TC Hawken .50 with all of the extras at a place called TG&Y department store in Oklahoma City. I told the guy at the counter I needed everything to shoot it. They had roundball, black powder, patching from TC, cleaning jags, ball puller and caps.

TG&Y brings back memories. It was my favorite store when I was a kid. My father would always take us there when we went to town.

.40

 

[Spikebuck]

We raked two separate trails approximately 150- 200 yards each, from the parking area into our stand location in the adjoining hardwoods.

Now we could slip into our stands quietly in the morning darkness , within 2 weeks rubs appeared along the raked pathway..

I know a guy (one of the most successful archery hunters on monster bucks I know) that always clears a "path" to his stands for silence in and out of the woods. But you don't need to rake an entire "trail." Just spots for your feet to step into. Barry Wenzel uses a little hoe. He says just the last 100 yards or so into your stand. I just clear those spots with my foot on my way out after setting a stand or prepping a spot on the ground to sit.

You observation of rubs showing up...."build it and he will come." Barry's "Out and About" videos, while not the best in optical quality (sometimes downright poor), has many, many tips from his lifetime of hunting experience that can help tip the odds in one's favor.

 

[smo]

Yep, I’ve watched those Brothers for years...
Some of the Greatest Hunters of all Time imho...

 

[Loja man]

So I will jump in. I started shooting my dads CVA Kentucky kit when I was 12. Took my first deer with it when I was 16. I grew up mostly in South American hunting in the jungle. My family was back state side the years I was 12 and 16.
My deer was a large doe at about 25 yards. Cold Indian winter morning in deep brush. I was so jittery when the deer came down the trial! Was very distraught when I pulled the trigger and the whole world turned gray with smoke!! When the smoke cleared the deer was gone! No blood! Only two hairs on the ground where it had been standing. I started circling out with my stand as the center. Found her about 50 yards from where I shot her. Happy day!!
Now I have a TC New Englander that so far has only brought down squirrels!

 

[Patocazador]

I've only killed whitetail deer and hogs with black powder mostly with a Hawken clone. I killed one buck and 3 hogs with BP revolvers.

 

[Spikebuck]

I killed one buck and 3 hogs with BP revolvers.

I've had a Chambers colonial pistol kit sitting about 1/2 done for too long now. It's a .54 with a 13" swamped barrel and when I read stories from guys like you taking big game with pistols, it sounds like such a great challenge. If one likes longbows, like I do, traditional pistols on big game have to be right up there in the same league for challenge.

 

[azmntman]

Elk (10?), deer, (like 6?), rabbit, squirrel, coyote, TURKEY (4), ducks,

I have used .45, .50., .54, .58, 10 GA, 12ga, .32, .45 revolver and ,50 KY pistol for the above. These are BP only. Including unmentionables could near double deer n elk but Its just more fun doing it like gg grampa! I plan on buffalo (.58 hawkin unless I have my Kibler by then) soon as the draw and the check book align again! Got the points now, the cash dwindles.....

 

[Crow-Feather]

I tried taking a 3 band Enfield hunting. Dead on at the range.
Missed three deer first morning out. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I started shaking and had to prone out for my try at a 4th deer. He was looking over his shoulder when I (aiming at his shoulder) pulled the trigger. Dropped the deer. When I walked up, I saw that I had shot it in the head. (about 12 inches high)
The Enfield has a very thin front sight seated into a raised larger piece of metal on the barrel. In the woods, I could not see the front sight and was pulling up until the larger base metal was in the rear sight. Now I know why in the Civil War, some soldiers were told to aim at the enemy's knees.

 

[kemart17]

I'm curious...what game animals (or None Game) have you harvested with Black Powder?

What Muzzleloader (Type, Calibre, Manufacturer, etc) is your favorite to take hunting out in the field?

Hunting yarns are my favorites...Tell us a story...

Curious minds want to know....

deer, 58 and 50 cal hawkens. next season, tree rats with my 36 underhammer, finally got a load it likes

 

[Flanders]

I’ve gotten groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits, turkey, many whitetail doe, I hunt hard and frequent with my flintlocks but just cannot ever get on a legal buck for some reason. I’ve used from .40 to .62 rifle and smoothbore. Oh, and pheasants before they decided to make them an extra tag here in pa. And doves on occasion .

 

[Rock Home Isle]

A .50 calibre CVA Mountain Rifle...that was my first muzzleloader of note.

When I was 12 years old, I spotted this wonderful beautiful brand new muzzleloader hanging on a rack behind the counter of a local pawnshop. It captivated my imagination and I started saving my money. 6 months later I came back to buy that gun and it was gone. In its place was a CVA Mountain Rifle for $85.00. Someone had built the gun from a kit, and I suspect that they didn't know what they were doing. I had peddled my bicycle 7 miles into town to buy a gun and I wasn't going to peddle home empty handed. I bought that gun with all the money that I had saved. Tied it across the handle bars with a jump rope and peddled 7 miles back home.

Using what I could find in books from our school library, I taught myself how to load it and clean it and care for it. When I bought that gun, my parents had just gotten divorced; both of them had pretty much checked out. Us kids, my brother and sisters, we took care of ourselves...that gun put a lot of food on our table. Rabbits were a common table fair, as were squirrels. Doves didn't fair to well with the big .50 no matter how small a charge I loaded it (I must say that I have a great (Almost Awesome) recipe for Rabbit Stew).

At 80 yards I could put 5 shots into a single ragged hole with that gun, from off hand; it has never failed me in the field. I've replaced many of the parts over the years as they became worn or broke, but it never failed me when I needed it while hunting. I learned that when I ran out of .50 calibre RBs, I could patch .45's with denim and keep on hunting, until I could afford to peddle to the store and buy more of both.

That gun took a goose at one point; that I watched land at the far end of a huge field, while I was out hunting. I was able to crawl down the corn rows and close the distance.

As I grew older, Colorado offered a BlackPowder Season and I've taken countless deer with it, and sooo many elk.

That ole rifle is still one of my most prized possessions...it has really weathered well over the long decades. My CVA taught me a lot about hunting and stalking, due to the limitations of the technology. And it provided for my family at a time in my life when things were really tough and lonely.

These days that ole .50 sits in my gun room, leaned in the corner. Its not as shiny and pretty as it once was, the barrel is well past its prime, the rifling is pretty faint, but present. I still enjoy hefting it to my shoulder and looking down the sites from time to time.

My current interests involve Rock Locks; they really intrigue me. I have taken lots of game with various smoke poles and modern arms, but none as special as that first gun of note.

 

[Patocazador]

(I must say that I have a great (Almost Awesome) recipe for Rabbit Stew).

OK, OK, let's hear it please.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Rabbit Stew

Latest Rev 5.06.16

Original Recipe by Cory Bahr, executive chef and owner of Restaurant Cotton in Monroe, LA

Ingredients:
1 whole 5# rabbit, I used 7 neck&rib cages, 1 leg, &1/2 meat of back piece. And a 2 nd batch was 2# 8oz of 12 FS pcs, 2 backs, 4 legs.
2 quarts water to cover rabbit parts, plus 1 quart as needed. 2Qt + 1 pt is OK.
5 celery ribs, 2+3
2 medium white or yellow onions, 1⁄4 + 1 3/4.
1 green bell pepper.
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1t dry
3 carrots, peeled, 1+2
2 bay leaves
1 stick unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
6 new potatoes, quartered or 4 medium russets 3⁄4 in cubes.
2 cups peas, frozen OK, I used 2 c frozen beans +11⁄2 c frozen sweet corn.
1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)
1 t Salt & 1⁄2 t pepper to your taste.

Process:
1. In a large stockpot, add the rabbit and cover with water. Add 1 whole rib of
celery, 1 whole quartered onion, thyme, 1 whole rough chopped carrot, and the
bay leaves. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the rabbit is tender, and
able to be pulled apart, about 2 hrs + 1⁄2 hr.
2. Transfer the rabbit from the stock to a plate. Strain and reserve the stock and
dispose of the solids. Once the rabbit is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from
the bones in chunks and reserve. I got a pint to maybe a quart of pickens.
In the now-empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Slowly mix in the
flour, stirring constantly, until the flour and butter form a blonde roux, 3 to 5
minutes. Add the reserved stock, stir well, and then add in the remaining diced
onion, diced carrots, and diced celery.
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the onions soften, about 5 -10 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes and peas and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about
15 minutes. Add the reserved rabbit meat and, if using, the jalapeno pepper.
6. Season with salt and pepper, adjust to your taste, and serve with crusty bread.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

 

[Patocazador]

Thank you for the recipe.

 

[Flintlock58]

I'm curious...what game animals (or None Game) have you harvested with Black Powder?

What Muzzleloader (Type, Calibre, Manufacturer, etc) is your favorite to take hunting out in the field?

Hunting yarns are my favorites...Tell us a story...

Curious minds want to know....

 

[Flintlock58]

Deer with 50 and 54 percussion, deer with 58 flinter, turkeys with 62 flinter (fine shot), ducks and geese with 11 ga flinter.

 

[toot]

does it taste like CHICKEN? all kidden aside it sound's like a great dish. thanks for the post. I'll give it a try.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Plenty Whitetail deer, the first with an original Harper's Ferry Rifle. Plenty deer, plenty small game and birds with other rifles since then, and with a 20 gauge Trade Gun. One bull bison with a .50 cal. GRRW Indian Trade Rifle.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I'm curious...what game animals (or None Game) have you harvested with Black Powder?

What Muzzleloader (Type, Calibre, Manufacturer, etc) is your favorite to take hunting out in the field?

Hunting yarns are my favorites...Tell us a story...

Curious minds want to know....

I have killed elk, mule deer, and antelope with my muzzleloaders. Actually several of each to be honest. Here are a few of them

My guns are are my Hot Rod Hawken and my Hot Rod Renegade.

So you want a story.
This buck was my best the year 1997.
I drew a very good tag for muzzleloader only. I found this buck in the summer. I watched him for months. On opening day I got into the area he was seen in for months. I found him bedded under a rock ledge. I had buck fever so bad I could hardly hold the gun steady. The cattle close to him made him jumpy and he stood up. My first shot went right over his back. The buck stood there for a bit and ran to me. I missed him as he stotted by. I loaded again and settled down. He ran down the draw and up the other side. I ranged him at 200 yards and used a cow elk call. He stopped and looked back. At the shot I dumped him. This was my first buck that I mounted. I have shot a lot of good one's. A lot made the record book. But this one was the best.