blueridger
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2007
- Messages
- 143
- Reaction score
- 44
On Saturday I went hunting on a friend's farm. I was on a creekbed in a cutover that hadn't been hunted in three years, as I was told. I got in the tree before daybreak. A few minutes after shooting light, I heard several shots in the distance. This was opening day of muzzleloader in this part of NC.
I didn't see any activity at all until about 8:00 a.m. Finally, a doe emerged from the brown grass about 200 yards away, well out of range for my Early York. I bleated my fawn call twice, and she started walking toward me indirectly.
She stopped about 100 yards out. I was in a climbing stand, and didn't want to take the shot at that range, so I bleated once again. She walked forward a little bit and I lost sight of her behind some tall bushes. I didn't see her for about 10 minutes, and thought that she had possibly wandered off in some low spot undetected.
However, she suddenly walked out of the tall brush and stopped broadside to me at about 70 yards. I was comforable with this shot, so I took aim and took a deep breath. As I shot, I remembered to follow through like I learned to on this website. The deer disappeared in the smoke of the gun. I don't remember even hearing the blast.
The deer lurched forward towards me at an angle, and I knew that I had hit her solid. She ran about 30 or so yards and collapsed in a small, dry depression. I reloaded and descended from the tree. With some difficulty through briars and brush, I reached her. I had hit her in the shoulder, and apparently had an exit wound through the neck. This meant to me she wasn't exactly broadside when hit.
This was not my first deer, but was my first deer with my Early York. I am pleased as punch, and it is a trophy to me. The rifle I used was a Jim Chambers Early York in 50 caliber. 1/66 twist. I used 72 grains of 3f with a .490 ball and .018 pillow ticking patch. I used mink tallow as my patch lubricant. It is the best that I have found. I used 4f in the pan. Here are a couple of links for the pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mlstaglaw/FlintlockDoe#5401431608597266562
http://picasaweb.google.com/mlstaglaw/FlintlockDoe#5401431970293383218
I didn't see any activity at all until about 8:00 a.m. Finally, a doe emerged from the brown grass about 200 yards away, well out of range for my Early York. I bleated my fawn call twice, and she started walking toward me indirectly.
She stopped about 100 yards out. I was in a climbing stand, and didn't want to take the shot at that range, so I bleated once again. She walked forward a little bit and I lost sight of her behind some tall bushes. I didn't see her for about 10 minutes, and thought that she had possibly wandered off in some low spot undetected.
However, she suddenly walked out of the tall brush and stopped broadside to me at about 70 yards. I was comforable with this shot, so I took aim and took a deep breath. As I shot, I remembered to follow through like I learned to on this website. The deer disappeared in the smoke of the gun. I don't remember even hearing the blast.
The deer lurched forward towards me at an angle, and I knew that I had hit her solid. She ran about 30 or so yards and collapsed in a small, dry depression. I reloaded and descended from the tree. With some difficulty through briars and brush, I reached her. I had hit her in the shoulder, and apparently had an exit wound through the neck. This meant to me she wasn't exactly broadside when hit.
This was not my first deer, but was my first deer with my Early York. I am pleased as punch, and it is a trophy to me. The rifle I used was a Jim Chambers Early York in 50 caliber. 1/66 twist. I used 72 grains of 3f with a .490 ball and .018 pillow ticking patch. I used mink tallow as my patch lubricant. It is the best that I have found. I used 4f in the pan. Here are a couple of links for the pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mlstaglaw/FlintlockDoe#5401431608597266562
http://picasaweb.google.com/mlstaglaw/FlintlockDoe#5401431970293383218
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