Took my 20 ga trade gun out the other day and the only deer I saw were across the fence in my neighbor’s horse pasture. Packing last night for the hunting trip I’m on as of today, I told my wife I was dithering- I’ve always wanted to take a deer with a flintlock but to date every deer I’ve killed on purpose was taken with my ol’ reliable Investarms Hawken. “Take the rifle,” said she. “It’s lucky.”
A little after 4:00 this afternoon, this fellow came along. I had just woken up from a little snooze at the base of an oak and was marveling at the plethora of squirrels when this buck stepped out of cover on the other side of the creek. He was nervous, kept stopping and looking at me. I didn’t twitch. He started to walk down the steep bank of the creek in a spot that would have brought him up practically in my lap, but stopped, stared, then turned and started walking away, tail high. He turned parallel to the creek and I worked my gun up as he passed behind trees. Finally got my shot broadside at 50 yards. I was shooting a .440 ball in a linen patch over 75g FFg and he dropped right where he stood. Saved his hide, which I’ll braintan and use to make a new sleeve for Ol’ Reliable.
Jay
A little after 4:00 this afternoon, this fellow came along. I had just woken up from a little snooze at the base of an oak and was marveling at the plethora of squirrels when this buck stepped out of cover on the other side of the creek. He was nervous, kept stopping and looking at me. I didn’t twitch. He started to walk down the steep bank of the creek in a spot that would have brought him up practically in my lap, but stopped, stared, then turned and started walking away, tail high. He turned parallel to the creek and I worked my gun up as he passed behind trees. Finally got my shot broadside at 50 yards. I was shooting a .440 ball in a linen patch over 75g FFg and he dropped right where he stood. Saved his hide, which I’ll braintan and use to make a new sleeve for Ol’ Reliable.
Jay
