Tell your 2004 Elk/Deer hunting story

[Tim]

So how did you all do this year? I lucked out and took a small 4-point bull elk, the rack that is, on the second day of the season here in Colorado. My hunting partner and I estimated it's live weight around 700 pounds. It only took us 5 hours to dress and haul the meat back to camp. The head passed the Colorado CWD test so I'm all set to start up the bbq tomorrow.
I used a .54 cal TC Renegade, 85 grains of Pyrodex and my own cast 425 grain TC hunting slug. The bull was facing me straight on about 35 yards uphill in the dark timber at the shot. I aimed and hit just at the base of the neck. He ran back uphill about 25 yards before expiring. I did not recover the slug as it exited the bull's belly after traveling over 3 and 1/2 foot of the elk. I did notice a large hole in the liver when I was butchering him. Somehow I missed the heart and lungs.
Okay, enough of my story, lets hear yours.

 

[cayugad]

Congratulations on the elk. You must have hit some serious organs if he only went 25 yards. Nice shooting...

One of these years I am going to get a chance to hunt elk with a muzzleloader. I have wanted to for a long time.

 

[Slowpoke]

It was 9 am and I'm sitting in my lazyboy watching ESPN2. Jimmy Houston just got finished catching a 4 pounds bass and telling me I need to use sunscreen. Then a Realtree commerical came on and there he was, a big 8pt walking slowly into view.......

No seriously, I haven't had a chance to go yet.

SP

 

[Deadeye]

Our Deer and Elk muzzleloader is on until next Thur.
Friday a customer came into my shop with the story that he shot at a Deer and missed and the deer stood there while he reloaded and snapped 5 caps and the gun wouldn't fire and the Deer finally walked off. He tried everything but nothing would make it fire so he wanted me to unload it.
I checked it . IT WASN'T LOADED. Boy, was he embarrased. Buck fever does strange things.

 

[bob1961]

bow just opened on sat the 2 nd here in pa....was out for a little while but no see nothing....between n.y. and pa i have till the middle of jan to hunt all the seasons so i'm not in too big a hurry....but will have pics and a story when time comes....then comes red tag hunts the first of feb till the middle of june..............bob

 

[leadball]

Our Deer and Elk muzzleloader is on until next Thur.
Friday a customer came into my shop with the story that he shot at a Deer and missed and the deer stood there while he reloaded and snapped 5 caps and the gun wouldn't fire and the Deer finally walked off. He tried everything but nothing would make it fire so he wanted me to unload it.
I checked it . IT WASN'T LOADED. Boy, was he embarrased. Buck fever does strange things.

That story reminds me of my first deer hunt as a teen. I had a .30-.30 winchester and a small buck came within 35 yards of my makeshift blind and i yelled "BANG" and worked the lever to get in another shell. Never got that deer :crackup:

 

[JerryToth]

Well, my 2004 Deer hunting story isn't completely "written" yet!

Not "completely", but partially. The PA Game Commission has "managed" the local deer herd to the point that most of what is left is on private (and posted) property.

I'll still go out and make a fool of myself, but at this point, it doesn't look too promising unless I stumble into someone who offers hunting privileges on their private property.

Last season, my hunting buddy, who is the outdoors writer for the local newspaper, never even got off a shot. I hadn't realized that he hadn't until he remarked on the ride home on the last day that he should run an oily rag down the bore before he put the rifle away.

I'm done venting now. On the 16th the Early Muzzleloader starts, and the foliage promises to be spectacular this year whether the deer are there or not.

Good luck, and above all, "Safe hunting" to all,

Jerry.

 

[tcsmokepole]

Ironsights, last winter I took care of some wells near where the game commission had set up deer tagging headquarters. They would'nt say so, but they were having a hard time finding a deer to tag. The landowners that gave them permission to do their survey on their land said that in the last couple of years the deer have all but disappeared. I work in a different area now, which is almost all posted in Indiana co., and also southern Jefferson co. These places are crawling with deer. I'm trying to find a place to hunt there. Keep your chin up, and good luck.

 

[Old Charlie]

Here the early muzzle loading season starts Nov. 15th. You are alowed two deer a day ,one of which may be a buck. Never tried it with a front stuffer before! Can harly wate!
Old charlie

 

[sneakon]

Didn't get an elk this year, but sure had considerable fun sneaking around the hills and learning from those "ghosts of the forest." If I would have started hunting 30 years ago, I might be half as woods smart as those critters (OK maybe not half). Going to take my Hawken along when I hunt for muleys in a couple of weeks. Hoping to be able to report a success story afterwards.

 

[gmww]

Deer season opened for Muzzle loading 10/2/04 here in Washington. I've never muzzle loaded so this was my first time. I was using a Cabelas, .54 cal. Hawkens side lock. I loaded it with .452 300 grn. hardcast bullet and a MMP sabot. It was being pushed by 95 grns. of Goex FFG BP.

We located a small group of does bedded down about 10:00 AM with one buck seen. We were in a four point minimum set by the land owner. His property had not been hunted for 3 years.

We came down the mountain and did a nice sneak on a adjoining ridge which would put us within 75 yards of the group. We came up over the ridge and my buddy got in the prone position on the bedded down buck. He fired off his .50 cal inline and to our surprise the buck stood up and stared at us.

I looked at my partner and was thinking shoot again when I realized I was muzzle loading hunting. I was on both knees aiming my rifle. Not the ideal way to shoot. I fired my Hawkens and he went down immediately. When we got to him it became apparent I shot a little high and spined him. He was still breathing and alert. I used another shot to finish the hunt.

On close inspection we found that the top of his back had hair that was cleanly cut. It did not go to the skin but just the hair. My buddies bullet was apparently a 1/2 inch too high.

Anyway that was my first deer with a muzzle loader. It was a four point on each side and was nicely simetrical.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=si&img=248

 

[Rebel]

Congratulations on your first BP deer. Feels great don't it, taking one the old fashioned way. Even better when you hit and the scoped inline shooter doesn't. :: ::

 

[gmww]

Sure was. Im thinking of using the sidelock .45 next year if I can get an accurate enough load. I saw a round ball from another hunters .45 sidelock just devistated a Whitetail. I was very impressed.