Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Topic: Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell (Read 2411 times) previous topic - next topic

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #15 – November 11, 2007, 05:05:01 PM

Quote from: Thunder Chicken;187039

Yeah, well, you guys and your multi-deer bag limits SUCK.

I feel for ya...they are so thick here...you literally can not drive 5 miles down a gravel road and not see deer.
Unless you're Stevie Wonder.
Our's aren't quite as big as your deer for the most part, but i'd have to guess that several weigh in about that much.
The Conservation Dept. in Missouri is really encouraging hunters to take does, and leave the spike bucks and anything like that to grow up into bigger, nicer-antlered animals.
I think it works pretty well, as more and more hunters talking about big-racked bucks strutting around.
Opening day, I saw 3 other deer before I saw the group of three that I took mine from.

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #16 – November 11, 2007, 05:48:54 PM

i wanna go hunting, but i refuse to do black powder, and as far as gutting goes, i wouldnt be able to... and its a family thing at my dads, you shoot it you clean it.

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #17 – November 11, 2007, 06:24:24 PM

Black powder is a form of propellant, has no bearing whatsoever on the hunt itself.
You're thinking of a muzzleloader, which can use either black powder, or smokeless powder.
Muzzle loading season here is different than firearms or bow season.
For example, I can use black powder in my old .303 British, but I don't wanna clean the barrel all the time, so I have my shells reloaded with smokeless. In fact, when .303 ammo was first used, it was with black powder.
The old buffalo hunters used black powder, and about every 3rd shot, they'd have to pour boiling water down the barrel to clean it of the residue, then run a grease-coated patch through it.
And gutting it is a lot easier than you think. Ya just gotta get used to the bloody stink

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #18 – November 11, 2007, 07:06:05 PM

Quote from: FordTruckFreeek;187050

I feel for ya...they are so thick here...you literally can not drive 5 miles down a gravel road and not see deer.
Unless you're Stevie Wonder.
Our's aren't quite as big as your deer for the most part, but i'd have to guess that several weigh in about that much.
The Conservation Dept. in Missouri is really encouraging hunters to take does, and leave the spike bucks and anything like that to grow up into bigger, nicer-antlered animals.
I think it works pretty well, as more and more hunters talking about big-racked bucks strutting around.
Opening day, I saw 3 other deer before I saw the group of three that I took mine from.

Truth be told I'd rather shoot a nice doe than a small buck - about the same amount of meat, but it's better eating. Unfortunately with an "Antlered only" tag I had to shoot a buck. For some reason I haven't been able to snag a doe stamp in about 4 years.

I generally see does all over the place (including two does and three fawns that frequent my yard) - it's almost as though they can sense that I ain't allowed to shoot 'em. Last year, for example, had I had a doe tag I could have filled my tag each and every time I went hunting. Even this year I watched a parade of does on the first day of the season but couldn't shoot. It's nice to see does though, because you know that sooner or later a buck's gonna come following. That happened last year, when I shot and wounded an enormous (as in "Field and Stream") buck during a snowstorm. Unfortunately I lost its blood trail and tracks in the snow, and the following day, after a full 8 hours searching (and putting 24 kilometers on my GPS) I had to give up. That deer still haunts my dreams.

Quote from: daboss351;187058

i wanna go hunting, but i refuse to do black powder, and as far as gutting goes, i wouldnt be able to... and its a family thing at my dads, you shoot it you clean it.

You shoot it, you gut it is pretty much how it works. Like Beau says, it's not difficult. It's exactlyl like gutting a fish, only bigger. Take your time, breathe through your mouth, and try (for the love of god, try) to not cut the actual stomach wall. You WILL throw up if you do. In the same vein, hope like hell that you don't "Gut shot" the deer, or you're in for a messy cleaning.

If you've never hunted before but want to, I'd strongly suggest you do so with some friends who are already into hunting, so they can show you the ropes. Just remember, though - as soon as the bullet leaves the muzzle of the gun the fun stops. If you're lucky enough to drop it in its tracks you've still got to gut it, drag it, hang it, skin it, butcher it, etc. If it DOESN'T drop in its tracks you can add "search for it" and "drag it even further from the deepest, most miserable thicket in the woods" to that list.

Quote from: FordTruckFreeek;187062

Black powder is a form of propellant, has no bearing whatsoever on the hunt itself.
You're thinking of a muzzleloader, which can use either black powder, or smokeless powder.
Muzzle loading season here is different than firearms or bow season.
For example, I can use black powder in my old .303 British, but I don't wanna clean the barrel all the time, so I have my shells reloaded with smokeless. In fact, when .303 ammo was first used, it was with black powder.
The old buffalo hunters used black powder, and about every 3rd shot, they'd have to pour boiling water down the barrel to clean it of the residue, then run a grease-coated patch through it.
And gutting it is a lot easier than you think. Ya just gotta get used to the bloody stink

We have the special muzzle loader season as well, and also a special bowhunting season. I'm IBEP certified and actually tried bowhunting a few years, but I just couldn't get into it. The bowhunting season is in September, and I'm just not thinking deer hunting in September - actually, I'm thinking deer hunting, but more along the lines of scouting, finding trails and building blinds. Having mosquitos and horse flies buzzing about when trying to remain perfectly still is not fun. Besides, if you shoot a deer with a bow that's it for the season as well - you're only allowed one deer no matter how or when you shoot it.

This year since I got one so early I've been occasionally tagging along with my father - I can't carry a gun, but I've got better eyes and ears than him, and it lets me get into the woods with no pressure. He actually got a shot off at a nice 10-or-so pointer a few days ago, but missed. I heard it coming to our right, caught a glimpse of it as it went from the woods into a thicket, then heard it coming through the thicket. When it emerged I told my father "There it is, and it's a big one". He couldn't see it (it was only 50 yards away!). It continued walking down along the edge of the woods, then turned left and walked directly in front of us and stopped, broadside. I was just about to say "If you can't see that God-ed deer, give me the gun" but he finally shot it. He fired, and missed. Worse, he missed with a witness (me)

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #19 – November 11, 2007, 07:11:46 PM

Fourwheelers is how we get the deer out! and im gonna say hell no to black powder, i want a nice .378? ruger like my dads. Id have that thing sighted perfect, cause i would be shooting all the time I love shooting. I would get my shot the first time!

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #20 – November 11, 2007, 09:01:39 PM

Quote from: daboss351;187070

i want a nice .378? ruger like my dads.

I've got 5 questions..
Are you sure it's a .378 RUGER? and not a Wetherby?
WHAT the hell are you gonna shoot at with a .378!!? (horses? cattle? elephants? blue whales?)
how much are the shells for it? (when you gotta pay 5 bucks+ for one round, I'll bet you don't shoot it much)
have you ever even shot one in the first place? (I've shot a .338Mag, NOT what you'd really want to use for a smallish deer...)
how tall and heavy are ya? (I'm 5'10" and 170...and said .338Mag shook me pretty good....)

There's no such thing as "perfect sighting in...you sight in at a certain range, and shoot effectively at that distance, or you learn the trajectory of the bullet, the amount of drop, and the other important stuff etc etc..I'd suggest reading about it...then when you've learned everything you can from a book, go back and read it all again. Then...practice. A LOT.
I can well guarantee you ain't gonna load up a gun of any caliber, and kill a deer at a good distance unless you "know" the gun/cartridge combo...

And last...if I was you, i'd find something like a 30-30, or maybe a .30-06 at the biggest. Unless you're gonna kill elk, water buffalo, or an elephant (which is illegal, and kinda hard to do in this country) there's is absofvckinlutely no need for a cannon like THAT lmao.
I know, i went through the same phase..bigger is NOT better, no matter what the hunting mags or the girls say..ohh, wrong gun there...:hick:
Not trying to bust your nuts very much, but to make a statement like that about a .378...well....:flame: lol

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #21 – November 11, 2007, 09:55:42 PM

I think thats what hes got, i have horrid memory, and when you put things that way, i think I'm jumping into things(im 16, know nothing bout hunting). o and im 5'3" 140...

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #22 – November 11, 2007, 11:04:10 PM

Quote from: daboss351;187107

I think thats what hes got, i have horrid memory, and when you put things that way, i think I'm jumping into things(im 16, know nothing bout hunting). o and im 5'3" 140...

just remember to hold it tight against your shoulder and squeeeeze the trigger, don't yank it. :D

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #23 – November 12, 2007, 06:50:13 PM

Yea, unless you want a black & blue shoulder!

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #24 – November 12, 2007, 10:09:00 PM

While I've never harbored an interest in hunting, and I never will, I've always been mildly interested in the mechanical workings of a gun. I could never be a gun nut, and I would likely never own a gun, but I was able to fire a 9mm Ruger and an AR-15 within the past month or so. It was at a range, so I could more-or-less record my accuracy. I'm not a bad shot, I must say.
I honestly don't see the point in driving one of those bullets into an animal, though.

Opening Day Deer Stories, 56K Hell

Reply #25 – November 12, 2007, 11:09:59 PM

I like hunting because it gives me time to think without any distractions. It is amazing what you can hear early in the morning. I heard my cousin fire up his truck at his house and drive all the way to my grandma's.

Also, deer sausage is the bomb!