ACCURATERELOADING.COM MUZZLELOADING BIG GAME HUNTING FORUM


Moderators: Mark
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
a good day on the mountain
 Login/Join
 
One of Us
posted
Had an old friend and his son up to my house this weekend for a muzzleloader big game hunt. We all put in for Elk and Deer tags, they were successful in the draw for both and I ended up skunked on the initial draw. I was extremely lucky to pull a left over ml buck tag after the drawing. Someone drew but did not pay for the tag so a very few tags were available and I got lucky. John and his boy Jack arrived at the house exactly on time, to the minute even. We quickly said our hellos, loaded up and headed up the trail into the forest. At the fork in the trail I sent them on West while I started off on the old road heading South.

I move slow in the field and love to still hunt. A couple hundred yards up the road I spotted a silhouette of a buck in the aspens just my left, maybe 30 yards away. Unfortunately he spotted me at the same time and then I noticed a second buck
even closer. The aspens were so thick I could only make out pieces of the deer and I never could get a clear view of either buck in the ten minutes the three of us were standing frozen like statues. Eventually the bigger buck turned back deeper into the under growth with the younger buck following him. I tried to sneak back into them but never managed to get close enough.

I continued on my walk slowly with a plan to make a several mile loop and meet back up with John and Jack on ridge to the West at about 11 .A.M that morning. I saw plenty of sign but no other animals and slowly made my way to the top of the hill to meet up with my hunting partners.

When I got to ridge where we were to meet up my partners were not there and we waiting for me at another rock out cropping which I did not know at the time. After not finding them I decided I would ease down through an old logging cut towards the trail and the road.

The cut was done maybe ten years ago and is a very nice combination of small clearings, young trees and some large older trees as well. Some places you can only see a short distance and others you can see several hundred yards. I had just entered cut and almost immediately off to the South East of me I could see a pretty nice buck staring at me. He had just gotten up out of his bed maybe 50 yards away. The 14 bore William Moore 2 groove rifle was slung over my right shoulder and I slowing reached for it, bringing it to shoulder and cocking the hammer in the same motion. I lined up the sights and slowing squeezed the trigger. At the shot the cloud of smoke obscured the shot and all I saw was the deer bound twice and head West and over the hill before I lost sight of him. A small buck that I had not seen soon bounded to the East and away into the thicker cover.

I walked over to where he was standing and did not see any sign of a hit. Several circles more and I found a single drop of blood. I hit him but the Sun was partially in my eyes and while squeezing the trigger I noticed the front bead rise a bit out of the rear v notch. Where did I hit him? Was the shot high? I kept looking and over the ridge in the direction I last saw him running when John and Jack appeared and began to help me look for him. We looked and looked with no more sign of blood. After talking over the situation we decided we all needed to eat and would take a lunch break and return to search for my buck after the heat of the day had passed.

We all had a great meal at the restaurant an old friend of mine and his wife own. Nothing like a good meal to improve your attitude. Jack who is almost 17 and is very active with school, playing football, etc was exhausted and needed a short nap. John and I caught up on old times letting the boy get some rest. About 4 .pm. we woke him to head back out. We decided to walk back through the cut to the ridge and begin from where I took the shot earlier in the day. As we were getting close to the area John asked me "Where were you when you to the shot?" I began to reply "right up there" but before I could finish my sentence I had spotted him piled up under a tree and and I think my sentence up something like "Right up.....there is my deer!" This was a happy crew I'll tell you.

Turns out the shot was very well placed and the buck had turned directly East after topping the hill running to the West. The ball entered at the junction of the neck and shoulder and exited the off side rear leg. The deer did almost all of its bleeding inside and the trauma from the big round ball was massive. Certainly a bit of luck involved finding him but some days it is better to be lucky than good. This was one of those days. What a great hunt with super hunting companions. The mile and a half drag to the truck about killed us.



 
Posts: 3770 | Location: Boulder Colorado | Registered: 27 February 2004Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of DesertRam
posted Hide Post
Dandy buck! Good shooting on that guy.


_____________________
A successful man is one who earns more money than his wife can spend.
 
Posts: 3288 | Location: Southern NM USA | Registered: 01 October 2002Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of TCLouis
posted Hide Post
Dandy story, and deer.
Is there any way to shrink it to page width.



Don't limit your challenges . . .
Challenge your limits


 
Posts: 4220 | Location: TN USA | Registered: 17 March 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Congratulations on a great hunt with an awesome rifle!
 
Posts: 175 | Registered: 08 December 2007Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
well done nice buck and accomplishment
 
Posts: 1194 | Location: Billings,MT | Registered: 24 July 2004Reply With Quote
Moderator

Picture of Mark
posted Hide Post
Congrats on a nice deer!


for every hour in front of the computer you should have 3 hours outside
 
Posts: 7753 | Location: Between 2 rivers, Middle USA | Registered: 19 August 2000Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Mighty fine buck. Have you measured the width?

Unless I missed it in the overly wide story. What's
the caliber? From looking at the barrel it looks big and long too.

Sure nothing wrong with killing a M/L animal, especially a buck that size.

I see you're from Boulder, assume you hunted around there someplace.

Thanks for sharing with us.

George


"Gun Control is NOT about Guns'
"It's about Control!!"
Join the NRA today!"

LM: NRA, DAV,

George L. Dwight
 
Posts: 5934 | Location: Pueblo, CO | Registered: 31 January 2006Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Cougarz
posted Hide Post
Nice buck, congratulations!
Pretty rifle too. Those round balls do work. tu2


Roger
___________________________
I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along.

*we band of 45-70ers*
 
Posts: 2785 | Location: Washington (wetside) | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
14 bore or .69 caliber.

just about 23" on the outside spread. He has an extra kicker on the right side which is about 3" long.
 
Posts: 3770 | Location: Boulder Colorado | Registered: 27 February 2004Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Cougarz
posted Hide Post
sob,

What's the story with the updated website? Could you post the web address?


Roger
___________________________
I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along.

*we band of 45-70ers*
 
Posts: 2785 | Location: Washington (wetside) | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
bertramandco.com
 
Posts: 3770 | Location: Boulder Colorado | Registered: 27 February 2004Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Cougarz
posted Hide Post
Thank you sir.... Smiler


Roger
___________________________
I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along.

*we band of 45-70ers*
 
Posts: 2785 | Location: Washington (wetside) | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright December 1997-2023 Accuratereloading.com


Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia

 

image linking to 100 Top Hunting Sites