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Post your (or your neighbor's friend's brother-in-law's) A zone buck...Got it Done
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One of Us
Picture of Mike_Dettorre
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Last light of the last day...a nice legal buck...certainly a nice forky, maybe a 3 on one side...laying down under a deadfall only his head exposed...staring right at us...I am not even sure how my guide spotted him.

a lasered 284 yards...a little bit of a breeze...prone position

he stands up...inches forward...neck exposed...steps forward...front third exposed...starts to walk off...I passed on the shot...

slightly moving target, 284 yards, a slight breeze, last legal light...I am just not that good


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10196 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of Bobby Tomek
posted Hide Post
Now that, my friends, is the mark of a REAL hunter. Mike, I am certain your strong ethics will not go unrewarded...


Bobby
Μολὼν λαβέ
The most important thing in life is not what we do but how and why we do it. - Nana Mouskouri

 
Posts: 9500 | Location: Shiner TX USA | Registered: 19 March 2002Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of Kyler Hamann
posted Hide Post
Mike is pleasant to hunt with and very patient... but I failed him.

Diana can be so cruel. Before Mike's hunt I saw 3 bucks in 30 minutes of scouting and thought this would be a "slam dunk". But Mike and his son Phil hunted with me for two very long, hot and difficult days only to go home empty.

Thanks again for your patience Mike and it's always fun to hunt with you and Phil.
 
Posts: 2522 | Location: Central Coast of CA | Registered: 10 January 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Well, Kyler and I got it done. This guy made it easy. We weren't hunting 15 minutes this afternoon and Kyler caught movement off to our right. The buck ran across in front of us and stopped just to our left about a 90 yards out but was blocked by some brush.

He moved off again and there was a clearing that I figured he would pass thru and sure enough he went to it and stopped at about 115 yards facing almost straight away. I was kneeling and using my custom Home Depot short sticks.

All I had was basically a straight away shot so I took it and missed...I know I said he made it easy...the dummy just stood there so I cycled a round and drilled him.

The shot crazed his right flank as it went forward...



...and zipped him open a little behind his right shoulder where it entered



it hit some bone and exited on the lower part of the left side of his neck. Kyler said he heard a loud whack and that he collapsed. I lost sight of him in recoil. The autopsy revealed a shattered and destroyed right shoulder blade.



Kimber Mod 84 in 308 with a Leupy 3.5x10 with sun shades and the aluminum scope caps.

168 gr TSX over 45.3 grns of varget a chrono'd 2742



This is the last weekend of the coastal deer season...We saw a bigger nicer buck just after I took this pic...but that's the way it goes.




Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10196 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
meat for the freezer and horns for the wall!!
Nice work out there in Cali
Way to wring the hunt out of the season tu2
 
Posts: 2141 | Location: enjoying my freedom in wyoming | Registered: 13 January 2006Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
i'm not real familiar with these deer.
but is that it, 2 points per side and maybe some eye guards?
or do they get more typical mule deer type racks?
i notice they seem to have thinner heads and smaller body's
[about the size of a doe] than typical mule deer.
 
Posts: 5037 | Location: soda springs,id | Registered: 02 April 2008Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
The typical CA coastal deer is a forky. A 3x3 is a very nice deer and a 4x4 is a real trophy. A 150 lb buck is well above average.


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10196 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
Congrats Mike, good buck!

I saw this guy on my way home the other night. I have never seen anything like him in California before.



Here is my buck from a few years ago. I stumbled across it when I was uploading the picture above and thought I would add it to the thread.
 
Posts: 694 | Location: Santa Ynez Valley, Ca | Registered: 14 March 2011Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
okay thank's mike.
150 is about a dry does size here. 125 is about an average mature one.
and a big buck will go 250 or maybe a little more.
we don't get a lot of real wide racks around here but they do get real tall.
i have a 3x2 that has a 13" g-2 tine on one side and a 12" on the other [measured from the main beam.
but he was a titch over 18 wide.
the 5x5 little girl spooked off two years ago was about 25" wide, and nearly that tall on his two back tines on both sides.
which is fairly typical for a real big buck around here.
 
Posts: 5037 | Location: soda springs,id | Registered: 02 April 2008Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Brad,

That is a very nice 3x3...congrats.


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10196 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Here is another typical buck from CA's A zone.



Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10196 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of Blacktailer
posted Hide Post
Way to go Mike and Kyler! beer


Have gun- Will travel
The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark
 
Posts: 3831 | Location: Cave Creek, AZ | Registered: 09 August 2001Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
i like the dark brown color they get.
 
Posts: 5037 | Location: soda springs,id | Registered: 02 April 2008Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
Mike - Dont have any pics for you but I have a memory of a buck that I wont forget ever. We were hunting on a 5,000 acre ranch next door to the 30,000 acre Peachtree ranch owned by Dr. Singleton just east of San Lucas, CA. The last Saturday evening of the 1999 season I am driving my jeep back to the cabin with a decent fork horn that I shot and a 100 lb boar my son shot while I was gutting my deer. Just before last light about 200 yds from the cabin a nice crab 3 x 2 walks across the road about 30 yd in front of the jeep. Right behind him is the only 5 x 5 buck I have ever seen. No idea how wide he was but his horns were tall and they went past his ears about 2" on either side so I would guess him to be at least 22" wide if not more and close to that high. His horns had a beautiful heart shape to them as he was facing us. I was tagged out so all I could do was to try to video him but it was too dark to come out. I saw him for 30 seconds but I will never forget that buck. We hunted the ranch for two more years before the owner sold the ranch and we never saw this buck again. We did see some very large tracks on the road above the cabin that I still assume were his because they were the largest tracks i have seen to date.
 
Posts: 205 | Registered: 09 September 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Paul C.,

That's awesome. 4x4 blacktails in the southern half of the state are rare a 5x5 is a one in a lifetime buck.

I have hunted just east of San Ardo which is one town to the south for pigs.


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10196 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of Kyler Hamann
posted Hide Post
Good job Mike, you pulled off a nice shot at a bad angle with very little time.

You were patient on the first hunt and hung in there to try again. I knew the bucks were there we just couldn't quite put it together on the first trip.

The next day after your hunt I saw two smaller bucks, but didn't see the big one we saw just after you got yours. Who knows where those big bucks hide.

It's always a pleasure hunting with you. Too bad we couldn't get Phil to come back - he could have shot the big one (again).

Great hunting with great hunters,
Kyler


___________________________
www.boaring.com
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Posts: 2522 | Location: Central Coast of CA | Registered: 10 January 2002Reply With Quote
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