It Pays to Make Sure!!!

02 January 2004, 08:16

Already have a nice rack at the taxidermist and wanted a
meat deer this season. I was after a nice doe.

About 300 yards away she jumped a fence into a pine grove.
Then she jumped another fence into the 30 acre switch grass
field ahead of the timber line where I was sitting. Would
she come this way? It's a little wierd hunting switch grass.
When they can first be seen, they appear to be ghostly
images through the grass. The closer they get, the clearer
they can be seen.

It was very clear that this was a nice big doe when she
jumped the fences, but it's hard to tell their size in that
ol' switch grass. About 15 minutes later "she" appeared, at
first a ghostly image, and as she got closer, much clearer.
At 90 yards, the Encore barked, sending the 235gr QT bullet
towards the target. It was a no wind condition and the
belched smoke hung in the air, making it impossible to see
the deer. A few seconds later, the white flag came up a few
yards away from the intended target. This one made no
indication whatsoever of a hit. C'mon now! Three inch groups
at 150 yards using this bullet, and a clear miss on this
deer at only 90 yards? No Way!

Well, ya know that little twig ya KNOW you're gonna miss
between you and your target? The one that would take ya a
few shots to purposely hit? Uh-huh. Upon inspection that
darned twig had definitely been hit. DUMMY!!!

What if there were two deer, and I just had not spotted one
of them when they crossed the fence? After all, there was
switch grass blocking line of sight not far from where the
doe had jumped the fence. It was getting dark, but I decided
to check the area it had been when I shot. Sure enough, there
it was, and appeared not to have gone anywhere after hit! It
was a smaller doe but will be quite tasty. The bullet was
deflected somewhat -- a heart/lung shot turned out to be
a rear lung/liver shot. I've shot three deer with PR Bullets,
and am totally sold on their shocking power. That would not
have been an instant kill with most bullets.

At any rate, it most definitely paid to make sure this was
a percepted clear miss or not!