Woke up at 6, in the woods by 6:30, got my deer by 7:15 and had it field dressed and back in the house ready for my 2nd cup of coffee by 8:30. This is the first time in my life I've ever scored on the first day of gun season. I normally scoff at people that shoot first year deer, but that what I ended up doing! About 5 minutes after I got this button buck it's smaller sibling walked up and sniffed it and then hung around eating vegetation, I didn't have the heart to take it as well. One deer is enough for me anyways so I'm done for the year. With a little one like this I'll probably process it myself and have it in the freezer by this afternoon.
As long as it's legal, it's all good. I pass on the young ones now myself, but a deer is a deer. That's going to be some tender venison!
I used to, but I haven't had the free time to deer hunt the past 4 years and only had 2 days available this week so I took the first one I saw.
Totally understand that, sometimes life gets in the way. I think I had that year back in 2010 and got a doe and then one just like that late in the season. That's how I know they're so tender.
I went back out to the scene of the crime see if I could find the bullet. It had entered behind the left shoulder and demolished the right shoulder before exiting so I figure it probably lost most of it's energy and I might luck out and find it on the ground. I found it buried 1/2" in a rotten log that was a couple feet behind the deer. This is the first deer I've shot with a .357, in the past I've always used a 12 ga 1oz rifled slug and they drop in their tracks. This little guy jumped up in the air when he was hit, landed about 4 feet away on the other side of said log and collapsed to the ground. He kept lifting his head for the next 45 seconds or so, which is amazing because when field dressing it the heart was un-recognizable. They're tough creatures.
bassJAM I'm guessing that's a hornaday leverlution load? Looks as if the jacket came off the lead. I was not impressed with those in my 44mag rifle. Deer died, but expansion was poor. I switched to barnes xpb loads and the damage is much more shall we say graphic. And yea....deer are amazingly strong. I took a triangle from the center of a large bucks heart with my bow many moons ago, and that deer still went 100yds. Congrats on the meat and the successful hunt!
I passed on one like that today, but I have all week off. I had a nice buck out about 100 yards but too much brush between me an him, then he turned and walked away from me. That will be some good eatin
Any deer legally shot is grounds for happiness! I usually end up shooting a fawn each season-my hunting time is limited too and I like venison-steaks, roasts, sausage of all kinds,jerky....
Congrats! I originally passed on the nice doe I took on the second morning of our gun Deer hunt. I saw she was looking behind her, and she was a bit startled by hopefully a shooter buck. Well, a buck was following her, but it was a spike, so I quickly found the doe before it walked into the woods and took it. For many years I took small bucks. I figured I'd have less chances for a bigger buck if I don't let them grow. I passed on several deer last year, even nicer does. Maybe my patience will pay off next year?
Yeah, 140 gr leverlution. I think next year I'll try out some of the Buffalo Bore stuff, clearly the Hornady did the job but I'd rather have some extra safety factor built in. I hunt in thick woods anyway, the supposed aerodynamics of the leverlution is lost on me since I'll never have a shot much past 30 yards.
Marlin. I've been looking for over a year for a pre Remington Marlin and finally found this one about a month ago.
Easy peasy! I passed on 3 doe and a 6pt yesterday. Coworker who came to my property saw the one I'm after but could not get a shot on him. Yep, I'm a horn hunter. Don't miss the days of *having/needing* to put meat in the freezer either. Ate plenty of venison thru the years, but have yet to get me a "dandy" buck. Heading back out Saturday to try my luck again.
I would have guessed Marlin based on the gold trigger. What do you mean by a pre-Remington Marlin? I ask because I have a 336T that I bought in 1964.
