Larry in SD
Handloader
- Nov 8, 2004
- 426
- 1
First off this will be the 3rd season for my 12 year old Granddaughter. Last year was the first year she connected and did great getting two nice antlerless deer with two shots.
Our weather has been quite warm since the youth season opened on September 8th so we haven't been to serious about getting out hunting. With cooler temperatures the past week or so I figured it was time.
This past Friday evening we ventured south of the town of White Rock South Dakota (basically on the Minnesota / South Dakota Border a mile south of the North Dakota Border). This area south and west of White Rock is basically a large flood control plane that is approximately 2 1/2 miles east to west, and 4 miles north to south.
There is some farm land and some pasture land in this area and when it is dry some of the high spots get hayed. On the north end of the one pasture on G,F&P Land there is a corn food plot for the wildlife (I would guess it to be 20 to 30 acres). We took up a position between the pasture and food plot where we had seen a nice doe a week earlier when we were scouting the area.
Just like clockwork about 15 minutes after sunset the doe just stands up near a small russian olive tree. It must have been bedded there the entire time we were there. At any rate the doe fed directly towards us and at about 90 yards she stopped broadside. That was all it took and my granddaughter kept her perfect record alive, now it is 3 shots for 3 deer. At the shot the doe went straight down, not taking so much as a single step. She was using my wife's 18 1/2" Remington Model 700 SPS Stainless .308 using 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-4895 per the recipe at Hodgdon's web site in their youth data section. The bullet hit a rib dead center right behind the front shoulder about 2" below the bottom of the spine on entrance, totally destroyed the lungs but did not exit.
This one is at the local locker plant being made into braats (1/2 Saure Kraut Braats and 1/2 Chedder Braats).
Above is the wife's .308 affectionately known as Stubby (the gun not my wife).
Sunday evening it was my grandsons turn. This is his first time hunting as he just turned 10 in September and I have a mentor license for him (South Dakota started this program a few years ago which allows kids that are not old enough to take the Hunt Safe Course to get a chance to hunt. The mentor gets the license in both the Mentor's name and the youth hunters name.)
This time we ventured south of the US Dam Road into a dried up lake bottom. Again like the area south of White Rock the high spots are hayed with the low areas being a mix of Rice Cane and Cattails. The spot we choose has been a favorite spot over the years. About 350 yards south of the US Dam Road there is a huge willow thicket with is about 30 to 60 yards north to south and about a quart mile east to west. On the south side of this willow thicket there is a large meadow (probably about 160 acres or so).
We got tucked into the south side of the willows and started the wait. We weren't there but maybe 10 minutes when a really small (I mean really small) deer appeared from our left about 150 yards out. My grandson got excited, looked through the scope but I told him it was way to small, telling him Dakota (my 90 Lb Yellow Lab) was larger than that deer.
We waited and waited some more. Then just like on Friday evening about 10 minutes after sunset 2 deer appeared on the far end of the meadow. We glassed them and they looked like a couple of nice sized does. Luck was shining on us as the one started heading straight for us. When she was a bit over 100 yards out she turned broadside (on the trail the little one had taken) and stopped. I whispered to my grandson "it don't get no better than this" and he made ready. When the .308 roared I heard the bullet find it's mark but the doe took off. I could tell she was hit hard but I still reached down and chambered another round for my grandson and whispered to him "she'll stop". Well stop she did and he was ready. Again when the .308 roared I again heard the bullet strike home and again the doe took off. This time she only went about 20 yards or so, stopped and tipped over.
Both bullets were about 2 to 3" below the spine, one clipped the very back of the front shoulder and the other one was a bit father back in the paunch. Again neither bullet exited. This one too is at the locker plant being made into 1/2 home made wieners and 1/2 country style ring sausage.
Yes I am a proud grandpa and also one that is gonna be eating good this winter.
Unfortunately I did not get any photos. I had forgot my camera and I do not remember if the grandkids mom took any photos either. My granddaughter does have an Any Deer Tag for the regular Firearms Season as does my son in law. As for the rest of us, we didn't get drawn in the first drawing. If I (we) don't get drawn in the second drawing for the county to the west of us then I guess I will be a Hunting Guide this fall for my Granddaughter and son in law.
Thanks for reading.
Larry
Our weather has been quite warm since the youth season opened on September 8th so we haven't been to serious about getting out hunting. With cooler temperatures the past week or so I figured it was time.
This past Friday evening we ventured south of the town of White Rock South Dakota (basically on the Minnesota / South Dakota Border a mile south of the North Dakota Border). This area south and west of White Rock is basically a large flood control plane that is approximately 2 1/2 miles east to west, and 4 miles north to south.
There is some farm land and some pasture land in this area and when it is dry some of the high spots get hayed. On the north end of the one pasture on G,F&P Land there is a corn food plot for the wildlife (I would guess it to be 20 to 30 acres). We took up a position between the pasture and food plot where we had seen a nice doe a week earlier when we were scouting the area.
Just like clockwork about 15 minutes after sunset the doe just stands up near a small russian olive tree. It must have been bedded there the entire time we were there. At any rate the doe fed directly towards us and at about 90 yards she stopped broadside. That was all it took and my granddaughter kept her perfect record alive, now it is 3 shots for 3 deer. At the shot the doe went straight down, not taking so much as a single step. She was using my wife's 18 1/2" Remington Model 700 SPS Stainless .308 using 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-4895 per the recipe at Hodgdon's web site in their youth data section. The bullet hit a rib dead center right behind the front shoulder about 2" below the bottom of the spine on entrance, totally destroyed the lungs but did not exit.
This one is at the local locker plant being made into braats (1/2 Saure Kraut Braats and 1/2 Chedder Braats).
Above is the wife's .308 affectionately known as Stubby (the gun not my wife).
Sunday evening it was my grandsons turn. This is his first time hunting as he just turned 10 in September and I have a mentor license for him (South Dakota started this program a few years ago which allows kids that are not old enough to take the Hunt Safe Course to get a chance to hunt. The mentor gets the license in both the Mentor's name and the youth hunters name.)
This time we ventured south of the US Dam Road into a dried up lake bottom. Again like the area south of White Rock the high spots are hayed with the low areas being a mix of Rice Cane and Cattails. The spot we choose has been a favorite spot over the years. About 350 yards south of the US Dam Road there is a huge willow thicket with is about 30 to 60 yards north to south and about a quart mile east to west. On the south side of this willow thicket there is a large meadow (probably about 160 acres or so).
We got tucked into the south side of the willows and started the wait. We weren't there but maybe 10 minutes when a really small (I mean really small) deer appeared from our left about 150 yards out. My grandson got excited, looked through the scope but I told him it was way to small, telling him Dakota (my 90 Lb Yellow Lab) was larger than that deer.
We waited and waited some more. Then just like on Friday evening about 10 minutes after sunset 2 deer appeared on the far end of the meadow. We glassed them and they looked like a couple of nice sized does. Luck was shining on us as the one started heading straight for us. When she was a bit over 100 yards out she turned broadside (on the trail the little one had taken) and stopped. I whispered to my grandson "it don't get no better than this" and he made ready. When the .308 roared I heard the bullet find it's mark but the doe took off. I could tell she was hit hard but I still reached down and chambered another round for my grandson and whispered to him "she'll stop". Well stop she did and he was ready. Again when the .308 roared I again heard the bullet strike home and again the doe took off. This time she only went about 20 yards or so, stopped and tipped over.
Both bullets were about 2 to 3" below the spine, one clipped the very back of the front shoulder and the other one was a bit father back in the paunch. Again neither bullet exited. This one too is at the locker plant being made into 1/2 home made wieners and 1/2 country style ring sausage.
Yes I am a proud grandpa and also one that is gonna be eating good this winter.
Unfortunately I did not get any photos. I had forgot my camera and I do not remember if the grandkids mom took any photos either. My granddaughter does have an Any Deer Tag for the regular Firearms Season as does my son in law. As for the rest of us, we didn't get drawn in the first drawing. If I (we) don't get drawn in the second drawing for the county to the west of us then I guess I will be a Hunting Guide this fall for my Granddaughter and son in law.
Thanks for reading.
Larry
Thank you for passing on a heritage.
