tddeangelo
Handloader
- May 18, 2011
- 2,023
- 20
I managed to scoot out of work right on time tonight (I'm one who is usually not out at the stroke of quitting time), and it was snowing. Just dusting, but the cold temps over the last few days had the snow accumulating fast.
I made my way home, quickly changed around into my hunting clothes and headed out to try a quick "last 30 minutes" hunt. I wanted to watch a hillside where I suspected I might see movement with weather coming in. I was going to basically park at the house on the access road and sit right behind it, watching a powerline break. The landowner lives in NY state, and told me to hunt there if I wanted. He actually told me to hunt in the back living room with the window open, but I wasn't really capable of doing that.
There's another house on the property. He had rented it out, and it's about 400 yards from the one where I wanted to hunt, with a thickly brushed in south-facing slope between them. The tenants moved out recently, so this one is vacant, too, for the time being I decided to park at the first house and slowly make my way to the 2nd, picking apart the snowy hillside with my eyes and binos.
About 3/4 of the way there, I saw a shape I knew wasn't a log. I threw the binos up, and sure enough, there was a decent doe laying looking back at me.
I had to move around a bit to find an opening, and it was still only a hole the size of a cereal bowl to shoot through, but it was enough. The shot was about 65-75 yards, offhand.
I got a good hold and let 'er rip. The deer staggered up out of her bed and headed up hill for a few steps and then banked hard right and crossed the slope looking wobbly. I cranked a fresh round in and waited for an opportunity. Right as I let the 2nd shot fly, she dropped....literally right out of the path of the bullet, I think.
On examination, the bullet went in JUST behind the shoulder (was trying to hit the shoulder), and the deer was quartered toward me more than I thought, with it exiting toward the liver region. Probably one lung and liver hit.
Snapped a couple quick picks, then gutted and started the drag out (about 100-125 yards, as I had to take her). Wasn't too bad.
The deer is with a buddy of mine, who knows some folks in his church who are having some financially tough times and can use some help. The deer is going to them tomorrow.
I took two pics, about 5 seconds apart. Funny how dark it looks out with the flash turned on. I didn't dawdle....it was snowing fairly hard, and I knew the road crews weren't going to touch the roads till morning. I got the deer dressed, out to the road, picked it up, and then to my buddy's place to drop it off.
Pics:
:twisted:
I made my way home, quickly changed around into my hunting clothes and headed out to try a quick "last 30 minutes" hunt. I wanted to watch a hillside where I suspected I might see movement with weather coming in. I was going to basically park at the house on the access road and sit right behind it, watching a powerline break. The landowner lives in NY state, and told me to hunt there if I wanted. He actually told me to hunt in the back living room with the window open, but I wasn't really capable of doing that.
There's another house on the property. He had rented it out, and it's about 400 yards from the one where I wanted to hunt, with a thickly brushed in south-facing slope between them. The tenants moved out recently, so this one is vacant, too, for the time being I decided to park at the first house and slowly make my way to the 2nd, picking apart the snowy hillside with my eyes and binos.
About 3/4 of the way there, I saw a shape I knew wasn't a log. I threw the binos up, and sure enough, there was a decent doe laying looking back at me.
I had to move around a bit to find an opening, and it was still only a hole the size of a cereal bowl to shoot through, but it was enough. The shot was about 65-75 yards, offhand.
I got a good hold and let 'er rip. The deer staggered up out of her bed and headed up hill for a few steps and then banked hard right and crossed the slope looking wobbly. I cranked a fresh round in and waited for an opportunity. Right as I let the 2nd shot fly, she dropped....literally right out of the path of the bullet, I think.
On examination, the bullet went in JUST behind the shoulder (was trying to hit the shoulder), and the deer was quartered toward me more than I thought, with it exiting toward the liver region. Probably one lung and liver hit.
Snapped a couple quick picks, then gutted and started the drag out (about 100-125 yards, as I had to take her). Wasn't too bad.
The deer is with a buddy of mine, who knows some folks in his church who are having some financially tough times and can use some help. The deer is going to them tomorrow.
I took two pics, about 5 seconds apart. Funny how dark it looks out with the flash turned on. I didn't dawdle....it was snowing fairly hard, and I knew the road crews weren't going to touch the roads till morning. I got the deer dressed, out to the road, picked it up, and then to my buddy's place to drop it off.
Pics:
:twisted:
