Mule deer success!

Guy Miner

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
17,830
6,293
Found him and shot him at about 10:30 this morning. With help from my son and a good friend we got him cut up and back to the truck at about 8:00 PM. It was a long tough day in the back country, but I got a good buck.

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Also came across these while hiking:
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Regards, Guy
 
Hey Guy .... that looks like that 25-06 of yours. Congratulations! Sounds like a nice hunting trip.... Son with you out in the back country to help enjoy the country and share the work of bringing home the results of the trip. Nice deer.
 
Guy,

Congratulations on a very nice buck!
The 25-06 strikes again! Did you use the TSX? How did it perform?

JD338
 
Thanks guys! :grin: Yes, the .25-06 strikes again, third mule deer buck in four years of hunting with it. My fault that I missed one year... This year I used the 115 gr Berger VLD. Interesting bullet. More on that later perhaps. They are effective, but fragile.

The buck is a 26" 4x4 and I feel very fortunate to take him during the general season on public land. I hunted solo, and after seeing how big this deer was (I'll estimate 250 pounds live weight) and looking at the thick and steep ravine he'd fallen into - I called my son and a good friend for help. There was no way I was getting him out alone. We cut him up right there on the ground and packed out the parts. It's nice to have a strong 22 year old son and a good friend who also happens to be a very good hunter and a tough guy. :grin:

Today I need to clean up the meat some more and get the antlers to the taxidermist. Then my youngest son and I are going out to see about getting him a buck. I think we'll go somewhere with smaller mountains...

Regards, Guy
 
Do you westerners not count the brow tine on your mule deer?
We easterners count it on our white tail.
 
I don't but some folks do. In Wyoming last year they said I had taken a 5x5, but to me it looked like what I'd call a 4x4 with eye-guards. This year's Washington buck is a 4x4 for sure, with a tiny little brow tine or eye-guard on one side.

When I was a kid, it would boggle my mind to hear hunters talking about "8 point deer" then I realized they were counting ALL the points on a whitetail.

Later, Guy
 
Congrats Guy.

When are you gonna give us the scoop on the berger?
 
Berger results:

First shot at 230 yards broke the spine. Bullet not recovered, I believe it and a chunk of spine became powder at the same time. All I had was a spine shot as I was above the deer, and he was feeding away from me, facing up his own hill. At that shot he fell instantly and tumbled into a nasty, steep ravine.

Second shot was from maybe 100 yards, I didn't bother measuring it. Right into the front of his chest. Entry hole was tiny, as you might expect from a mere .25 caliber bullet, and the initial couple of inches showed a small wound track, which then rapidly widened, carving a tunnel. Once the bullet got into the chest cavity, it appears to have come apart. Heart and lungs were perforated, and a chunk of bullet made it out through a rib. All I recovered from the bullet was the base, maybe 20 grains worth. Maybe. The big buck died very quickly from this second shot.

Penetration was sufficient to get into the chest cavity, and once inside, the bullet came apart, inflicting massive damage. I did get some bloodshot meat on the front quarters and neck from that chest shot.

This bullet was moving fast, it's only 115 grains and I zipped it out at 3200 fps. Even at 230 yards, it was moving faster than my .308 bullets are moving at the muzzle, charts indicate over 2700 fps.

So... reach your own conclusions. It's accurate, flat shooting, and doesn't drift much in the wind thanks to the VLD design. It's deadly, and killed a large bodied mule deer buck that I'd estimate at 250 pounds. It penetrates enough to get into the vitals, then it went to pieces. The second shot didn't expand until it was several inches in, and went to pieces only once it was in the chest cavity.

As for the first shot coming apart on the spine - well - I've seen that with other hunting bullets on the spine too. It sure didn't make it into the body.

Good marks for being accurate and deadly, but if you want a pretty, mushroomed bullet to photograph afterwards - this isn't a likely candidate. The one thing I'd caution hunters about before they pre-judge the Berger, is that unlike lightly constructed varmint type bullets that expand/explode on impact, these bullets penetrate several inches before even starting to expand.

I wonder what the 210 grain Berger VLD from my .300 WSM would have done? Perhaps I'll find out on bear or maybe wait until next year.

Regards, Guy
 
Nice buck Mr. Miner ! :grin: Got to love them quarter bores ! 8) Good luck to your son on his hunt !

4x4 with eye-guards is what everyone I know would call it . :)
 
I think those track kept ya on your toes, looks like it paid off. Great deer!
 
Congratulations,Guy!! That is a great looking muley! That is another one of my dream animals to hunt and harvest.
 
Guy- You and that .25 are quite a pair!! Beautiful buck!! Although I am concerned about the bear track pic. If I remember correctly that is the second pic youve posted like that. You seem to attract those large carnivores :lol: :lol: . Again, great buck- congrats.
 
Nice buck. Your deer is the third big animal I have seen in our state this season. A 570 lb. black bear in Kitsap county. A 7 point bull from the mashel unit black powder kill. The bear and Bull are definite record bookers. The evergreen state is rocking this year.
 
Well thanks there hubcap - but this deer is a long way from book material!

That elk and the big bear are really noteworthy - but this is just a mature mulie, not an exceptional one at all. I'm absolutely delighted to have taken him, but he's a long way from that record book!

Regards, Guy
 
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