6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,241
- 530
My son moved back a year ago from Waco where he attended Baylor and he graduated with two Master's Degrees. He got his Montana residence back and was able to hunt again for the first time in 12 years. Jeff left the house a few mornings ago and went to a spot east of town about 20 miles. He hiked up over 1600 feet up in about 1 1/2 miles and hunted up on top. It was foggy with bad visibility most of the morning and he thought about calling it quits but persisted and waited out the fog and it eventually lifted in the afternoon. Jeff was hunting alone and he persisted and worked an area where had been seeing deer on previous trips. Finally about 1/2 an hour before dark he found several does with this older mule deer buck. Jeff got set up and made a nice shot at about 350 yards. He was using his Winchester Model 70 in 300 WSM using 180 gr. Nosler Accubonds that I had loaded for his rifle. One shot and the deer dropped.
It was funny when after he shot the buck he texted me and said "now what" in a humorous tone. Of course he was joking sort of and knew he had his work cut out for him now. I had a shoulder surgery repair on my right shoulder in July, healed 3 months and then went in and had hopefully the last surgery on this shoulder October 22nd. I cannot help Jeff as I cannot do much and I certainly cannot take a fall. He went to work and dressed out, skinned, and quartered the buck. He then loaded ALL of the quarters, backstraps, and tenderloins to his hunting pack which already weighed 20 pounds with his gear and such inside. The game bags with meat were weighed when he got home and the total he had for deer in his pack was 90 pounds plus the additional 20 pounds for his pack. Jeff had a pretty good load weighing 110 pounds.
Jeff shouldered up the pack and started the 1 1/2 mile descent to his pickup in the bottom of the canyon. With 110 pounds the going down is pretty brutal on the legs and knees. He was a whipped pup when he got to our house where we could get the meat hanging. Proud of him for sticking it out, making and good shot, and doing something that he has not done since he was 16 years old. Jeff told me that he had to go back in his memory bank to recall what he needed to do with the deer once it was down. His buck was a 5x5 and by looking at the face and it's antlers that appear to be regressing, I suspect he was an older buck. He was 24 1/2' outside spread. Jeff is going back hunting elk next week in the general area and might try and recover the lower jaw bone so he can have the deer aged by a biologist.
It was funny when after he shot the buck he texted me and said "now what" in a humorous tone. Of course he was joking sort of and knew he had his work cut out for him now. I had a shoulder surgery repair on my right shoulder in July, healed 3 months and then went in and had hopefully the last surgery on this shoulder October 22nd. I cannot help Jeff as I cannot do much and I certainly cannot take a fall. He went to work and dressed out, skinned, and quartered the buck. He then loaded ALL of the quarters, backstraps, and tenderloins to his hunting pack which already weighed 20 pounds with his gear and such inside. The game bags with meat were weighed when he got home and the total he had for deer in his pack was 90 pounds plus the additional 20 pounds for his pack. Jeff had a pretty good load weighing 110 pounds.
Jeff shouldered up the pack and started the 1 1/2 mile descent to his pickup in the bottom of the canyon. With 110 pounds the going down is pretty brutal on the legs and knees. He was a whipped pup when he got to our house where we could get the meat hanging. Proud of him for sticking it out, making and good shot, and doing something that he has not done since he was 16 years old. Jeff told me that he had to go back in his memory bank to recall what he needed to do with the deer once it was down. His buck was a 5x5 and by looking at the face and it's antlers that appear to be regressing, I suspect he was an older buck. He was 24 1/2' outside spread. Jeff is going back hunting elk next week in the general area and might try and recover the lower jaw bone so he can have the deer aged by a biologist.
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