Well I took my first muzzleloading deer this past Friday morning at 6:35 am in Southern Illinois. I had a nice 8 point come through the woods but he didn't offer me a shot. I waited him out until he hit the edge of the field and he either winded me or something. He put the after burners on and was gone. About 15 minutes later I hear a noise behind me and a button buck was about 40 yards behind my left side. He looked right at me when I turn around to look. I waited him out and he slowly walked to a broken barbed wire fence and jumped it. He raised his tail and started to trot away and I bawled like a deer at him and he stoped offering a quartering away shot. I aimed for his opposite front shoulder and pulled the trigger. He ran maybe 10 yards and dropped. I was using my CVA Wolf I got for Christmas last year, a Nikon 2x7x32 Prostaff, 2 Pyrodex pellets and a 300gr Barnes MZ Expanders. The Barnes Expander did massive injury to the heart and lungs, turned them to jelly. So I got to enjoy a restfull weekend in Southern Illinois and was nominated as the camp cook for the rest of the weekend. The worst part of my trip was coming home yesterday morning between Harrisburg and Marion, a half mile East of the Carrier Mills Road a doe came out of the ditch and I nailed her. The speed limit was 65 mph but I got slowed down before I hit her. I was expecting the grill and headlight assembly to be damaged but all that happened was my license plate bracket got broke and bent my plate up. I consider myself lucky she didn't jump and take out more or hit my windshield. The doe suffered a broken leg and back. The was a Saline County Deputy not far away and he was there in about 10 minutes and put her down. The Interstate 57 between Marion and Effingham looked like a slaughter house. There were dead deer everywhere.
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You've heard of the three ages of man - youth, middle age, and 'you're looking wonderful'. Francis Cardinal Spellman
Congratulations on the deer.. it sounds like you have a great rifle and load.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
First Muzzleloader Deer (kinda long)
