...for the first time this year. Haven't had crap for free time this year to hunt. I'm meat hunting so I plan to shoot the first decent sized deer that gives me a clean shot. Buck or doe, it's going in the freezer.
Savage 10ML-II, 250gr Hornady XTP, MMP sabot, 41gr AA 5744 at an estimated 1800fps. Nice accurate load thats easy on the shoulder and ears. My intent was to duplicate .454 Casull performance while keeping the recoil down to the level where my wife wouldn't mind shooting it.
The sun rises in 90min, so I have to get out to the stand!
Good luck, and we will be watching for the "meat report."
__________________
"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."
Well, nothing today. Deer sign in the snow all over the place, but I didn't see a single deer. Also a lot of recent boot and dog tracks as well that probably were made yesterday or Monday. Looks like there were a couple people out walking their dogs on the public hunting land which might have spooked the deer. One thing I hate about late ML season is that it happens right after the shotgun seasons (where party hunting/driving is legal and usually employed which put a LOT of pressure on the deer herd), and the survivors are generally VERY edgy. Didn't make the quota this year to hunt the early season in October.[:@]
Drift,
Late ML is nice though in that it goes for a decent amount of time (I'm over in Ames). And I don't know if you got the word, but they did extend it to the 13th, although the 2007 license is still only good til the 10th, so you need to buy a 2008 license for that last weekend, but the tags are good. I'm planning to get back out with my son this weekend, we hope to drop two more for the year. Last weekend, got out Friday and Saturday...saw nothing. Sunday morning the woods were teeming with deer. Most were out of range though; I needed a couple more drivers.
And I don't know if you got the word, but they did extend it to the 13th, although the 2007 license is still only good til the 10th, so you need to buy a 2008 license for that last weekend, but the tags are good.
That I didn't know, but it'll give me more time. I got out yesterday AM, but with family engagements I've not had much time during my X-Mas holiday. I'm an OTR truck driver so I'm only home on the weekend. I've always wondered why Iowa's late ML season ended in the middle of the week, so it makles sense that they'd extend it. Now I just wish they'd extend the normal hunting license/habitat stamp to encompass the entire deer season through the end of January so it'd include the late antlerless season. Feb 1st thru Jan 31st would be ideal IMO. I wonder how many hunters in the late antlerless season will get busted by the DNR for not getting a new hunting license?