I killed my first deer with my Knight vision tonight just before dark. It was a doe but I have other permits for the buck I want. More later as I have her hanging and want to wash her out good.
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My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.
Things I've Learned: (1) It's not possible to please everyone, but quite easy to piss everyone off. (2) If you love animals as I do, then you're not a vegetarian. (3) There's no need to act stupid, even if you're very good at it. (4) If you eat right and exercise, don't smoke or drink, you're going to die anyway.
Well it started out pretty uneventful. I climbed a small hill and sat there in tall grass as it overlooks a soybean field. It offers a great view with timber 100yds to the west and timber 150yds to the east and the 40ac of soybeans 300yds due south. Tall grass all around the small hill. I just glassed hoping to spot one coming out into the beans and work my way into a shooting position.
Sat there about 2.5hrs and saw nothing as it was getting about 20 minutes before dark and figured I would work my way along an old trail the tractors use through the woods to get to the fields. So I left off the hill in a different direction than the way I came up and about 30yds down the hill up jumped a big doe that had been laying about 60yds west of me and I never saw her till then. She bolted off with no chance of a shot.
I figured well I will work my way along the trail anyway back to my house. Went about 3/4 a mile slowly and starting to get very dusky and I turned to my left and in the edge of another field stood a doe just looking at me about 50yds away. I thought well a doe eats just like a buck so I slowly pulled up on her as she just looked at me, squeezed off the shot and she ran about 15yds and bolted into the wood line. Figured great I just wounded her and will have to trail her in the dark. I sat down and waited 10 minutes and reloaded and headed off.
I didn't see any blood and thought I know I hit her and thought it was a good shot. She acted hit, well I went into the wood line where I saw her go in and nothing......light is really fading and in the woods have to use my small flash light I carry. Come back out and start over looking for her and I look left and there she is 5 yds from where I "thought" she went in. Her chest totally ripped open obviously dead and insides hanging out.
Bullet entry low, 3 inches from bottom and 5 inches back from front shoulder. So I gutted her and dragged her up to my house about 200yds away.
I was using BH209 120gr & 240gr XTP's and I have to say with the injuries inflicted I am shocked she did not just drop. Completely passed through but her chest was ripped open/split 8 inches.
It has been years since my last ML deer taken and night and day difference than my 54 hawkens I used last time years ago.
I plan to grind her up with bacon scraps for chili mix......I actually do not like deer unless its in sausage or chili.
congratulations on the doe. And excellent read. Them deer never cease to amaze me how far they can go with a wound that would make the average human fall down and cry like a baby. Glad you were able to find her.
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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."
__________________
My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.
Things I've Learned: (1) It's not possible to please everyone, but quite easy to piss everyone off. (2) If you love animals as I do, then you're not a vegetarian. (3) There's no need to act stupid, even if you're very good at it. (4) If you eat right and exercise, don't smoke or drink, you're going to die anyway.
I plan to grind her up with bacon scraps for chili mix......I actually do not like deer unless its in sausage or chili.
Could it be, the reason you don't like eating deer is because you normally kill bucks, and that is the taste you are used to. Usually a doe tastes much more better than a buck does.
My lady can instantly tell when the meat she is eating is a buck. Most of the time it surprises me when she wrinkles her nose, because the meat tastes good to me. Upon checking the meat, i have always found she is correct, and she does it without fail. I no longer shoot bucks for our freezer just to keep her happy.
First Deer with my Knight Vision Tonight
