Well, this isn't one of those success stories..just the most action i've had..
About 7 days ago I drove 90 miles with an experienced hunter. He was pumped about a place he found.He said the place was thick and my 870 shotgun would be a good choice because it may be a fast shot. I was pumped..no pun intended.
We go to the spot and found it had been taken so Mr. C said let's try a spot where I shot an 8 point at earlier this year...it was 2 miles away.It was an easy spot.My knee was sore so instead of walking the 800 steps and taking a left along a thicket { Bayhead} I cut in at 600 steps ..walked about 400 steps and faced the thicket to watch for deer possably skirting the edge. I climbed a tall slash pine and got comfortable. I always screw one of those red walmart hooks in the tree to hold my big fanny pack.I read and meditated on a couple chapters of The Word and then glanced in back of me to my right which was a big palmetto field...and my being was stilled at the presence of a huge buck with antlers gleaming from the 8AM sunlight..My heart sank as I knew it would not be an ethical shot with a slug at 200 yds. I carefully removed my optics from the fanny pak compartment...yep..a good solid 120 inch FL buck and probably 180 lbs on the hoof. I was hoping I could grunt him in..nope..just nose to the ground cruising. Once he smelled the place where I cut in ..he simply took a right behind an island of oaks and disappeared.I called my partner on my cell phone and he tryed flushing the buck where I thought he was bedding with no success. We followed the buck's tracks..he had simply went wide and advoided the place I had smelled up.
That was it...I plan to return tomorrow and walk at a place where I can see more.I'll have my 270 with me.{-; it's a tack driver..serious as a heart attack...700 Remington 4200 Bushnelle Elite scope...Winchester Silver Tips.
Those 700 series Remingtons really are tack drivers - I used to have a .270 myself. Make it a little easier on yourself by wearing rubber bottomed boots, keep you and your clothes as scent free as possible and don't touch anything on the way in. I made the mistake of accidently brushing the only twig that hung out into the path I had previously trimmed out for just that purpose. The big buck that got with-in 17 yards of my tree never presented a good angle because he sniffed that twig and left.
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Today' s small bucks are tomorrow' s trophies.
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Hey Dave,
I had some backstrap from one of last years hog..I'm fixing it tomorrow..I just cut off 4 little steaks..OH MAN ! BEST DARN EATTING EVER..I forgot how good that was..I plan to hunt all day tomorrow..same general area. I'll have a little 4 MPH wind in my face..and Mon.is a new moon..will see what happens.
Wear some rubber boots... I processed two does two weeks ago, and picked on up yesterday from the locker, and still have one more to pick up. I wish you were here, I have plenty of deer meat.
In fact I have some cooking in the pressure cooker right now that I'm fixing to enjoy in a bit.
I have a feeling I'm going to get another..I went back to get my stand..fresh tracks everywhere.
It appears my biggest mistakes of the past..poor stand location..I was TOO close to the game trails..and not hunting the wind for my favor. I walked off the place where I killed the deer..50 yds..The 270 130 grain soft point.put a hole in the rib cage as big as a fist..I better not get too graphic..made a big mess..no sense blessing the antis..anyway..I never got all that with my 30-30 round..and all my 30-30 rounds did the same thing..deer were down immediately. However; I wouldn't trust a 30-30- 0ver 125 yds..and where my stand is at..I can see 500 yds easy.
I have a feeling I'm going to get another..I went back to get my stand..fresh tracks everywhere.
It appears my biggest mistakes of the past..poor stand location..I was TOO close to the game trails..and not hunting the wind for my favor. I walked off the place where I killed the deer..50 yds..The 270 130 grain soft point.put a hole in the rib cage as big as a fist..I better not get too graphic..made a big mess..no sense blessing the antis..anyway..I never got all that with my 30-30 round..and all my 30-30 rounds did the same thing..deer were down immediately. However; I wouldn't trust a 30-30- 0ver 125 yds..and where my stand is at..I can see 500 yds easy.
I haven't had any trouble with my 270 shooting 150 gn. unless I hit the shoulder then I ruin meat, but I've ruined meat with my bow too if I get around the shoulder. I hit one buck this year with a 30-30 at forty yards in the neck dropping him in his tracks, I don't know how much I wasted there, I took him to the processor and him made into steaks and ground meat. I have another deer at another processor making a lot of Polish sausage out of him.
Deer hunting story..
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