cayugad

Modern Season has not been going too well. Saw one buck a six pointer but it was a low percentage shot in my opinion through the brush and I refused to take it. So I decided to switch rifles and maybe change my luck. I took my .50 caliber Renegade out today with the Green Mountain Barrel 1-28 twist and was shooting 100 grains of Pinnacle 3fand a .430 300 grain XTP with a T/C mag express sabot and 1075 cap.



the first shot on a clean barrel at 30 yards was right where the front pin sits. I never swabbed since shooting Pinnacle 3f and fired five more shots. I kept looking at the hole getting bigger and could not believe the rifle was shooting that tight a group, so for the last shot I aimed off bull just to make sure. Yep, the rifle was right on the button.

My stand tonight is in a Tamarack marsh and the longest place I can see is 35 yards so maybe this will be my lucky night and I can get a shot at that buck tonight. Everyone else shooting deer, makes me want venison even more.. Well I am off to the woods..

dakine999

Good luck cayugad and let us know what you see in the woods this evening.

Roskoe

With the moon heading back towards the dark phase, hunting should improve this week

zakjak221

Cayugad--Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks for all your help and useful tips.

I had a tough year two years ago, I think I hunted a total of 10-12 days and never fired a shot. Everything was either too far or running too fast.
Then both my sons shoot deer and I get roughed up by them. Whew!!
Well at least we had venison--but not from my gun.

With Wisconsin's deer herd I'm sure you'll come up with something.

cayugad

Well I got winded by somethingand snorted, and something was crashing behind my tree later,which I had no idea what. The other guy hunting said he saw a bear around this morning, so maybe it was a bear doing all the noise back there. What ever it was I never saw it.

I did watch two nice ruffed grouse about 20 yards in front of me, and I admit I did pull down on one, but since it would be illegal to try and shoot his head off, I just watched. The usual squirrels and jays were in their usual place. TomorrowI am going to find a track and try and walk it down. I hate doing that because it cantake you back in the forest sometimes miles. It's not the distance, but if you shoot one back there, it takes for ever to drag out..

yakfisher

Sorry you didn't see anything Dave. You will get something soon. I think the deer will be moving better during the day now that we are past the full moon. Have you tried calling? I have a Primos Doe in Heat Bleat can call that is awesome this time of year. Walmart has them. Still hunting combined with calling is one of my best tactics this time of year. I may even try it with my 44 mag pistol this week. I like still hunting because you are seeing different areas and you don't have to sit in the stand all day!

cayugad

I tried rattling, and calling earlier in the afternoon but nothing seemed interested. I think tomorrow when I walk the marsh I hope to be able to jump one and get a shot. Four years ago I walked up on one and caught it in bed.. Maybe in the morning I can do that again. I think I might take the .62 caliber smoothbore tomorrow since all the shots will be close and in thick stuff. Besides, that might be a good caliber for jump shooting.

yakfisher

You might want to try just doe bleet calling mixed with some softer grunts without rattling. He may be looking for love and not a fight. Does will also respond to the bleet call. I have taken many coming into my box call!!

I am going duck hunting in the morning and when I get back I am going to try some still hunting during the middle of the day. In the evening, I am going to sit on a ridge overlooking the same creek bottum I was on when I saw the Turkeys the other night. Just in a different spot. They about drove me crazy with all of their cackling and such. They kept circling and feeding. I kept thinking it was a deer coming, but it was the Turkeys!![:@]

zakjak221

Rattling worked for me and my son this year in Southern Illinois also.
I hit a buck, but lost him and my son connected and got his.
This is the first year that I've done it with any success.
Maybe its because we hit the rut right this year.
There were also a lot more scrapes than in previous years where we hunt.
Also, we had a bumper crop of nuts this year as well as a pretty good corn crop to keep the dear fed.

Finaddict

I wish you the best of luck cayugad. Believe me I know the feeling of trying so hard and coming up empty handed.

That smoothbore should be fun. I was toying with the idea of getting a .75 smoothbore at some point when I have the $'s.

Keep us posted.