Refuge Muzzle Loader Hunting
10-20-2012, 10:18 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
Refuge Muzzle Loader Hunting
Tuesday last, the trailer, truck, 2 doe tags, and i headed east about 150 mile for a 1 week muzzle loader refuge hunt. Upon arrival the trailer was parked oriented with it's nose to the NW, because the forecast was very high winds on Wednesday, and Thursday. Then i went scouting for deer and walked through swamp carefully so water didn't go over the top of my shoes. Saw 3 doe in there. Then went off 2 mile West, and at dusk saw about 45 deer, coming out of the high country down into the swamp, and then out onto hay meadows.
The next morning it was decided to hunt dry land, and sit next to the swamp, so as to ambush the deer on their way back from staying out all night. I didn't manage to get where i wanted to be when legal shooting time arrived, so i made do.
In the photo right on the horizon at the left one can barely see the windmill where i ended up. Just as i sat, and leaned against a fence post two deer appeared right in front of me. They ranged at 152 yard, but i could see they were bucks through the range finder. I had a good shot at them using the bipod, and one was a nice buck; the other was a trophy. It seemed i had dressed warmly enough, but i became very very cold, and began shivering, after sitting there for an hour or so. The wind was fierce, and made long shots impossible. All the does were a way out of range, and moving fast as they headed back to their day beds. When it seemed all was lost i went to the truck feeling ill from being so cold. One had to lean into the wind to walk; the wind was fierce.
The heater in the truck kinda healed me, but i felt kinda weak. It seemed prudent to hunt another spot where there were a lot of trees, and brush, and maybe lessen the affects of the wind.
That was kinda fun sneaking through the brush, and have the wind be making so very much noise the deer couldn't hear me stumbling along. I spied a fawn standing about 50' away just as it spied me. Then i spotted a doe bedded right there by the fawn. It noticed the fawn being nervous, so it turned and saw me. The doe was on it's feet, and running in a split second; the doe and fawn were gone. Then i noticed a small buck still bedded right there in front of me. That seemed strange. When i moved forward, he was up and away. A while later i spooked a buck about 10' away, and it was up and running. The wind noise sure allowed me to get close. By now i was played out, so i walked back to the truck, and then on to the trailer.
The camper parked next to me was damaged by the wind, and them boys were dealing with the wind issues. That night i was rocked and shaken by the wind, but still slept OK.
Thursday morning i put some long handles on, and felt warmer, even though the wind was even worse than the day before, and it was nearly freezing. My timing was better, and i arrived at my ambush a couple of minutes before legal shooting time. Another fella was parked where i wanted to be, so i had to adjust. Right away a decent buck came and stood in front of me 102 yard out. That was it. No more deer, no does did i see. The wind was fierce. Unbeknownst to me the 18 wheelers on the highway were having problems.
I stumbled back to the truck fighting the wind. The direction of the wind seemed good for me to repeat the hunt i made Wednesday afternoon, so that is what i did. This time i had more energy, and was feeling good because i didn't get so cold.
The aqua tracks i made Wednesday, The grayish purple tracks were made Thursday. The once wet swamp was dry, and i was able to walk through cattails without getting wet. The deer seemed to be bedding in the taller brush. The bucks were there. The wind was fierce. The dozing bucks didn't hear, or smell, or see me.
The previous photo show seems to show antler kinda center and up. The following photo may show an eye, and a nose at the upper left
There were 3 bucks snoozing together, and the wind was so noisy, i was able to get within 30' of them. The dang newfangled camera doesn't allow manual focus, so it was near impossible to get the camera to focus on them buck, because of all the brush. When i grunted, they didn't hear me. When i grunted louder, they didn't hear me. When i virtually shouted a grunt 2 of them jumped up, and ran off. The biggest, a true trophy, just lay there. I then tried to somehow get the camera to focus through a clear lane by moving, and he was gone lickety-split. As the hunt proceeded, i kept encountering dozing bucks at very very close range, but no does. I don't think i have ever had so much fun hunting.
Finally, i saw a doe, and a fawn, but they ran off before i could decide on which was the doe. Then a saw a doe with a beautiful buck, but they seemed to wind me or something, before i saw them. Then i felt played out, so began a circle back to the truck. Saw a bedded doe at 30' at the same time she saw me and was gone. After that i was tuckered, and glad the truck wasn't 2 mile away, and headed out. Ran into another hunter getting a late start because his camper had 'blown in half'.
Friday morning, it was below freezing, but there was a very gentle breeze. The world was different. My ambush was about half as far out as the previous days, because of a new notion of where them doe would pass, on their way back home. The X7 was loaded with 110g Blackhorn powder, 270g Deep Curl, green crush rib sabot, W209 primer. Looking through the 1X scope is like looking through a straw, and if i could readily focus on the front sight, i would ditch the scope. However, for old eyes the scope makes accurate shooting easier.
This morning it was as if i had doe attractant on. Them doe just walked right up, and posed. After the first kill, i was down on the ground getting ready to gut the deer when more deer walked right toward me. This forced me to quit the task, and kill another from prone. Both ranged inside of 85 yard. Then i took pictures of more deer attracted to my attractant what ever it was.
The next morning it was decided to hunt dry land, and sit next to the swamp, so as to ambush the deer on their way back from staying out all night. I didn't manage to get where i wanted to be when legal shooting time arrived, so i made do.
In the photo right on the horizon at the left one can barely see the windmill where i ended up. Just as i sat, and leaned against a fence post two deer appeared right in front of me. They ranged at 152 yard, but i could see they were bucks through the range finder. I had a good shot at them using the bipod, and one was a nice buck; the other was a trophy. It seemed i had dressed warmly enough, but i became very very cold, and began shivering, after sitting there for an hour or so. The wind was fierce, and made long shots impossible. All the does were a way out of range, and moving fast as they headed back to their day beds. When it seemed all was lost i went to the truck feeling ill from being so cold. One had to lean into the wind to walk; the wind was fierce.
The heater in the truck kinda healed me, but i felt kinda weak. It seemed prudent to hunt another spot where there were a lot of trees, and brush, and maybe lessen the affects of the wind.
That was kinda fun sneaking through the brush, and have the wind be making so very much noise the deer couldn't hear me stumbling along. I spied a fawn standing about 50' away just as it spied me. Then i spotted a doe bedded right there by the fawn. It noticed the fawn being nervous, so it turned and saw me. The doe was on it's feet, and running in a split second; the doe and fawn were gone. Then i noticed a small buck still bedded right there in front of me. That seemed strange. When i moved forward, he was up and away. A while later i spooked a buck about 10' away, and it was up and running. The wind noise sure allowed me to get close. By now i was played out, so i walked back to the truck, and then on to the trailer.
The camper parked next to me was damaged by the wind, and them boys were dealing with the wind issues. That night i was rocked and shaken by the wind, but still slept OK.
Thursday morning i put some long handles on, and felt warmer, even though the wind was even worse than the day before, and it was nearly freezing. My timing was better, and i arrived at my ambush a couple of minutes before legal shooting time. Another fella was parked where i wanted to be, so i had to adjust. Right away a decent buck came and stood in front of me 102 yard out. That was it. No more deer, no does did i see. The wind was fierce. Unbeknownst to me the 18 wheelers on the highway were having problems.
I stumbled back to the truck fighting the wind. The direction of the wind seemed good for me to repeat the hunt i made Wednesday afternoon, so that is what i did. This time i had more energy, and was feeling good because i didn't get so cold.
The aqua tracks i made Wednesday, The grayish purple tracks were made Thursday. The once wet swamp was dry, and i was able to walk through cattails without getting wet. The deer seemed to be bedding in the taller brush. The bucks were there. The wind was fierce. The dozing bucks didn't hear, or smell, or see me.
The previous photo show seems to show antler kinda center and up. The following photo may show an eye, and a nose at the upper left
There were 3 bucks snoozing together, and the wind was so noisy, i was able to get within 30' of them. The dang newfangled camera doesn't allow manual focus, so it was near impossible to get the camera to focus on them buck, because of all the brush. When i grunted, they didn't hear me. When i grunted louder, they didn't hear me. When i virtually shouted a grunt 2 of them jumped up, and ran off. The biggest, a true trophy, just lay there. I then tried to somehow get the camera to focus through a clear lane by moving, and he was gone lickety-split. As the hunt proceeded, i kept encountering dozing bucks at very very close range, but no does. I don't think i have ever had so much fun hunting.
Finally, i saw a doe, and a fawn, but they ran off before i could decide on which was the doe. Then a saw a doe with a beautiful buck, but they seemed to wind me or something, before i saw them. Then i felt played out, so began a circle back to the truck. Saw a bedded doe at 30' at the same time she saw me and was gone. After that i was tuckered, and glad the truck wasn't 2 mile away, and headed out. Ran into another hunter getting a late start because his camper had 'blown in half'.
Friday morning, it was below freezing, but there was a very gentle breeze. The world was different. My ambush was about half as far out as the previous days, because of a new notion of where them doe would pass, on their way back home. The X7 was loaded with 110g Blackhorn powder, 270g Deep Curl, green crush rib sabot, W209 primer. Looking through the 1X scope is like looking through a straw, and if i could readily focus on the front sight, i would ditch the scope. However, for old eyes the scope makes accurate shooting easier.
This morning it was as if i had doe attractant on. Them doe just walked right up, and posed. After the first kill, i was down on the ground getting ready to gut the deer when more deer walked right toward me. This forced me to quit the task, and kill another from prone. Both ranged inside of 85 yard. Then i took pictures of more deer attracted to my attractant what ever it was.
10-20-2012, 01:43 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Land of 10,000 Wolves
Posts: 138
Nice does! Looks like you'll have plenty of venison for the winter. I hate to assume, but I presume the gold dots made pretty good exit holes?
After all the reviews I've read I'm excited to try them out this fall. The last buck I shot with a Barnes TMZ went maybe 80-90 yards with a quartering away shot, but not a real big exit hole. With the open nosed barnes (300 gr hp) I had a golf ball sized exit hole and maybe 50 yard tracking job on a doe.
Funny thinking back to the first doe I shot with a Knight revolution it dropped right on the spot. Load was 295 grain powerbelt aeroflight and 3X50 pyrodex pellets, which made a golf ball sized exit slightly above mid chest.
Think the fact that the deer was eating corn for awhile before the shot and the fact that the shot was 139 yards, or so played a large factor. Not to start another Powerbelt debate, but after all I've read on here it sounds likeI was pretty fortunate to have it perform how it did...
After all the reviews I've read I'm excited to try them out this fall. The last buck I shot with a Barnes TMZ went maybe 80-90 yards with a quartering away shot, but not a real big exit hole. With the open nosed barnes (300 gr hp) I had a golf ball sized exit hole and maybe 50 yard tracking job on a doe.
Funny thinking back to the first doe I shot with a Knight revolution it dropped right on the spot. Load was 295 grain powerbelt aeroflight and 3X50 pyrodex pellets, which made a golf ball sized exit slightly above mid chest.
Think the fact that the deer was eating corn for awhile before the shot and the fact that the shot was 139 yards, or so played a large factor. Not to start another Powerbelt debate, but after all I've read on here it sounds likeI was pretty fortunate to have it perform how it did...
10-20-2012, 06:49 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
Thanks for the kind words fellas!
At one time i thought the Gold Dots were 'magic'. One year every deer i shot fell instantly where they stood even though they weren't hit in bone. This year, these two deer both ran near 100 yard with mortal lung wounds, and one with a broken shoulder. So much for the 'magic'.
These Gold Dot made large exit, and entrance holes.They only cost $14 per 50. They hold together better than any other bullet, except for the Barnes which cost 3X more. Not all rifles can shoot the 270g Deep Curl, so in those rifles i use the 300g Deep Curl.
I have seen other bullets throw pieces that penetrated gut when the impact was perfect in the chest. This is not something i am fond of, and is one reason the Deep Curl is a good choice for me, rather than bullet that throw shrapnel, or fragment, or separate.
The Deep Curl bullet is fine enough to hunt with, and inexpensive enough to practice with. One never need wonder if the practice bullet is hitting the same as the hunting bullet.
One of the doe was donated to Sportsmen Against Hunger. My hunting season is far from over, and i still need more meat for the freezer. There are several more tags here, that could be notched.
Thursday's walk in the swamp was far away the most fun hunting i have ever experienced; getting so close to trophy bucks was so very very thrilling............wait, i just remembered the day i killed my first elk. What about the day we bugled in a bull by whistling................oops, the day our son killed his first deer; his first elk?
At one time i thought the Gold Dots were 'magic'. One year every deer i shot fell instantly where they stood even though they weren't hit in bone. This year, these two deer both ran near 100 yard with mortal lung wounds, and one with a broken shoulder. So much for the 'magic'.
These Gold Dot made large exit, and entrance holes.They only cost $14 per 50. They hold together better than any other bullet, except for the Barnes which cost 3X more. Not all rifles can shoot the 270g Deep Curl, so in those rifles i use the 300g Deep Curl.
I have seen other bullets throw pieces that penetrated gut when the impact was perfect in the chest. This is not something i am fond of, and is one reason the Deep Curl is a good choice for me, rather than bullet that throw shrapnel, or fragment, or separate.
The Deep Curl bullet is fine enough to hunt with, and inexpensive enough to practice with. One never need wonder if the practice bullet is hitting the same as the hunting bullet.
One of the doe was donated to Sportsmen Against Hunger. My hunting season is far from over, and i still need more meat for the freezer. There are several more tags here, that could be notched.
Thursday's walk in the swamp was far away the most fun hunting i have ever experienced; getting so close to trophy bucks was so very very thrilling............wait, i just remembered the day i killed my first elk. What about the day we bugled in a bull by whistling................oops, the day our son killed his first deer; his first elk?