30-30 buck, broken antlers
 

Well, it's been a good season, one that has seen me switch from hunting with muzzleloader to using a Marlin 336. From now on, the muzzleloader will see a lot less use, I really like the Marlin.

I hunt public land, and I tend to hunt the convenient, <5-10 minute walk-in locales - and so do others, and I think the deer know it. Shot some does, one buck. But I've been walking further in; this change bore fruit Tuesday, when I shot a buck. Then last couple days I've been walking about 20-30 minutes (hour plus, if trying to be quiet) in, found some great spots - near river, near low spots full of water, lots of oaks, little human traffic.

Went there Friday,nothing. Went in Sat. morning before 6am, saw nothing. Adjusted stand position for evening hunt, and LEFT MY CLIMBER IN THE WOODS - it's a pain to carry in and out on long hikes. Doable, but no fun, and I can be quieter without the stand.

Came in Saturday afternoon at 3pm - and someone was running dogs in the low pines across the creek (pretty big creek). They got after a deer - or thought they did - several times, so instead of going to my stand I stayed near river's edge, hoping to get a shot. I never did - and didn't get into tree until after 4pm. Settled into climber - and at right at dark two deer walk in. It's getting dim, but I can see he's a big one - can't see antlers, though, and I really don't want to shoot another doe. Looks like it... sort of... really big body - oh heck - BOOM! Bang/flop;deer makes no tracks, dies after acouple minutes of kicking. Turns out he's a pretty decent buck, biggest deer this year - easilybigger than the buck I shot previous Tuesday.

How many points on the antlers? -don't know. When I got to him I thought he was a button buck... just nubs - but he was waaaay too big for one of those; he's bigger than the 8-pointer I shot last year out there. Turns out BOTH ANTLERS were broken off, one right at the base and the other about two inches long; he had a little cut healing up near one. I don't know if they were broke off in a fight - most likely -or if some nimrod took a headshot & just trimmed off the antlers. Either way.... after a few minutes checking him out, I field dressed him and started the long drag in the dark, leaving stand in woods. I need to come with some kind of sled or something; LONG hard drag.

It was a good day afield. I highly recommend Marlin 336; sweet rifle,sweet cartridge. I'm going to assume that broken antlers meant that there are lots of other, BIGGER deer in the area - fair inference?

RE: 30-30 buck, broken antlers
 

congrats on the buck, where are you huntin? in WI, that would be considered an antlerless deer and you would have to put an antlerless tag on him. just curious

RE: 30-30 buck, broken antlers
 

That stinks no antlers, but hey you go some good eating meat!

RE: 30-30 buck, broken antlers
 

Hunting in North Carolina.

RE: 30-30 buck, broken antlers
 

I sometimes use a marlin 30-30 also. Sweet rig, I agree, but I have some concerns with its effectiveness. I shot a spike buck with it a few years back, quartering slightly toward me, 20 yards, hit it right through the ribcage. It bolted off about 100 yards, stopped, and went down after I shot it twice more in the butt. It never bled a drop on its 100 yard dash, and probably would've went down and died even if I hadn't shot again. Point being, I wasn't overly impressed with the results of that shot. I use remington 170 grain.

The following year, I shot a nice 9 point, 135 lbs field dressed. I shot this deer broadside at about 20 yards, and had no exit wound. It bounded down a slope through my best field of fire, and fire I did, hitting this one in the butt unnecesarrily also.

I haven'towned the 30-30 all that long, previously used a .35 rem, which would put a hole in them no matter what. I like my marlin a lot, but I'm still adjusting to shooting deer with it, where to place the shot, what to expect after.

RE: 30-30 buck, broken antlers
 

Been using a Marlin 336 in 30-30 since 1972 and killed over 60 deer with it. Longest was 175 yards but most were under 70 yards. Never had a well placed shot fail to kill a deer. It's a very effective deer gun if you don't have much of a probability of a long shot (over 200 yards) opportunity

RE: 30-30 buck, broken antlers
 

Waiting for another one...