Deer hunting 23/24

[Grizzlytrap]

How much sense does it make that you can use a .45-70 in shotgun areas but not a .30-30?

Or a .50 cal beowulf

[27hand]

Here we are nearing the end of extended deer season in 2B.
My buddy is still flinting today and I was crossbowing 20 feet up my tree.

I got a shot at a 7 or 8 point about quarter to 5.
He was walking straight towards me so the shot was not and optimal presentation.
He came in a little high of my tree and i.opted for a down angle shot at 7 yards. Aiming just to.one side of the spine, I hoped for a shot through one lung but top to bottom.
When I pressed the shot, the one bow limb hit my knee, startling me and grazing the deers side.
Damn. He ran down over a steep hill below me and out to 100 or so and stopped. Not knowing what kind of hit I made, I glassed him till he was out of sight.
Called a buddy to see if he could help if it was a hit or for tracking help if needed.
I climbed down and saw my bolt sticking in the ground with a few tufts of fur.
I pulled the bolt out of the ground to look at it and it was clean. I pulled it through a rag and there was no blood at all. One of the 3 mechanical blades was missing. And probably in the dirt.

I followed his tracks to the edge of the hill and could not find a single drop of blood in the 6 to 8 inches of snow.
I.backtracked up the hill still looking and found nothing.
I believe the crossbow limb hitting my knee ( quite bothersome now and ibuprofined up) caused the bolt to just barely graze the side of the buck.

So, after this whole season, I finally get the opportunity, press the trigger and miss the shot at 7 yards.
I am grateful for the opportunity and more thankful that I didn't wound this animal.
Tomorrow morning if it's not the freezing rain they are calling for, I'll get back up there and try again.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I got a picture of him on my camera a few seconds before I shot but Flickr didn't upload it yet.
I'll post it up when it goes thru.
https://flic.kr/p/2pu26Lm
27

[27hand]

Here is my last report on this last hunting season.
Tonite, I shot a bolt at my discharge bag at 5:48, a full 10 min before the 23/24 hunting season ended.
It ended pretty cool with a baby mama doe and her twins walking in from about 70 yards.
They came in and all 3 gave me double lung presentations at about 12 yards.
I.passed on all 3.
This years kiddos are getting bigger but still quite small.
Even baby mama is a very small bodied doe.

I kept track and was hunting with either my crossbow, a National Ordnance 1993A3, a Marlin 30-30, a Ruger Redhawk 44, a New Model Blackhawk in .41or my Tikka T3x in .300WM

I passed on a few deer, both small racked legal buck and some doe.

At 74, I can still climb the 20 foot ladder to.my permanent stand and still or post hunt but moving kinda slowly. Ha.

This was the first year in a long time I didn't connect and was lucky enough to have a 6 year run of buck all with my crossbow.

Dragging is just about a bitch now but slow and steady still works.

I don't hunt red tag farms so I'm done this year.
I.think.im.going to sell off my pump .06, the 1903A3 and maybe the 7mm before next season.
Im.giving the Savage 111 to my kiddo and maybe the 30-30 if he wants it.

I'll see this Spring. I don't shoot the SKSs or Chicom AK so might start clearing out some rifles too.

Oh well. Musings.

It was one of my better years being in the woods.

[27hand]

Just to update my last report, The buck I took a shot at came back to taunt me.

Screenshot_20240130_083005_Gallery by poofy27, on Flickr

If you look at his side, you can see the spot where I hit him, well missed him.
The actual point of aim was higher and a bit forward of the POI.

You wait till next year.

[Shodan]

thumbnail_IMG_0327.jpg

I typically get a doe or two each year, but I broke a long drought with this buck. Didn't think it would happen at noon on a small SGL.

[OwenP]

What will you do with this hunt? Curious how much you retain or what you do with the kill

[bogey1]

That's like hitting the meat lottery. Deer meat is far more superior than store bought meat.

[EFK]

That's like hitting the meat lottery. Deer meat is far more superior than store bought meat.

One million percent. It's the only red meat I will eat anymore since I know where it came from and I know how it was processed (me). Too many damn chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and god knows what else in store bought meat.

[bogey1]

One million percent. It's the only red meat I will eat anymore since I know where it came from and I know how it was processed (me). Too many damn chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and god knows what else in store bought meat.

Same here. I eat a few lbs of store bought per year. My problem is I don't hunt anymore and my buddy only got one doe this year.
But when I do get it, it's a huge bonus.

[Shodan]

What will you do with this hunt? Curious how much you retain or what you do with the kill

I'm not sure you're asking me, but I eat it of course. I get better at processing with each one.