2022 Deer season

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  • Mgderf

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    43   0   0
    May 30, 2009
    17,878
    113
    Lafayette
    Still looking for my buck...
    Passed on a spike, a 3 pointer, and a 4 pointer earlier in the season.
    Now I'm not seeing any bucks at all.
     

    MongooseLaw

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Jun 5, 2019
    316
    43
    Albion
    Dropped a nice fat doe late afternoon, 40 yards or so, took out the lungs. I've been using the old Finn M39 this year, excellent accuracy and works great in the cold.
     

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    tcecil88

    Master
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    1   0   0
    Nov 18, 2013
    1,902
    113
    @ the corner of IN, KY & OH.
    Enjoy that time with him. My Uncle was with me when I got my first buck. He coached me through the field dressing process and carried my pack and shotgun while I did the dragging, all with a bad heart. He passed a few years later and left me a bunch of his guns as he didn't have any sons. He was a prankster and I swear he is still down at the Farm this time of year knocking around the place. I miss him alot and hope you have a good time today with your Uncle, whether you get a deer or not.
     

    cg21

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    25   0   0
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
    113
    Well after I see the big guy getting out of the helo I will try and get my oldest daughter out tonight.
     

    two70

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Feb 5, 2016
    3,725
    113
    Johnson
    Has/does anyone used Nosler Ballistic Tips before? I loaded some 120 gr BTs for my 6.5 Grendel to try something new during deer season this year, and had an odd experience that occurred over the weekend.

    On Saturday, I shot a doe at around 80 yards that was quartering towards me and dropped her in her tracks. Bullet did a complete pass-through, and upon field dressing, I could see that the heart was completely destroyed. Not much blood from the exit wound, but the bullet seemed to have done its job well.

    The next morning, I shot a small-racked buck that came in nearly the same shooting lane, only he was around 50 yards away and standing broadside. I aimed behind his shoulder and he dropped instantly, but I could see that he was trying to crawl away with his front hoofs. There was brush in the way and I couldn't fire another shot, so I climbed down from my stand to try to get a better angle on him. Once I got to about 30 yards away from him, he stood up and bolted, running probably 400 yards through adjacent farmer's fields only stopping once briefly. Once he was out of my sight, I heard two close shots from that direction seconds later, so I was confident that someone else got him. I checked the area where I hit him and saw some blood on the ground. Not a lot, but a decent amount. It sucked, and I hated to see a wounded animal get away.

    I shoot a lot more than I hunt, and I can confidently say that everything about the shot felt great. It's always a possibility that I somehow missed the vitals, it just seems so unlikely is all. Prior to this, I've never had a deer make it more than 30 yards after being hit with a classic cup-and-core bullet or even a slug. All I can think is the bullet didn't expand right or didn't penetrate well or something like that. I've also heard that a lack of a blood trail is common with plastic-tipped bullets. Anyway, I think this is the last time I use those bullets. Anyone have a similar experience?
    There are all kinds of plastic tipped bullets suited for different purposes ranging from light varmint bullets to the deep penetrating Barnes TTSX. Lack of expansion should almost never be a problem with them as long as you match the appropriate weight bullet with the appropriate cartridge. Lack of penetration can be a problem if you use those intended for varmint hunting for larger game or if you use a very light for caliber bullet with a powerful for caliber cartridge. The Grendel is on the low end of 6.5 cartridge power and Nosler does not make a 120 grain varmint BT in the 6.5 so I think we can rule out the bullet failure or at least the kind of spectacular bullet failure that would cause extremely shallow penetration.

    A deer that drops instantly is a hallmark of a shot hitting or passing close to the spinal column. As is trying to crawl off afterwards. While deer can bleed significantly from a high shot that passes near the spine, my guess is you pulled the shot a bit and hit him in the neck. A neck shot that misses the spine often drops the deer in their tracks and they often recover enough to crawl some distance before recovering more fully and regaining their feet. They also tend to bleed enough to look like a better hit.
     

    cg21

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    25   0   0
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
    113
    Well! Daughter got a shot off at last light probably too far……. Dads not perfect. After searching for a bit of time (and the way the deer bound off) looks to be a clean miss. Was the first deer I had ever called in, raking a tree, and using a grunt.

    Oh well looks like tomorrow is good wind for the tree stand in the morning I will take her back out if it isn’t pouring. Then dad is coming out for the evening.
     

    indyblue

    Guns & Pool Shooter
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    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Aug 13, 2013
    3,592
    129
    Indy Northside `O=o-
    Having grown up in a non-gun household in the city, I've never been hunting and other than a 5.56 AR & a 12GA have no firearms capable (legal in IN) for hunting. I'm not sure if I really want or not but it seems like something I should experience at least once just to know how it's done and learn how to harvest my own food - just in case.

    Watching the sportsman channel I've seen hunts for Moose, Elk, etc. and wonder how you get a 500lbs+ animal out of the bush, they never show that part.

    May next year I'll find someone willing to take a newbie along to watch and learn.
     

    spencer rifle

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    66   0   0
    Apr 15, 2011
    6,544
    149
    Scrounging brass
    Having grown up in a non-gun household in the city, I've never been hunting and other than a 5.56 AR & a 12GA have no firearms capable (legal in IN) for hunting. I'm not sure if I really want or not but it seems like something I should experience at least once just to know how it's done and learn how to harvest my own food - just in case.

    Watching the sportsman channel I've seen hunts for Moose, Elk, etc. and wonder how you get a 500lbs+ animal out of the bush, they never show that part.

    May next year I'll find someone willing to take a newbie along to watch and learn.
    I know folks who hunt elk in Colorado. They cut it into 5 pieces (front and rear quarters and head) and pack each out. A lot of work.

    I also grew up in a gunless household in the suburbs. My parents had hidden my grandfather's Iver Johnson 7-shot .22 revolver after we inherited it when I was in high school. Never saw it or shot it until I inherited it later. I was the first to own firearms in our family and took my dad to the range to shoot for the first time since he was in the Navy in WW2. We had no hunting heritage at all, and I didn't start until 7 years ago (after 3 of the 4 kids had already moved away), mostly as a conservation measure. The youngest got his first deer in 11/20, and now he's hooked.

    You should certainly get out there and start. It's a singular experience to be up to your elbows in warm deer guts. It's also a singular experience to eat what you harvested yourself. If you lived closer you could go with me.
     

    Limpy88

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    36   0   0
    Nov 12, 2009
    991
    43
    Lafayette
    Having grown up in a non-gun household in the city, I've never been hunting and other than a 5.56 AR & a 12GA have no firearms capable (legal in IN) for hunting. I'm not sure if I really want or not but it seems like something I should experience at least once just to know how it's done and learn how to harvest my own food - just in case.

    Watching the sportsman channel I've seen hunts for Moose, Elk, etc. and wonder how you get a 500lbs+ animal out of the bush, they never show that part.

    May next year I'll find someone willing to take a newbie along to watch and learn.
    Watch meateater. They show pack out quit alot. Guys doing solo elk usually make 4 trips for everything
     
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