Hunting

[davidc83]

With weather not conducive for leisurely riding, it is hunting time. 11 points with a crab claw point. Field dressed at 185 lbs. Lucky for me, I hunt 200 yards out my back door.

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[davidc83]

Oh, and it was collected with a crossbow at 42 yards.

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[booblinker]

Congrats, I have had a bunch of does in my range, but have spooked them as soon as I try and get ready got a shot.

 

[davidc83]

Congrats, I have had a bunch of does in my range, but have spooked them as soon as I try and get ready got a shot.

One reason I now use a crossbow. Other reason, cant hold a compound bow back for more than a few seconds after a 1100 lb thoroughbred tried to kick my collarbone out of my body. Just sit in the stand, see the deer coming, wait for a broad side shot, pull the trigger.

 

[booblinker]

One reason I now use a crossbow. Other reason, cant hold a compound bow back for more than a few seconds after a 1100 lb thoroughbred tried to kick my collarbone out of my body. Just sit in the stand, see the deer coming, wait for a broad side shot, pull the trigger.

I use a crossbow too, I bought a taller quiet seat I can shoot from now. Before I had a low seat that was loud when i tried to crawl out of it.

 

[davidc83]

I use a crossbow too, I bought a taller quiet seat I can shoot from now. Before I had a low seat that was loud when i tried to crawl out of it.

I use ladder stands and sit on the top platform. I do all my practice shots from the sitting position so it is basically muscle memory when a deer comes along. I have 10 acres of land surrounded by 1000s of acres of state owned forestry (on 3 sides). I literally see the back door of my house from my #1 ladder stand. My #2 ladder stand I can see the roofs of my house and 2 barns. My #3 ladder stand is 1/4 mile up hill on forestry property from my house. The tree my ladder stand (#1) is actually in the pic-the ladderstand I was in when I shot this deer.

 

[Agent]

Beautiful! We don't grow them that size down here, not that I've seen anyway. I have a friend in West Lafayette who used to tell us about his monster whitetails up north. Good looking buck.

 

[booblinker]

I use ladder stands and sit on the top platform. I do all my practice shots from the sitting position so it is basically muscle memory when a deer comes along. I have 10 acres of land surrounded by 1000s of acres of state owned forestry (on 3 sides). I literally see the back door of my house from my #1 ladder stand. My #2 ladder stand I can see the roofs of my house and 2 barns. My #3 ladder stand is 1/4 mile up hill on forestry property from my house. The tree my ladder stand (#1) is actually in the pic-the ladderstand I was in when I shot this deer.

Yea I sit on a 10' platform with a cheap pop up on top. It sits about 65 yards from my back door. I am surrounded by a ton of farm fields, and from listening during guns season, I'd guess no one within 1/2 mile hunts.

 

[Nofear2trek]

It was top 20’s and then bottom 30’s, with an occasional breeze until this antlerless buck decided to cross my path. Ten yards away, he stopped and looked up straight at me in the tree stand as I was pointing my crosshairs down at him. Well, we need to fill the freezer, so bang, flop. Already gutted and second buck hanging in camp on opening day this morning.



Ray

 

[booblinker]

Fawk. Thought I got a good shot on a doe tonight. Arrow was sticking out a decent amount. I looked for about an hour and a half on the path I watched it go and couldn't find a drop of blood. Guess my nerves got me and I shouldered it.

 

[davidc83]

Fawk. Thought I got a good shot on a doe tonight. Arrow was sticking out a decent amount. I looked for about an hour and a half on the path I watched it go and couldn't find a drop of blood. Guess my nerves got me and I shouldered it.

Sorry to hear that man. Can you use lighted Nocs in Michigan (helps determine if good arrow placement-some states don't allow them). Crossbows are legal for all hunters in Indiana and I use exclusively now in archery season. If too high, the bolt is going to go thru the shoulder (may get stuck in the other side but at least the broadhead goes thru). When I got the buck (42 paces from bottom of ladder stand), made great hit behind the elbow, got lungs, sliced heart and cut the aorta and stuck in the off side shoulder. Blood trail stared exactly 6ft from where I hit the deer (pouring blood as if out of a bucket)-laying 50 yards or so from where he got hit. It is amazing how far these animals can run after a mortal wound... 3 years ago on opening evening of archery season (Oct 1), I shot a decent 9 point buck, buck was closer than I thought and hit a little high but I knew it was mortally wounded. Waited 30 minutes before tracking, found a good blood trail and followed for about 100 yards then nothing- no blood, no nothing. It was dark and after 2 hours of searching gave up looking. The next day at work I thought about the buck constantly and thought-maybe he u turned and tried to go the way he had originally came out of the woods. When I shot him he headed directly west and went down a holler and up the next hill. After I got home from work, I went walking down the trail he came from (North of my stand) and finally found him dead, about 150 yards from my stand. He had traveled at least 400 yards after shooting him (with double lung hit) and he had made a big loop. Unfortunately, it was very warm and the flies had already laid eggs. I saw why the blood trail stopped-he was a big fat deer and fat and closed both the entrance and exit wounds. I cut off the head (I wanted the antlers) and went online and checked him in (in Indiana, only one Antlered deer per year is allowed-so he was my buck for the year). Luckily, I got 2 does for the freezer a couple of weeks later.

 

[davidc83]

It was top 20’s and then bottom 30’s, with an occasional breeze until this antlerless buck decided to cross my path. Ten yards away, he stopped and looked up straight at me in the tree stand as I was pointing my crosshairs down at him. Well, we need to fill the freezer, so bang, flop. Already gutted and second buck hanging in camp on opening day this morning.

View attachment 35191

Ray

I got 2 of those antlerless bucks last year. Thought they were does but since they had no buttons and we cant check the plumbing before we shoot. The first one had a bad momma; momma and little one came out of the woods, but momma stayed back while sonny was browsing. Momma never came any closer while sonny was getting closer and closer- he was at 20 yards (I have a 20 yard little orange flag stuck in the ground and he was eating the grass around it), straight on with head down. Not the normal shot I take but I know my crossbow is set to hit the 10 ring at 20 yards. Nailed him between the shoulder blades and bolt came out the bottom of his chest. That little guy ran almost 100 yards before dropping with a water tap turned on with blood pouring out. Momma took off like a lightening bolt and never stopped and never called for her little boy-bad momma.
Ray, what gun is that? Is it a Marlin 30-30?

 

[Nofear2trek]

Ray, what gun is that? Is it a Marlin 30-30?

That rifle is my ole favorite hunting rifle, a Marlin 1895 XLR .45/70 that has been customized by taking 3” off (24” to 21”, 39” OA Length) the barrel, an extended magazine tube (from 4 to 6+1), and an engraved receiver from a TALO Whitetail Special 1895 GST .45/70. This rifle is getting new Monte Carlo walnut wood stocks after this trip.



Leftover parts from the XLR and TALO get made into a brush gun with a recoil/muzzle brake on the shortened 16” barrel and this stock on it.

Ray