THAT BITES…But the game is not over YET:)

Posted by WhitetailFreak on December 02

He actually is a 7 point.  On the same side as my shed, he has a crab claw out near the end.  It isn’t as pronounced as it was the year before though.

I’m staying as positive as I can.  As usual, everytime I hear a shot (that isn’t my own family members), I worry.  But I think we all do.  He would be a better bow buck anyway right?

Posted by shootist on December 02

Wow that’s a dandy. Hope you get another shot at him.

Posted by mdoc on December 02

I don’t gun hunt, so am not experienced or aware of the modern day abilities of slug guns and muzzleloaders, but it looks like a cannon ball hit that tree!  Good luck with him.

Posted by full draw on December 02

Lynn,

I was sitting down on the ground at the base of a tree.  I laid the gun across my knee for a rest.  Gun is scoped with a rifled barrel and sighted in to 100 yards.  The shot was tough, yet very doable.  It was a situation where if I hit him, it would be a lung shot, if I missed him, it was going to be a tree shot. I must admit, I was pretty nervous on the shot too. 

All in all, it was a fun hunt.  I wished the end result would have been different, but I have to accept that it was not to be.  I am a bowhunter at heart, so as I said before, it would be a better bow buck.  Hopefully this story will have a part two.-Darin

Posted by shootist on December 03

Darin..I know you are a bowhunter at heart, (like a lot of us) but there is no reason you can’t also be a more complete gunhunter too.
Over 21 years ago I was kind of in your shoes. I got a good shot, with my shotgun, at a big wide 10, that I had been bowhunting hard for that last few weeks. I spotted & stalked up on him to 75-80 yards. He was bedded with 2 does in a fence row. I couldn’t get any closer, so I grunted at him to get him to get him to stand & then had a good quartering away shot, from a good prone position. When I shot & he stood there….clean miss. Not having any idea which way my bullet was off, I was forced to just had to try it again. Luckily my second shot was a good shot & he went 80 yards & dropped.
I decided right there, that I had been very very lucky, on that 2nd shot and would be much better prepared in the future.  My problem was a smooth bore shotgun, with just beaded sites. I fixed that with a brand new in-line muzzleloader & scope, by the next season. It sounds like you probably already have a good shooting gun.
What I have also since learned, is you need a GOOD rest to shoot off of !
ALWAYS have shooting sticks with you. Shooting off your knee is OK, but a well placed shooting sticks is much better !!  The more ground contact you have, the better you will generally shoot.
Usually when you are ‘nervous’ that knee, is probably not going to be a steady rest.
Caring good shooting sticks, finding the best & steadiest rest to shoot off of, knowing the best shooting positions, etc…. will extend your ‘effective shooting range’ & that will greatly help make the end result different….8^)

Posted by Lynn on December 03

“I’m disappointed in you to bad your wife wasn’t sitting up there with ya, maybe she could have shown you how its done. Maybe she can give you some pointers!”-PDSINK

Preston, I am sorry to disappoint you.  Yes, Marj might have taken care of business when I could not.  If you ever come back from the Sunshine State, maybe you could become a deer hunter again and give me some tips.  Take care buddy, and happy fishing!

Posted by shootist on December 04