I took my third deer this morning and the first for Fearnaught. I almost didn't go out this morning. I am getting over a cold and my trainer decided all my muscles needed to be sore going in to Thanksgiving.
I finally got myself out of bed and had a cup of coffee with my Father before heading out to the woods well after sunrise. I walked down a cow pasture to where I wanted to still-hunt in the woods. A ballsy squirrel on the edge of the field decided to call me out before I jumped the fence in to the woods. I stood just 3 feet underneath the branch he was sitting on. That squirrel just looked me in the eyes and barked away. It gave me a chuckle.
I found my entry point and started in to the woods, only moving when the wind blew. I was only in the woods for 15 minutes, and maybe moved less than 10 yards when some movement caught my eye. A buck was making his way down a trail towards me. I was in some really thick stuff at the edge of the field. The deer made his way to within about 12 yards to where I was standing. It was time to make my shot, but the deer would dissapear in to the thorns and grass when I lost my depth perception by closing my left eye. I decided to shoot with both eyes open. I let loose a .440 ball over 70gr of 3F and the deer dropped to the ground. I looked down at my rifle and thought, "Holy Cow." This is my first deer with a .45 and I didn't expect that. It became apparent fairly soon that I spine shot him. I reloaded with my target measure that was hanging off my bag and my easy loading .437 balls over 52gr of 3F. I approached the deer and he stood up on his front knees and snorted at me. I put the ball in to his chest and that was that.
Upon gutting the deer, I found that neither ball exited. The first shot is most likely under the far-side shoulder blade. I found the heart-shot ball flattened out to the size of a dime.
I'm happy to have another Thanksgiving Harvest. It's a great way to start out a Holiday Weekend.
I finally got myself out of bed and had a cup of coffee with my Father before heading out to the woods well after sunrise. I walked down a cow pasture to where I wanted to still-hunt in the woods. A ballsy squirrel on the edge of the field decided to call me out before I jumped the fence in to the woods. I stood just 3 feet underneath the branch he was sitting on. That squirrel just looked me in the eyes and barked away. It gave me a chuckle.
I found my entry point and started in to the woods, only moving when the wind blew. I was only in the woods for 15 minutes, and maybe moved less than 10 yards when some movement caught my eye. A buck was making his way down a trail towards me. I was in some really thick stuff at the edge of the field. The deer made his way to within about 12 yards to where I was standing. It was time to make my shot, but the deer would dissapear in to the thorns and grass when I lost my depth perception by closing my left eye. I decided to shoot with both eyes open. I let loose a .440 ball over 70gr of 3F and the deer dropped to the ground. I looked down at my rifle and thought, "Holy Cow." This is my first deer with a .45 and I didn't expect that. It became apparent fairly soon that I spine shot him. I reloaded with my target measure that was hanging off my bag and my easy loading .437 balls over 52gr of 3F. I approached the deer and he stood up on his front knees and snorted at me. I put the ball in to his chest and that was that.
Upon gutting the deer, I found that neither ball exited. The first shot is most likely under the far-side shoulder blade. I found the heart-shot ball flattened out to the size of a dime.
I'm happy to have another Thanksgiving Harvest. It's a great way to start out a Holiday Weekend.
