2019 Deer Season

[stocknup]

I got my buck yesterday at 9:30. Seen nothing all morning then became running. Bleated and got him to pause. Double lung at 49 yards w a .308. Ran off like nothing happened. Berated myself for 10 min for missing then went to look. Blood everywhere.

Was experiencing change of emotions when I thought a dog barked at me. 2 does were barking at me. Drew on them and they were gone.

Waited 30 more min to start track. Went well over 100 yards following blood trail. Found a pool of blood that was not bubbly so withdrew thinking it was a gut shot.

2 hours later we went tracking. I never saw the spray on the trees. But my buddy did. Had I gone 15 more steps I may have seen him earlier on the next hill.

Dude went almost 200 yards.

Shot a doe at 11:30. Double lung. She collapsed on the spot.

Not it sure why the difference.

Would have gone for #3 today but I think I will be exhausted processing 2 tomorrow. (I do it myself)

Just wondering what round you used ? ( and Grain Weight ) ........This is my first year using my .308 and wondering what to expect also . Lot of mixed results ( internet browsing ) ....some ran like you mentioned and others dropped in their tracks .
I realize shot placement plays a huge role as well...........I`m using 150 grain , Federal Power Shocks .

 

[avboiler11]

Lot of mixed results ( internet browsing ) ....some ran like you mentioned and others dropped in their tracks .

That’s hunting for you.

Double-lung will practically never result in DRT, and even heart shots can result in deer running dozens of yards with only a partial ticker.

If you want to anchor deer where they stand then CNS or high shoulder is your shot.

 

[Hookeye]

Drove my jeep through sticker bushes and saplings....beat the hell out of it. Tied buck rack high on hitch and slow drove back out. Think he will go 190 dressed. My back is screwed up and there was no way we'd have got him out. Oh well.....see if i get a flat or how much plastic cracked. Like i give a flip. Ratchet strapped him and my buds 8 to his hitch haul,

Old women and Jeeps....ride em til they break and go get another

 

[rhino400]

Got my buck this morning. Shot was 240 yards across my back field. .308 AMAX 168gr. Broke both his front shoulders and turned his lungs to jelly, still managed to run about 20 yards into a thicket. Made retrieving him a blast.

 

[hps]

Great buck!!!

 

[amboy49]

Bow kill.

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

Lots of good lookin bucks in here. Counting down the days for my trip to VA. Talked to my dad today and yesterday they saw a 10, 8, and 4 point along with 10+ does. Also got 3 black bear on the game cam within the last 2 weeks.

 

[KJQ6945]

Congratulations to all the deer hunters in here.

I'm not a deer hunter, but I've been sending all these pics to an army buddy in PA who is a deer addict. He's ready to buy land in Indiana. Well done guys!

 

[Goodcat]

Passed on a 4-point today because he was too small, now regretting it!

 

[Restroyer]

That’s hunting for you.

Double-lung will practically never result in DRT, and even heart shots can result in deer running dozens of yards with only a partial ticker.

If you want to anchor deer where they stand then CNS or high shoulder is your shot.

I agree. If using firearms or muzzle loader I shoot for shoulder shot. Less tracking and good shot placement usually drops them quick.

 

[66chevelle]

Saturday was a great morning for us. My brother shot his biggest buck to date. A nice mature 8 pointer at 8:30 am. At noon I decided it was time for me to get down since I had not seen anything and the neighbor decided to walk his dog down the fence room looking for trespassers. I walk to the truck and my brother and I decide to drive his truck into the hay field to load his buck. So we load his buck and we start to return back to the house. We come around the corner and there are 2 good shooter bucks standing at the edge of the woods looking at us. I jump out of the truck thinking there is no way they will wait on me to get ready but I grab the 30-06 out of the back seat and put a shell in the chamber and they are still looking at me. My brother tells me they are 191yards away so I decide which one to shoot and drop him in his tracks. I walk over to him to make sure he is down. I turn around to waive my brother up to us and that other buck and a doe are staring at me 40 yards away. I try to draw a bead on the doe but she takes off. The other buck stood there for a few seconds and then ran away. This was a new experience for me and one I will never forget.

 

[Virch]

I got my first deer yesterday, a doe. I shot her at 7:55am with a 3030, right in the shoulder. Watched her bounce into the air on all fours, then take off for the nearby woods. She paused as she reached the woods, then went in. I heard a lot of crashing and assumed that she piled up a short way in. I got off the stand to go check the spot where I shot her and nothing, nada, zip. No blood, no fur, just some dug in earth from where she jumped then started running. I went into the woods where I saw her enter and found no blood or her body. So I figured I missed and got back up in the stand. Finally after about another 45 minutes to an hour I figure nothing else is coming my way, so I'd pack up. After I got my gear back to the vehicle I decided to do one last check. I entered the woods from a different area than before and found her piled up near the bottom of an embankment. Turns out I just couldn't see her from where I'd entered the woods. She didn't start leaving a blood trail until about 6 feet from where she ended up.

Once I got her opened up I saw that the 150gr 3030 slug had shattered a rib on the way in, made mincemeat of one lung, then broke another rib on the way out. All in all I'm really glad I decided to look that last time. I learned a valuable lesson in how deer behave after being shot. Also it gave me more confidence in my shooting skills.

I got her field dressed, loaded her in to the CRV, and got her home. My father-in-law came by with a cooler, a bunch of ice, and over 20 years of deer processing experience to help me get her quartered and the meat boned out. I'm going to let her chill on ice for a few days then the real fun begins.

 

[Hookeye]

Slept in.
Was nice.

 

[spencer rifle]

Got two does Saturday morning. It's been 4 years since I got a deer, and never with my .308 rifle. The handloads and rifle did the job well - neither doe ran more than 30 yards and were gone in less than a minute after the shot. No injuries, no long chases, no suffering animals. That's how I hope it will always be going forward. I hunt for herd reduction first, meat second, trophies way down the list. The farmer on whose land i hunt was concerned that I would not be back after these two. I assure them I was not done yet.


Was in the stand around 7:15 Saturday. Herd of 3 does and 3 yearlings straggles through at 8:30 within 30 yards. After each shot I tried not to spook them, and they hung around for about 1/2 hour, milling about, eating a little, not in any hurry. I could have got at least two more, but our freezer is full of vegetables!


Both were checked by DNR at the processors - no signs of any disease.


Thank you, deer, for your sacrifice.

 

[ru44mag]

This is not a criticism at all. Just an observation. I have read all the posts, and have read many, many hunting magazines. A lot of guys like to shoot the shoulder. Of course when an animal is quartering, either away or towards you, the shoulder always gets hit. A lot of guys also take their deer to get it processed. I have always butchered my own. If at all possible, I try to shoot right behind the shoulder. If you would butcher your own deer, you would see a very large amount of meat wasted when the shoulder takes a direct hit. And both shoulders....wow. I know that a deer can run 100+ yards even with a good broadside that misses the shoulders, but good tracking skills, and a good eye are part of hunting IMO. Just something to think about. Congrats to all the successful hunters, and good luck to the rest in the coming days. Be safe.

 

[mike4sigs]

I shot this one with my Glock 20 10mm this morning.

WOW didn't know the 10 mm was a legal Cartridge to use ?
I will have to get the shoulder holster for the 220

 

[Hookeye]

Shoulder breakage means they should die on your side of the fence.

Lots of people are cool w tracking/ recovery next door. Have heard of relationships changing after a big one gets killed.

To hell w the front shoulders. Drop em.

 

[Hookeye]

Not everybody is hunting in the center of a 50 plus acre spot.

The shorter the trail the better

 

[ndawoods25]

State park hunt was pretty good to me today. 2:20 I harvested 2 does. Had 3 in but could not get a clean and ethical shot on the 3rd

 

[masterdekoy]

My first deer, shot just after sun up on opening day of firearms. Not a trophy, we figure he was 3 years old after looking over trail cams. There were at least 4 does in the area he was chasing around. Used a 12 gauge at about 30 yards. He ran right to me and collapsed 10ft from my tree stand.