marlin 512 and the key drive slug

[Buttonbuck]

I sometimes leave my hunting clothes in the barn with the goats since the bucks are waiting for the doe "goats" to go into season it gets pretty rank the smell will even taint the milk having bucks close to milking does. We are downsizing the herd once the new does are bred. Casting will have to happen on Sunday

[richhodg66]

I'll have to try the pepermint candy, I knew a very successful bowhunter who swore that spitting his Wintergreen Copehagen at the base of his tree stand attracted them. He had a lot of nice bucks to his credit so maybe he was onto something, but I can't stand that stuff.

Hate to change topic, but what are you using for scoping that 512? I have a 512 and am not real happy with the Weaver side mount that seems to be the only option. Truthfully, I've about given up on it, a cheap inline muzzle loader is legal equipment in our shotgun only areas and is a lot cheaper and easier to get decent accuracy from.

[Buttonbuck]

I put a $20.00 Barska 3x9x40 30/30 rifle scope on the weaver side mount the only game in town really. I am considering just getting a fiberoptic front sight and a skinner barrel mounted peep sight. I guess the the other option I have for a red dot is a millet 1" red dot. I bore sighted this gun a couple weeks back and now have to reload look to see where it groups. I hunt some public ground that is shotgun only where some of my shots may be over 50 -75 yards and the smoothbore 870 will be iffy past 75. I had read good things bout 512's it will just have to wait till next year really I would like to shoot at 100 with the peep sight.

[TRG3]

Buttonbuck...These 70 year old eyes can still shoot peep sights, but open sights are blurry. I'm in a quandry as to what to do about that with my flintlocks. I've got a T/C .50 Hawken with their tang peep sight that works fine, but I'd rather shoot deer with one of my flintlocks. I'll have to get with some of the area traditional gunsmiths and see what they recommend. I'm sure it won't be a 'scope!! Maybe something more like a full buckhorn. With this Thursday bringing in the second Illinois firearm weekend, it will be time to head to the deer woods again. I already know that I need to move two ladder stands and take down two hang-ons since a hang-on I took down last week, because of logging, had the support chain fall off of it when I removed the ratchet strap I had on there as a back-up! The stand had been up around 5 years and I was more concerned with the cables possibly rusting, but instead the pressure of the growing tree on the chain popped off one of the chain's attachment spots on the stand. That ratchet strap saved me from a 16' fall and probable injury. The stand in question came from Walmart and cost around $39 at the time. If you've got any hang-on stands, please check them at the point(s) where the chain and/or ratchet strap attaches to the stand since the growing tree can slowly pry those spots loose. My food plot contains a lot of turnips, which the deer have been slow to utilize; however, I understand that with our recent nightly freezes, the starch in the turnips turns to sugar and become more desirable. With a good south wind and a big turnip patch in front of me, it seems that all I'll have to do is wait long enough and it will surely pay off. After all, there's a big buck behind every tree in Illinois...at least that's the way area outfitter websites read! I'd say that's probably true...as long as the Illinois trees are sequoias or mesquite!!

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Good morning TRG-3, I enjoyed reading your comments, great information!
How about helping us with a picture of your stand and the link to $39 Walmart item!
Now we know
" That's why they say Old is Gold "
I'm right there behind you, just about to turn into G o l d !!!!
Regards,
Ajay
BlazingSabots@Gmail.com
Blazing Sabots, LLC
www.BlazingSabots.com
http://www.facebook.com/BlazingSabots?ref=hl
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com

[Buttonbuck]

I have all ladder stands accept for one that a friend put up but he moves his every year. Food plots are great I intend to put in one at my oldest hunting spot. I need to rebuild my tiller and of course cut down and grub out the Autumn Olive. I have used the peep sights on a TC renegade that I had Bob Hoyt bore out and rifle in 62 cal. Anyway I need to get the reloads done asap but not likely I will be using them this January Who knows.

[TRG3]

Buttonbuck...My ladino clover doesn't look very good, but I learned that clover will typically look much better in the following spring, so I'll just have to wait. In the meantime, I learned that clover is typically sown in February and it works its way into the soil as the ground freezes and thaws. Also...the autumn olive you mentioned has small orange berries in the fall which I used to make jelly/jam as per directions noted in one of last year's issues of Illinois Outdoor News. I moved a ladder stand today to replace a hang-on that has taken many deer over the last 5-6 years. I needed to move another one, but with only one hour of daylight left, I decided to do so after the upcoming firearm deer season weekend. It always seems like there's lots of time to get something done...and then Wham! it's upon you! After this weekend, then there's the three-day muzzleloading season with more bow season on the other days through mid-January. Still waiting for a rain to help my beagles run a few bunnies. I've even toyed with the idea of picking up a USH in 20 gauge since I read so much good about them. Another scope...more molds...more wads... So much to hunt and tinker with. Thank goodness I'm retired!

[TRG3]

Buttonbuck...I hope your second Illinois firearm deer season was more productive than mine. I hunted three of the four days and only saw seven deer, none close enough to even consider shooting. Those unused tags will now go to the late winter doe season. I'll be out there this next weekend for the muzzleloading season. I did see a real nice 20" wide 12-pointer via another person's cell phone photo that was taken less than 200 yards from my stand. It was shot by a young woman who was on her first hunt ever at this site, having only taken a doe in the past at another location. That was the second largest deer I'd ever seen in the 16 years that I've been hunting this area, making around 30 trips annually including both bow and gun. That's a bunch of times for beginner's luck to win out over persistence! With the warm weather, it's time to get a muzzleloader or two sighted in and some outside work done! I did notice something unusual during this season and that was that the wildlife worked together to locate and announce my presence in the deer woods. There was none of this during the bow season while I was in full camo, but the blaze orange made me a standout. The blue jays started it off and were soon joined by robins and some small dickey birds, all of which got within 10' of me and sounded off for 15-20 minutes. They were soon followed by tree squirrels that began barking and twitching their tails. In fact, at one point their sounding off was a distinct ...---..., the international Morris code for SOS!! The bottom line is that it worked, keeping deer away from my location. I'm considering working on a new product that, when sprayed on your flo orange, that would make it invisible to wildlife but still effective to the human eye. I suspect that it would sell for $19.95 with a second bottle included for only separate shipping and handling. By-the-way, how did your season go?

[Buttonbuck]

Saw a deer at 150 yds friday on neighbors property, Friday PM saw doe run in front of neighbors truck she was not hit. Saturday Am did not hunt Saturday I had a button buck run out of the brush I saw no antlers and had a doe tag so when he was in the brush I shot through a gap at 40 yards for a heart shot, I felt like a failure for shooting a BB but the does in the distance were not coming in I feel like I could have waited but it was a clean kill. Sunday I went in the morning and saw nothing, I hiked around the public area and kicked out 2 does but had no clear shot. I am going next weekend with my 54 cal renegade, I really want to get my 62 cal renegade (bored out 1 in 66 bob hoyt barrel) dialed up. I did cast some slugs this morning having some issue with my Lee pot it will not get over 750 degrees.

[TRG3]

Buttonbuck...I'm letting the Illinois muzzleloading season die with a whimper since the rain with colder weather is supposed to start after lunch today. I hunted two days and finally saw a doe and a couple of yearlings. I guess my next opportunity to fill tags will be the late season in the waining days of this month and mid-January. There are about a half-dozen of us that drive deer on ground that is not available during the regular deer season since it's does-only in the remaining two weekends of deer season. In the meantime, I'm way overdue in taking my two beagles out for some bunny chasing. I'll have to hunt on public land since most of my old private ground spots are either leased out for deer hunting or outfitters have it tied up. There are at least five outfitters in our county alone. It amazes me that out-of-state guys will plunk down $500-$1,000 a day for a five-day hunt in a stand that has been occupied day after day by someone else for the past month or two through an outfitter that is running 20+ hunters/week and they expect to kill an "Illinois giant"! Yes, the big ones are out there but I understand that some outfitters didn't take any bucks during the 2011 season and some of those that did had to put an extra fee on guys who took bucks that were too small. Whitetail deer hunting has really put the hurt on small game hunting since there's limited access to the land and I have to use shock collars on my beagles since they want to run deer. Were you successful in bagging anything?

[TRG3]

Buttonbuck...Glad I stayed home yesterday. That 1/2" of rain that was predicted ended up being 2 1/2", not good hunting weather. I've been caught out in downpours before with deer out in front of me. In my experience, deer just bed down and wait for the heavy rain to pass, thus reducing their movement to nill. I've got a smoothbore 12 gauge Rem 870 that I may set up for driving deer. I'll need to attach the 4X scope via a side mount and change the turkey choke to the rifled choke. While I haven't used this shotgun for a couple of years for deer hunting, in the past it has been used to bag several does during the late seasons that are coming up. It's very reliable out to 50-60 yards and off a bench will shoot a 3" group at 50 yards with almost any ammo which is better that I can hold off-hand. From here on out, most venison hams will be smoked, back straps will become jerky, and front shoulders will be passed on to others. Of course, sliced tenderloins will be fried in olive oil, then sliced onions and peppers will added at the end of the cooking session. This can be eaten as is or placed on a bed of rice. Any left-over chunks of venison (neck, flank, ribs, etc.) when butchering will be cubed, fried, and added to a can of mushroom soup, all of which will be scouped onto a bowl of rice or the meat could be popped into the crockpot for 6 hours on high with a jar of pepperroncinis and a powdered packet of zesty Italian salad dressing, which makes great sandwiches (The only time we buy commercial beef is for hamburger). Well, all of this has made me hungry and looking forward to the remaining gun seasons. I may even take my .22 or .17 Mach2 after those squirrels that made it their responsibility to point out the guy in flo orange during this fall's deer seasons. Oven baked squirrel is a great way to do those older ones that are not edible when fried. Yesterday's 58 degrees is this morning's 32 degrees and snow is coming across southern Missouri and headed our way, at least on the radar. Time to pour another cup of coffee, gaze at the Christmas tree, and wonder where the years have gone.

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello TRG-3, you keep mentioning mouth watering recipe's and keep giving us an excuse to come and visit you for all those wonderful recipe's!
You enjoy life as a Prince, I can see that!

Regards,
Ajay
BlazingSabots@Gmail.com
Blazing Sabots, LLC
www.BlazingSabots.com
http://www.facebook.com/BlazingSabots?ref=hl
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com

[Buttonbuck]

muzzle loading was a bust I saw nothing had shots around me but saw nothing. I need to put a food plot at this 11 acres I hunt. The trails, tracks and scat are plentiful just do not see deer in the day. I am bowhunting this weekend and trying to fill tags. 2 bow one muzzleloader one firearm. We do not eat beef, deer, mostly but culled goats from our herd and bottle lambs my neighbor gives us. considering getting a couple runs of 25 meat birds if corn ever goes down or can pasture raise them. Just need to get to hunting.