Successful Season

[ChristopherO]

I tagged out at the end of November in Ohio with the Marlin 1895 CB in 45/70. Work was brisk all fall but I determined to get out during the gun week after Thanksgiving to make meat, Lord willing. He was and I was, too.
On Tuesday of gun week I ventured into a woods I'd only helped the owner cut a few trees from for her bowl turning passion. Never hunted it but did have a good lay of the land and suspected where deer might be found. The farm, woods, was all mine this day. Setting up my tree seat (Dean Tourges style) I sat maybe 5 minutes and thought, what am I doing sitting? My first love when it comes to hunting is to be on my feet, spotting and stalking or still hunting for game. This place is all mine to roam and I am sitting? Couldn't do it. Ever so slowly I enjoyed every step in the bright, white of the morning. Even though the snow fall was brief and sparse, it still was beautiful to be in the woods with it.
Later in the morning as I was inching up a tractor path the expectation that deer should be lying in the brushy water way I could soon be able to peer into when topping the rise. The unmistakable crunch of leaves spoke that my suspicions were correct. Their outlines in the honeysuckle confirmed as they were milling around wondering what riled them enough to rise from their concealed beds. The first shot must have gone high. Maybe a branch, maybe I caused that miss. I am not sure, but it wasn't enough to cause them to bolt and flee. The lead doe of the three walked to the left, next to the black walnut tree in the open well enough that I drew a clearer bead and let the lead fling. The thump was loud as she folded on the spot with only a short bleat and not a kick to stir the leaves. (lets see if I have this Photobucket worked out)




The load is from my NOE 405-460C WFNGC mold. The hit was a fairly hard quartering away taking out about 6 ribs, the scapula, which I am not sure how from the bullet path, one lung and out the neck/shoulder area in the front. The Skinner sighted Cowboy was a pure joy to hunt with that morning and the 70 yard shot was well within its capabilities.

On Thursday I took time away from the office to again pursue meat on the hoof. The morning was spent at a small woodlot that I just don't have success at. If I were targeting squirrels, that would be another story. They at least gave entertainment to the time spent there.
In the afternoon the owner of 160 acres I hoped to hunt confirmed that the trio of hunters that had manned the many stands on his place were unsuccessful in bagging anything all week. He didn't think they would show up that evening but even if they did come on out and enjoy myself. That I would. Nothing against treestands and pop up blinds but if I can avoid them at all costs I do. I walked the half mile or so past all their stand locations and sat myself on a cushion on the far western end of the property where those fellows don't go. Nestled into the honeysuckle along that fence line with the wind in my favor for this evening's hunt gave a commanding view of the entire harvested corn field. I may not be still hunting or stalking but this would be enjoyable, none the less.
The turkeys 400 yards across the field put on quite a show as they gobbled, clucked and made all sorts of noise on their trek over to my side of the property. I'm not a turkey hunter and this was a novel experience for to watch. Pressing business needs meant my rule of disabling the phone and email had to be broken as I sat in the bushes. Just as the last text was sent I looked up to behold a dandy buck that has just walked out of the tree line to my left.
Was I busted? Had he seen me while I wasn't looking? Did I just blow my opportunity? Thankfully no, he wasn't looking my way. You know how sometimes they appear as though they are looking right at you when they aren't? Yes, that is how I was feeling. He then walked out into the field broadside roughly 100 yards away. The forearm of the Marlin was placed in the cross sticks and what I believed at the time was careful aim put the post through the aperture site in the mid chest region. Slam Dunk, so I thought. At the shot he tore off from left to right across the field as if nothing were wrong. The didn't surprise any. I've seen heart destroyed deer run as if never touched until they dropped dead. But halfway across I was wondering why he didn't start to falter. This wouldn't do. Quickly a new round was racked in the chamber and I led him appropriately again, and then for the third and final time, as we can only load three rounds in our deer rigs at a time to be inside the law. I was sure I had hit him, and yet there he was looking healthy. Still, he turned to show me his behind and trotted about 25 or so yards further away and just stood there, looking around, wondering what all the fuss was about. How could this be?
I had hesitated enough, another case was pulled out of the shell holder, loaded. Trying for the Texas Heart Shot I held the post on the rump and attempted to "fire in the hole." It was close but hit the driver's side ham instead. This got his attention and off he sprinted another 100 yards and leaped the fence line with strength and gracefulness. Stumped, I was just stumped. That fence line to the south was brushy and thick. It also bordered the neighbor's place, where I was sure this buck has just run out into that harvest bean field to expire and I would have my trophy.
To follow the letter of the law I left my rifle on the north side and scanned over to have a look/see. If he was down I would have been able to tell, but nothing was spotted on the bare earth. Hmm. Good thing I know the neighbors and have his phone number. Yes, I could go and look but only shoot if necessary. Absolutely. Walking out far into the field to look in all directions showed no lump of dead deer. He must have holed up on the brush of the fence line, then. I had left the rifle on the other side of the fence at this point and started to walk east up the fence line on the neighbor's side. Didn't go 25 yards and his antlers caught my eye as he was hunkered down waiting for me to walk on past. Ahh! He was less than 3 yards away and I couldn't do anything but watch him tear off to the east along the fence line when I stopped when spotting him. The buck stopped at a thin copse of trees along a wet weather waterway about 300 yards down. Eventually he walked either into that strip of trees and brush or around them on the other side. Then I grabbed my rifle and followed his tracks. There was blood in the place he was hiding before I caused him to bolt so I knew for certain he was hit. As I approached the strip of trees I looked around to find sign of which direction he went to. Peering around the treeline no deer was standing, sitting or lying in that portion of the field. Turning my head back toward the treeline is when once again his antlers gave that cagey fellow away. Five yards tops is all he walked into that stand of trees along the water way. He jumped up when our eyes met and bolted as I fired a fast shot in his direction. Levering another round instantly I hit him soundly with the second shot as he was about 15 yards into the trees and disappeared immediately. I couldn't see him at all. With a large brush pile to skirt around I made my way into the trees from in front of where I last saw him go. Finally, I could claim my prize.

[ChristopherO]

The first round was perfectly in line with the heart / lungs but hit high just under the spine. A lessor animal would have dropped at the shot. The second shot, the running shot, hit just over the spine directly above the first shot and even took a chunk out of the dorsal fin of the spinal column. And yet he kept running as if a bee had stung him. Incredible tenacity of life this beast had. The Texas Heart Shot attempt veered right, plowing through the ham, out of and back into the chest cavity, creating a hole in the lung on that side. The slug was found lying along the meat at the spine under the neck. It did its job perfectly, and still this buck would not give up. It pays to know one's neighbors as his permission allowed me to not give up, either.
The fast first shot at the tree line hit a front leg but the last shot was what dropped him for good. I found that slug inside the meat of the opposite front leg after it had shattered that large bone. The lead I cast these WFN boollits from were soft enough to mushroom well, only going through 4 water jugs in testing. After hitting the bone it had expanded but wasn't a mushroom.
I'll be the first to say, I DON'T like to have a hunt end up this way. I am also the first to say how grateful I am to have been able to kill and collect this deer that could have easily gotten away. If the neighbor was hard nosed about it the meat would have fed the coyotes and been lost. Over 3 decades of hunting has impressed in me that whenever possible, don't give up the search. I've helped others find their deer and have used those skills to find mine.
The conclusion is that my initial shots were in line with the vitals but pulled high. I've got to work on that this year. Is it the sights or was it me? I've casts a few hundred more slugs to find out and correct that issue, one way or another. I am happy with the results of the bullets. They didn't fail me. If the first shot were a few inches lower both lungs would have been hit and he wouldn't have traveled far at all. This was an interesting adventure.
One last thing. This was one tough buck. Thankfully I had already planned to pressure can the meat this year and refurbished my Grandmother's very old canner for the job. 90 minutes in high pressure tenderized what was extremely tough meat. It is fit for a king now. I had set the backstraps aside to make steaks out of but once the first one was prepared for the table even those were turned into hamburger. The taste of this buck is fine but the grain of the meat was like chewing old shoe leather. Not an ounce of fat was left on this old boy under the hide. I imagine many does were breed by him this past Fall. Hope I can have another hunt for one of his offspring in the years ahead.

[willicd76]

Very nice. It's unbelievable how tough they can be. I had a similar incident with a muley and a Marlin 444 several years ago shooting a 335gr cast at 2200fps. I don't recall how many times the buck was hit but it was at least 5! Sometimes they just REFUSE to give it up. Great job staying after it.

[rking22]

Way to stay after him! They can sometimes be very stubborn when it comez to accepting that they are done for. I trailed one over a mile with the same type hit from a 280Remington. Blood trail was solid for 3/4 of the dostance then tapered off to nothing.When he crossed a creek a few hunred yards later we lost the trail. I would have never thought one could go that far with the amount of blood he left along the way. By all indications he lived as,come spring, we found one shed that everyone seems comvinced was the same buck! Good job, and I hear you on the shoeleather!

[500Linebaughbuck]

way to go!!!

[CastingFool]

Good job! You were persistent and it paid off. Great story, made me feel as if I was right there with you.

[skeettx]

Great posting and wonderful gun
I have a 38-55 CB what fun, what fun
Mike