Tasty little trophy

[357maximum]

So I am sitting behind my house tonight on the corner of my 23 acre grass/weeds/spruce patch with a dead stock 10 inch 357Contender as my companion swaying to and fro in the nice wind gusts we have had the last two days. It's about 5pm+ and I am watching 14 assorted does/fawns/ and one little really really really really dorky 2.5 yr old buck munching some of the neighbors winter wheat about 60 yrds from me. I am sitting there making sure ol mossy horns is not going to show up while having a very heated argument with myself as to whether to burn my last buck tag on some genetic cleansing or whether I should shoot one of them nice big tasty looking does and use a tag I can replace.

I took this barrel out so that I can say it has killed a deer.....I am going to shoot something;-) , but I just cannot win the argument going on in my head. Thats when this little 80 lb button buck comes wobbling out into the edge of my grass at about 125 yards yelling for one of them does out in the field to wait up for his crippled little self. Upon closer evaluation with the binocs I see he has one front leg hanging by nothing other than the main tendon. The decision is easy at that point. I will play clean up crew yet again for what I assume was a misguided slug.

He was eating some frosted clover on my place at this point almost exactly 130 yards from me. This is farther than I intended to shoot when I left the house without my 357Max "Tank" in the afternoon, but I figure I can pull it off with zero issue and he is not wanting to go nowhere and it is getting darker faster than I think it should. I settle in real well and solid with a Glenn Larsen 180 made of AC'ed 50/50sitting over 16.5 grains of Alliant MP300. When the 2X Burris is where I want it, I trip the trigger. He falls forward at the shot and pushes his self as best he can with 3 legs about 30 yards and then he's done.

The boolit hit right where I wanted to between the slats and trashed both lungs then exited. Perfect performance even though it was a tad farther than I wanted to shoot, as my practice with this barrel is not what I wished it was at that moment in time. With my Max that shot would inspire zero thought but this is a different animal, if he was not already hurt I would have not did it.

His front leg was not shot like I @$$umed btw, it was pulled apart at the second joint perfectly seperated at that joint, hide torn really badly like he got in a fight with a fence or a car. The big tendon was the only thing that was holding it in his posession.

Here is my $15 worth of all natural and I bet very tender speed veal, sorry for the pic quality, the camera lady was cold and impatient:
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l80/357maximum/buckfawn_zps56cb7f2b.jpg (http://s93.photobucket.com/user/357maximum/media/buckfawn_zps56cb7f2b.jpg.html)

[richhodg66]

Good shot and you did the humane thing. A 130 yard pistol shot is sure better than I could do. Poor little guy. I will shoot one in a heartbeat but it pains me to see one hurt or killed by a car or something.

I came upon one once that had been road hit and broke two legs, the local cop I called was a very cool good shot and put it down quickly with a head shot from his service pistol. He asked if I wanted it and gave me a salvage tag, but I really had no joy in taking that one to a processor, I just flat felt bad about him going out that way. But being shot is sure a lot kinder way to go than what would happen to one that badly injured in the wild.

[357maximum]

That shot would not have happened with that gun 7 yrs or so ago with me holding it. It is only because of this forum and some damn fine souls that I am very proud to call "friend" that I met right here at CastBoolits that it was possible today. They have taught me alot about castboolits and how to PUSH myself/skills which has really improved the ability of that constant loose nut behind the bolt....without them this thread would not exist....THANK YOU, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. :mrgreen:

[CastingFool]

That's some fine shootin'! that's a heck of a lot farther than I'm willing to shoot my scoped 12 ga with slugs. Congrats!

[kbstenberg]

Where are the anti hunters when you do a good deed like this?
Twice I have culled bucks with problems. One was also a car hit animal. The other was young non typical trying to pass his genes on.

[725]

Good for you!! That's some fine shooting, and I hope you have some fine dining, soon.

[dk17hmr]

I took a couple of crippled up deer when I was back east....might not be ideal for filling the freezer but its the right thing to do.

Anyone willing to do the right thing is welcome in my camp.

[357maximum]

Where are the anti hunters when you do a good deed like this?
Twice I have culled bucks with problems. One was also a car hit animal. The other was young non typical trying to pass his genes on.

Standing somewhere doing nothing but b*tching about how evil "we" are I bet.

I have literally lost count of the number of deer that I have put out of misery due to some accidental and some intentional acts by some other before me. I see it as a simple responsibility of those who sit in the cold and kill their own food, pure and simple. If I had not done what I did today that poor little buck fawn would have likely gone through a lot of misery before he eventually fed the yotes. It's not about "waste" to me as mother nature wastes nothing, but she can be a cruel slow b*tch about it.

[sundog]

I took a couple of crippled up deer when I was back east....might not be ideal for filling the freezer but its the right thing to do.

Anyone willing to do the right thing is welcome in my camp.

dk, that's the definition of character..., "doing the right thing - even when no one else is looking."

[Jailer]

Not a lot of meat for the amount of work you have to put into those little ones but they sure are tasty.

Good on ya for culling one before it suffers any further. You'll have plenty more to choose from if you still need to fill in those last few empty spots in the freezer. ;)

[Lefty Red]

Stories like this tells you the quality of the members! I am just glad I was let in. :)

Lefty

[44man]

I seen a doe limping in early doe season but she was always screened by thick brush. No sense making another injury. I looked for her but never seen her again.
I once found a dead fawn in my fence. Since the Horse died of old age I have removed a lot of wire and don't have to fix the dumb thing anymore where deer break it. Amazing how they can break barbed wire. I just roll it up now.

[BABore]

Musta been a lucky shot. I've never know you be that accurate without the crutches and 4x4 forend on your T/C.;)

[357maximum]

Musta been a lucky shot. I've never know you be that accurate without the crutches and 4x4 forend on your T/C.;)

I may not have had the bipod or the big lumber forend, but I did have a sandbag. :lol:.....I came to the fact 6-7 yrs ago that I sometimes need a bit of "cheat" or "help" whatever you call it....I make do with my meager ability and a little forethought. Not everyone is as good a shot as you ya know. :mrgreen:

[357maximum]

I seen a doe limping in early doe season but she was always screened by thick brush. No sense making another injury. I looked for her but never seen her again.
I once found a dead fawn in my fence. Since the Horse died of old age I have removed a lot of wire and don't have to fix the dumb thing anymore where deer break it. Amazing how they can break barbed wire. I just roll it up now.

I see a very similar injury like this about every other year or so. Ther are not many fences left round here. One thing keeps ringing my grey matter on the HOW/WHY of these injuries though..... The farm 1/4 mile north of me has an old rickety steel I beam/ plank lumber drainage ditch tractor crossing with some small/large gaps in it. I have seen deer use it instead of going down/up the ditchbank quite often. I wonder if once in a while one gets snagged in the old white oak timbers while bee-lining from one stitch of cover to another??????????? I'm gonna run my theory by them and see if I can talk them into letting me remove the boards as they do not use it other than foot traffic very rarely.

[marshall623]

Good shootn , should be some tender eatn

[Treetop]

You're a Class Act, 357maximum! Using your last tag to put that little guy down and prevent any further suffering on his part, was absolutely the right thing to do. And one heck of a good shot also. I'm proud to share a forum with you. Tt.

[357maximum]

You're a Class Act, 357maximum! Using your last tag to put that little guy down and prevent any further suffering on his part, was absolutely the right thing to do. And one heck of a good shot also. I'm proud to share a forum with you. Tt.

Thanks, but you give me far too much credit. That button buck counts as a doe here(buck must have 1 antler 3" or longer to count as a buck. (according to the state he would not have been a "buck" till next year), and I can go buy another doe permit if I choose to...I very likely won't choose to, but that is beside the point. I was pretty damn proud of that shot though I must admit. Folks like BaBore have shown me what is possible...the biggest hurdle is a mental one, and that is convincing yourself you can do it...the rest is just practicing til your skills match your can-do spirit.

[taco650]

Congrats to you for showing good character. I love reading about people who do the right thing even when they no obligation to do so. The deer probably wouldn't survive the winter anyway but that's natures way. It dies to feed something else, in this case you & your family.

Nice shooting too. You're correct that its a mental game combined plain old practice.

[DanWalker]

its the right thing to do.

Anyone willing to do the right thing is welcome in my camp.

^^^^^^^ ditto!

[missionary5155]

Greetings and Congradulations !
Good public service ! And like you wrote.. Tasty ! Thanks for the write up and the photos !
Those younger ones are always tender. My wife requests one every time we are up north. Some oinions and garlic.. whew I can smell it cooking !
Mike in Peru

[telebasher]

I bet Bob Milek and Steve Herrett are looking down and smiling. Good on ya!

[badgeredd]

I am proud to call Max a friend who is a hunter, NOT a shooter.

Edd

[MostlyOnThePaper]

Nice shot Mike,and a good thing to do. Ought to be enough for another pot of gumbo.

Randy

[357maximum]

You fellers are trying to make me blush now ain't ya?

Randy...that little buck-to-be tastes really really good by simply adding a bit of heat to his meat, he will become mostly tender steaks, mini-steaks, stir fry, and fawnstew. I will save da turdy pointer I have yet to find for gumbo. :mrgreen: Been over a decade since I have tasted yearling...I forgot how good they are, alot easier to drag..er um CARRY in from the field too. :lol:

I will be taking THE TANK (357Max) out in the morning( it's feeling neglected), work truck is in the shop.... might just as well get some blind time in whilst my travelling toolbox is down, most likely result will be some genetic cleansing, but I may get a surprise.

[MostlyOnThePaper]

Well, I've only made it out after the ducks twice so far, empty handed both times, so I'm in awe of your success rate with Bambi and family. Makes me want to go buy a deer license. There probably isn't a bad way to cook one that young and tender. All the possibilities you named sound great. Now I'm hungry :)

[357maximum]

Randy...it takes alot of ducks to equal one buck :lol:

Someone got a swan with their car about 12 miles north of me the other day......what a surprise that must have been...ouch.

I have been having a great deer year, just not seen any " bigguns". I think I have passed up 9 or 10, or maybe 11, 1.5 yr old bucks so far with bow/gun combined...next year should be a blast. The average sized button buck around here has been real big this year too, and I am seeing a bunch of em. I even have a couple of pet button bucks on my place that have been here long enough to have names. The biggest buck fawn is very distinctively almost melanistic with a mane...gonna keep my eye on him the next few years ...I HOPE. I will proably end up ending my season with a genetic cleanser, but they eat well too.

[helice]

Standing somewhere doing nothing but b*tching about how evil "we" are I bet.

I have literally lost count of the number of deer that I have put out of misery due to some accidental and some intentional acts by some other before me. I see it as a simple responsibility of those who sit in the cold and kill their own food, pure and simple. If I had not done what I did today that poor little buck fawn would have likely gone through a lot of misery before he eventually fed the yotes. It's not about "waste" to me as mother nature wastes nothing, but she can be a cruel slow b*tch about it.

It is wonderful to enjoy mother nature. It is wise to remember that she is trying to kill us.