Posted By: KRal
A Double Doe morning... - 12/16/2012 4:19 PM
Yesterday morning started off, let's say, less than idea for deer hunting. It was 50 degrees before daylight, 15 mph south wind and rain/thunderstorms in the forecast. We almost got got back in the bed.
After getting dressed and deciding stand location according to the wind, we had a plan. I decide to hunt a power-line right-of-way. We had hung a stand there two weeks ago, but hadn't hunted it yet. I had opted to try and christen my T/C Encore with a 270 win Pro Hunter barrel, SSK Arrestor break, and 3x12 Burris scope. I put this combo together a few years back, but never hunted with; got hung-up hunting with revolvers. The "less than ideas conditions" was perfect for this stand. The 15+mph wind would be from the 12 o'clock position and I could cover a 247 yard stretch of ground.
My son had opted to hunt a stand in a thick cane break with lots of white oaks. He was wanting to take a deer with an iron sighted revolver. We had removed the Leupold 2x from the Ruger Bisley Hunter and zeroed the fiber optic irons with a 245 gr. "Keith style" cast over 18 grs. of 2400. He had been shooting consistently, 3-5" groups at 50 yards from field positions, so I give him the thumbs up.
After dropping him off at his stand location, I headed 1/2 mile down the road to where I was going to be hunting. While getting my gear together, I realized I had forgot a crucial price of hunting equipment: my ammo! I had left the 130 gr. Hornady SST's pushed by 50 grs. of Varget. Although this combo is shoot'n about 1 MOA; it's wasn't doing me a bit of good in the safe! Fortunately, we were hunting a lease that's less than 5 minutes from the house, so back I go. After retrieving and getting in the stand, it was still before daybreak....shewwww.
After daybreak, my Bushnell 600 rangefinder confirmed some distances: my max range would be 247 yards. Since I had my Burris zeroed POA/POI at 250 yards and my mid-range trajectory is 3.5"; I wouldn't have to worry about hold or ranging prior to a shot... I like simplicity.
At 7:40 am, I had a group of three doe crossing the power-line at the "limitation end". I got a solid rest using my backpack lying across the shooting rail and a 10" pieces of plywood. When the lead doe gave me a clean shot, the hammer fell....and so did the deer! WOW...I just took my longest kill at 233 yards. After a few celebratory text messages, the other two deer came back out at about 150 yards, looking up the hill where their partner lay. After watching them about 5 minutes, I called my son and asked "Do you want to try to snipe one?", and he instant reply was "Yes, Sir!"
After his 1/2 mile dash to my stand (stalking the last few yards), he managed to get in the stand and get situated without spooking the two doe (one mature, the other a yearling). For the first 10 minutes, he couldn't shoot because his heart rate and breathing still hadn't settled. No worries, the doe wasn't spooked; they were very relaxed and feeding on honeysuckle.
Once his "vital signs" got stabilized; he had a rock solid rest, hammer cocked, and crosshairs settled on front shoulder....squ-e-e-e-e-zzz....they bedded down! Now the wait...30 minutes....one hour.....two hours....lets try something. I grabbed my rattle bag and grunt call and created the most ferocious mock fight you could imagine! No luck.....lets bark and howl like a coyote! No luck. I know...I'll bang the rattle bag on the metal stand; that's got to make 'em stand up...Nope! Oh...did I mention, there's thunderstorms on the way!
Well, we're back to "patients" now....two and a half hours.....three hou....they stood up, finally! Now, wait for a broad side shot.....they bedded down again! This time the wait wasn't as long...they stood up and started feeding again. As the big doe started moving slowly to our left, my son was settling in again. Only now, he's not calm anymore....I feel the stand shaking! Yep, buck fever on a doe! Well, he regained his composer......cocked the hammer.......crosshairs settled on front shoulder.....sq-u-e-e-e-e-z-z.....Boom! "Daddy, where did she go?!"....I just smiled and told him, "she's bedded down again." After the high fives and congrats, I lazed his shot a 207 yards.
Needless to say, we had a great morning! We managed to get photos, got the deer out, cleaned and in the freezer, before the storms hit. You never know how a hunt's gonna play out; that's what makes hunting so fun.
Pics are on bragging board; can't post them in forum with phone. I'm sure a fellow member will help me out though.
After getting dressed and deciding stand location according to the wind, we had a plan. I decide to hunt a power-line right-of-way. We had hung a stand there two weeks ago, but hadn't hunted it yet. I had opted to try and christen my T/C Encore with a 270 win Pro Hunter barrel, SSK Arrestor break, and 3x12 Burris scope. I put this combo together a few years back, but never hunted with; got hung-up hunting with revolvers. The "less than ideas conditions" was perfect for this stand. The 15+mph wind would be from the 12 o'clock position and I could cover a 247 yard stretch of ground.
My son had opted to hunt a stand in a thick cane break with lots of white oaks. He was wanting to take a deer with an iron sighted revolver. We had removed the Leupold 2x from the Ruger Bisley Hunter and zeroed the fiber optic irons with a 245 gr. "Keith style" cast over 18 grs. of 2400. He had been shooting consistently, 3-5" groups at 50 yards from field positions, so I give him the thumbs up.
After dropping him off at his stand location, I headed 1/2 mile down the road to where I was going to be hunting. While getting my gear together, I realized I had forgot a crucial price of hunting equipment: my ammo! I had left the 130 gr. Hornady SST's pushed by 50 grs. of Varget. Although this combo is shoot'n about 1 MOA; it's wasn't doing me a bit of good in the safe! Fortunately, we were hunting a lease that's less than 5 minutes from the house, so back I go. After retrieving and getting in the stand, it was still before daybreak....shewwww.
After daybreak, my Bushnell 600 rangefinder confirmed some distances: my max range would be 247 yards. Since I had my Burris zeroed POA/POI at 250 yards and my mid-range trajectory is 3.5"; I wouldn't have to worry about hold or ranging prior to a shot... I like simplicity.
At 7:40 am, I had a group of three doe crossing the power-line at the "limitation end". I got a solid rest using my backpack lying across the shooting rail and a 10" pieces of plywood. When the lead doe gave me a clean shot, the hammer fell....and so did the deer! WOW...I just took my longest kill at 233 yards. After a few celebratory text messages, the other two deer came back out at about 150 yards, looking up the hill where their partner lay. After watching them about 5 minutes, I called my son and asked "Do you want to try to snipe one?", and he instant reply was "Yes, Sir!"
After his 1/2 mile dash to my stand (stalking the last few yards), he managed to get in the stand and get situated without spooking the two doe (one mature, the other a yearling). For the first 10 minutes, he couldn't shoot because his heart rate and breathing still hadn't settled. No worries, the doe wasn't spooked; they were very relaxed and feeding on honeysuckle.
Once his "vital signs" got stabilized; he had a rock solid rest, hammer cocked, and crosshairs settled on front shoulder....squ-e-e-e-e-zzz....they bedded down! Now the wait...30 minutes....one hour.....two hours....lets try something. I grabbed my rattle bag and grunt call and created the most ferocious mock fight you could imagine! No luck.....lets bark and howl like a coyote! No luck. I know...I'll bang the rattle bag on the metal stand; that's got to make 'em stand up...Nope! Oh...did I mention, there's thunderstorms on the way!
Well, we're back to "patients" now....two and a half hours.....three hou....they stood up, finally! Now, wait for a broad side shot.....they bedded down again! This time the wait wasn't as long...they stood up and started feeding again. As the big doe started moving slowly to our left, my son was settling in again. Only now, he's not calm anymore....I feel the stand shaking! Yep, buck fever on a doe! Well, he regained his composer......cocked the hammer.......crosshairs settled on front shoulder.....sq-u-e-e-e-e-z-z.....Boom! "Daddy, where did she go?!"....I just smiled and told him, "she's bedded down again." After the high fives and congrats, I lazed his shot a 207 yards.
Needless to say, we had a great morning! We managed to get photos, got the deer out, cleaned and in the freezer, before the storms hit. You never know how a hunt's gonna play out; that's what makes hunting so fun.
Pics are on bragging board; can't post them in forum with phone. I'm sure a fellow member will help me out though.
