Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: JW_Halverson on November 11, 2013, 11:58:17 pm
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Hunted hard over the weekend with a 17 yr old friend (he's the kid I took turkey hunting a year and a half ago, some of you might remember the story and his pic). I had drawn a tough area, most of it is ate up with deep canyons and thick underbrush everywhere else. It was made worse by the fall snowstorms driving the deer out of that area and down into town. We walked a lot of miles and glassed a lot of cover over the two days.
On Sunday afternoon, Isaac said we'd go to a Game Production Area and sit on a small food plot of cane next to a draw leading up out of town. He guessed some of the deer might filter up the small side canyon into the food plot at sunset. We got there early and I promptly fell asleep. I woke from a small nudge and his voice whispering advice that I shouldn't move. I opened my eyes to three small whitetail does at 75 yards right smack dab in the middle of the plot. When I asked him why he didn't wake me sooner he said he was asleep. Dang kids these days.
We watched them for a bit when he checked his cell phone and advised we had about 2 minutes to legal shooting hours. I put crosshairs on the pocket behind the largest doe's elbow and squeezed off the Rem 700 in .243. A Barnes Vor-TX 85 grain copper solid did what the manufacturer claimed. I got a mere 45 yd run out of her before she piled up.
When I checked the scope on this rifle a week ago the best group I shot was over 4 inches at 100 yds using Winchester Power Point lead ammo. And that was not counting the two flyers in the 9 shots I used to make sure I was still on paper. When I ran three 3 shot strings at the same distance I was getting inch and a half groups with the copper rounds. Maybe I am a better rifleman that I have always given myself credit for! Another great benefit was the reduced felt recoil.
Sorry, no pictures. We had to field dress the deer by the light of his cell phone. And even then I managed to nick the stomach. Fortunately we were minutes from his house and a garden hose. The doe was all washed up and hung in my garage quickstep. From the looks of the weather forcast I should be able to hang her at least a week, so I am anticipating good eating. This is only my second modern rifle deer kill and I am about to turn 51!
Despite being just a conservation tag doe, just a short hop outside of city limits, not using a flintlock or a bow, and no great story, I really enjoyed this hunt. I enjoyed spending the weekend with a young man with ethics that run deep (Thanks Nancy for raising such a damn fine boy). He's a great conversationalist, a young man of convictions and faith, and when he graduates this coming spring the Army is getting good raw material to work with.
Thank you, Isaac, for a memorable hunt.
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Sounds like a great story to me! Congrats and kudos! Josh
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Been too much on facebook.... I was looking for the "like" button ::)
Good story Jdub!
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Sounds like a great story to me! Congrats and kudos! Josh
here here! ;)
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Sounds like a good hunt to me,any time in the woods with young folks is time well spent. :)
Pappy
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This is a great story! Sounds like fun was had by both of you.
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Great story. Its not the destination, but the journey that counts.
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Cool story JW, I love the idea of going out, taking a nap, waking up, shooting a deer and then back home.
Kevin
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niiiiice :)
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Congratulations on a hunt that was successful in many different ways.
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Good summary and way to make a good point J-Dub. Enjoy the eating!
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way to get it done Jdub.congrats brother.
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Yesterday I had a grilled deerheart steak sandwich and thanked my Maker for the string of blessings that make up my life.
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Absolutely, Great to hear alls going well. It's always a good when you get to take meat home. But like they say a bad day of hunting is better than any hospital I ve ever been in :laugh:
Knapper
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Jdub, you shoulda tried out. Sounds like you mighta made a perfectly "OK" dad. ;)
Enjoy them catfish!
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Now that day sounds like a GOODER! Gun season opens Saturday here. Way to go JW, for bein a great role model...did I just say that?
;), dpg
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Great story. A 243 is a classic deer load. I don't have one, but it's on my wish list. Darn kids is right! Congrats on getting meat!!
Cipriano
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I can relate JW. A 17 yr old kid from the neighborhood who is a buddy of mine hunts the same small 5 acres of woods behind a horse lot as I do. He text me about 3:50 Wed. evening that a doe just came by out of range and headed into the cutover. This was the exact opposite of what the deer do. They usually come from the cutover to the woods to eat acorns and eventually to the bean field. So I told him that something made that doe head into the cutover and that it was a good chance a buck was on her trail and be on the lookout. About 5:10 he called to say he shot a buck. I drove out there to show him how to field dress then we hung it up at my house for the night. Then last night I showed him how to skin and butcher it. It turned out to be a decent 6 pointer and was his first deer ever. Feels good to pass it on.
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I can relate JW. A 17 yr old kid from the neighborhood who is a buddy of mine hunts the same small 5 acres of woods behind a horse lot as I do. He text me about 3:50 Wed. evening that a doe just came by out of range and headed into the cutover. This was the exact opposite of what the deer do. They usually come from the cutover to the woods to eat acorns and eventually to the bean field. So I told him that something made that doe head into the cutover and that it was a good chance a buck was on her trail and be on the lookout. About 5:10 he called to say he shot a buck. I drove out there to show him how to field dress then we hung it up at my house for the night. Then last night I showed him how to skin and butcher it. It turned out to be a decent 6 pointer and was his first deer ever. Feels good to pass it on.
No way he will ever forget this memory! Thanks for helping him make it come to pass.
I have a friend that is turning 50 this year and has decided she really likes the venison I feed her. She has asked if I would take her hunting so she can decide if she wants to do it herself. ;D Just keep passing it along.