2019-2020 Bambi whacking

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  • lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    A few days out (*snicker*) from the 2019-2020 season starting, but other than those few with crop damage permits, the rest of us are counting days and thinking about the bow opener less than 3 months out.

    Also asking for tips for the new season.

    So I’ll kick off the thread and also open it asking for advice/knowledge. I moved last month within my neighborhood, but the house is on about 5 acres, mostly wooded. Immediate neighbors all would like me to reduce the deer population and have zero issues with me bow hunting. I like actually getting out and hunting around and 5 acres to hunt on (especially when really it’s 1-2 that are huntable unless I want to guarantee I am dragging a deer out of a neighbor’s yard...though I am sure it is going to happen anyway).

    But I work with what I got, I’ve got a TON of deer migrating through and if I means I’ve got one or two “sure bets” tucked in the freezer and I am out on public lands or hunting a friends farm for meat for my friends who can’t hunt (bunch of them have new borns this year), so be it.

    Anyway, I’ve gotten a few singletons that last few weeks of observation who may be pregnant does from what they look like and those of thinned out, so probably dropped fawns not on my property. I also have a herd of 7 yearling does who weren’t breed who usually come morning and evening. I’ve also had 3 come through a few times who seem to mostly come by day time and I’ve seen them sunset twice. Well I got a good look this time (like 10 minutes ago. Working from home today). As I thought, bucks. It was hard to see at a distance and/or dusk before, but I thought I could see some nuns coming in.

    How quickly do antlers regrow? Because for early June, these guys seem to have a lot of progress. At a guess I think I am looking at a yearling, a 2yr old and a 3yr old buck. Though the bigger one might be 4. Former owner said a good 10-pt was bedding down behind his work truck. His wife feed the deer and loved them and would never let him hunt “her deer” (he was a big hunter). Seems like all three have good antler progress, but the one has a span almost to the tips of his ears already it seems and obvious tines coming in. One that has a fork forming and last one that has good growth, but no forking yet.

    Is it May that they start growing in? I know they typically shed velvet late September. Is it very linear growth? Or does growth slow down a lot later on? Or speed up later on?

    Thanks!
     

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    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Also a better look at the two bigger ones. Left guy has a good sized fork already on both antlers. Other dude has a single fork so far.
     

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    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Two sides of veal venison just waiting for September
     

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    CrawfishStu

    Creeper
    Dec 4, 2006
    2,336
    Crofton
    I've seen two different sets of triplets. Also, the piebald buck that is around the house might be getting busy. Saw a piebald fawn.
     

    67temp

    Active Member
    Jun 25, 2009
    901
    Gettysburg, PA
    It's that time of year again for me. 2 mins into my first crop damage hunt of the year. At least it isn't super hot out yet.

    I now live further away from where I hunt and can't go after work. So I'm now limited to weekend hunts.
     

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    bigmanindc

    Active Member
    Nov 3, 2018
    463
    DMV
    What 12g ammo do you guys use? This will be my first year out there and I just purchased some Federal Premium 12g 2 3/4 1oz truball deep penetrator rifled slug (1350fps) and Federal Premium 12g 2 3/4 1oz maximum truball rifled slup HP (1600fps). Any other suggestions I should try out before the season starts?
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    What 12g ammo do you guys use? This will be my first year out there and I just purchased some Federal Premium 12g 2 3/4 1oz truball deep penetrator rifled slug (1350fps) and Federal Premium 12g 2 3/4 1oz maximum truball rifled slup HP (1600fps). Any other suggestions I should try out before the season starts?

    A shoulder pad?

    Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    A couple of those 1 ouncers leaving your shoulder at 1600 fps will have you wishing that defensive end was between you and the sluggun's buttplate.

    Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk

    Yeah get a shoulder pad. I can shoot a couple of mag tubes worth and my shoulder will be a little sore. Do that off a bench and it sucks bad.

    You’ll want to sight it in even if using a bead sight so you know where it’s going and what your range of accuracy is. That means probably shooting 10-15 of each to see what shoots the best.

    You will be black and blue shooting off a bench without a shoulder recoil pad. $20-30. Worth every penny.

    Slugs have way more energy than bird and target loads.

    A 2 3/4” slug has about the same energy as a 3” goose load and you aren’t shooting goose loads off a bench.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Oh, also I’d suggest if you have access to a range with 25, 50, 75 and 100yd targets. Which means more like 20rnds of each ammo (40 total).

    Deer deserves a quick death, not gut shot and die 4 miles and half a day away. Or a leg blown off and you see a 3 legged deer next season. Gotta practice with what you are using. Know your effective range and don’t shoot past it, even if it’s the booner of a lifetime.

    If you can, use a ghost ring sight. My accurate range with a bead and slugs is about 50yds. With the ghost ring sights on my 870 I am limited by the ammo, about 100yds (they drop fast after that and just don’t have much energy past it too).

    I have a set of Williams firesight ghost ring sights. It goes on the rib of the shotgun at the back of the rib and over the bead. I use it full time as I am better with skeet and trap also using it.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    Oh, also I’d suggest if you have access to a range with 25, 50, 75 and 100yd targets. Which means more like 20rnds of each ammo (40 total).

    Deer deserves a quick death, not gut shot and die 4 miles and half a day away. Or a leg blown off and you see a 3 legged deer next season. Gotta practice with what you are using. Know your effective range and don’t shoot past it, even if it’s the booner of a lifetime.

    If you can, use a ghost ring sight. My accurate range with a bead and slugs is about 50yds. With the ghost ring sights on my 870 I am limited by the ammo, about 100yds (they drop fast after that and just don’t have much energy past it too).

    I have a set of Williams firesight ghost ring sights. It goes on the rib of the shotgun at the back of the rib and over the bead. I use it full time as I am better with skeet and trap also using it.
    I have a 3x9 variable scope on my Mossy 500 sluggun. It will hold minute of pie plate out to 200 yards, but I limit myself to 100yds for deer for the reasons stated above.

    Took a 7 point at 79 yards (per rangefinder) one shot kill.

    Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk
     

    67temp

    Active Member
    Jun 25, 2009
    901
    Gettysburg, PA
    Day 2 of hunting and #2 down. It's amazing how far they can go with a hole through the heart. This one made it 80 yds.
     

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    newmuzzleloader

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 14, 2009
    4,764
    joppa
    Day 2 of hunting and #2 down. It's amazing how far they can go with a hole through the heart. This one made it 80 yds.

    Wow,in this kind of heat are you able to cut it up and get it iced down before it spoils or is it just critter food when it's already 90 degrees at 6am?
     

    67temp

    Active Member
    Jun 25, 2009
    901
    Gettysburg, PA
    It's not as bad as you would think. You typically have some time before things start spoiling. The worst part is dealing with the flies. Typically after a kill during summer hunting, once you get one you arent going to stay and hunt more. I take mine to the butcher and they either get skinned right away and hung in the cooler or laid on the cooler floor with their legs propped open so they cool faster.

    Summer deer meat tastes alot better than fall meat too.
     

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