2018-19 Bambi Whacking

Never tried anything different, but core lokt have done well for me. Nice exit hole with tons of damage to the insides as well.

Archeryrob said:

Yea, I am guessing most people liking the shock value don;t butcher themselves and do not now the amount meat damage done. I had one hole in and no exit wound as it got the leg bone too.

There was blood jelly between all membrane layers in the chest and neck of the same side. A damn swimming pool of blood once I opened the diaphragm but only one spot of blood on the ground before I saw her 50 yards down. No blood out side and total havoc inside.

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My son got his first with SST in 6.5CM at junior hunt. Just as yours deer dropped in a pile. Neck shot that went straight down the spine - found the bullet under what used to be the spine at the ass end expanded beautifully (I’d post a picture but he dropped it when helping me field clean her). I had MG butcher her and no less meat than normal (more than I expected actually). I really like the SST but maybe would feel different if I butchered personally.

I think caliber and shot placement are more important than projectile in terms of damage done. Just my .02

Archeryrob said:

Yea, I am guessing most people liking the shock value don;t butcher themselves and do not now the amount meat damage done. I had one hole in and no exit wound as it got the leg bone too.

There was blood jelly between all membrane layers in the chest and neck of the same side. A damn swimming pool of blood once I opened the diaphragm but only one spot of blood on the ground before I saw her 50 yards down. No blood out side and total havoc inside.

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I hand load and butcher my own deer.I have used quite a few types of bullets in 270 and 243 trying to find a bullet that causes the deer to die quick but not destroy a bunch of meat.If you load light loads(who wants to do that?..lol)SSts and other cup and core bullets do just fine.I have been impressed with TTSXs with full loads.Enough inside trauma to kill quickly and hardly any blood shot meat.

Most deer die within sight.I have tracked two,one 50 yrds thru thick stuff and one went 100 yrds thru a swampy bottom.Neither left great blood trails,but were easily followed.

ps...I can remember 4 or 5 that were shot thru the heart with TTSX bullets.There was little to no blood shot through the shoulder areas.

aray said:

Thanks for all of your kinds words. As I was typing this in last night my wife told me no one was going to read it because "it's too long!" I'm gratified that folks enjoyed the story. It's sorta fun to retell now, but believe me it was anything but fun living through it at the time!


Interesting that you had a very similar experience to me. Who knew quicksand was real thing? Glad you got out though. As far as I know, I didn't damage my gun. I'll inspect it carefully as soon as I clean it - which should have already happened, but I've been crazy busy since then (sigh).

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I also had a very crappy mud/bog experience. I was duck hunting on the eastern shore at a spot I had never hunted before. It was public land, and a LONG walk in. Probably 2 miles. I was carrying my shotgun, two bags of decoys, my gear bag, and my coat. I suspected it got marshy down by the river I would be hunting, so I picked a spot that had a kind of peninsula to get me out through the marsh, minimizing its impact. I found it, and trekked out. I was able to hop from the tops of grass mats to keep out of the really marshy stuff below, so that saved me a lot. I picked out a spot with an advantageous wind, and started hunting.

The trip back out was a TOTALLY different story.

When I went in, it was probably 25 degrees, and had been for a few days. Everything was frozen. On this day though, it warmed up, and everything thawed out before my hunt was over. All of the grass mats I used to get out there now sunk in to the mud, or sometimes my foot would just go through them. I had waders on, so I wasn't worried about water getting over my boots, but they create other problems, such as limited mobility. I decided to move around the grass mats and in to the muck, and try to use the mats for support/stability. It was terrible.

I had about 75 yards to go though this mess, and I think it took me an hour and a half. And I was EXHAUSTED after that. I used the same trick you did (laying back and kicking out), but I also did this forwards, and on my sides at times. I also used the decoy bags as "outriggers" of sorts to help get more purchase on terra firma. And that peninsula I used? Well, with the thaw, a small stream formed next to it, which made for an interesting "finale" to the mayhem. And then I still had two miles to walk back to my truck.

And for all this, I only got a merganser

And the REALLY sad part was that I had planned to hunt from my boat on this trip, which would have bypassed all the marsh. But the winds were so bad and I had never navigated this water before, I decided to play it safe and walk in. But when I got there, the water was insulated from the wind, and was nearly flat calm. I could have avoided it all after all

Archeryrob said:

They finally stopped logging the farm to the east. I hunted the farm edge to the west. That other farmer decided to spread manure at 2:30. Boy was I a bit pissed. But figured they are used to his tractor getting round bails every night for the cows. The fourth trip the deer must have got tired of the tractor and headed my way. A whole bunch of does. I picked one and dropped her.

These pictures to show what the hornady SST rounds on .30-06 did. Bullet entered the heart and opened the other side like a flower. I am not sure the bullet even exited

Yea it’s a bit gross but that bullet was awesome

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nice shot! Ive had a couple animals shot in the heart...some intentional some luck

One less Bambi killer. My oldest brother got this today in West Viginia with his smokeless muzzleloader.

gtodave said:

I also had a very crappy mud/bog experience. I was duck hunting on the eastern shore at a spot I had never hunted before. It was public land, and a LONG walk in. Probably 2 miles. I was carrying my shotgun, two bags of decoys, my gear bag, and my coat. I suspected it got marshy down by the river I would be hunting, so I picked a spot that had a kind of peninsula to get me out through the marsh, minimizing its impact. I found it, and trekked out. I was able to hop from the tops of grass mats to keep out of the really marshy stuff below, so that saved me a lot. I picked out a spot with an advantageous wind, and started hunting.

The trip back out was a TOTALLY different story.

When I went in, it was probably 25 degrees, and had been for a few days. Everything was frozen. On this day though, it warmed up, and everything thawed out before my hunt was over. All of the grass mats I used to get out there now sunk in to the mud, or sometimes my foot would just go through them. I had waders on, so I wasn't worried about water getting over my boots, but they create other problems, such as limited mobility. I decided to move around the grass mats and in to the muck, and try to use the mats for support/stability. It was terrible.

I had about 75 yards to go though this mess, and I think it took me an hour and a half. And I was EXHAUSTED after that. I used the same trick you did (laying back and kicking out), but I also did this forwards, and on my sides at times. I also used the decoy bags as "outriggers" of sorts to help get more purchase on terra firma. And that peninsula I used? Well, with the thaw, a small stream formed next to it, which made for an interesting "finale" to the mayhem. And then I still had two miles to walk back to my truck.

And for all this, I only got a merganser

And the REALLY sad part was that I had planned to hunt from my boat on this trip, which would have bypassed all the marsh. But the winds were so bad and I had never navigated this water before, I decided to play it safe and walk in. But when I got there, the water was insulated from the wind, and was nearly flat calm. I could have avoided it all after all

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I only think about this happening to me every single time I duck hunt. It doesn't matter where or in what type of water or boat/no boat. I always think about getting suction stuck in mud. I always clip a serrated knife to the top of my waders with the idea that I might have to cut them off to escape the bog. Seriously I'm surprised I haven't had a dream about it since reading Aray's story.

That’s either a big coyote or a little brother :-)

I am pretty sure I heard some coyotes tussling not too far from me my last evening in greenridge. I would have guess 300-400yds down the valley.

Mike3888 said:

One less Bambi killer. My oldest brother got this today in West Viginia with his smokeless muzzleloader.

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Glad he shot it. Thats a big yote!

Mike3888 said:

One less Bambi killer. My oldest brother got this today in West Viginia with his smokeless muzzleloader.

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Wow!

Yeah I figured out what is happening. The trigger and my unsupported firing discipline is the issue. Off the bench, 2” high at 100 and dead on at 50. Shot a few rounds of fusion and Hornady black and they are less than an inch apart at 50 and maybe 1” apart at 100.

Then I shot 10 rounds off the bench with no sling and a few with sling and a few being much more careful. Not being super careful and not using my sling, 3” low and 3” right at 50yds (and a couple were worse than that)...I definitely notice I am squeezing the grip because of the heavy trigger. When I am careful and especially using the sling it’s only about 1” low at 50 and about 1” right. About dead even and 2” right at 100.

Glad I ordered a LaRue MBT. Just wish I’d ordered one a few weeks ago, not this morning. I figure that probably will help some with accuracy, especially off hand. Also I need to aim center of vitals, not low or low forward. Shoulder shot aim point or aim just behind the shoulder. Also find a tree, or kneel/sit and use my sling no matter what.

Also I need to spend more time shooting unsupported or at least off hand. Absolutely need to improve there. I am sure my lack of practice off hand and a bit lack of being careful with my trigger pull is also why I missed a deer or two in ML season last year.

To top that, my 10/22 is t necessary great practice for that when it’s got about a 3# trigger pull and my grendel and .223 ARs have more like 6-7#, even if they are “polished” triggers.

Hopefully the pair of MBTs to drop in to both rifles will help (and practice, practice, practice!)

I got stuck in some muck on the edge of a creek and thankfully had someone with me. It was all due to me looking for muskrats lol. Boots got sucked into some nasty mud. I guess about as dramatic as the time I got down a steep slope into a creek looking for a spot to set for otters, and had to choose climbing up that bank or going in over my hip boots. I managed to somehow get myself up that slippery bank.

BTW I got a deer. Cecil county. And another FU to Frosh and his ilk lol. Nice big doe and she ran a bit before dropping. I could hear her go down and thrash around. Turns out I hit gut then bullet went forward and hit lung/liver, so she was quartering a little ( she looked broadside but must have moved) AND it looks like the bullet went slightly upwards rather than downwards to exit and I was holding the gun at maybe 11 feet above the ground and deer at 40 yds. Something is always looking out for me. And check out that white whatever coming from her mouth. It was not raining or moist out and was using my phone camera that should not have been wet either. So another damn gut shot, but it did not affect the meat other than tenderloins. What was worst was the hydrostatic shock made jelly and there was a smell in one shoulder even though no gut anything could have gotten in there. I'm a bit upset at loss of meat due to this jellying. I was happy I did not blow out either shoulder, then to find this under the 1 shoulder. I am using I think 160 grain interlock .308. Heart girth chart has this deer listed as being 90 pounds or so dressed, but I am not sure about those charts. I got a lot of meat off of her though and only processed about 1/3rd so far. Rest I froze. BTW it got dark so fast after I found her and I got disoriented. I knew which way to go to drag her but it just kept going on and on walking and dragging her and was saved by the white plastic chairs my mom had in front of the blind lol. I guess the deer ran 60 yards at the least, as that was one long 100 yard haul. I did go get my plastic sled and that made dragging SO much easier after that. BTW talked to neighbor who said he or a family member gut shot a buck and he dropped in place, using a .270. This is one weirdass bunch of woods. I have called my land the Black Hole of Elkton for some 4 years.

Nice. What you describe on getting disoriented, that happens to me most times with evening deer. I can find my way through woods fine and rarely get lost even in the dark, but something about field stripping a deer I go to drag it and can’t find a thing.

51 pointer killed in Illinois this year! Not by me FWIW :/

The rain stopped earlier than I thought and I slept later than planned

Oh well, I'll sit in my stand tonight and see if anything is moving. I saw the menu of processed meat from our local deer butcher and it really has me wanting to get one more deer to drop off to him

I took tomorrow off. Dumped 100 pounds of corn on Wednesday at the stand. They should be moving pretty good back there in the am. I’ll be waiting.

With one deer in early ML,and none in the firearms season,I forced myself out of bed yesterday.I stayed in my stand ,in the rain for 3 hrs or so.I saw no deer ,which has been the norm for this year.

I went back in the eve and the rain had all but stopped.I sat there for 2 1/2 hrs and as it was getting dark,I thought here we go again....no deer.With 15 mins of legal light I finally saw some though....4 does stepped into an opening and I shot the biggest one.Finally added one to the freezer.
Between me,my mom,girlfriend and two daughters and their spouses and kids,we easily go through 4-5 deer a year.....Im still not done....lol

So glad my grand son got 3 this year.His side is taken care of.

Took a button buck with the CVA this morning around 7:50.

Dorchester 7:20 this morning.

Mike3888 said:

Dorchester 7:20 this morning.

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Pic?

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