Firearms - Hunting/Target thread

[M^tster]

Wish we could use rifles to hunt the deer here, it's shotguns only. My dad does have a 12 gauge with a rifled barrel but I'll have to practice with that sucker as I have only ever used mine to hunt small game and birds. There are so many deer here it is ridiculous..I see a buck almost every day, and doe even more here. Turkey is still on here I believe, which I wanted to do and have a tag for, but I am too busy to get to it... 

[|iR|Focalor]

Sometimes stupid works out when you are also lucky.

Yeah, dunno if this dudes ever seen two mature bucks sparring during the rut before, but I've seen it on several hunting shows before, and that's enough to convince me that I don't want a living breathing buck getting that close to me with his head.

There's a game ranch not far from Stone Mountain. When I used to go there as kid, it never scared me at all to feed the deer there. Even took a girl there on a date once when I was in college. But then I got into hunting and learned a little bit about the habits of deer. Went with my mom and sister to take my two little nephews to go feed the animals there once. Made me nervous as hell with these big mature bucks coming up to them and taking food from their hands. Especially when more than one would come over and start kinda nudging each other out of the way to get to the food.

Turkey is still on here I believe, which I wanted to do and have a tag for, but I am too busy to get to it... 

Turkey season is usually in the spring. It is in Georgia anyway. Hunting seasons are always gonna run during mating seasons. They don't want people killing pregnant game.

[M^tster]

Sometimes stupid works out when you are also lucky.

Yeah, dunno if this dudes ever seen two mature bucks sparring during the rut before, but I've seen it on several hunting shows before, and that's enough to convince me that I don't want a living breathing buck getting that close to me with his head.

There's a game ranch not far from Stone Mountain. When I used to go there as kid, it never scared me at all to feed the deer there. Even took a girl there on a date once when I was in college. But then I got into hunting and learned a little bit about the habits of deer. Went with my mom and sister to take my two little nephews to go feed the animals there once. Made me nervous as hell with these big mature bucks coming up to them and taking food from their hands. Especially when more than one would come over and start kinda nudging each other out of the way to get to the food.

Turkey is still on here I believe, which I wanted to do and have a tag for, but I am too busy to get to it... 

Turkey season is usually in the spring. It is in Georgia anyway. Hunting seasons are always gonna run during mating seasons. They don't want people killing pregnant game.

No it started here last weekend, my buddy Dave that I work with goes every year. He uses a 10 gauge, BOOM!    There are so many turkey out where I live, at certain times of the year I have to stop in the road and wait for them to move. I wish I could just get out and blast one with my 9mm which I always carry, it would be so easy they are not afraid of the car at all it seems.

[Skyhawk]

Apparently you can choose from percussion cap or flintlock variety, which is pretty cool if you wanna go all early 1800's for your hunt. Don't see too many people making them other than ThompsonCenter and Traditions.

Sadly the thing people were afraid of when Smith&Wesson bought Thompson Center has happened.
They discontinued their sidelock rifles and the only muzzle loaders they still make are in-lines.
The only way to get a Thompson Center sidelock is retailer old stock or used.
I can't complain though I just picked up a used T/C Pennsylvania Hunter a while ago from a guy who didn't want to use his grandfather's flintlock. It's a little rough from hanging on the wall for too long but for $150 it was still a steal. Hell she may not be the bell of the ball but she'll take a deer or two.

There aren't too many companies left making or selling sidelock muzzle loaders any more.
Traditions Firearms, Pedersoli, Lyman (branded Invest Arms made guns) and Cabelas (branded Invest arms and Pedersoli guns) are a few off the top of my head. I guess given that Pennsylvania is the only state that still has a flintlock only deer season (and they better not mess with our flintlock season) there isn't a big market for them.

Turkey is still on here I believe, which I wanted to do and have a tag for, but I am too busy to get to it... 

Turkey season is usually in the spring. It is in Georgia anyway. Hunting seasons are always gonna run during mating seasons. They don't want people killing pregnant game.

In Pennsylvania we have two turkey seasons one in the fall and one in the spring.
The fall season regulations vary in the different Wildlife Management Units.
The WMU I've been hunting in fall season is Nov. 2-22 [closed Nov. 23-27 for Black Bear season] then Nov. 28-30. 1 bird either sex. You can use shotgun, bow or rifle in this season.
The spring season is May 3-31. 1 bird male only. Shoguns or bow.

I go in the fall season one because you can use a rifle (I'm looking to give a turkey a .22 caliber lead induced lobotomy)  and two there are too many 'accidental shootings' in the spring season.
I don't want to be the one on the other side of a moving bush when some idiot desides to take a shot to see if its a turkey. When they report this kinda thing on the news it should be called what it is PREVENTABLE STUPIDITY not accidental.
If something like that would happen, if able to, I'd return fire and know I was shooting at a turkey just not the feathered kind.

[Krlll Mule]

I agree with you, if you point, aim and shoot somebody with a deer rifle (or shotgun or bow) it ain't no accidental shooting. People that do that should be prosecuted. I have a co-worker,  that while his family was on a deer hunting trip in another state, grandpa saw something brown moving and assumed it was a deer. He shot and killed his son who had foolishly taken off his hunter's orange while walking to his truck. That man has to live the rest of his life with that and I'm not sure jail time would make him suffer more than he does daily. But too many hunting "accidents" are just plain poor judgment and not following the BASIC safety rules.

As for rutting bucks being playful pets, two years ago we had a case where a man had illegally captured and raised a buck which grew into a nice big 8 pt. One day during mating season, he entered the pen to feed it and it went into attack mode. He died from the wounds where it gored him. There are good reasons to leave wildlife in the wild.

My hunting update.... the deer that have been running all over my yard since I put my dog down have gone nocturnal. I saw 3 last night in a pasture about 150 yrds away. One had a limp because it was hit by a car a few weeks ago. I need to do some serious scouting, string and shoot my crossbow and wait for the right shot. I want about a 25 yrd. broadside or I watch her walk.

[|iR|Focalor]

I'd say that MOST of the time these "accidents" are people hunting under the influence of alcohol. I just CANNOT see the fatal fascination with getting hammered-assed drunk and then going hunting. Last place I wanna be drunk is 20 feet off the ground in a rickety fucking tree stand where I can fall and break my neck. Also, how the hell are you gonna put the shot spot-on where you want it when you've got that drunk sway going?

And even if you're sober... IDENTIFY YOUR GOD DAMN TARGET AND CHECK THE SHOT BEFORE YOU MAKE IT! Why just blindly blast away at bushes moving? If its not a deer, all you're gonna do is scare off any deer that might be nearby with the loud bang. And even if it IS a deer, you don't wanna hit it in the ass and have it run miles and miles away only to die 3 days later where you'll never find it.

I understand that hunting can be very tricky and opportunities to shoot something are very few and far between. But it makes WAY more sense to me to use that one fleeting opportunity wisely with a little more patience rather than fucking up and possibly murdering a game warden wandering around in the woods.

[Krlll Mule]

I'd say that MOST of the time these "accidents" are people hunting under the influence of alcohol. I just CANNOT see the fatal fascination with getting hammered-assed drunk and then going hunting. Last place I wanna be drunk is 20 feet off the ground in a rickety fucking tree stand where I can fall and break my neck. Also, how the hell are you gonna put the shot spot-on where you want it when you've got that drunk sway going?

And even if you're sober... IDENTIFY YOUR GOD DAMN TARGET AND CHECK THE SHOT BEFORE YOU MAKE IT! Why just blindly blast away at bushes moving? If its not a deer, all you're gonna do is scare off any deer that might be nearby with the loud bang. And even if it IS a deer, you don't wanna hit it in the ass and have it run miles and miles away only to die 3 days later where you'll never find it.

I understand that hunting can be very tricky and opportunities to shoot something are very few and far between. But it makes WAY more sense to me to use that one fleeting opportunity wisely with a little more patience rather than fucking up and possibly murdering a game warden wandering around in the woods.

Amen to that, brother. Have your drink when you get home or back to camp. The story will be better and the deer bigger 

[Skyhawk]

No dout! If you want to drink stay at home or camp, if you want to hunt go sober.

I remember going passed a beer distributor and seeing a big banner plastered on the wall saying "Welcome Hunters" did a double take on that one.
I'm glad I don't live or hunt in an area that promotes the idea of going out with a .300 magnum stupity rifle and a case of beer.

I kinda wonder if the "if its brown shoot mentality" isn't part of the reason we now have antler restrictions in this state. If its a buck you have to make sure its legal, for most of the state that means three points or more on one side of it's rack.

[|iR|Focalor]

Have your drink when you get home or back to camp.

If it's really cold, taking a few sips off some whiskey or shine for warmth ain't "wrong" in my opinion, but drinking enough to get drunk or even just barely buzzed is dumb in my opinion. Like they say, drink responsibly. And when I say "responsibly" keep in mind that MOST of the time that actually means DON'T DRINK PERIOD. Maybe I myself can understand taking a few sips of whiskey ain't gonna make someone shoot themselves, but if you're hunting on federal land or in areas where game wardens patrol, you're gonna have big problems if one of them catches you taking even one tiny sip of anything. They take the whole "no alcohol and firearms" thing VERY seriously. And while I'm on the subject, also should mention that hunting while smoking marijuana is also pretty irresponsible. Personally, I have no problem with someone smoking a little and hunting. Even though I personally know that weed isn't gonna make someone go crazy and start shooting at everything in sight like a drunk lunatic might, it doesn't change the fact that being in possession of illegal drugs while also possessing a firearm is a HUGE no-no. Not to mention that if you merely have one small empty metal pipe with so much as a measurable amount of resin stuck to the inside of it while you're hunting a federal Wildlife Management Area, that constitutes a felony.

So my personal policy is... unless I'm hunting on my own property or private property, I leave the flask and dope at home, period. Not that the dope is even an issue. I don't even do that while hunting on my OWN property. I don't even smoke cigarettes when I'm hunting. Don't wanna create any out of place smells in the air. Plus if I'm up in a tree, I'd have to put it out and drop it on the ground. I absolutely DO NOT feel comfortable dropping a cigarette on the ground under a tree I'm in. I almost burned down half the woods by the river in town one time putting a cigarette out on a tree and then walking away. I went walking downstream looking for a good place to fish. Came back about 15 minutes later and saw a huge 100 foot diameter of the woods ablaze. I thought to myself, "WHAT THE FUCK!?! Some asshole came back here and set a fire and now I'm gonna get blamed for it!!!"... and then I saw what was in the very middle of the burned area. It was the dead still-standing tree trunk where I had put my cigarette out, and then I realized, "OH SHIT! IT IS MY FAULT!!!" Haha! Ran back to my truck and grabbed my cooler. Luckily I had several bottles of water and some melted ice in there. Used that to put out some of it. The rest of it I had stomp out with my boots. Ended up dropping my nice sunglasses in the process. Went back the next day to look for them and found them in a half-melted fucking clump.

So needless to say, I'm extra cautious about smoking in the woods now.

I kinda wonder if the "if its brown shoot mentality" isn't part of the reason we now have antler restrictions in this state. If its a buck you have to make sure its legal, for most of the state that means three points or more on one side of it's rack.

It depends on several things, but mostly they rely on population management surveys they conduct and the number of big game licenses they sell. Typically, the younger bucks are probably gonna be easier to kill. They're not quite as cautious as the older monster bucks. Unless its peak rut when they all get swole up with hormones and mean and territorial as hell, they'll often travel in small herds with the bigger dominant bucks letting the younger dumber ones be the first to step out into any clearing where hunters might be waiting. That's another part of the whole "patience" thing it takes to be successful on a hunt. Sometimes you gotta gamble and let one or two shootable bucks pass you so you can allow the possibly bigger one to come peeking out without spooking the herd.

But in a nutshell... you're probably absolutely right. A lot of hunters don't have very much patience and will shoot the first damn thing they see.

I can tell you I'm not like that. Personally, I shoot does for the meat, so as long as it ain't tiny, I'll nail one if I need or want one. But with bucks, I won't shoot one unless the rack looks good. I'm hunting for the meat, but with bucks, it also becomes all about the trophy. I look for symmetry, same number of tines on each side, same size on each side. If it's some non-typical oddity with one weird forked drop tine on one side, I wouldn't mind that either as long at the main part of the rack is still mostly symmetrical. In fact just last week I went out for a bit in the evening and watched some gnarly 2 by 3 typical rack buck pass by. Didn't even CONSIDER taking a shot on him.

And as far as "conservation" efforts go, I probably should pick one like that off. But I figure there's plenty of other hunters around here who wouldn't mind shooting him, so might as well leave him for one of those guys who don't mind a less than presentation quality rack. As for me, I want something that will look good mounted on the wall. The biggest buck I ever got, I used to have hanging over my fireplace. It was a really super nice 10 point typical 150+ incher. I ended up donating it to my dads Masonic lodge under the condition that I could have it back if for some reason I wanted it back or they ever planned on taking it off the wall. That kinda shit is EXACTLY what I hunt for.

[Skyhawk]

I'll take the first buck that i can in part because of the number of deer in the areas I hunt and what it takes to be legal now.
I guess its also that my grandfather taught me to hunt, sadly he was bed ridden soon after I started hunting and couldn't go with me anymore. So when I got my first buck, a nice 8 point, I was happy and my grandfather was proud. That's the only trophy that means anything to me.

The PA game commision says the main reason for the antler restriction is to allow more bucks to reach breeding age and increase genetic diversity. They had a study done to see if that would work. They found out what most already know the dominant buck breeds most of the doe and having more mature bucks in the area doesn't change that.

The other problem with that idea is antler size is more about genetics and diet not age. The last buck I got was a 6 point when I looked at his teeth, to try and figure out it's age, he still had his milk teeth. I'd say he was about 17 or 18 months old. It looked like he already had met up with a bigger buck and had the scars to show for it.

The idea of antler restricitions could also cut back on the number of trophy rack bucks. If more bucks with the genetics for smaller antlers are left to breed it may come to the point where it becomes the dominant trait. I remember a friend of mine told me of the old gray muzzled buck he got one year. He was sitting at the edge of a field where the deer like to graze. A good size herd came into the field, all doe. (well at least he thought at first)
A nice buck came to the edge of the field stood there for a while then turned around and left. This happened a couple times and my friend was wondering what was going on that all the buck where leaving. He got the answer when one of the 'doe' mounted another one. He scoped the deer to get a better look and saw the thick little spikes on the buck. It was an old buck that may have never had any thing other then spikes his whole life but the other bucks wouldn't mess with him.
I don't know maybe its just me but if you're looking for trophy racks thats not what you want in the gene pool.

[Krlll Mule]

I'm strictly about ounces of meat. If it's big and old, it might not be as tender as a younger doe, but it will still be hormone, antibiotic-free non-GMO meat. YUM.   

[Skyhawk]

Wish we could use rifles to hunt the deer here, it's shotguns only. My dad does have a 12 gauge with a rifled barrel but I'll have to practice with that sucker as I have only ever used mine to hunt small game and birds. There are so many deer here it is ridiculous..I see a buck almost every day, and doe even more here. Turkey is still on here I believe, which I wanted to do and have a tag for, but I am too busy to get to it... 

I don't know if you've looked into what shotgun slugs are available for a rifled barrel but some of the saboted slugs look interesting. You're not limited to the old foster or brenneke style slug any more. I was looking at one from winchester with a saboted spire ballistic tip bullet the performance is really good for a slug.
The SXP12 a 2 3/4" shell fires a 300 grain bullet at 1900 feet per second. The trajectory chart shows with a 100 yard zero it has a rather flat trajectory up to 125 yards and a 4.4" drop at 150 yards.
There is the SXP123 in 3" thats a little faster with a 300 grain bullet at 2000 feet per second.
Either way the sabot slugs make the old slugs look pathetic and weak.

[Sgt. Dick]

This is kind of like going out looking for good deals at garage sales. The first one there gets the best stuff.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/29/nearly-dozen-road-kill-permits-issued-in-montana/?intcmp=latestnews

[QuakeDuke]

I'm strictly about ounces of meat. If it's big and old, it might not be as tender as a younger doe, but it will still be hormone, antibiotic-free non-GMO meat. YUM.   

Yes!    Let it hang a couple days it'll do.....

QD

[|iR|Focalor]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/mikhail-kalashnikov-inventor-of-ak-47-dies-at-94/2013/12/23/624e40be-6bf5-11e3-b405-7e360f7e9fd2_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

Yeah yeah yeah. Kalashnikov invented the AK. What a genius.

But like they say, the victor writes the history books. Had the Nazis won WWII, more people would be giving credit to THEM for introducing the STG-44, the basis for the AK-47.