Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 2016 Pump Rifle Deer Hunt / Kills

Thanks W C H. I haven't thot about liking Freak heads before, mostly I've seen INFERIOR racks.

This one is the FREAKIEST I've seen or kilt. I wouldn't spend the $$ but it would make a good mount. I may Euro it.

Jerry

I sure would save the horns, but I have all the horns we ever shot but a couple!!

W C H

I keep antlers except the short spikes I 'USED' to kill.
1 set a dog drug (dragged) off.
I have 3 mounted but gave 1 to a neighbor for decor.

I definitely will keep this FREAK set, not sure what I'll do w/them but I'll have them thnx

Jerry

Today is the last day of our 'regular' M G deer season. I haven't seen a deer since Thursday when I saw that 'other' possible freak.

Wouldn't you know it ? This afternoon I saw 9 ( NINE ) between 4:25--5:00 PM. There were 2 problems.

1. Not a single visible antler. They were Does and at most yearlings.

2. Not on my property. UGH!!

Oh well, I still have a little time later.
Next week, 26-27-28 is the 3 day after Christmas MG then

29-30-31 is Muzzleloader season! That will be the END of any/all gun deer seasons for 2016 . Archery runs thru Feb but I haven't hunted archery in many years.

I also haven't hunted a Mzl in a while but I may this year.

I don't remember how long it has been since we had such an extended period when the deer were nocturnal.

Never Give Up.

Jerry

Nothing wrong with freak antlers. I killed this one 2 years ago with a 7600 carbine.

JDK--heck of a 'bull neck' on that guy! Nice!

+2 PLUS he is hanging--pulling down-- from his head.

That stretches the neck SMALLER in dia. I've seen that on some big bucks. His neck was/is BIGGER laying horizontal.

GREAT buck.

Jerry

He was a nice deer. I killed him the last day of rifle season and he was pretty run down but was still chasing does. His back foot/hoof had a cyst or tumor which may have lead to the antler deformity.

My kids said he also needed glasses for me to get close enough to kill him.

Congrats ANYWAY--regardless.

BTW I've killed a few suicidal deerS myself.



In the case of the one I call FREAK, there is no evidence of prior injury AND..
last Thursday I saw another buck that MAY be related to him. I don't know positively they are related but...

the one Thursday had a normal antler on his Right side and

his Left side looked small & WEIRD. Plus both live/ed in the area.

I think there's the likely hood it is GENETIC. IF SO I want to remove them from the gene pool.

Jerry

Well guys, I hope you'll forgive me.



I'm so ashamed! I fell off the 'pump rifle' wagon today.




It started raining during the night and we've had rain off/on all day. I left the Six 06 (6 OH 6) home in the dry. I have 'SYNTHETIC' stocked rifles FOR bad weather.

I haven't shot the Tikka since Oct when I checked the scope.
I guess it stayed put. Her head was just about as long as that 4-12X40 AO scope.



It was after 8:30 AM when I saw the first deer IN the rain. It wound up being 6 Does & fawns. I watched them mingling in the brush feeding. It was hard to tell how many but finally they single filed across a small opening--6.

I held my fire not being sure which was which. After a bit I noticed ANOTHER (7) Doe alone. She was obviously an adult and none of the others paid her any attention. I MADE SURE it did NOT have ANY antler.

After several minutes it dawned on me that she was NOT going with or in the same direction as the others. Since it was raining I was not going to have to 'blood trail' her. I had an open shot on her neck or shoulder--took the neck.

DRT = Dropped Right There!

No looking, No wondering, No Trailing, No blood washed away by rain. SIMPLE. I like it that way.



She was an ADULT dry doe. I could not even squeeze any milk out of her udder (tits). She was either in heat or had just come out. Her vag was larger than normal and was 'odoriforus'.

I killed a Doe some yrs. back that STUNK as bad as ANY buck I've ever smelled. This Doe was not that 'loud'.

/|/|/|/

I was back to the house when a friend stopped by with his deer.
He lives about 1 1/2 mi from me. He didn't say and I didn't ask where he was hunting, I know it's on a lease.



We are FRIENDS so I told him it was a shame to shoot such a littleun, that it's mother was still looking for him.
Obviously that a good deer and I'd kilt it as soon as the firing pin hit the primer.

I like hunting in the rain.

Good Luck Guys

Jerry

OK, I'll admit it, I once shot a doe with an old Marlin 38-55. So I will forgive you.

But...stainless, synthetic, and a Tikka?

Yep. aka - JWs - All Weather

I can't remember WHICH but..either Bill Jordan OR Skeeter Skelton said, (I think Skeeter)

"There's nothing more practical than SS & Rubber grips" talking about handguns.

That STUCK w/me BEFORE he/they passed.

Both of those guys helped mold me during my formative gun years. I miss 'em.

Jerry

" baduh, baduh, that's all folks". This wraps it up for me for 2016. Today is the last day of Gun Deer Season even tho it was Mzl.

Next weekend we have Sat-Sun Youth Hunt, but I don't have any yutes close enuff to take.

The Doe in the last post was the LAST deer I've seen this week. I've hunted some every day and decided to devote these last few days to seeing the second 'odd' buck I saw the other day. NO luck.



I've been thinking about the 2017 Deer Season. I have another project rifle "I THINK" is close to being huntable.

Project 1 is a 98 Mauser Custom 284 Win. Whatever 'dumbcluck' smith drilled/tapped the scope base holes did a YUCK up job of it. The rear base is 'noticeably' OFF left.

I don't know any smith close that I trust to fill & re drill & tap. I have found some "Windage Adjustable" scope rings and HOPE they will ALIGN close enuff. I've never used windage adjustable rings...so I don't know. MAYBE

Since the 284 is antiquated I'm loading a nostalgic powder, Surplus 4831 under 139 gr bullets. I've done a little testing and I'm NOT trying to find the fastest load possible. My goal in vel is +/- 3000 fps. I feel the 98 is capable of pressure = to modern rifles NOT the Win 88.

SOON and very soon I plan to mount the scope. Hopefully it'll work and I can get some graphing done.

Project 2 is my 6.5X55 (Swede) using 120 NBT at +/- 3000 fps. The load is ready I just have NOT hunted it yet. I really wanted to hunt the OLD 30-06, especially the Six 06.
I've very happy & satisfied with the rifle & load.

Happy New Year to all! ! !

Jerry

A Brief Update:

Today I went back to my Uncle's just to look around a little Post Season.

The First Pair of Pix are of the same scrape from 11-07 / 1-3-17
I didn't remember precisely how far away I was from the scrape & tree.



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The second pair are close ups. 11-07 / 1-3-17



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We had 7/10" rain yesterday ! Almost 2 months between the photos....it's still active.

PLUS
1 of the bucks I killed this yr. came from this 'area'. I don't have any game cams but it would be nice to see what/which/how many bucks used this scrape THIS year.
The size of this scrape doesn't make me think there is a large buck using it. ? ? ?

There was a scrape here in 2015-16 ALSO.

+ * + * This is the first time I am seriously considering getting/using A game cam. I see it as a 2 edge sword. It would be nice to know what is using the trail/scrape.....

It might make me wait for a buck that NEVER shows up!

Decisions, decisions.

Jerry

I have a line on a really nice 760 in 222 for $650.

If I buy it, I would want to flip it for a $250 profit.

Anybody interested?

Gone.

Does make and use scrapes, a LOT. Might be a reason you're waiting on a buck that never shows up, especially during daylight hours.

What are the details of your 3,000 fps 120 grain BT 6.5x55 load?

260 -

I got that load from Denton. It's in the Reloading Forum under Big Game Rifles, P 3 Campfire Pet loads, ScottfromDallas - Good 6.5X55 loads. THEN it's on P 1 by Denton. Pressure Tested

49.5 gr H 4350, 120 gr NBT - 3075 fps 24" bll.

I'm at 3000+ with 49.5 IMR 4350---22" bll. NO PROBLEM

I worked up to that load in MY rifle, Win 70.

Jerry

4ager -

"Does make and use scrapes, a LOT. Might be a reason you're waiting on a buck that never shows up, especially during daylight hours."

Never said that. RE read my post. MIGHT make me wait...

Yeah them old dominate Does even stand guard over their scrapes.


Jerry