Author Topic: Got one with the .454, almost... (Read 751 times)

Selmer · « **on:** December 15, 2003, 01:26:08 PM »

I was out with my Encore yesterday morning, it was about 15 minutes before sun-up, 15 minutes after legal shooting time. I had nice doe coming and she got about 25 yds. away before she saw me. I drew a crosshair on her and pulled the trigger with a good rest. I couldn't believe it when she bounded away unhurt! I went to follow up the shot, not a drop of blood, but one freshly killed 1 1/2" sapling tipped over about 4 feet in front of where she was. In the pre-dawn light, I didn't see the sapling in front of her chest. Oh well, at least it was thrown off enough to completely miss and not superficially wound her. Just leaves me disgusted, but gives me more time to hunt.

Selmer

Gregory · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2003, 04:56:00 PM »

Selmer,

Don't feel too bad, when I decided to hunt exclusively with a handgun I was tracking a number of deer and bent down to look at the sign closer. As I did, the whole herd spooked in front of me, all the deer ran off except one confused doe. She ran off toward me and stopped about 40 yds in front of me. I was shooting a 44 Mag TC Contender with a 2XLeupold and it was late morning (plenty of light). I took an off hand shot, thought the crosshairs were centered on her chest, and saw wood chips flying everywhere. Like you I hit the only sapling between me and the deer.
She ran off untouched.
Hang in there, you'll get another chance.

willis5 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:55:41 AM »

not handgun, but on topic.

I was bowhunting the eve of gun season in Maryland for sika deer (eastern shore/dorchester county) and our neighbor's feeder went off. ( I wasn't baiting... I was paterning deer that he baited from my property.

two does and a spike came in on a run and I whistled to imitate a male's bugle and a doe stopped at 18 yards. I drew and let the arrow fly. great shot... until the arrow took an almost 90 degree turn DOWN! I hit a limb feet from her vitals. :cry: would have been so tasty

markc · « **Reply #3 on:** December 16, 2003, 05:49:24 AM »

maybe this will make you feel better. I was sitting in a ground blind a couple seasons back, one of those pop-up tent kind when I prepared to leave. I exited the blind and zipped the little tent door closed and before I moved out from behind it, a nice sized hog with a good number of smaller ones showed up. Now I tried to quietly un-zip the little door to re-enter the blind and use the gun rest I had placed in there, but it wouldn't budge one handed and I was holding some other stuff. I decided to try a shot over the top of the tent blind. I moved slowly as the big hog kept looking towards the blind and sniffing the air. I slowly placed the TC 7-30 over the top and took a good look through the scope. She was close by and I had her dead to rights in the cross hairs, Boom! and off she runs with the other following her.

Huh? What happened? I saw a crease on a tree trunk just inches from where she had been. I looked back towards the tent blind and realized that although the scope was clear, just under it was, or had been, a curved fiberglass tent pole that held up the roof of the blind and I had nailed it just a few inches from the muzzle. Ok, so I learned a valuable lesson with only the loss of the tent pole. Whew! :shock:
markc

willis5 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 16, 2003, 05:58:48 AM »

I can laugh because nothing bad happened except for the loss of the hog. That is a good one. Ha

less9toes · « **Reply #5 on:** December 16, 2003, 05:41:36 PM »

:-) lucky critters arn't they, but then again if you haven't bagged a limb,tree,brush, jeep hood or sumthin, then you ain't been doin it long enough. by the way i've managed at least one of all of these and several things even more exotic. stick with it there has got to be an unlucky critter with your name on it.