#22

Number 22, or maybe 21. Not sure. I've taken a deer every year since 1991, except for 1, when I was building our house. I did take an elk that year, and guided the boys into deer of their own, so it wasn't an "animal-ess season".

Nice eastern Washington 2x3, 18" spread. He was sparring with two little forkies at about 60 yards.


He was quartering away, so I hit him between ribs 3&4, with the bullet taking out his diaphragm, liver, and a lung, before coming to rest in his spine by the forward tenderloins.

I'd say the bullet performed well, expanding to 1"x1.5".

It also retained its weight, starting out at 390 grains,
and ending there.


He is resting comfortably in my shop beer fridge now, neatly boned out.

Congrats! BP is my fav hunting method though I have not hunted since 2001 or so. Hope to get back into it. From the bullet on the tape I would say .50 cal?

nice Andy!!! Way to get it done man. modern for the boys this year?

.54 cal.

Boys start their modern season next weekend with a doe tag.

Nice work!!
Did you leave mine tied up with plenty of food til I get over there in 2 weeks??

attaboy

Sweet. I'm guessing one of them drew 2nd deer?

Nicely done!

Awesome!

My youngest son drew an any deer modern tag that starts Saturday.

Nice, Andy. Muzzle down sling mount for rainy days?

Would highly recommend brined venison roast (remove silver skin). 1 part kosher salt : 2 parts brown sugar (start at 1/8C : 1/4C) with just enough H2O to cover the meat with the air burbed out of a 1 gallon ZipLoc bag for 2 hours. Flop bag occasionally. Let roast air dry at room temp, EVO oil/rub to taste (go light on the salt), sear the outside in a smoking skillet, and toss in the oven at 250F on a rack until the thermometer tickles 130F. Tent and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain. Mmmmmmm.....

Nice work Andy. Windy wet mountain you were on.

Driftin', you are correct, along with duct tape covering the muzzle. Having had to hunt in the rain a lot, it is one of the many tricks I picked up in 20+ years of hunting with a ML. Tape has tabs on either side to make quick removal a snap, and no, the tape on a ML does not act as a barrel obstruction. Two spare tape covers on the barrel.

The upside down sling attachment also aids in how I carry it when I'm on my mountain bike.

Yes Dave, it was very wet Saturday. We got to the Gorge for the Maroon 5 concert and they cancelled it because of 50+ mph winds and rain. It was actually sunny & clear on Sunday, and I could see further than 40 yards, unlike Saturday.

Oh yeah. I've taken...er...I think 3 deer. Maybe 2.

I barely know what the hell to do with one once I shoot one.

Nice buckey, Andy!

First, look for the zipper....

I've got my gutting down to about 4 minutes for a deer. Just start at the zipper, go through the diaphragm, cut the windpipe and tug. Zip tie the pecker twice, same with the last foot of bowel, snip, and roll the gutpile out.

Right on Andy. Good looking buck.

I'll be looking for #16 or so. I'm not a big hunter but manage to get my deer every year other than when I was a kid (missed some dandy bucks) and 3 years ago I shot a buck at 70 yards, had good blood, tracked until dark, it poured that night. Came back in the morning to very tough tracking. Made circles for 6 hours to no avail.

Very nice Andy!

Zip ties is cheatin'!

Hunted mulies with a co-worker, dear friend and horse packer through the 80's and early 90's until cancer tagged him. The first year we hunted together, I pulled a pair of latex surgical gloves out of my pack to field dress a dandy buck. He called me all kinds of names regarding my masculinity while we both laughed at ourselves. When we were done cleaning and quartering for the pack out, I pulled off one glove and put it into the palm of t'other and pulled the second one over it, making a clean latex ball that I put into my pack. He looked around for some grass amongst the sage to wipe off the excess crimson that he wore for the remainder of the day. The next year, he pulled out a pair of surgical gloves from his pack to dress another dandy buck. I called him the same names he imparted to me the year before, and we both busted out laughing. Still miss him.....

Zip ties are awesome. (Nitrile gloves, too.) Use them to attach the tags to the animal. Especially useful on long drags so you can close the tags up in the ear, so you will never lose one.

Andy--would you please make a video of the guttin process please? I need ta learn!

DF, Nice buck!

So it looks like you have a couple wraps of electrical tape around the barrel and maybe on the ram rod, or is that the duct tape (black)? Also looks like a Hornady Great Plains ? I can't get them to seal in my Knight (.50).

Jim, Ryan is up for his deer beginning Saturday, and we won't get out until Monday or Tuesday, but I will have one of the boys video the gutting process.

FH, Hornady bullet is correct. Tearing a standard piece of duct tape in half provides a great muzzle cover. I fold over both end for tabs to make removal easy.
Contrary to popular belief, tape on a ML isn't a barrel obstruction. There are two spare covers on the barrel under the ram rod.

I take my animals home whole if possible unless I am in a hunting camp, as I can get an extremely clean carcass that way, butchering it in my shop. I detest dirt and hair on my game meat, and I get the highest amount of yield out of them that way and I can take my time. 10 years in restaurants has made me pretty particulr about food safety and cleanliness. If it is warm, I'll toss ice in the body cavity on the way home.

My gloves are just the wrist length regular ones, but I have seen folks use kitchen gloves. For final cleanup I just rinse with a bottle of water, and usually only have to rinse from my elbows to wrists.

I have seen gloves somewhere designed for game care that were to the elbow. I dont think they fit very well but would get the job done.

counting yer chickens before they're hatched, eh Bucket?

Not at all, just wanna be able ta help the others if need be and I like ta learn new stuff all the time!!

Ryan and I will be hunting tomorrow evening, so we may have something to video tomorrow.

Duane is pretty much new when it comes to that, but Robbo will be there and he is fairly experienced from wha I've seen him report on.

So you are saying Robbo is experienced with making videos with animals ?!?!

Guys back home would get the shoulder length gloves that Vets use when working on cows (yeah, shoulder length. . . ), they were a pretty loose fit compared to latex/surgical gloves, they do the job though . .. . .

Good luck out there Andy and the boys.

2 weeks til Elk camp !!

We got Robbo fer his hunting expertize, we got Duane cause he likes ta carry heavy things long distance---still wondering what they was thinkin with me.

Bail money?

So, you sayin I should maybe bring along some extra cash fer da judge?

They take credit cards.

-+


Somebody has to be the responsible adult.

Nice buck DF! Almost the spittin image of the buck I got last year except my third point was on the other side. Congrats on the # 22.

Noice buck. Congrates on #22. Good luck,

SZ