Hi Folks,
Though I have been shooting for the last 5 years, this was the first year I ever went hunting, unless you count gophers. I know 36 is a little old to start hunting - forgive me. Maybe I'm making up for an unspent youth.
A co-worker, Larry, offered to show me the ropes - so I took him up on the offer. What follows is my account of my first hunting trips.
Trip #1 - sharptail grouse - CFB Wainwright.
There is a 3-day sharptail season there on the Labour day weekend- so that was our first outing. Went for the first two days. No dogs, so we just kinda pounded through the bush. All told, we got 3 birds a piece. I was under the impression that it was considered poor sportsmanship to shoot them on the ground, so when I could see one sitting under a bush, I would march towards them yelling "Fly **ddamnit". Gave Larry a chuckle and got me 2 of my 3 birds.
Trip #2 - Geese and ducks. I arrived very sleepy at about 3:30 in the A.M. to Larry's place. From there we drove a short distance to a local farmer's field. Larry had seen 'hundreds' of birds there over the previous few mornings so we set up the decoys and hid under our camoflage 'i.e. burlap'. Really didn't have much luck until Larry left to move the truck - that scared birds off the local slough - and I got my first duck and a white fronted goose. We moved our hiding spot to be in the shade of a slight elevation and Larry got one duck. I finished off with a double from my 870. All told we got one goose, and 4 ducks. All ducks were mallards. Larry was very critical of his initial setup - saying we set up in the wrong place. Still, I enjoyed myself so I wasn't complaining
This is the photo Larry took after we got back to his place. He had me staring into the morning sun and I was pretty sleepy by then - so I am a little squinty.
http://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/?action=view¤t=PICT0008.jpg
Next was ruffed grouse. We went out to a little bit of land my family owns and had about 6 hours of walking around - didn't see one damn bird. Larry left mid afternoon and I walked around for another hour near dark - saw 6 birds but never got a shot off. The next day I went back and got a couple. Have been taking one or two every time I go out over the last month or so - even got one in the head with the 22. Overall, I have discovered I just aint fast enough to shoot these on the wing most of the time. I have better luck trying to get them up a tree and trying to get the head with the edge of the pattern. Larry brought one of his dogs. Nice dog, and it is fun to have her along - but she isn't really an upland breed so she just sorty gets them up a tree for you.
Finally was whitetail deer yesterday. Went out to one of Larry's regular places (and I have been sworn to secrecy in that regard). Some walking, some sitting and rattling. Around noon we perched atop a hill with cut lines running at right-angles and started the rattling. We were up there for about 20 minutes when Larry broke out his lunch - shortly thereafter we heard some snorting off to my left. A few minutes later, a buck came trotting along another line that intersected one of the shooting lanes I was to cover. Larry says 'take it' and for a moment I couldn't see the buck - then he came into my field of view. Shot was about 100 yards. Hit him just above the elbow on the right side. He hunched up momentarily and ran off to my right. We walked down to where we thought I hit him. No blood! Admittedly I was a little unsure of myself but larry insisted the hit was good so we started a search. Found the buck piled up about 100 yards from where I hit. Was using a Norinco M14S with 150 gn Hornady interbond over 44.0 gn varget. Had a leupold 2-7 scope set at its lowest setting. Shot entered just above the shoulder and went through the right lung, grazed the wall of the left ventricle without breaking through into the cavity (damn!), through the diaphragm into the liver, reticulum, and spleen. Bullet emerged mid way up the abdomen behind the last rib. I think it got re-routed somewhat by the external abdominal obliques - although I don't know how that would be possible.
me, the deer, and the rifle what took it.
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/P1010005.jpg?t=1226459349
Entry wound - note all the blood you see was from my grubby hands - we never did find a blood trail, just a splash here and there where the deer went down. Bleed out almost entirely into the thorax and abdomen
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/P1010006.jpg?t=1226459413
Stick indicating point of entry and what I think is the approximate angle of entry
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/P1010007.jpg?t=1226459469
Anyway, to thank Larry for taking me under his wing, I made him this knife.
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/forgedbirdandtroutknife.jpg?t=1226459524
It was my version of Cold Steel's Bird and trouth knife. The blade and most of the stem are made from the spring that holds the mud flaps on to a large truck (I treated it as if it was 5160). The handle is just 1/2" round bar. The handle and step are forge-welded together. I know it isn't as good as what a number of craftsmen make on here - but I figured it would work better than what Larry was using now for cutting the breasts out of his birds.
So ends my story - until next year.
Fat
Though I have been shooting for the last 5 years, this was the first year I ever went hunting, unless you count gophers. I know 36 is a little old to start hunting - forgive me. Maybe I'm making up for an unspent youth.
A co-worker, Larry, offered to show me the ropes - so I took him up on the offer. What follows is my account of my first hunting trips.
Trip #1 - sharptail grouse - CFB Wainwright.
There is a 3-day sharptail season there on the Labour day weekend- so that was our first outing. Went for the first two days. No dogs, so we just kinda pounded through the bush. All told, we got 3 birds a piece. I was under the impression that it was considered poor sportsmanship to shoot them on the ground, so when I could see one sitting under a bush, I would march towards them yelling "Fly **ddamnit". Gave Larry a chuckle and got me 2 of my 3 birds.
Trip #2 - Geese and ducks. I arrived very sleepy at about 3:30 in the A.M. to Larry's place. From there we drove a short distance to a local farmer's field. Larry had seen 'hundreds' of birds there over the previous few mornings so we set up the decoys and hid under our camoflage 'i.e. burlap'. Really didn't have much luck until Larry left to move the truck - that scared birds off the local slough - and I got my first duck and a white fronted goose. We moved our hiding spot to be in the shade of a slight elevation and Larry got one duck. I finished off with a double from my 870. All told we got one goose, and 4 ducks. All ducks were mallards. Larry was very critical of his initial setup - saying we set up in the wrong place. Still, I enjoyed myself so I wasn't complaining
This is the photo Larry took after we got back to his place. He had me staring into the morning sun and I was pretty sleepy by then - so I am a little squinty.
http://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/?action=view¤t=PICT0008.jpg
Next was ruffed grouse. We went out to a little bit of land my family owns and had about 6 hours of walking around - didn't see one damn bird. Larry left mid afternoon and I walked around for another hour near dark - saw 6 birds but never got a shot off. The next day I went back and got a couple. Have been taking one or two every time I go out over the last month or so - even got one in the head with the 22. Overall, I have discovered I just aint fast enough to shoot these on the wing most of the time. I have better luck trying to get them up a tree and trying to get the head with the edge of the pattern. Larry brought one of his dogs. Nice dog, and it is fun to have her along - but she isn't really an upland breed so she just sorty gets them up a tree for you.
Finally was whitetail deer yesterday. Went out to one of Larry's regular places (and I have been sworn to secrecy in that regard). Some walking, some sitting and rattling. Around noon we perched atop a hill with cut lines running at right-angles and started the rattling. We were up there for about 20 minutes when Larry broke out his lunch - shortly thereafter we heard some snorting off to my left. A few minutes later, a buck came trotting along another line that intersected one of the shooting lanes I was to cover. Larry says 'take it' and for a moment I couldn't see the buck - then he came into my field of view. Shot was about 100 yards. Hit him just above the elbow on the right side. He hunched up momentarily and ran off to my right. We walked down to where we thought I hit him. No blood! Admittedly I was a little unsure of myself but larry insisted the hit was good so we started a search. Found the buck piled up about 100 yards from where I hit. Was using a Norinco M14S with 150 gn Hornady interbond over 44.0 gn varget. Had a leupold 2-7 scope set at its lowest setting. Shot entered just above the shoulder and went through the right lung, grazed the wall of the left ventricle without breaking through into the cavity (damn!), through the diaphragm into the liver, reticulum, and spleen. Bullet emerged mid way up the abdomen behind the last rib. I think it got re-routed somewhat by the external abdominal obliques - although I don't know how that would be possible.
me, the deer, and the rifle what took it.
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/P1010005.jpg?t=1226459349
Entry wound - note all the blood you see was from my grubby hands - we never did find a blood trail, just a splash here and there where the deer went down. Bleed out almost entirely into the thorax and abdomen
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/P1010006.jpg?t=1226459413
Stick indicating point of entry and what I think is the approximate angle of entry
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/P1010007.jpg?t=1226459469
Anyway, to thank Larry for taking me under his wing, I made him this knife.
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m364/fatbutfunky/guns%20and%20targets/forgedbirdandtroutknife.jpg?t=1226459524
It was my version of Cold Steel's Bird and trouth knife. The blade and most of the stem are made from the spring that holds the mud flaps on to a large truck (I treated it as if it was 5160). The handle is just 1/2" round bar. The handle and step are forge-welded together. I know it isn't as good as what a number of craftsmen make on here - but I figured it would work better than what Larry was using now for cutting the breasts out of his birds.
So ends my story - until next year.
Fat
