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Author Topic: First few days of this year's hunting redux.  (Read 1081 times)

White Horseradish

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First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« on: November 13, 2013, 12:36:33 PM »
Seems I am still a vegetarian. (from old Indian word, meaning bad hunter) No deer yet. Saw a few, too far away to shoot.  I just can't figure out where to go. They keep going to places where I am not.

Aside from that, I need to make some equipment adjustments.

First, I need some better boots. Mine say they are Sorel, but the liners are foam instead of felt. They are ok for a bit, but then I sweat a little and they get cold in a hurry, wool socks or not.

Second, I need a proper scope. Right now, I have a TruGlo red dot on my Marlin. It was an emergency measure, as my rear sight fell off, and I needed some way of aiming it. It's ok in daytime, but as soon as the light get low, it gets less useful, plus the dot looks huge.  I'm thinking a fixed 4x scope oughta do it on a 30-30.

Third, some wool long johns might be a thing to look into. And maybe some warmer gloves.
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Jocassee

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2013, 12:42:05 PM »
They may be smelling you and steering clear.

Newb/vegetarian here as well.
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White Horseradish

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2013, 05:37:46 PM »
Quote from: Jocassee on November 13, 2013, 12:42:05 PM
They may be smelling you and steering clear.
Oh, c'mon. I don't smell THAT bad... :D

I was taking wind into account. I think it's just that my estimates of where the deer are and where they go are wrong.
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Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.

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charby

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2013, 06:12:30 PM »
The national weather pattern since Friday has not been the best for hunting. Seems like the big mammals are bedding down early and staying in their beds because it has felt like much of the nation was on the edge of a big storm with high pressure dip over the heart of the country pumping artic air down.

I'm hoping for a lot more game activity starting tomorrow.
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White Horseradish

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2013, 03:06:14 PM »
And I'm done with deer season for the year.

This was terrible. Simply awful. I missed 5 deer, and lost a shot because of gun design.

Four shots were with an 1873 Winchester with iron sights. Clean misses. My friend said it was probably because I got a little too excited at the herd of deer I was shooting at. I suspected it was at least partially due to me not seeing as well as I thought with the irons, so I switched to the Marlin levergun with the red dot.

That didn't work out so hot either.

First, I had a fairly long shot that failed because the stupid hammer block safety somehow got engaged. I got a click instead of boom. Why the hell is there a safety on a levergun with an exposed hammer? And then, later that day, I missed a huge doe at a distance that I am embarrassed to disclose. That, I am fairly sure, was a function of the red dot.

So, in addition to getting a scope, I am thinking of a safety delete for the Marlin.

I also should look into getting my own safety harness. Trying to figure out a borrowed one at 5:30 in the morning is something I'd like to avoid doing again.

About the only thing that worked right was the knife I used to clean the deer. Mora Robust, nice sharp carbon steel blade, not too small, not too large. It was actually pretty easy to do.

Frustrating season this was...
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Tallpine

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2013, 03:23:01 PM »
It's always the gun  ;)
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Northwoods

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2013, 03:25:49 PM »
For long johns look into Smart Wool.  I have a pair and they are awesome.  I hiked for 5 days and never took them off.  They did not stink even after all that.  Alternate would be Polartec with the silver threads.  Also goes quite a while without smelling bad (my 1-piece dry suit liner is that material).  
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White Horseradish

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2013, 04:00:26 PM »
Quote from: Tallpine on November 16, 2013, 03:23:01 PM
It's always the gun  ;)

I sneezed when I shot, so it's snot.
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Regolith

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2013, 05:00:08 PM »
Keep at it. I didn't see jack this year until the very last week (Oregon general buck season started Oct. 1 and ended Nov. 1), and then I saw two bucks (both forkies) one right after another. I shot the first one I saw, because I wanted the meat.

Whoops; didn't see that the season was over.

Sucks getting skunked. I got completely skunked last year. All I saw were doe, and Oregon only gives out doe tags for controlled hunts.
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never_retreat

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Re: First few days of this year's hunting redux.
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2013, 10:27:18 PM »
Just suck it up and go out for a drive.
Around here thats the easiest way to guarantee a deer in the freezer.
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