I can't say I would have reacted quite as calmly. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.wimp.com/curiousbear/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.wimp.com/curiousbear/</a>
Whoa. I've never actually seen anything shot with slugs as most of the hunters I run into mostly use rifles. That's some pretty wicked damage.
Here's a deer I shot with a Brenneke Black Magic Magnum slug a couple years ago. The deer was quartering away and this was the exit... needless to say it didn't go very far. Spoiler
Considering that you can hunt an M1 Abrams tank with those slugs, they may be a little bit overkill for whitetail. That aside, there's a lot to be said for having a round that minimizes the amount you have to track. Did you lose a lot of meat in the shoulder/straps/tenderloin, or was all the damage confined to the ribs?
I got six boxes of those slugs free from Brenneke, so I'll be using them for awhile. Overkill? Yes... but they're free. As it's pretty clear in the photo, the slug blew the hell out of the ribcage on the side opposite of where the slug entered. The entry wound was minimal- just a clear hole punched right through its hide. I actually only discovered the entry wound upon caping the deer out, which is interesting to compare with your deer. Nothing else was seriously damaged, except its guts were scrambled. The deer was small enough that there wasn't enough meat in the shoulders for big cuts, so a lot of it went towards sausage/brats anyways. There was zero tracking to be done for this deer... it died instantly. I shot it while walking through a slough in northern MN on an early season antlerless hunt and accordingly put up my scoped .270 so I could be fast with my shotgun and it paid off... I was on the left side of the slough and heard some noise 50 yards in front and to the left of me and saw a doe leaping out of the slough so I got a bead on it and hit it after timing its jumps. I probably wouldn't have made the shot if I hadn't done a lot of clay shooting that summer. More reason for hunters to have a lot of variety in their target practice.
My buddy has been putting in for this tag for 20 years and got drawn, he shot this at 200 yards with a muzzleloader today it is an Arizona record for muzzleloader, he is a guide and has been watching this thing since November, the hunt started December 1st and he had not seen any sheep for 15 days but they found it a couple days ago and was able to get close enough today.
I want to get into bow-hunting (deer & turkey), and I need some advice on equipment. I've been looking around since Christmas, and since no one in my family thought getting me a crossbow and a compound bow would help me spread holiday cheer, I'm buying this for myself. My issue is I'd like to know what is generally regarded as a good, solid starter set up, versus over-priced nonsense. Most of the sales reps I've talked to don't actually bow hunt, and most of my friends who do this don't offer reasonable insight ("Why don't you just build your own and go kill the Predator with it?"). I'm looking for a decent crossbow and compound bow, and I'm prepared to spend about $1100, but I'd obviously prefer to spend much less than that.
Do you live near a Cabella's? I've found that the guys they hire are really, REALLY good at offering advice, and they get the volume to give huge savings over most other places. It'd be worth even a few hour day-trip to go to one, I'd think. I've seen some starter packages there that were quite good, and very reasonably priced. Failing that, maybe check their website: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/hunting-archery/_/N-1100003/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104693580?WTz_l=SBC;cat104791680" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/h ... t104791680</a>
I agree with Nett, if you are not near a Cabellas it is worth it to go to some kind of archery shop and check out and shoot a few bows to see what you are comfortable with. It is very important to get a bow fitted to your draw length, and to your body specs. The good thing is with what you want to spend you should be able to get a pretty good set up, the technology has come so far in the last 20 years it is ridiculous, you should be able to kill just about anything in North America. You can go crazy on the latest and greatest stuff if you like but I would suggest starting with just some good basic equipment- a solid bow, 12 aluminum arrows, field points and equally weighted broadheads, peep sites, and a basic 4-5 pin siting system. Bass Pro Shops has a good archery dept and selection as does Sportsmans Wharehouse. Good luck.
This is a ridiculous story from Field and Stream... one of the largest elk ever recorded was discovered in December of last year with its rack stuck in frozen mud (and it died as a result). It also happened in good 'ol Minnesota. Home of record setting elk! <a class="postlink" href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2011/02/record-elk-found-back-huge-antlers-stuck-mud" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/ga ... -stuck-mud</a>
While I'm at it, here's some evidence of a good time with cousins on family farm land over winter break. Nothing glorious, but fun nevertheless. Spoiler I was wearing white pants because my cousin and I were originally trying our hand at calling coyotes on their property and that day gave up because we noticed the woods to our backs were flooded with squirrels. It took us a half hour to shoot five each. We just walked through the creek bottoms over the frozen creek and shot them out of oak and hickory trees lining the sandy banks. The highlight was me shooting one in the head about 50 yards away while kneeling. We also had one drop 30 feet out of a tree and still have a hickory nut stuck in its mouth after landing. Even though the little suckers are a pain to dress, it's worth the fun. I also shot a rabbit when my grandfather was watching and he was extremely happy to have rabbit that night. The rifle is my uncles old and very well used Remington 581. It's one of the rifles I learned how to shoot with, so it was very enjoyable to hunt and be deadly with. Still cracks small game and birds like a whip.
Just got word that a family friend is going to let me and a buddy camp out on his deer lease and hunt hogs while I am back home in April. Need to do some research on the area as I plan to try my hand at predator calling.
did some rockcodding on the baja california, the weather was a bit rough but we got some nice fish, dug some clams, ate some oysters and see urchins.
I guy who is close to a couple of people at my office stopped by the other day to show off part of his recent catch- a 700lb Mako:
I know for Muskie we'd use a huge treble hook the size of a small boat anchor, baited with a rotten beef roast, and attached to a winch. They'd top out at a couple hundred pounds. Can't imagine dealing with 700.
I've had friends keep them for a little while for taxidermy purposes, sometimes pictures fail to do justice so they hold on to the real thing. Instead of getting a fiberglass replica of just a shark, you get YOUR shark. Usually the fins are left on though (unless you're making shitty shark fin soup), so I'm assuming this one is just for the thrill of showing people a giant fuckin' shark head before/if he cuts the jaw out and preserves it.