Based on the shots I've gotten on the camera, these does travel as a pair and a buck has not shown up following them yet. Considering that legal shooting was nearly over, if a buck had come, I wouldn't have been able to legally let one fly, either. I did let down and let them walk. I'm able to hunt until the end of January, so there's plenty of time and a whole mess of deer tracks back in the woods lately. It was really good seeing them during shooting hours and in range.
Wounding a second one is a terrible idea. A .44 mag might do the trick but I’d not chance it. I’ve been spoiled rotten as my grandpa’s farm has dozens of low pressured deer. I’m able to pass on bucks and see them the next year. The public land hunting world sounds terrible. Basically forced to shoot what ever you see to have anything for the freezer. I’d honestly probably give up hunting if I was forced to do this. I saw a huge coyote this past weekend and am now obsessed with getting it.
Yeah, if I was hunting with my 12ga, I would've likely tried for the two-fer. Even if the second one didn't go down with the first, the follow-up would be much easier. I'm actually hunting in private woods, just in a spot that's a little more residential, and I'm only looking to fill freezers, so whatever comes my way is good for me as long as I can reasonably take the shot. Horns are ok, but I have no desire to mount anything and they don't do much for my freezer filling goal.
Unrelated, but I was able to capture some video of a bobcat catching a squirrel the other day while sitting in the blind. Happened lightning quick and with zero sound. Here's a still from the video.
Nice! I was deer hunting one time and watched a squirrel come tearing ass for a nearby tree. Hot on its ass was a Gray Fox that went right up the tree after it a short ways before giving up. I couldn’t believe it. It’s amazing what we can see when we’re out there.
I mentioned this on the old board when it happened: When I was living in Mississippi I had a bunny hanging around my yard. It was a brave little thing, it wouldn't run away when I'd pull into the driveway....it would retreat a bit and wiggle it's nose at me. After awhile I'd just greet the little guy when I came home or walked out the door with a "Hello bunny" and let him go about whatever business he had in my yard. He kind of became my little buddy. One day I was sitting at my desk and saw the bunny go scampering across my backyard with a fox hot on his heels. Oh, hell no. I stormed out the door and went after the fox. He quickly gave up the chase and bolted under my pick up. I wasn't going to let him off that easy, I grabbed a stick and started poking and smacking him with it. This went on for 20 or 30 seconds before I came to my senses...I had a wild animal that was snarling and growling cornered and I was bent down, armed with a stick. I knew better than that. I stood up and slowly backed away. At least I gave my bunny a few moments to get the hell away. I never did see it again though.
So I need to be schooled on shotgun chokes and electronic earmuffs for duck goose hunting. My shotgun looks like it has the factory cylinder choke on it. Dad used it for pheasant at close 20 yard ranges. Getting into duck and probably geese more and wondering the recommendations? I see the patternmaster black duck coming up a lot. Steel shot out to 40 would be my guess. Also been doing some dove hunting in the 20-30 yard range and wonder if there is a compromise choke? Also the electric earmuff is another rabbit hole. Muffs vs in ear. Some 80 bucks vs hundreds or thousands for custom ones. I’ve also heard the electronic cut off even in the fraction of a millisecond still leaves room for harm. What’s everyone’s experience?
Pretty sure I'm shooting with a modified choke. I'm shooting 3in federal black cloud 4s (duck) and BBs (geese/sea ducks). I shoot cheap Kent Steel every now and then as well. Shots pattern well out to 45, but it all varies gun to gun, so you'll need to do some testing. With ammo supplies and prices the way they are, though, it may be best to have a mod and IC choke on hand and see what does better with whatever you have to shoot while you're out. Can't help with the muffs. Never used them.
I user regular spongy cheapo earplugs for dove, quail, duck, goose and sporting clays. I'm old and I seem to still have my hearing. ETA: The only time I use muffs is on the pistol range. If you're using your dad's gun that he had for pheasant hunting, you'll want to have it checked out for thickness. (I think 23 thousandths is minimum?) Lead shot deforms some, steel doesn't and will ruin an older barrel. You could go all fancy and use bismuth shot, which is nontoxic like steel and softer like lead, but I don't know if that's still a thing. What is the gun? I had one that was bored modified and was old. I was going to order a newer barrel for with adjustable chokes to shoot steel shot, but my gun friend said that may not be a great idea. But, if you can get adjustable chokes, that gives you more flexibility. I have one gun that I use imp cyl for quail and sporting clays, switch to modified for dove, and some ducks and use full for turkey and geese. But, I also have my Mossberg pump bored permanently modified that I can shoot just about as well.
What is considered an "older" barrel? I have my Dad's Remington 1100 series that is probably as old as I am. I don't hunt with it but do shoot it from time to time for nostalgia reasons.
It’s a Remington 870 magnum express. It’s already threaded for chokes. Guess is he bought it late 90s maybe early aughts. National non toxic legislation was in 94 I believe. I’ll look up the serial when I get home. Maybe I’ll get a couple and test with multiple rounds. Gun broker is the only place to find steel shot. Looks like a dollar a round for BB or duck shot. Some people online claim the electronic muff are a true game changer letting you hear and shoot. Just so much conflicting options and opinions.
Yep. Some muffs actually amplify the sound giving you a bit of an unfair advantage. I wore them one year deer hunting, and could hear a chipmunk fart at 150 yards.
wear them when I’m hog hunting for this reason. Pigs make a lot of noise, but I can hear them moving much further away when I turn up the volume. The unfair advantage thing is real though, and if I was deer hunting or the like I might have to reconsider it for ethical reasons
Talking at the range and hearing better in the field is awesome. How was the sound muffling when you fired? What type did you have? Big in duck hunting because it quiets the calls that can be loud but also let’s you hear the ducks.
Field & Stream article about steel shot & older guns Essentially, they determined if the shotgun is safe for smokeless powder, sreel shot is mostly ok with caveats. For the question of how old? Any shotgun made before the late 80s.
I had the Peltor Tacticals(?) that I used for IPSC. Super expensive at the time but insanely crisp audio and reaction time. Loved them. Bought them for the range primarily.
I would consider that gun to be pretty new. I got my dad's late 70s 870 wingmaster that came with a 30in. fixed full choke barrel. I bought a shorter barrel threaded for chokes and use that primarily these days. If you can find one, grab a pack of three chokes (IC, MOD, FULL) and that will cover you for 99% of your hunting scenarios.