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Post by rangersedge on Jan 15, 2022 21:42:56 GMT -5
Illinois has a late winter antlerless only season for some of its counties. Went out by myself this afternoon. In a redneck big country blind on a 15ft stand. First two deer showed with about 40 minutes of legal shooting left. I saw them in woods as they were about to come out in cornfield. Cocked sp101 in .327 and waited for them to step out. They did, but kept walking right into strip of standing corn. I switched windows in blind; but didn't have a shot I was comfortable with. Back to original chair. Several more deer came out and provided easy shots with revolver. All bucks. Antlerless only season...
Long story short, I probably had 40+ deer in small corn field when legal shooting time ended. I'd had lots of easy shots with the scoped savage 220 i had with me; but really wanted to try that revolver / caliber. Wound up having brother come get me with 4 wheeler so they wouldn't see me climbing out.
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pleadthe2nd
.327 Meteor
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Posts: 884
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Post by pleadthe2nd on Jan 15, 2022 23:17:27 GMT -5
Good luck tomorrow
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Post by sixgun100 on Jan 16, 2022 7:16:09 GMT -5
Looking forward to a report on how the .327 FM performs on your hunt.
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Fowler
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,559
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Post by Fowler on Jan 16, 2022 11:11:14 GMT -5
That is a pretty classic story of handgun hunting, a lot of close calls, slam dunks with rifles but the trigger doesn’t get broken with a wheelgun. It’s the part of the game that is in someways the best, the tension is high for so much longer than a rifle. Much like bow hunting.
What load are you carrying in you 327?
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Post by rangersedge on Jan 16, 2022 11:30:17 GMT -5
American eagle 100 grain soft point www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/megraphs/327mag.htmlPossibly not the best choice; but in Illinois, it has to have energy documented => 500. Part of reason for being really selective on shots. Wanted to ensure the shot was as perfect as could make (ie not moving, etc.)
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Post by cas on Jan 16, 2022 12:09:49 GMT -5
I probably had 40+ deer in small corn field... Wow. It could take 20 years or more to see that many where I hunt. I hunted 14 days this years, saw six deer. That's a LOT of deer for me. (maybe the same ones multiple times) Normally if I catch a glimpse of one or two a year it was good hunting.
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Post by bigbore5 on Jan 16, 2022 13:49:46 GMT -5
I probably had 40+ deer in small corn field... Wow. It could take 20 years or more to see that many where I hunt. I hunted 14 days this years, saw six deer. That's a LOT of deer for me. (maybe the same ones multiple times) Normally if I catch a glimpse of one or two a year it was good hunting. I can see 14 driving home from work at 3am many nights. Amazing how they'll take off upon hearing a hammer cock, yet they'll stand in the road staring at a pickup with the horn blaring.
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Post by rangersedge on Jan 16, 2022 14:04:49 GMT -5
That is quite a few for one spot here; but it is fairly common to see a dozen or two driving around a mile square in evening. Saw 40+ on a drive around the square a couple weeks ago, and about 30 last weekend.
Have a strip of unharvested corn in a small corn field they're now converging on.
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Post by wvhunter460 on Jan 16, 2022 16:59:00 GMT -5
Well there is always stand relocation?
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Post by cas on Jan 16, 2022 17:35:04 GMT -5
I can see 14 driving home from work at 3am many nights. Oh no doubt. That's the great irony of it, where I live I see them every day. At work it's a rare day that I don't see them. Those have become like suburban squirrels, they don't run away, often they don't even bother looking up when people walk by.
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Post by rangersedge on Jan 16, 2022 18:06:20 GMT -5
Last day of last season and didn't go out. Had a bunch on my to do list, deer in freezer as well as at processor, and person I reached out to to see if wanted one didn't respond so...
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Post by rangersedge on Jan 16, 2022 19:11:03 GMT -5
Went past cornfield right before dark. Didn't see any.
Going to build another permanent blind south on bluff overlooking bottoms this summer. Won't work as well for crossbow or handgun; but provides easier access exit without disturbing them. Field between current blind and road. May build one on bluff on east side too. Have a stack of old scrap lumber / tin and that would make a good project not requiring a lot of carpentry skills.
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Post by bigbore5 on Jan 16, 2022 22:38:26 GMT -5
I hunt draws and small funnels in travel corridors. Usually just sit down on my turkey hunting cushion and wait. I've killed over a hundred this way. Doesn't require carpenter skills either. But I did grow up here and know every inch of these woods.
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Post by rangersedge on Jan 20, 2022 9:41:24 GMT -5
I've tromped over most of my hunting area for about 45 years so know it pretty well.
It is often hard to beat just sitting down on a hillside overlooking an area with your back against a tree like you describe. My first deer with a bow was almost exactly that. Got off work, rushed home, and planned on crossing soybean field in bottoms to get in deer stand. Already deer in field and wind wrong for that stand so I sat down on hillside about 25 feet inside the woods.
An old doe that had busted other hunters came alongside field looking at me close. She knew I didn't belong there; but she wasn't sure what i was. When her head went behind tree, I tried to draw and... realized how much harder it is to draw a compound bow when you're sitting on the ground with your legs out in front of you. Arrow came off the rest with a tinny sound, deer bounded away, I managed to get arrow back on rest, deer came back staring at me and bobbing her head, waited until she turned slightly and looked behind her, then let fly. Perfect heart shot. Watched her start to run off and then fall over. Hunt had all the components. Rushing, improvisation, action, suspense, difficulty (drawing while sitting, getting arrow back on rest, holding at full draw forever - before 80% let offs - all while trying to be as still and non-threatening as possible), and success. Got several other deer (and one really nice tree) after that with a bow; but that one stands out.
The main reason for the blinds is my 9 year old son and wife. I'm so tough that I'm immune to the cold of course; but I want it to be warm enough they don't get cold and discouraged too early. Blinds also help conceal movement so don't have to worry quite as much about them moving around a bit, eating a snack, getting a drink, getting in position, turning pages in a book, etc... Turning pages reminds me of another memorable hunt...
Up in deer stand with two permits. Had a S&W 629 5" vcomp .44 mag on me. I was reading a book when heard deer running towards me. Raised revolver as they stopped for a second to look behind them probably 10 - 15 yards from base of stand. Couple quick shots and they're both down and... several pages of my book were shredded. I had it in my left hand and hadn't set it down; but I instinctively brought my left support hand over to help stabilize the gun - which resulted in the still open book surrounding the left side of the gun... I need to see if I still have that book... I remember it was a western; but not much else about it...
The best hunts are the truly memorable ones.
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Post by junebug on Jan 20, 2022 10:46:43 GMT -5
Good story. Shows your concentration was in the right place.
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