"calling your shot"

[duffy4]

"calling your shot" means having a clear mental image of what things looked like through the scope when the gun goes off.

Have you ever been sighting in at the range and as you take a shot you are aware that you "pulled" a shot to the left or right?

When shooting at game are you very aware of your shot and if it was high, low or a bit far back?

I was getting set up in a ground blind last Sat. and a buck came out. I knew I was not going to be able to hunt the last two days of the season so I figured I would take the next buck I saw. So I quickly got on this buck and then decided to turn up the power on my variable scope. Then he began to move ahead as I set for the shot. I made the mistake of holding on steady on the deer and took the shot without following the deer.

I got the mental picture that the shot was a little far back.

So I waited 1/2 an hour to let him lay down and bleed and stiffen. Then as I had nothing else pressing to do and it was early, I waited another 1/2 hour.

I walked up to where he had been and there was good blood right away.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/DSCN6943.jpg

Good blood but dark blood not bright lung blood. After a short distance I started finding beds with blood in them. Every time he left a bed the blood flowed pretty good for a while and then slowed down. Then a bed and then more blood.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/DSCN6949.jpg

Of course I spent more time looking ahead to try and see him than I did looking at the ground and the blood sign. And that payed off when I saw him rise out of his next bed. He stood with his head down obviously "sick". But when he started moving off I had to shoot him in the fanny to put him down.

The blood poured out then and he lay dead at the end of a blood trail.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/DSCN6957.jpg

Not the classic "one shot quick clean kill" that we all strive for but I was happy to take an unpleasant situation and take it to a desirable conclusion.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/DSCN6973.jpg

Not the big buck I was hoping to get this season but a late in the season, mature buck that will make a bunch of tasty sausage.

I must be getting old (and smart) cause I cut him in two and dragged him out with a handy dragging harness.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/DSCN6980.jpg

[coreya3212]

Congrats on your buck at the buzzer.

[Dacotensis]

You must be getting old. Eyesights getting worse, trigger finger freezes up too easy.
When you were younger it would have taken you one shot.
Glad the weather warmed up enough to get you of the recliner and into the Alberta outdoors.

[The Fisherman Guy]

Congratulations on your buck Duffy.

As much ribbing as I and others give you, you know your stuff and aren't opposed to sharing your information, so thank you for not hoarding a lifetime of hunting knowledge. It's folds like yourself that teach the new generations the right path to take.

Nice to see the penguin camo jacket work like a charm :)

[coyotekiller]

congrats on the deer :)

[catnthehat]

First shot hit the liver area Duffy?
Good job of persistence and a good explanation for the less experienced!
Cat

[Lefty-Canuck]

Nice to see the penguin camo jacket work like a charm :)

Congrats on getting him!

Seriously where did you find that Penguin Camo? I would love to have one of those.....and yes I am being serious.

LC

[nicholal]

Robin if you wouldn't spend so much time down under your markmenships would still be honed.........heheh

Shooting at moving deer is an art. I know you have done it many time in one shot from stories you have told. So good on you for taking the time to not push him. Main moral of story is you stuck with it until deer was recovered

AL

[HunterDave]

Congrats on your buck! Where did the first bullet enter/exit?

[Trav]

nicely done congrats

[Pudelpointer]

Good patience and a successful follow up.

Glad you got him.

[Headdamage]

I did this myself yesterday but I was not smart enough to wait. It was nearing sunset and I made the mistake of only waiting about 10min before going to have a look in the trees where the Mule Buck went in after I shot him. I knew the shot was a bit far back of the usual kill zone, I could still see where the cross hairs where in my head when the rifle fired. Sure enough he had bedded only about 30m from where I shot him but he had not bled out yet (no blood on the snow at all but lots of hair at the shot location) and I jumped him out of his bed in dense regrowth pine trees. A short stalk through the trees resulted in a second shot into him through the trees (not a clear shot) then a third shot in the back of the neck to finish him as he was down but not dead. I felt bad for the deer as I had made a less than clean kill but it could have been a lot worse with me back out there trying to find a wounded deer the day after the season closed (would that be legal?). Any way there was little meat loss (good heavy bullets) and he is now waiting for me to finish butchering in a few days.

[rottie]

Good post Duffy
This is a skill we should all strive for,calling a shot good or bad can change how a person procedes

[iliketrout]

Nice buck and thanks for the interesting read!

[Cal]

Realy like the educational picture post things that you've done over the years. Congrats on yet another good post that I'm sure many will find usefull and a nice deer as well.

[duffy4]

A couple peop-le have asked me where I got the dragging harness. I actually forget where I bought this one but I googled and...


Allen Deer Drag Harness
Make it easier to drag your deer out of the woods
• Dual harness deer drag helps distribute the weight across your body to make it easier to drag your deer out of the woods
• 2" web construction for comfort
• Large steel "D" ring for dependability
• Quick connect buckles for easy use
• Tow rope included
Your Price Only: $6.99

Reviews

Global Rating: 5.00 from 1 reviews
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Allen deer harness Jan 4, 2011 Joe LaCrosse Vi US
The harness works very well and enabled me to easily remove a 105 pound deer through light brush to my truck. Delivery was very fast. I am very satisfied... more...


The "penguin cammo" I picked up at "value village in RedDeer. From accross the room I thought it was a camo jacket so I walked over and had a good laugh when I realized what it was. It was only $6.oo and was big enough to fit over some warm layers so I bought it and have uesed it a lot.

[Dacotensis]

I thought that was your girdle.:sHa_sarcasticlol:
Or some type of "strap on device".
Just kidding with you big guy.
Why not make the work go a little easier right?

[HunterDave]

A couple peop-le have asked me where I got the dragging harness. I actually forget where I bought this one......

I bought mine at Can Tire but I saw them in WSS north on Monday.

[diamonddave]

Glad you found him, betcha he was right at the end of his tracks:)

[Dark Wing]

Nice buck Duffy , good job and congrats. I missed a wolf at 60 yards one year from a tree stand by not following through with my shot. I usually find a winter kill or 2 a year of deer I figure a guy couldn't have been bothered to follow up their shots, one was a huge buck. The hunter said the deer didn't show any sign of a hit so he stayed in his blind. I found it 3 years later in a cutblock 400 yrds from where he shot it.

[Alberta Bigbore]

congrats on the buck Duffster..... enjoyed the post

[MKD]

Well, done.
Smart hunting.
Thanks for the info on the harness. I'll skip the penguin camo though.