Anyone Going Deer Hunting This Year?

[christulsa]

Does your shotgun have open sites or just the bead on the end? 

What is an "open site"?  edit:  I have a Benelli, see this pic:  https://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/nova-tactical-pump-action-shotguns?eid=147

I hesitate to do target practice at the range because I have tinnitus, and have read in message boards that even with the best ear plugs, some guys permanently worsen their T after practice shooting, which if very bad can be a major drag.  When I bought this gun, I did practice shooting it wearing ear plugs and ear muffs, shooting maybe 20 times total, but my ringing got much louder for about 2 months after that day.  Thank God it went back down to previous levels.  So far mine is pretty mild most days and I barely think about it, but I know guys whose T was mild but later exposing themselves unnecessarily to repetitive, loud nose, now have very loud T 24/7.  Not worth the risk.  Unless there's a solution I'm not aware of.  I do have a deer rifle on my wish list for next year, which is more accurate.

Another thing too, if you get talking to any game wardens they will tell you that a fair amount of deer get shot but left in the woods.  I have seen deer shot through the lungs that took off like a bat.  You wouldn`t even think they were hit.  Sometimes no traces of blood can be found.  If you think you hit it just keep looking a little longer, you might get a surprise.   

Funny you mention the game warden, one walked across the field yesterday to make sure I had my hunting licenses, seeing me from a distance wearing the hunter orange.

It didn't seem like I hit the deer, but I might have.  The problem is it jumped across a fence onto private land.  And I'm glad I didn't trespass to follow it (I thought about it) because later I picked out a hunter in a deer stand on that private land on the far side of their field.  No tellin' how that Good ole Boy might have reacted.  They've got "No Hunting" and "No Trespassing" signs plastered along the fence bordering the Wildlife Management Area.  But I did scan the field for 5 minutes and saw no sign of a downed deer.  Binoculars would help, and maybe getting permission before hand to go on their land if necessary. 

[mikemac]

Does your shotgun have open sites or just the bead on the end? 

What is an "open site"?  edit:  I have a Benelli, see this pic:  https://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/nova-tactical-pump-action-shotguns?eid=147

That's a real nice gun.  Good price too.  I thought Benellis were more expensive.  One of my brothers and his sons use them.  Is it a smooth bore barrel or is it rifled?

Yeah it has open sites.  You just put the front site in the middle of the rear site to aim it.



This is what a shotgun looks like with just a bead on the end.  No rear site.  Used mostly for duck, partridge and other small game, but can be used for deer hunting.



Did you watch this video that I posted about a month ago.  It shows how deadly slugs can be at a fairly long range.  This guy surprises himself at the end of the video when he sees how many slugs hit the target at 230 yards.  He is using a 12 gauge Benelli similar to yours.

Deer hunting tip.  If you shoot a deer or even think you might have and it runs don't get up right away.  Sit for about a half an hour before you go to find the deer.  If it is hit it won't run far.  If you go after it right away it will still have some life in it and will get up and run further.  This might make the difference of having to carry it out further or it may run into private property or you may never find it.

[christulsa]

Thanks.  Pretty sure it's smooth bore, I think the rifled are more expensive.  Still baffled how I missed that deer, especially considering the close range and that video you posted.  The concern is I shoot a deer and it goes onto private land.   The public land is just woods with small fields on its outskirts, bordering private land.  My plan will be to go find the land owner if there's a downed deer on their land and ask for permission to enter.  Planning on hunting on Thanksgiving from 06:30 to 10:30.

[mikemac]

To check to see if it is a smooth bore or rifled make sure it`s not loaded, open the breach and look down the front of the barrel.  If it is rifled you will be able to see the rifling lines in the barrel.  I don`t think it is worth paying extra for a rifled barrel.  Well the guy in the video hitting the target at 230 yards is using a gun with a smooth bore barrel.  I don`t no how true it is but my nephew gave me the impression that he can`t or shouldn`t shoot buck shot or smaller shot through his rifled barrel.  As if the rifled barrel is only good for slugs and buck shot and smaller shot would ruin the rifling.  When he realized mine was a smooth bore he said so you can shoot partridge on your way to your watch, you know, as if he can`t.  If that`s the case then a rifled shotgun barrel is not worth buying.  Your gun probably holds five rounds eh?  I wouldn`t hesitate taking more than one shot at it if your afraid it is going to run onto private property.  Take aim and blast away.  Twenty five yards is actually buck shot range.  You might want to consider putting buck shot in as your first round then followed by slugs.  So to load it you`d put four slugs in then the buck shot last, so the buck shot is the first to get loaded.

[christulsa]

Back in my Deer Blind. It’s 06:29.  See pic of a quail I almost stepped on hiking in.  Zoom in.

[MundaCorMeum]

We put out a deer feeder with corn and a game cam.  So far, have only seen possums, squirrels, raccoons, and quail on the cam....no deer.  Boys went out hunting for quail today, since it was their first day off school (or half day, rather).  Nothing shot, though.  They saw some, but it was out of range. 

[Prayerful]

Well, that kind of gets my Irish up to learn more about how your government restricts gun ownership, and hunting.  I would still own a gun and hunt illegally, then.  It being a fundamental right and all (to self-defense, and self-preservation).

You mentioned the entrails.  I was thinking today and decided if I get a deer, I'm going to keep them for making sausage, though I expect it'll be unpleasant to clean them out.  You watch these YT videos of guys in the field, removing the organs from their fresh kill before taking the carcass home.  I've dissected a human cadaver, which wasn't so bad, but something tells me when I reach up inside the deer to carve out the organs and pull them out as one unit, that is not going to be pleasant.  At least the first time.

The Troubles and earlier Civil War were the main reason, meant a government would be wary of too much private firearm ownership.

I imagine they'd smell a bit, but that's little.

[christulsa]

First day of Holiday Antlerless Deer Rifle season today.  Around 07:15 this morning, then later at 08:30, two big bucks passed not 25 yards from the deer blind. It was tempting, but I’ll try one more time next Saturday.