Whitetails and Black Powder

Dirty Brass · December 02, 2008, 02:16:51 PM

Go get em' DD !

Congrat's Slim!

Impressive meatpoles in them that pics! Thanks

Dick Dastardly · December 02, 2008, 05:45:45 PM

I must take notice that there is no snow in 'em photos w44wcf. We had snow. That's no excuse, but those old photos look like they were taken in October. Maybe "Global Warming" has given us tracking snow before they had it back then. . .?

Anyway, thanks for those great photos. The Buck Tree was a feature of the old deer camps. I had to give it up cuz skinning a frozen buck nearly took a chain saw. . .

The deer are eating my corn. I'll kill one soon. Somehow, I feel like the old which that built the Gingerbread House. . . Bambi is yummy.

DD-DLoS

w44wcf · December 02, 2008, 08:58:15 PM

DD,
Yes, it could very well have been in October. Looks a bit cold since coats were worn on that day. According to the book, back in those years, the deer season in Michigan ran for 3 months, from September 15 to December 15 (!). Lots of time for one to get his/her venison.

Hunters could harvest multiple deer and as we can see in the pic, dogs could be used in the hunt back in those days. Michigan eventually outlawed dogs for deer hunting in 1887.

These days we get in our cars and drive to our favorite spots but back in those days folks had to travel sometimes for 2 or 3 days to get to their favorite hunting grounds. For example, to get to camp Erwin, hunters traveled by train to Detroit, then board a boat to Tawas. From there they traveled the final 26 miles by horse drawn wagons or sleighs to camp Irwin.

There were many other hunting camps in northern Michigan and when hunters began heading back to the railway station for their trip home, the pic below shows the results of their success. WOW!

w44wcf

Dick Dastardly · December 03, 2008, 08:48:28 AM

Wow, that's a couple of wagonloads of deer there, hey. They took photos of great loads of logs also back then. Most of those loads were made up for photos. Back then photos didn't lie. If there was any fibs to be told, they were arranged before the camera clicked. I'm wondering if some of this venison might be destined for logging camp tables?

When I was still at home on the farm we had farmer season. It ran from July 4 to December 31. Not the official season, but it was the one that put meat on the table. Now I pretty much hunt legal because food isn't so scarce. Back then, if we didn't shoot well we went hungry.

I'm still watching for the right tender little buck to walk into my corn pile. So far it's been does and last year's fawns. I'm supposed to kill does here, but I've not yet agreed with the WI DNR idea of "herd reduction".

DD-DLoS

Dirty Brass · December 03, 2008, 11:38:07 AM

Quote from: Dick Dastardly on December 02, 2008, 05:45:45 PM
I must take notice that there is no snow in 'em photos w44wcf. We had snow. That's no excuse, but those old photos look like they were taken in October. Maybe "Global Warming" has given us tracking snow before they had it back then. . .?

The Buck Tree was a feature of the old deer camps. I had to give it up cuz skinning a frozen buck nearly took a chain saw. . .

DD-DLoS

That's just about what we had to do last Sunday morning. Fortunately our bone saw was enough to quarter up the rock hard frozen carcass's, but still waiting for a thaw to debone them. Skinning took 4 times longer than normal!

Dusty Morningwood · December 03, 2008, 03:35:29 PM

This will give a better idea of what my 2009 deer killing machine consists of. Of course I am referring to my Husqvarna 20 gauge rifle!

Lower pic shows the loaded round compared to a factory .44-40!

Dick Dastardly · December 03, 2008, 08:53:58 PM

Wow Dusty, that'll thump 'em. And here I thought I was over gunned with my 45-70 roller. . .

What distance is that hummer sighted in for?

DD-DLoS

Dusty Morningwood · December 04, 2008, 07:46:59 AM

Quote from: Dick Dastardly on December 03, 2008, 08:53:58 PM
Wow Dusty, that'll thump 'em. And here I thought I was over gunned with my 45-70 roller. . .

What distance is that hummer sighted in for?
DD-DLoS

I was real pleased when I discovered that the middle leaf sight would print 4" groups at 100 yds. The lower sight seems to be sighted somewhere between 50 and 75 yds (those were the other target stations at the range). To hunt, I might bump it up to 70 gr, but a dissected original had 65 gr.

Deadguy · December 04, 2008, 09:21:37 AM

Hey Dusty, you'll have to bring that 20 bore to a CAS shoot in April and try a stage with it.

Dusty Morningwood · December 04, 2008, 03:41:14 PM

Quote from: Deadguy on December 04, 2008, 09:21:37 AM
Hey Dusty, you'll have to bring that 20 bore to a CAS shoot in April and try a stage with it.

All I need is an excuse! What we need is a .50 + category rifle side match!

Deadguy · December 05, 2008, 12:34:27 PM

We'll have to talk to the pards at Ripon about that, Dusty!

Dalton Masterson · December 07, 2008, 04:40:33 PM

Well, no blackpowder deer for me this year. Got a doe with the 270, and took umpteen shots at a running buck with my broken front sighted 30-30. (Dont ask). Brownells is getting a call tomorrow for a nice front Marbles.
My wife Freeda got a nice little fork buck with her .270, and my dad got a monster whitetail with his .284 Win.

I had to makeshift a front sight on my Trapper 3030, and it was just a hair short, so everything was shot high. Kind of forgot that in the heat of battle, and kept on shootin at that buck, wondering why he kept going.

Oh well, its muzzleloader season here in Nebr., so that is the next hunt on the mind.
DM

Dirty Brass · December 17, 2008, 10:14:35 AM

Well, took the 45/60 out a couple of times, but alas, no wandering deer to sight in on. Did manage a nice doe with the muzzleloader - an old kit built CVA Hawkens in .54 caliber. Darn near missed. Me and buckhorn sights don't sem to get along very well

Only saw 2 deer in 6 days - much the same as during the regular season. Lot's of fresh tracks in the welcomed snow, but apparently treaveling at night again. Darn full moons!

Bent the rear sight on my 45/60 and lost the elevation piece. Still not sure how it happened, but it must have hooked on a small branch or something and lifted the sight up. When I nestled in and brought the gun up to check the sight picture, there was the rear sight bent up about 3/4" from the barrel. I wire-tied it down to keep on hunting, and it shot pretty close to POA at 50 yards afterward, but I'll be getting (or making) a new elevation piece this winter.

On the bright side, now I have another whole year to plink, sight in, and enjoy the rifles! Yahoo!!!

Dick Dastardly · December 17, 2008, 03:40:34 PM

Bambi 1, Dick 0.

Bambi avoided my stand and ate my corn after dark. My bride didn't want me to shoot deer on the South lawn under the yard light. I loaded ammo for a couple of good hunters and they promised to trade for meat. So, we won't starve.

Next season I'm starting my prep work earlier.

DD-DLoS

Dick Dastardly · December 17, 2008, 05:39:55 PM

So, I made the last post and looked out the window next to my coumputermachine. There were the deer. They come here in daylight now that season is over. Who told them. These photos were taken just an hour ago.

DD-DLoS

Dalton Masterson · December 17, 2008, 05:47:15 PM

Hey you got fluffy deer up there DD!!! Must get a little chilly eh? Our deer dont have as much fluff to them here in Ks and Nebr.
DM

Dick Dastardly · December 17, 2008, 08:10:05 PM

Yup, our deers get fluffy. I can't support 'em all, but I put out treats for a few. I taken 'em pictures thru the window next to my desk. Didn't even raise up out of my chair. I did see a buck later on, but the camera was back in the drawer.

DD-DLoS

litl rooster · December 18, 2008, 06:51:39 AM

mebbe you need some gun ports installed in yer office.

Pony Racer · December 18, 2008, 07:50:30 AM

IN VA the deer population is so out of control that in some counties the deer season extends through March 2009 - if you are hunting private property.

Hoping to get some time in over holidays

PR

Dirty Brass · December 21, 2008, 03:21:29 PM

Quote from: Dick Dastardly on December 17, 2008, 05:39:55 PM
So, I made the last post and looked out the window next to my coumputermachine. There were the deer. They come here in daylight now that season is over. Who told them. These photos were taken just an hour ago.

DD-DLoS

Yup - seems like they know when it's safe. I still think it's all due to the moon cycle and full moons. Seems every season fell during a full moon this year in Wisconsin. Almost all our pics were between 7PM and 4 AM.....now they move after 8 AM ....