Got a little meat with my 54

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dhaverstick
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Got a little meat with my 54

#1 Post by dhaverstick »

Missouri's firearms deer season started this past Saturday and I went to the Haverstick Homestead last Wednesday evening to bow hunt for a couple of days before the season kicked off. My goal was to kill a couple of fat does with whatever weapon I had in my hand at the time. However, I was plagued with horny bucks running all over the place and could never get a doe to stand still long enough to make that happen. I passed on some spikes and forkies with my bow and called in a He Daddy wallhanger that I just couldn't get a shot on that I wanted. After two days of perfect weather and many deer sightings, I put the recurve away and broke out my 54 flinter.

It was 17 degrees down in the holler Saturday morning and the wind was only supposed to be light that day and coming from the northwest - perfect! I was going to hunt the ridge behind our barn as I had seen umpteen deer on it Thursday morning of all sizes. I figured my chances were pretty good at filling my grocery list. We had a pretty good acorn crop this fall and the deer were up there vacuuming them up like candy. I ascended the southern slope of the ridge, grabbed my climbing stand and my hunting gear, and walked out to the west end of the ridge to my selected spot. It was still dark when I reached the tree I was going to climb and I could already hear deer tromping around. I was all set up and ready for action with about 10 minutes to spare before shooting light.

Within the first 30 minutes, I saw a little 8-pointer coming from the west end of the ridge towards me. He ended up walking within 20 yards of me and I let him keep on walking since I didn't want to burn my buck tag on him and it was still early yet. Later I saw a couple of does run by at high speed with a little spike hot on their trail. Finally, at around 8, I saw fawn feeding my way from the east that had been run off by her mother. While she wasn't as big as I really wanted, she would help fill the freezer just the same. I patiently waited while she took her sweet time closing the distance. I guess eating acorns is tiring business, though, because she decided to lay down for a rest before she got close enough for me to shoot.

While she was resting, a commotion took place directly behind me down in the bottom of Tater Cave Holler. I finally was able to turn around to see what was happening and saw a nice heavy 8-pointer chasing a doe. When they came out of the holler away from me, I turned back to check on my bedded deer and she was gone. About 20 yards from her bedding spot, however, was a big doe on full alert. Before I could move my gun into position, she left the area as well. Dang! Just what I was wanting, too!

Another 30 minutes went by and I see another fawn feeding from the west and heading my way. It finally was getting into range and I was getting ready to cock the hammer when I heard some noise to my left. A bigger deer was standing on that side of me. Since I was wanting meat, I switched my attention to that deer only to see two little spikes on top of its head. Just my luck! The two deer spot each other and start walking towards one another. When the fawn on my right gave me a good quartering-away angle, I pulled the trigger on my 54. It ran just a little ways before piling up and my empty freezer was about to get some business.

After getting out of the tree and getting my gear squared away, I walked over to my prize. It was a little button buck. I gave thanks to the little feller's spirit for the good meat his body would provide my family and had him loaded in the truck in short order. He's hanging in my garage right now and will be cut up and put away this evening. The load I used to take this deer was 65 grains of FFF under a .53" PRB.

Darren

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Captainkirk
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#2 Post by Captainkirk »

Nice! My first deer ever was a button buck and the best eating venison we've ever had! Congrats on making smoke, Darren!
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Hill billy
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#3 Post by Hill billy »

Should be good eatin

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Elkman
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#4 Post by Elkman »

Nice hunt Darren. Nice deer for eaten. Good luck getting that nice 8 point.
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Grizzly
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#5 Post by Grizzly »

Nice day in the hollers. They are sure good eating. I've shot a few and like you, will pass if I can see the buttons on their head. Usually though you can't and are thankful for the meat. I always enjoyed hunting with the TC Hawken and Renegade but they were percussion and not flinters. That sure is a nice one you have there.
Jesus replaces the old covenant and speaks to the believer the moral code of God by His Spirit directly to the heart. He is the eternal, everlasting revelation of God to mankind. In Him is both the knowledge of righteousness and the power to live right.

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dhaverstick
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#6 Post by dhaverstick »

Grizzly wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 6:46 am I always enjoyed hunting with the TC Hawken and Renegade but they were percussion and not flinters. That sure is a nice one you have there.
I have several flintlocks that were made for me by my good friend, John Pruitt. He made that one for me a couple of years ago and it is extra special because the stock wood came from a walnut tree off my family farm. I got a good deal on it too. All it cost me was the price of parts and a batch of homemade cookies. Not many gunsmiths will work that cheap!

Darren

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Grizzly
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#7 Post by Grizzly »

It is so nice to have friends like that. Yes, that is certainly a special rifle.

I had a good friend make me a cross draw holster for a scoped Ruger Hunter the same way. I think he barely charged me for the leather he had in it. He put so much loving detail work into it that for years I could not part with it or the Ruger even though I'd stopped hunting with it. I finally parted with the Ruger, but still have that holster.
Jesus replaces the old covenant and speaks to the believer the moral code of God by His Spirit directly to the heart. He is the eternal, everlasting revelation of God to mankind. In Him is both the knowledge of righteousness and the power to live right.

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White Falcon
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#8 Post by White Falcon »

Good eating!

Carpdaddy
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#9 Post by Carpdaddy »

Congratulations Darren!

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Graps
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Re: Got a little meat with my 54

#10 Post by Graps »

Congratulations.
Hopefully my 54 will be done for next fall.
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

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