stcif Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) Today I was able to get my first deer with a muzzleloader. Saw three does together. They were over 100 yards away and they eventually made their way out of the field I was watching them in and back into the woods. I thought they had busted me in a ladder stand.About ten minutes later they reappeared in the field. They fed a little and started making their way towards me. They got to within 100 yards and then took a left and started walking away from me. I ranged the biggest doe and she was at 105 yards. I have never fired a gun at a deer that far away before. They started walking away some more and I figured if I wanted a deer this year it was now or never. They all stopped for a few seconds and I put the crosshairs on the biggest one. My muzzleloader shoots pretty much dead on at 100 yards so I figured an extra 15-20 yards shouldn't be that much different.I squeezed off a shot and they all ran. I knew instantly I hit the doe, but she basically flinched a little and took off running fast. No mule kick.I climbed down, reloaded and went to where I hit her. I found blood almost right away, but not large amounts. The blood was not very dark, but also didn't appear to be lung blood. What was confusing me was the blood trail was misty, instead of large drops of blood. I kept thinking that I had to hit lungs as it appeared as though the deer had blood blowing out of her mouth and nose. It definately was "spraying".I tracked the deer across the field for over 200 yards. She ran into some hemlocks and as soon as I entered them I jumped her. She ran down a hill, away from me and then she began to climb a hill up a logging road. I put the scope on her and fired again. This time I had no idea if I hit her. She didn't react at all to this shot.I reloaded again, and went over to where she ran up the hill. I found a lot of dark brown hair and knew I got another one into her. I then crested the hill and found her laying there. She only went about 20 yards after the second shot.I am going to post a pic of her heart for educational purposes. I know a heart shot deer can go a long way. After looking at her heart I noticed my first bullet grazed it, causing a laceration. My first shot hit her slightly behind her right shoulder, and exited in front of her left shoulder. It was a little low. I think the mist I was seeing was her heart spraying blood out as she ran. I'm not sure. I still have not cut the heart up to see if the ventricles (I think) were compromised. I do not totally know what caused a small hole in the heart also. Possibly the bullet fragmented some, or "shrapnel" from a rib bone. I'll look into that more when I butcher her. My second shot did her in as it entered her left side, behind her ribs. This bullet tore the stomach open and the opposite lung.I was shooting a 50 caliber Knight Revolution, with 2 Triple 7 pellets, and a 240 grain Sierra, semi-jacketed hollow point. I'm wondering if I didn't get that second shot into her, how far she could have kept going if I continued to push her. Another lesson learned in the woods today. Edited December 22, 2009 by stcif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike13candace Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Congrats on the long range shot.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 WTG Scott, that's a good one! You guys hunt some of the toughest deer I ever heard of, lol. Glad you got her bud. Way to read the sign, no telling how far she would have made it with that first shot alone. Glad you didn't have to find out. Congrats on your first smoker!:clap: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Nice doe, congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond Archer 01 Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Congrats Dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodtrails Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 nice!:clap: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Congratulations on your first with the ml'er. Pretty amazing how far they can go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearClaw Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Nice doe! Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earnhardts12000 Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 congrats i got 1 weds with smokepole missed 1 tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseasl Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Nice doe! Glad it worked out for you. Congratulations on your first with a ML. I got my first last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strutstopper Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Tough deer lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledrop Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I don't know how I missed this one. Congratulations on your first smoke pole doe!!!!:clap: That is a great looking mature doe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Congrats on your 1st ML kill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairiepredator Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Congrats on a nice doe! Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhammer Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Congrats on your first. Nice shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stcif Posted January 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Thanks for the replies everyone. I have a restored faith in my muzzleloader after a couple bad years with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckandbull Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Congrats on the nice doe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunter109 Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 well i dont know about the houghest me and a buddy was hunting here in ohio and 4 deer came though that were pushed to use i mean by a hunter that was not aloud in there i shot the doe right in the front shoulder and it took out about a 1/4 of the haert and she ran about a half mile before we could shoot her agin witch my buddy hit her a little high and took out the top part of the right lung then i shot her behind the last rib and he shot her one more time right to the left of the pine hitting the left lung right on by that time she was in a little revein theni had to jump in and cut her throught to kill her after that i started to gut her and found a male reproductive organ in her with all the normal ones but see went over about 3 miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosierbuck Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I am skeptical of a compromised heart in a deer traveling much over a hundred yards. I have never seen it and logic tells me it just isn't very likely. HB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Hey I got my first deer with a muzzleloader this year too. Congrats! It's a different experience taking one with a muzzleloader and definitely a cool one to remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 Congrats on your first with the smokepole! I have to admit, I started thinking of venison heart recipies when you showed the heart pic! Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stcif Posted February 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 Hey I got my first deer with a muzzleloader this year too. Congrats! It's a different experience taking one with a muzzleloader and definitely a cool one to remember. Congrats. Glad you got one too. It was fun. Especially after last year when my muzzleloader failed me on a wet day. My fault, lack of experience in keeping moisture out of the barrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stcif Posted February 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 Congrats on your first with the smokepole! I have to admit, I started thinking of venison heart recipies when you showed the heart pic! Dakota The heart is tasty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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