How to kill a deer in the midst of the worst ammo shortage since WWII.

[OntarioHunter]

Drive Hwy 2 between Malta and Havre ... at night ... with headlights on dim. You'll get one for sure and no need to waste ammo. Sighting in not necessary. Use a vintage Jimmy or Blazer. Helluva attractant. Best to keep it in 4x4 if you want to stay on the road. Blood and guts makes for slippery pavement. May be an exaggeration but only slightly. I'm driving that stretch for about an hour most nights returning to the trailer from bird hunting. Smashed vehicles and dead deer all over the place. Last week on the way down to go hunting I glimpsed a HUGE whitetail buck laying in the ditch almost inside the town of Dodson (well, it was a town a long time ago). I nearly hit a nice one on the edge of Chinook a few nights before that. Pretty sure Puppy kicked him up earlier this week on the other side of the river. Tonight I narrowly missed a small whitetail buck on the edge of Malta where the Meadow Gold dairy used to be. Then 200 yards west of Harlem exit I plowed into a herd of eight. Fortunately I was drowsy and just got a coffee at the truck stop there so didn't have much speed yet. Somehow I managed to get through without any major damage. Either bumped a big doe in the butt or one of her fawns ran into the right side of my Jimmy. Didn't sound like much and still got both my headlights. Tonight the wind was blowing like hell and no moon. Deer still running all over. Don't travel that stretch at night if you can avoid it. If you do, keep it down to 55 mph. Seventy mph is legal but insane at night through there. Fifty is the max I'll drive between Chinook and Havre. VERY bad stretch.

 

[SilverDollars]

Howdy. Sounds like you need to install a railroad engine's "cow catcher" on your vehicle.

 

[Stocker]

Broadus north towards Miles City is about the same. Just after dark on my way up monday, no less that 25 deer on or next to the road. Friday morning after daylight headed back the same number. Decent bucks chasing does right on the highway.


Eastern Montana, can’t throw a rock without killing a giant buck. Right boys?

 

[MTLabrador]

The current ammo shortage is nothing compared to Montana’s deer shortage.

 

[OntarioHunter]

The current ammo shortage is nothing compared to Montana’s deer shortage.

That's laughable. Two new carcasses on the highway this morning. I have seen almost a dozen deer already and it's barely one in the afternoon. I'm bird hunting. The critical shortage is huntable land that hasn't been posted up by some transMontanan.

 

[LuketheDog]

That's laughable. Two new carcasses on the highway this morning. I have seen almost a dozen deer already and it's barely one in the afternoon. I'm bird hunting. The critical shortage is huntable land that hasn't been posted up by some transMontanan.

My arrows are reusable...

 

[Art Vandeley]

Why do I open these threads

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

That's laughable. Two new carcasses on the highway this morning. I have seen almost a dozen deer already and it's barely one in the afternoon. I'm bird hunting. The critical shortage is huntable land that hasn't been posted up by some transMontanan.

#Trannyslivesmatter

 

[tzone]

Why are you short on ammo?

 

[MTLabrador]

That's laughable. Two new carcasses on the highway this morning. I have seen almost a dozen deer already and it's barely one in the afternoon. I'm bird hunting. The critical shortage is huntable land that hasn't been posted up by some transMontanan.

Okay.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Try driving through a herd of elk... Game Over!

 

[Hunting Wife]

Okay.

That’s Boomer to you.

 

[D4570]

OH YAY!
This week is the worst of all. The deer go stupid for sure.
I Clobbered one two years ago this week . I in a suburban doing 70 ay 4 am, Belt highway toward Lewistown. She jumped the rail in pitch black, I did not even get my foot off the gas. Went in through one of the head lights took Radiator oil cooler trans cooler AC cooler AC pump, Power steering pump, Throttle body , and came out under the truck making me almost lose control when the rear wheels went over her.
We took a toe truck ride home and put the Sub in to the bone yard.
SO MANY night deer!
The new F150 has a cow catcher on the front!!!
Glad you came out ok.

 

[OntarioHunter]

OH YAY!
This week is the worst of all. The deer go stupid for sure.
I Clobbered one two years ago this week . I in a suburban doing 70 ay 4 am, Belt highway toward Lewistown. She jumped the rail in pitch black, I did not even get my foot off the gas. Went in through one of the head lights took Radiator oil cooler trans cooler AC cooler AC pump, Power steering pump, Throttle body , and came out under the truck making me almost lose control when the rear wheels went over her.
We took a toe truck ride home and put the Sub in to the bone yard.
SO MANY night deer!
The new F150 has a cow catcher on the front!!!
Glad you came out ok.

Thanks. Not so lucky last year ... but luckier than you. I hit a buck west of Malta but lucky he tried to turn around at moment of impact. Got him in the ass dead centre. Lost the grill and hood only. The passenger headlight was torn loose but still working. Still drivable as the radiator and oil cooler were miraculously undamaged. Picked up a hood and grille at Kalispell wrecking yard. Sad thing is I'd just replaced the hood ... with one the right color. The bumper housing is cracked but who cares? I'll fix it someday ... maybe. 300K miles so I'm not investing heavily in that rig.
Interesting that I hit a deer in the exact same spot on that highway ten years earlier returning from my HS class reunion in C Falls. A little one that blew up on impact and knocked out headlight. On the west end of new overpass west of Malta. Watch out, that's a bad spot. I see deer there all times of the day.

No damage that I can see from the fracas the other night. I must have barely hit the fawn's leg with right bumper. That doe's arse was level with driver's side headlamp so must have missed her. I quickly went back to make sure nothing was on the road and apparently both deer were okay.

My landlord here bought a fancy cow catcher for the front of his new Dodge truck. Tried to jack up the vehicle using the catcher and it collapsed. Smashed his hood. Most of them are ornamental.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Location: South Central Iowa
Game: Spoon and Crockpot Trophy Doe
Weapon: 2015 Nissan Titan
Load Data: Approx. 6000 lbs. traveling at undisclosed speed (this load is just to hot).
Clothing: Full Sitka gear
Summary: It was a great hunt. This doe offered me a great shot placement opportunity for a perfect center punch. Due to oncoming traffic lights in my face, I never even tapped the brakes. Vehicle deductible was high, butcher bill low, as burger was instantly made.

 

[300stw]

the road row has some of the best habitat in the state right now, salt, runoff, alfalfa that is mowed, its wonderful

 

[tjones]

Judging Montana's deer population by the number of road kills a guy sees is, well, silly.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Judging Montana's deer population by the number of road kills a guy sees is, well, silly.

Nah. The deer are flocking to the roads in an effort to escape predation by non- native wolves.
#science

 

[Nick87]

Judging Montana's deer population by the number of road kills a guy sees is, well, silly.

That's actually how Illinois measures it and sets tag numbers off of it. Smfh

 

[EYJONAS!]

Thanks for the hot tip Ontario. Now I know what rig I need to follow around all day when I see you out there chasing the slammers.

Should be about a guaranteed slam dunk, with your level of expertise.