Iowa early smoke pole 2016

[duckhunt]

Well its not the gun. Maybe a case of buck fever. Im going to have a beer and kick myself.

 

[duckhunt]

4 tag holders and we have 3 misses. Good news is nothing is wounded. Bad news is we aren't shooting for shit. Time to regroup and settle down.

 

[crazyoldguy]

I don't facebook other than to see what my daughters are up to and tweet is something I hear in the woods, but I am now addicted to this forum. Thank you for sharing your families hunt. Best wishes for a successful hunt to you all.... Jim

 

[1_pointer]

Keep after it!! Misses happen. The early ML season in IA has me intrigued. May have to give it a try in a few years as it'd be a neat time to be hunting with a firearm.

 

[Gellar]

Thanks for the season updates! Missing sucks! But It is awesome your kids got to get out and see critters! Are you coming up to the Lansing area for any hunting this year?

1_pointer: The early muzzleloader is only open to residents. It is a fun season and I have had good luck during the early season, but I haven't hunted it for a few years. The late muzzleloader is open to nonresidents though and can be very fun if a person is in the right spot, otherwise it can down right suck.

 

[1_pointer]

Sounds about like my luck... Thanks for the info.

 

[duckhunt]

Bad news. Saturday night I put a doe down. She scrambled to get up and took off. After looking for blood I found none. Well she went into a 80 acre unpicked corn field. After looking for several hours I hung my head and called it quits. I punched my tag and called it a season. Thats the second year in a row that I lost a deer. Needless to say im not feeling very good about it.

Hey Geller I still plan on heading to the river for some duck hunting and walleye fishin before I put the boat away.

 

[Steelhead]

What kinda bullet you throwin at em?

 

[duckhunt]

Hornady sabots in 50 caliber

 

[Steelhead]

I've been getting scared that my precision rifle dead centerse won't perform that well. Been looking at knight bloodlines for next season...
Losing a animal SUCKS. Sorry man.

 

[Muskeez]

Are you shooting the XTP 240 grn ? That is what we have shot for years, and they are incredibly accurate, but I must admit that I don't think they expand very well. We shoot them with 2 pellets of Triple 7 , or with 90 grains by volume of Blackhorn 209. They do seem to zip right thru the deer and the exit hole is the same size as the entry, leaving minimal blood trails. I just switched to a heavier bullet, hopefully we will get more knockdown power and better blood trails. Id recommend switching bullets, if nothing else it will boost your confidence for next year

 

[duckhunt]

Xtp 240 is what im shooting. Ive pulled the bullet out of deer I have butchered and I agree the expansion is not what it should be. Maybe its time to look at other options.

 

[maxx]

We are shooting the same thing. I think we are one deer 4 with them. Two of them I shot with 100 grains of 777 and two are kids deer with 50 grains of 777. The two I killed were dead with in 20 yards and had massive blood trails.

The one my younger boy shot last year tipped over in her tracks, it was a heart shot. This year the deer only ran 100 yards tops but there was zero blood trail. Heck the deer didn't have a drop of blood on his fur. I think the kids can handle the 100 grains now so we are going to bump them up.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

No huge bucks so I shot a doe on Saturday morning. I had been passing on yearlings. Watched two yearlings come out of the corn and thought about downing one...... just wait maybe mom will follow. Yep as she steps out at 15 yards. I really like the close shots. Went 40 yards and laid down and died in the alfalfa field. I use 120 grains of powder and "Shockwave 200 grain spire point". I've had great luck with these bullets.

good luck to all
the dog