Last Saturday's Muzzleloader Doe

[alsaqr]

Saturday was the first day of Oklahoma deer muzzleloader season. Got into a low blind overlooking a wheat field at about 06:00. Numerous deer came in, all well out of range. At about 07:45 a lone doe began grazing about 80 yards away. Wanted a broadside shot but deer did not cooperate.

Attitude: Quartering to
Range: About 80 yards
Rifle: TC Encore .50 caliber muzzleloader
Scope: Zeiss 4X
Bullet: 250 grain SST in crush rib sabot
Powder: 120 grains of Black MZ
Primer: Winchester 209

Doe went down at the shot, kicked for about 30 seconds and lay still. The animal was large for an OK deer and very fat.

Camera angle makes deer look larger.

 

[FL-NC]

Very nice! I will be hunting with a ML for the first time this year.

 

[alsaqr]

Very nice! I will be hunting with a ML for the first time this year.

Good on you. i hunted with muzzleloaders in the 60s and 70s. Returned in 2000. Since 2000 over 90 percent of hog and deer kills were with muzzleloaders.

Warning: Muzzleloaders are addictive.

 

[lastofthebreed]

Good post. Sometimes we forget the object of going deer hunting is to kill a deer. Good eating there.

 

[courtgreene]

Alsaqr, where’d you aim? I can’t see the hole.

 

[alsaqr]

Alsaqr, where’d you aim? I can’t see the hole.

The bullet entered the ribcage a little too far back. The exit is the dark spot just below the ham in the photo. i had washed the blood off.

 

[T.R.]

Good shooting! My family prefers eating does over rutting bucks. A fat doe is a genuine dinner plate trophy!

TR

 

[Choctaw]

Well done and I totally agree with T.R. Over the years I have become more interested in what I can put on the table rather than hang on the wall. That’s not saying I won’t shoot certain bucks, it’s just not as often as I used too. Anyway, congrats OP on your doe. My native state of Oklahoma is a beautiful place to hunt.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Over the years I have become more interested in what I can put on the table rather than hang on the wall. That’s not saying I won’t shoot certain bucks, it’s just not as often as I used too

I agree, good doe, and I try NOT to shoot the dominant buck in my little section of Maryland. He keeps his "harem" on the land where I can hunt, and he sires more deer for next year. I then can have a chance at either a nice fat, tasty doe, or a younger buck trying to sneak in on "the old fellow's" harem.

LD

 

[J-Bar]

I hope I can duplicate your success! Well done.

 

[stringnut]

We do love does for the culinary trophy aspect. Much rather dress a doe as compared to a rutting buck. Even worse if the buck is wet or its raining. Wife and I each have 2 doe tags,so, probably won't shoot a buck unless it's a big one.