t_barb

hell of a shot at 43 yards!!! great job!

I had the exact same reaction.. I always learned to handle a firearm as if it was loaded and always know where the barrel is pointed... There is time for both safety and celebration....

I am far from a Ballistics expert, but do know that there is a lot more that goes into it than the weight of the bullet ( velocity being one of the other keys)... All I know is that within 200 yards (I have never shot a deer at more than that) the 25.06 is devastating. I will agree that the entry hole is not very big, but honestly, I don't think it matters because I have never had to follow a blood trail... Granted I have only taken 4 deer with my 25.06, but all 4 deer have probably gone 20 yards combined... It simply blows them over. I am shooting 117gr Hornady American Whitetail ammo, that I can get for less than $20 on sale, so not breaking the bank on the "good stuff" either. I would love to hear if anyone on the site has every shot a bear with a 25.06.. I would not hesitate at all. I am confident it will more than get the job done (assume shot placement is good)..

It is funny how things vary place to place... my brassica and turnips are getting hammered... I had a nice 8 point in one of my plots about 70 yards from me last Saturday and I could hear him crunching the bulbs from my stand..

every year this topic comes up... the reality is that for the most part most large chunks of state land are only hunted on the fringes.. If you are willing to take the time and make the effort to "go deep" you can be handsomely rewarded (especially when the pressure on the fringes kicks up)

it is a functional scope... ask your self, how many times are you going to shoot over 200 yards in NYS? I have one on a Savage combo I bought in 25.06... like I said, it is functional and have taken deer out to 185 yards, but honestly at my property, I can not shoot any further than that, so for my purposes it works just fine (every time I have pulled the trigger (4 times in 2 years), I have killed a deer and they have not gone very far)

25.06 gets my vote.. very versatile round and an awesome round for coyotes to deer

way to stick with it guys... Well done!!

I won't take that bet... I have a similar scenario I am hunting and if your deer population is anything like it is where I am, 15 is probably a safer bet with the viewing distance you have

my new favorite thread... Hoping you get the big boy on the last day of the season... lol

You also need to consider how warm it has been.. movement has been limited by the temperatures.. People often forget that it wasn't that long ago that the season never opened until 10/15...

yes, I take all of my deer to Grizzly's for butchering.. They are the BEST by far.. the age the deer for up to 2 weeks in a cooler before cutting.. I have never found anyone else that has ever done that.... It makes a HUGE difference there products are pretty good.. They make good slim sticks and I like their kielbasa. I still like Costanza's hot dogs and sausage as well.

http://costanzasausage.com/venison.htm

I have had both.... Constanza's is worth the extra$$$

I think you are taking a very reasonable approach... Interested to see if you get a call..

I have some property in the area and would say that is pretty typical in terms of what I see... There is a lot of agriculture around, which helps a lot That said, there is a big difference between getting them on camera, at night this time of year and being successful during bow or gun season...

got this one a few years ago.. Split main beams on both sides..

is everyone getting pics of really small fawns? We are seeing some that are the size of what you would normally see in mid july

might be lack of sunlight.. I have tried a couple places in the woods and it starts just like your did and then it just disappears because it can not grow fast enough... You probably want to try taking down a number of tress in that area to open things up.

what ever way you are going to do it, you need to practice... If you are going to sit, practice sitting and shooting from an elevated position, where the clothes you plan to wear in the field. You learned the hard way that you do not want to learn on the fly when the chance of a good buck presents itself (those opportunities do not come often enough)..

won't know until I know the direction of the wind

I have a number of spots on my property where I get consistent action all summer long (up to 10 pictures of deer a day) and then come mid September and into hunting season they seem to disappear.. I have always attributed it to their feeding patterns changing... It is part of learning a new piece of property... It will take many years to get things down, but at least you won't be in a position where you figure it and then lose hunting rights...

interested to find as well, as I have the same ting growing at my place....

with the 3 inch federals, I have never had to track a deer.... the don't go far from point of impact... I have shot probably 10 deer with my 220, with the 3" Federals and have not tracked 100 yards total. Shot placement is important, but it is with any weapon you are using.

I took a doe at 178 paces a few years back (open field with a solid rest).. I shoot 3" Federal slugs.. amazing how accurate this shotgun is.. A friend that is a retired military guy, shot a 3 shot clover leaf group at 100 yards... He was shocked that a shotgun could be so accurate..