NYBowhunter

Who ever mentioned minor calibers? What is a minor caliber? Im talking about rifles i use. I shoot a 35 and can most certainly handle a 45-70, will the 45-70 make me a better shot? Should i go get a 45-70 because its bigger and doesnt make me flinch? Or will practicing with my 35 and shot placement with that 35 make my retrieval chances much better?

Well obviously if they didnt hit their kill zones as you put it, they were not aiming for that "kill zone" or they didnt take the time to sight their guns. Yes mistakes do happen, but a larger caliber gut shot does not making the track job any easier.

Your going in circles man. Your the one making assumptions that a larger caliber will make you a better shot, hence increase your odds of retrieval. Again, i call bullshit. A deer hit in the lungs ot heart with a 243 or a 45-70, makes no dufference to me. Thats still a dead deer. Gut shoot a deer with a 243 or 45-70 makes no difference to me, you will still possibly been in for a very long track job.

hour ago, Storm914 said: I'm saying in the deer woods no shot is going to be placed as good as off a bench rest so if you dont have a problem with recoil better off going for a little bigger powerful bullet that's going to make the bigger hole in the deer . Less chance its going to go far that way and have someone else shoot at it and have to deal with them . Read your original statement above. Basically let me interrupt it for you. You are suggesting a hunter use the biggest possible caliber without them flinching of course and in doing this will eliminate your chances of loosing deer due to poot shot placement. Now i get it the bigger hole thats made from the largest caliber my shoulder can handle without flinching of course will effectivwly increase my retrieval odds. Brilliant.

No im not saying that at all, your suggesting that a larger caliber will make me a better shot. Is that not what you wrote? Now your talking about shooting a bear with a 9mm, where do you get this crap .

I dont get it, your now contradicting your original statement that bigger is better? Cant have it both ways, which one is it.? For arguments sake are saying if i use a 308 and make marginal shots that maybe just maybe i will miraculously become a better shot with a larger caliber?

So a deer gut shot with a 30-06 would make retrieval easier then a gut shot deer with a 243? To me gut shot is gut shot. The OP never mentioned nor are we talking about a 243. Hes suggesting hypothetically that if i use a 308, that maybe if i use a 45-70 my chances of making a better shot and less chance of loosing a deer to marginal shots would substantially increase. I call BS on that. The key to killing deer with any caliber, yes even a 243 is shot placement, PERIOD!!!!

Sorry but your approach is not logical to me, key is bullet placement not caliber size.

So you think the cure for poor or marginal shots is for a hunter to get a larger caliber ? I hope thats not what your suggesting.

I agree 100%, my comments are for all of us. We can all learn from our mistakes. Im definitely not the same hunter i was when i started hunting deer 32 years ago and i learned from many mistakes. I have lerned not to rush shots and pass on shots that dont feel right, but thats not to say i cant make a bad shot. I just feel if i made a gut shot and my neighbor put that deer down, im not deserving of that deer and should not be offered to me by the neighbor.

Hope your joking

Any deer that doesnt leave my property...lol

The answer is right there " killing shot", which to me means the person that puts that animal down, kills it. I have never seen a leg shot deer recovered unless you hit a major artery and i have seen many gut shot deer evade hunters. Im a very persistent tracker, its unbelievable how far and where a gut shot deer will go. I have tracked one gut shot deer that crossed 2 roads, went through 2 swamps and went thru some ungodly thick crap, where i had to track on hands and knees. Those marginal shots should be a learning lesson and not rewarded, that deer should only be deserved by the hunter you made the killing shot. People learn real fast how to place shots when you loose deer to marginal shots.

Nope. But i do believe the snow in my area has hindered their movement.

You all do know that retrieval of a gut shot deer, although lethal, can sometimes be very difficult to fnd. Sometimes very little blood, holes get plugged up and if no snow it can be very difficult to retrieve. My opinion is that if deer gets put down by another hunter, it should be that hunters deer. But i also do agree that if you are tracking a wounded deer together with the first shooter and you put the deer down then deer should go to first shooter.

2:30 opening day

Only deer i saw all day, tracks all over the place, shot at 2:30. For the most part they must be moving later in day or at night with all this snow.

Nice, thanks. And knowing the higher elevations in harpersfield where im from, im sure theres more snow and its bitter cold. Only good thing is that the deer stand out in the snow, but i think they know that too and will be sticking to the pines and thick cover. Good luck all.

Thats exactly what i was thinking.

Thats awesome Thanks. Im heading up shortly to higher elevations in harpersfield and was just curious. Thanks again and good luck!!!!!

Anybody have inch totals for Deleware and otsego counties?

Try a pool patch, cheap and will do the job. They have clear, self stick patches that are very tuff and of course waterproof.

I have that same exact stand from sportsman guide, put mine up 7 years ago, i drove 3 metal fence posts into the ground next to each leg and tied together with heavy gauge wire, keeps everything real sturdy. Repainted it this past spring and looks as new as the day i got it (stays out all year long). All my double and single ladders and an elevated box blind all came from sportsman guide, good quality and great prices. Every so often touch up the paint and they last a long time.

I get lots of snow but never felt the need for white camo.

In CNY, Otsego and Deleware counties where i hunt its not uncommon to get snow in the bow and gun seasons. But l i remember some recent snowfalls that were horrendous. That snow storm 2 years ago was crazy, walking up my mountain in 18"- 24" of snow was not fun but we still managed to kill deer.