Mountain Hunter

I've got a 336 Carbine in 35 Remington. I've shot two bucks with it. Both were boiler room shots and both were down within 30 yards. I went through a phase where I was reading/watching all the Benoit and Hal blood stuff and I had to have a 7600. I tucked the 35 into the back of the cabinet I bought a 7600 in a 35 Whelen. I'm not 100% sure why, buy the 7600 never clicked with me. I know they are beloved around these parts but I didn't love mine. I sold it and bought a guide gun in 45/70. I have a 1x4 scope on the guide gun and I just love it. It's well balanced, short, and when you hit a deer with it they are usually DRT. I love that gun. The 35 rem was my grand fathers. Last year I put a peep on it and hunted with it up in Maine for a week. It felt good to carry it again. This year, I put a 2x7 scope on it and I am really hoping to shoot a deer with it, mostly for nostalgia sake. I will agree with Buckmaster 7600 though, the ammo is getting hard to find and it is expensive. It's just as much or more than my 45/70. If I were buying a new gun, it would definitely be a 30/30 over a 35 for that reason alone.

So should the game plan for this weekend be to hunt low? I saw lots of old buck sign up high. Just nothing fresh.

I saw the same when I was out in 5H last weekend. All the sign up high was old. Freshest sign was down low.

I have a Triumph. I used to shoot Shockwaves but I didn't like how them performed on game. I'm shooting a Hornady Monoflex now, which is supposed to perform like the Barnes bullets. My Triumph shoots them very accurately with 110 grains of BH209 and Federal 209A primers. I have not had the chance to shoot a deer with the Monoflex yet. The reviews online seem positive.

I hunted 5H. I put on some miles looking for buck sign, but never found anything fresh from this year. I had a couple deer blow at me but I never saw them. The leaves hanging on the Beeches make it tough.

I started off with a 336. I bought a 7600 in a 35 Whelen and the gun just never felt right to me. I did kill a couple deer with it. I ended up selling it an picking up a guide gun. I must have short arms because the Marlin's just fit me better. The 7600 always felt very long and awkward to me.

It depends on the state of my freezer. If my freezer is empty, every buck is a shooter buck. If I have a deer in the freezer, I will be more selective. Last year I passed on a 4 pointer while the freezer was empty. I was confident I would get a deer with 2 weeks left in the season. I didn't end up getting a chance at another deer so I have had an empty freezer all year. I won't make that mistake again.

I'm a fan of lever action rifles. I have a 1951 Marlin 336SC in a 35 Remington that was my Grandfathers. I love to carry it. I've shot a couple deer with it too. I also have a Marlin Guide Gun in 45/70. I've shot one deer with it and love to carry it as well. I have my eye on the Henry Long Ranger in 308. It's a bit heavy and a bit expensive($900), but it is a beautiful gun. I like the idea of a 308 lever.

I have dragged out every deer. Sometimes that is a royal PITA. My cousin shot one down over a huge embankment up in Maine a couple years ago. It was about 3:00 PM when he shot it. We took turns dragging but it was really slow going. I found a 4" diameter blow down and we tied the deer to the pole and carried it out. That was a lot easier than dragging! I have yet to pack one out. Has anyone ever seen the Salerno video where they climb a small beech tree and bend it over? Then they tie the deer to it and it lifts the deer up off the ground so it can hang for the night. That might be a via option if you shoot one in the later afternoon.

I'm a big fan of Marlin Lever guns. I love the way they carry. I have a 45/70 guide gun and a 35 Remington 336 carbine. I use a TC Triumph for muzzle loader season.

Either Pharaoh Lake Wilderness or Hoffman Notch Wilderness. I bought my tags already and plan on going for early Muzzleloader. I believe Pharaoh is located in 5G, which means I should be able to shoot a buck or a doe.

Good Day, Vermonter here who loves to hunt the big woods. Joined the forum because I'm thinking of wandering around the Adirondacks. Thanks for having me.

I'm hoping to make it out this coming weekend. Thinking of giving Pharaoh Lake Wilderness a try.

Does anyone know of any good meat cutters in this area?