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Texas Heart Shot


wolc123
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this discussion has shifted into the same argument hunters who take headshots use. "more meat". Neither shot is illegal and arguments can be made that both could be ethical. At the end of the day, most hunters will agree that a shot right behind the shoulder is the one to take. And for good reason. You will never win the a55hole shot or head shot argument with hunters.

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The rifle used on the subject shot was a full-sized Ruger-M77, bolt-action, 30/06 with 3-9 Redfield scope (set on 3) firing a 150 gr Federal "classic" bullet.   It has always held moa from a rest at 100 yards, so getting the bullet into that 3/4" dia hole at 50 yards on a standing deer from a good rest and with light wind was a chip shot if there ever was one.

Here is another strange coincidence, that I did not understand when I sighted in my rifle, but now the reason is perfectly clear:   When I verified the zero on this gun from my 100 yard bench earlier this fall, the two bullets (from the same box as the 5-pages and counting THS bullet) struck 3/4" apart, centered on the bull.    For many years I had that gun zeroed 2-1/2" above the bull at 100 yards.  That enabled a dead-on hold out to 350 yards (my prior kill with it 2 years ago was just over 300)   Rather than adjusting it back up, I left it where it was. I expected that hunting shots in the Adirondack woods this fall would most likely be at closer range (there were a lot more leaves on the trees when I went up for my first hunt this year).   Had that bullet hit the deer even 1" higher, there would have been some major meat damage.      

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  • 3 weeks later...

1126161541.jpgMy mother in law finally sent us a picture of the THS buck.  He is hanging from the same tree as my ML doe (see ML harvest thread) from my first trip up there this fall and you can again see my father in law's meat wagon in the background.  That doe died a short distance behind the barn in this picture (we still loaded her in the wagon).  This buck was my second easiest Adirondack recovery.  After a cell phone call, my father in law was able to back the wagon up to him with his ATV, before I even finished field dressing. The antlers are small, but I like their red color.   That seems kind of unique to Adirondack bucks, although the last, larger buck I killed up there had antlers colored more like the ones down home in the Southern zone.     

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Wooly you are right on there about a couple things anyhow.   The little red guy is just that,, little, compared to the Big Guy in White.   The two have tangled many times and every time the little red guy has came out on the short end of the stick.   I know there will be more conflicts but I also know that the outcomes will never change.   
 
You are also right about the prayer part.  In fact, there is a mountain ridge up there in the NW Adirondacks where all (4) hunting-related prayers I asked for were answered.  God has His schedule and we have ours and they were not all answered as quickly as I would have liked.   It took Him under a minute to deliver an antlered buck when I asked to see one.   It took Him about 5 minutes to give me a shot at him when I asked for that, and it took Him over a half hour to let me find him when he dissapeared after my last of 3 shots (yes I am not perfect and missed the first two).   I also asked to see an antlerless deer on my first afternoon ML hunt up there this season.   He did not bring her around until the next morning, just after sunrise (as you saw in the ML harvest thread).   
 
The fact that He was 4/4 of answering prayers up on that ridge led me to believe that there might be some type of "Holy-Vortex" up there and maybe I could use that to help some folks I know or know of who are suffering with cancer.  The next time I was up on that ridge I prayed for 3 of them.   I talked with one of those (a co-worker) on the phone a short time ago who had suffered from throat cancer.  He said he was finally able to remove the feeding tube and begin the final stage of recovery to return to work.   The day that tube came out may have been the day I said that prayer.    


You are the biggest deuche in the woods for sure ....


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1126161541.jpgMy mother in law finally sent us a picture of the THS buck.  He is hanging from the same tree as my ML doe (see ML harvest thread) from my first trip up there this fall and you can again see my father in law's meat wagon in the background.  That doe died a short distance behind the barn in this picture (we still loaded her in the wagon).  This buck was my second easiest Adirondack recovery.  After a cell phone call, my father in law was able to back the wagon up to him with his ATV, before I even finished field dressing. The antlers are small, but I like their red color.   That seems kind of unique to Adirondack bucks, although the last, larger buck I killed up there had antlers colored more like the ones down home in the Southern zone.     



If you think that deer weighed 160lbs you are sadly mistaking. Any ADK buck is a trophy, there is no reason to lie about the weight.


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I will have to talk my father in law into getting a scale when he moves up there full time.   At least the last time he let me hang one in his barn (prior to pouring the concrete floor - now that is off limits).  He had a rope and pulley in there and I could lift my 200 pounds off the ground on the other end of the rope while that older buck's heavy rear was still in the stones.   This one was smaller for sure, but it would be nice to eliminate the guess work.    I don't know if you caught the part about the standing corn up the road this year, or the belly-full this one had.  That can pack on the pounds in the fall.   There is also quite a few does for every buck up there (10:1 or so) so less chasing and easier for them to keep adding weight thru the rut.   

Do they have the red antlers down in the Speculator/Lewey lake area where your camp is?  I agree on the "any Adirondack a trophy" part, especially when they got those red horns.   The buck I shot at home this year with my crossbow, may be a year older, a bit heavier, and had larger antlers, but it does not mean nearly as much to me.  I also ended up with more meat from the smaller Adirondack rifle buck due to the "special" shot placement.   Did you have to trim away much meat from that big one you riddled up there this year?  

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On 11/30/2016 at 8:07 PM, Four Season Whitetails said:

I would like to see what this little buck looked like. A yearling...Kinda doubtful he was pushing 160 even with his guts.  You took that shot at this little buck knowing you very well may ruin the biggest area that carries the most amount of edible meat?

For The Rack?

Sorry Belo, I did not want to let FSW down after I finally got the picture.  Now he has what he asked for.   

Also, to me personally, an Adirondack 6-point is worth more than a flat-land 12, especially one with those red antlers.  Also, thanks to the shot placement and deer/barrel alignment, very little edible meat was lost. 

I am going to try and get a scale up there even if I have to buy one myself.  On a sad note, the ticks that I piked off him probably totaled over a pound.   

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I will have to talk my father in law into getting a scale when he moves up there full time.   At least the last time he let me hang one in his barn (prior to pouring the concrete floor - now that is off limits).  He had a rope and pulley in there and I could lift my 200 pounds off the ground on the other end of the rope while that older buck's heavy rear was still in the stones.   This one was smaller for sure, but it would be nice to eliminate the guess work.    I don't know if you caught the part about the standing corn up the road this year, or the belly-full this one had.  That can pack on the pounds in the fall.   There is also quite a few does for every buck up there (10:1 or so) so less chasing and easier for them to keep adding weight thru the rut.   
Do they have the red antlers down in the Speculator/Lewey lake area where your camp is?  I agree on the "any Adirondack a trophy" part, especially when they got those red horns.   The buck I shot at home this year with my crossbow, may be a year older, a bit heavier, and had larger antlers, but it does not mean nearly as much to me.  I also ended up with more meat from the smaller Adirondack rifle buck due to the "special" shot placement.   Did you have to trim away much meat from that big one you riddled up there this year?  



Yea I had to trim some of every corner. Thankfully the 35whelen doesn't damage much meat I probably only lost 6 or 7lbs of meat, my dog enjoyed that blood shot meat so I don't consider it a waste.


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31 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

 

 


Yea I had to trim some of every corner. Thankfully the 35whelen doesn't damage much meat I probably only lost 6 or 7lbs of meat, my dog enjoyed that blood shot meat so I don't consider it a waste.


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Were there many ticks on that one?   I have never seen as many on one as this buck from up on the NW edge of the Adirondack park had on him.    All the ones I found were in the white-hair areas on the belly, throat, and rear.  They show up good in those spots and I picked off and killed a hundred or so, prior to skinning.  Hopefully, they only live in the white hair areas, otherwise he must have had thousands on him that I missed.    

I always throw the fat and bloodied meat trimmings, carcasses and hides on a pile out back from which I have shot a few coyotes and lots of crows (excellent target practice with the .22).  My neighbor has really figured out trapping the coyotes this season and pretty much eradicated them from the local area.   

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No respect for the animal is needed, not enough effort and selfcontrol for a good shot, hitting every organ is far more effective than 1 or 2, ass shooting is God's gift to prayers, anything is fine with a rest and little bucks and poor shots are legal so no opinions are allowed beyond the taunting poster..... what a think tank!

This deserves an entire chapter in HNY forums book and a sticky.


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Were there many ticks on that one?   I have never seen as many on one as this buck from up on the NW edge of the Adirondack park had on him.    All the ones I found were in the white-hair areas on the belly, throat, and rear.  They show up good in those spots and I picked off and killed a hundred or so, prior to skinning.  Hopefully, they only live in the white hair areas, otherwise he must have had thousands on him that I missed.    
I always throw the fat and bloodied meat trimmings, carcasses and hides on a pile out back from which I have shot a few coyotes and lots of crows (excellent target practice with the .22).  My neighbor has really figured out trapping the coyotes this season and pretty much eradicated them from the local area.   

I have never saw a tick on a deer or myself in the ADKS. Must have something to do with you being on the edge of some farm land.


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Another great topic. It covers everything from ethics to a modern day religious crusade. I enjoyed it all.....lol.

I have only one thought on the Texas heart shot. Every time I say it, I get this awful tightening sensation behind. There is something awful disgusting about the thought that puts me in mind of an extreme version of my last prostate exam. I think it has to be evil and somehow violating some ethics code somewhere.

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In the course of 60 years of hunting and probably a couple hundred head of big game animals killed, I have only deliberatley taken that shot once, and that was on a wounded deer going straight away from me and needed to be shot again, regardless of the shot angle..

However, sometimes in the heat of battle when the adrenaline is flowing, COMPOST OCCURS...  One time I hit a ham on a whitetail doe, which severed the femoral artery and resulted in a quick kill but ruined a lot of good meat... The other was on a caribou using a heavy ( 250 grain)  Barnes bullet.. The bullet entered the butt and came to rest just under the hide on the brisket..

It resulted in a nearly instant kill and didn't ruin much meat either....

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Listen... I admitted a couple of years ago of a Texas heart shot taken years previously...I also told of the destruction it caused and the fact it was a deer that was clearly hit and still running down hill from me ...I was pretty ill and needed to stop it's run..and would not take that shot if presented other wise...this whole thread was more a problem with the sky lining...saying JC assisted in a no messy gut hit? Saying it was perfect while having said it took 3 attempts.

There are non rib cage Ethical non slob shots...I always aim for the shoulder...they for me are dropping shots...especially in hill country where a dead, lung and even heart shot deer can run one heck of a long ways down hill. I've lost lung shot deer to the swamps here and in down hill runs at camp...I had a buck...first buck I ever shot...run a couple of hundred yards down hill with 2 slugs in him..the guys found him not that day but a week later(pre coyote) and they were kill shots...he had actually died jumping the neighbors fence sliding another 40 or so yards into his brush.. one reason I try to avoid the swamp until later in the season..actually being right on the swamp is better than a ways uphill from it...they don't go as far on flat land...

There are shots that some can make with confidence and some that the person should know never to take...Just don't take shots.... even if you get the animal....  then make statements of perfection ...3 shot attempts,not perfection...and I'm sorry but physics and lots of times... luck or the lack of..... dictate a hit...God,JC , Mother Theresa,Santa, or Gandalf  for that matter, do not go around steering bullets and arrows.

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On ‎1‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 9:24 AM, gjs4 said:

No respect for the animal is needed, not enough effort and selfcontrol for a good shot, hitting every organ is far more effective than 1 or 2, ass shooting is God's gift to prayers, anything is fine with a rest and little bucks and poor shots are legal so no opinions are allowed beyond the taunting poster..... what a think tank!

This deserves an entire chapter in HNY forums book and a sticky.


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what? lol

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No respect for the animal is needed, not enough effort and selfcontrol for a good shot, hitting every organ is far more effective than 1 or 2, ass shooting is God's gift to prayers, anything is fine with a rest and little bucks and poor shots are legal so no opinions are allowed beyond the taunting poster..... what a think tank!

This deserves an entire chapter in HNY forums book and a sticky.


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I have no idea what you are attempting to say? You desperately need some help in the punctuation department.


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7 hours ago, Pygmy said:

The other was on a caribou using a heavy ( 250 grain)  Barnes bullet.. The bullet entered the butt and came to rest just under the hide on the brisket..

It resulted in a nearly instant kill and didn't ruin much meat either....

How did the field dressing go on that caribou?    My biggest surprise on this whitetail 6-point was how clean that went.  The Butt-out 2 even worked perfectly after failures on my previous (2) uses.  

 

6 hours ago, growalot said:

..this whole thread was more a problem with the sky lining...saying JC assisted in a no messy gut hit? Saying it was perfect while having said it took 3 attempts.

 

Grow: this 6-point Adirondack buck was not "skylined".   I only fired the one shot at it, dropping it in its tracks.  The two misses you are referring to were on a larger, 8-point Adirondack buck that I killed in 2014.  A careful investigation of the scene of those misses this fall indicated that the first miss was most likely due to the bullet hitting a branch, while the second was due to firing at a 300+ yard range offhand without a rest.  I assumed the first shot was a hit and that was the only reason I took the second shot offhand when the buck reached another opening.  Fortunately that buck stopped walking when he heard the second shot, giving me time to rest my rifle on a tree for the fatal third shot. That one struck him perfectly, diagonally thru the chest, and he dropped dead there in his tracks.

 I am sorry for the confusion I caused by mentioning those earlier misses.   I just wanted to show you that I am not perfect, and have missed deer before.   I do feel extremely blessed to have cleanly killed every deer I have shot at over the last 10 years or so however.  I don't want to take much of the credit for that, preferring to give it to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He blessed me with more venison than he ever has this fall.   Hunting (and fishing) go a lot better when you realize who controls how and where the blessings flow.  It was quite a blessing not to have a stinky mess when field dressing that THS buck this fall.       

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I can't tell you about the guts....In Alaska, as in most wilderness areas I have hunted in, you don't generally gut the critters, except to retrieve then inside tenderloins, which can be done without  splling the guts...

 

# 1...SHOOT critter

#2...SKIN  upside of critter....take off front quarters, bone out backstraps,  take off hindquarters...Open body cavity along the back and take out tenderloins....Filet whatever you can get from neck and ribs....Turn critter over... REPEAT...

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