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Texas Heart Shot

wolc123

By wolc123,
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wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

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For me to take such a shot, many variables would have to be almost perfect: short range, standing deer, solid rest, good scope, powerful rifle, good bullet, correct angle and elevation, no obstructions, light or no wind, and good lighting.  It all came together for me in the early afternoon, this past Saturday up in the Adirondacks.  The snow was too crunchy for still-hunting, so I set up in my tree-hammock chair, along a deer trail at the edge of a valley, on a forest edge where hardwoods met evergreens.  A light breeze was blowing up from the valley and I knew there were does bedded down there from sign I had seen earlier. 

For about 10 minutes after getting set up in the chair, I was watching the trail to my left, because I thought that was the most likely place for a buck to approach from.   When does it ever go like you plan?   I heard a twig snap over my shoulder, then I swung slowly over to my right.  There was a buck, walking towards me, just 40 yards away.   He must have caught the motion and turned around, back the way he came, as I was lifting my rifle.  He stopped at 50 yards.  I centered the crosshairs just below "the spot" and squeezed the trigger.   The 150 grain Federal Classic 30/06 bullet put him down there in his tracks.

There was no entry wound, and the bullet exited near the center of his chest.  I walked over to him and noted blood flowing out of the exit wound.  He held his head up for a few seconds but had no use of his legs.  His lights went out quickly, without a need for a second shot.  I expected the gutting job to be a mess but was pleasantly surprised that it was not.  The Butt-out 2 even worked well (after failures on the last two boiler room broadside shot deer I used it on.  The stomach was not punctured at all.  The bullet must not have expanded until it struck some vertibrae in the neck area.  He will be skinned tomorrow and go in the fridge for a week.  I will find out how much meat damage there was when I process him next weekend.   

The buck was a 6 point, probably 1-1/2 year old and looked and felt to be in the 150-160 lb range field dressed.   I was hoping for a larger buck this year during gun season, but I took that shot for three reasons:  First, I was 99.5% sure I could kill the deer cleanly with the shot.  Second, there are a few folks at work who really want some venison, including the top boss at our plant who asked me personally on my last day of work prior to Thanksgiving vacation.  Lastly, in 35 years of deer hunting I have seen a total of one buck after the long Thanksgiving weekend.  That was during the late ML season and he got away, after walking under my treestand, when my old sidelock misfired.     

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grampy
grampy

There it is folks. Spoken from a man that will track more wounded deer in a season. Than most hunters will in two lifetimes! The voice of reason and experience, from someone who's seen the results of

WNYBuckHunter
WNYBuckHunter

Texas heart shots, Jesus bullets and bolts, uncontrolled "aging" of meat....wow

grampy
grampy

Sorry, I just can not or will not make myself take that shot. I have let more than a few live another day, when that was the only shot presented to me. To each their own. Congrats on your deer.

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stoneam2006 Newbie

stoneam2006

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I know. In his area, he has late ML season.


O idk where is is..

BTW at 50 yards I'd take that shot too. And for some of the guys who chase specific bucks all year if that specific buck stood there and that was the shot I don't think many would pass it. 50 yards is a chip shot with a rifle.

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WNYBuckHunter Experienced

WNYBuckHunter

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2 hours ago, stoneam2006 said:

 


O idk where is is..

BTW at 50 yards I'd take that shot too. And for some of the guys who chase specific bucks all year if that specific buck stood there and that was the shot I don't think many would pass it. 50 yards is a chip shot with a rifle.

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Nope, Id wait for him to turn. Been there.

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wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

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Posted (edited)

There was no chance of this one turning.  The trail he was on led straight away and disappeared downhill in another 20 or so yards.   As I mentioned in the first post, I was 99.5 % sure it was a clean kill shot.   I won't regret punching my tag on that one, even if a big, Southern zone, 3-1/2 year old, 12-point presents a shot while I am out trying to fill my DMP's at home over these last few weeks.   An Adirondack buck is worth that much more to me personally.  That shot was taken on the last full day I had available to hunt up there this season and they don't have a late ML season there.   Thanks for the reminder WNY BH, because I certainly do have to thank Jesus for letting that bullet strike exactly where it did (I ain't that good on my own).  It appears that very little, if any meat was damaged, and the guts came out clean as a whistle.          

Edited by wolc123
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Deerstalker Newbie

Deerstalker

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, wolc123 said:

For me to take such a shot, many variables would have to be almost perfect: short range, standing deer, solid rest, good scope, powerful rifle, good bullet, correct angle and elevation, no obstructions, light or no wind, and good lighting.  It all came together for me in the early afternoon, this past Saturday up in the Adirondacks.  The snow was too crunchy for still-hunting, so I set up in my tree-hammock chair, along a deer trail at the edge of a valley, on a forest edge where hardwoods met evergreens.  A light breeze was blowing up from the valley and I knew there were does bedded down there from sign I had seen earlier. 

For about 10 minutes after getting set up in the chair, I was watching the trail to my left, because I thought that was the most likely place for a buck to approach from.   When does it ever go like you plan?   I heard a twig snap over my shoulder, then I swung slowly over to my right.  There was a buck, walking towards me, just 40 yards away.   He must have caught the motion and turned around, back the way he came, as I was lifting my rifle.  He stopped at 50 yards.  I centered the crosshairs just below "the spot" and squeezed the trigger.   The 150 grain Federal Classic 30/06 bullet put him down there in his tracks.

There was no entry wound, and the bullet exited near the center of his chest.  I walked over to him and noted blood flowing out of the exit wound.  He held his head up for a few seconds but had no use of his legs.  His lights went out quickly, without a need for a second shot.  I expected the gutting job to be a mess but was pleasantly surprised that it was not.  The Butt-out 2 even worked well (after failures on the last two boiler room broadside shot deer I used it on.  The stomach was not punctured at all.  The bullet must not have expanded until it struck some vertibrae in the neck area.  He will be skinned tomorrow and go in the fridge for a week.  I will find out how much meat damage there was when I process him next weekend.   

The buck was a 6 point, probably 1-1/2 year old and looked and felt to be in the 150-160 lb range field dressed.   I was hoping for a larger buck this year during gun season, but I took that shot for three reasons:  First, I was 99.5% sure I could kill the deer cleanly with the shot.  Second, there are a few folks at work who really want some venison, including the top boss at our plant who asked me personally on my last day of work prior to Thanksgiving vacation.  Lastly, in 35 years of deer hunting I have seen a total of one buck after the long Thanksgiving weekend.  That was during the late ML season and he got away, after walking under my treestand, when my old sidelock misfired.     

What about the back of the neck ? Or basically it was that or nothing

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Larry Community Regular

Larry

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Posted

I’ll tell you about a Texas hart shot I made on a doe. I was eating my lunch when a buck and a doe ran by me. By the time I got my gun up to take a shot I had no shot at the buck. So I took a shot at the doe running strait a way. I hit the doe in the right cheek of the ass and found the slug in the neck on the left side.

slug.jpg

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wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

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I just finished skinning this one and am able to make a better estimate on the meat damage.  It is limited to the neck.   He must had his head turned to the right, because the bullet exited the lower left side of the neck.  The hole there in the hide was 3/4" diameter, but the hole below that in the meat was a bit over 2" diameter and the bruising extended out a few inches farther from there.  The bone in the neck was badly fragmented in that area from the bullet impact.  There will be no neck roast from this one.  Inside, and near the other end, the tenderloins came out completely intact.  My wife is making them for dinner tomorrow and they look about equal in volume to the combined total of the doe and button buck that we got at home on opening day.  The rear quarters, backstraps, rib meat and front shoulders are all completely un-damaged.  The top of the heart was creased, but the major damage was to the base of the neck.

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Chef Grand Master

Chef

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Just when you think it couldn't get better.
 

Yea I have tried to be nice for a long time! But this guy is the prime example of what's wrong with most of this country!!! Do extremely dumb $hit and do it in the name of Jesus


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Chef Grand Master

Chef

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I just love those Jesus bumps, bring it on Chef.

Dude I'm not insulting jesus or your religion but your blind belief that you can do dumb shit and he will make it all work out for you is insane. You have more then once stated that you did something that you knew was a bad idea but jesus made it work out for you! Maybe you should try picking up poisonous snakes and see if jesus helps you through that.


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