What did you shoot today?

[mdwest]

it'd probably easier to answer whats not lined up... we've got a lot of hunting planned this year...

I just got back from Peru the first of July.. we busted cinnamon teal and pintails down there for a few days..

Dove opens in a few weeks.. Ive got a place not too far out of town that I can pretty easily hit every weekend (less than a 45 minute drive) if Im not chasing something else..

Then teal down south and mallards about an hour north of here once teal/duck season opens..

Ive got a combo deer (doe) / hog hunt laid on with a group of old military buddies the first week of october.. and I am sure I will continue to hunt deer off and on through the rest of the season.. Ive got a place here in TX to hunt, and a place in TN as well that I might visit at least once this year..

Chasing fall turkey in Virginia in November.. Will likely try to do black bear while I am there as well (across the border in North Carolina.. my buddy owns farmland in both Virginia and NC.. he's got a bunch of bears that hassle the hell out of his cattle on the NC side that he'd like to get rid of once season opens)..

Elk in Colorado for at least a couple of days in November..

Oh.. and in January a buddy from South Africa is coming to the US for a couple of weeks and staying with us... he is dying to do a pig hunt.. so I am sure we'll get out in the woods a couple of times to shoot oinkers while he is here...

The wife and I are headed back to Argentina in March for dove and pigeon (and to do some golden dorado fishing).. we MIGHT go after blackbuck and argetinian water buffalo while we are there as well.. undecided on that for now though..

Then I finish the 2018-2019 "season" in South Africa in June... I'm headed over for Cape Buffalo... (I'm in the middle of building a rifle specifically for that hunt right now.. a .416 Taylor.. I was actually just out in the garage getting some of my tools in order.. I plan on cutting the chamber sometime next week and will do some work on the stock if I find some spare time.. the plan is to have the rifle done by Christmas.. and then practice/train with it for 6 months prior to taking it after "black death")..

Im sure I'll squeeze a few more things in there as well (spring turkey is a pretty safe bet.. I just havent planned that yet..)

Time to fill the freezer back up!

(One of the very few perks of all of the travel I have to do for work is I rarely if ever actually have to pay for flights when I travel for personal reasons... I've got enough miles stored on United and American to last me a very long time... and with the wife working in the hotel industry, rooms are never more than $50 a night anywhere we go (occasionally we get them for $35).. so traveling to hunt, both domestically and internationally is pretty low cost for us.. we can spend a week hunting in Africa, Europe, or South America for less than most people spend on a weekend at Six Flags)...

 

[joe45]

it'd probably easier to answer whats not lined up... we've got a lot of hunting planned this year...

I just got back from Peru the first of July.. we busted cinnamon teal and pintails down there for a few days..

Dove opens in a few weeks.. Ive got a place not too far out of town that I can pretty easily hit every weekend (less than a 45 minute drive) if Im not chasing something else..

Then teal down south and mallards about an hour north of here once teal/duck season opens..

Ive got a combo deer (doe) / hog hunt laid on with a group of old military buddies the first week of october.. and I am sure I will continue to hunt deer off and on through the rest of the season.. Ive got a place here in TX to hunt, and a place in TN as well that I might visit at least once this year..

Chasing fall turkey in Virginia in November.. Will likely try to do black bear while I am there as well (across the border in North Carolina.. my buddy owns farmland in both Virginia and NC.. he's got a bunch of bears that hassle the hell out of his cattle on the NC side that he'd like to get rid of once season opens)..

Elk in Colorado for at least a couple of days in November..

Oh.. and in January a buddy from South Africa is coming to the US for a couple of weeks and staying with us... he is dying to do a pig hunt.. so I am sure we'll get out in the woods a couple of times to shoot oinkers while he is here...

The wife and I are headed back to Argentina in March for dove and pigeon (and to do some golden dorado fishing).. we MIGHT go after blackbuck and argetinian water buffalo while we are there as well.. undecided on that for now though..

Then I finish the 2018-2018 "season" in South Africa in June... I'm headed over for Cape Buffalo... (I'm in the middle of building a rifle specifically for that hunt right now.. a .416 Taylor.. I was actually just out in the garage getting some of my tools in order.. I plan on cutting the chamber sometime next week and will do some work on the stock if I find some spare time.. the plan is to have the rifle done by Christmas.. and then practice/train with it for 6 months prior to taking it after "black death")..

Im sure I'll squeeze a few more things in there as well (spring turkey is a pretty safe bet.. I just havent planned that yet..)

Time to fill the freezer back up!

(One of the very few perks of all of the travel I have to do for work is I rarely if ever actually have to pay for flights when I travel for personal reasons... I've got enough miles stored on United and American to last me a very long time... and with the wife working in the hotel industry, rooms are never more than $50 a night anywhere we go (occasionally we get them for $35).. so traveling to hunt, both domestically and internationally is pretty low cost for us.. we can spend a week hunting in Africa, Europe, or South America for less than most people spend on a weekend at Six Flags)...

Sounds like a great time. All of it!

Where is the doe / hog hunt if you don't mind sharing? It probably won't be this year, but I'd like to find a good place for a hog hunt. With so many of them out there, it's hard to tell which are good and which are just shooting pigs in a cage.

 

[mdwest]

Sounds like a great time. All of it!

Where is the doe / hog hunt if you don't mind sharing? It probably won't be this year, but I'd like to find a good place for a hog hunt. With so many of them out there, it's hard to tell which are good and which are just shooting pigs in a cage.

A guy I know has property about 90 miles north of Houston.. he’s offered to let a group of us hunt his place for a “vets” weekend..

He has a managed deer herd (program through the state) and has been told he needs to reduce the doe population by some pretty significant numbers this year.. and pigs are getting pretty bad at his place.. so we’re helping him out



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ruffbnme]

A 1 over. Missed a 5 footer.

 

[Old Smokey]

it'd probably easier to answer whats not lined up... we've got a lot of hunting planned this year...

I just got back from Peru the first of July.. we busted cinnamon teal and pintails down there for a few days..

Dove opens in a few weeks.. Ive got a place not too far out of town that I can pretty easily hit every weekend (less than a 45 minute drive) if Im not chasing something else..

Then teal down south and mallards about an hour north of here once teal/duck season opens..

Ive got a combo deer (doe) / hog hunt laid on with a group of old military buddies the first week of october.. and I am sure I will continue to hunt deer off and on through the rest of the season.. Ive got a place here in TX to hunt, and a place in TN as well that I might visit at least once this year..

Chasing fall turkey in Virginia in November.. Will likely try to do black bear while I am there as well (across the border in North Carolina.. my buddy owns farmland in both Virginia and NC.. he's got a bunch of bears that hassle the hell out of his cattle on the NC side that he'd like to get rid of once season opens)..

Elk in Colorado for at least a couple of days in November..

Oh.. and in January a buddy from South Africa is coming to the US for a couple of weeks and staying with us... he is dying to do a pig hunt.. so I am sure we'll get out in the woods a couple of times to shoot oinkers while he is here...

The wife and I are headed back to Argentina in March for dove and pigeon (and to do some golden dorado fishing).. we MIGHT go after blackbuck and argetinian water buffalo while we are there as well.. undecided on that for now though..

Then I finish the 2018-2018 "season" in South Africa in June... I'm headed over for Cape Buffalo... (I'm in the middle of building a rifle specifically for that hunt right now.. a .416 Taylor.. I was actually just out in the garage getting some of my tools in order.. I plan on cutting the chamber sometime next week and will do some work on the stock if I find some spare time.. the plan is to have the rifle done by Christmas.. and then practice/train with it for 6 months prior to taking it after "black death")..

Im sure I'll squeeze a few more things in there as well (spring turkey is a pretty safe bet.. I just havent planned that yet..)

Time to fill the freezer back up!

(One of the very few perks of all of the travel I have to do for work is I rarely if ever actually have to pay for flights when I travel for personal reasons... I've got enough miles stored on United and American to last me a very long time... and with the wife working in the hotel industry, rooms are never more than $50 a night anywhere we go (occasionally we get them for $35).. so traveling to hunt, both domestically and internationally is pretty low cost for us.. we can spend a week hunting in Africa, Europe, or South America for less than most people spend on a weekend at Six Flags)...

To say I am not jealous would be a lie. I hope you will take the time to share your adventures with us. Especially your Buffalo hunt in Africa, but all of the hunts you mentioned sound like a great time.
In your opinion, what is the best tasting game animal that you have tried?

 

[Tyler86]

Dove is my favorite


Stupid Tapatalk

 

[mdwest]

what is the best tasting game animal that you have tried?

thats a tough call...

I definitely prefer the "red" meats (deer, antelope, etc) over wild pork, waterfowl, etc.. but all of it honestly is really good.. and a lot depends on what youre hungry for, and how its prepared..

My wife made some duck tacos several months back that were absolutely incredible.. and I am typically not all that huge of a fan of duck (I like it ok.. but.. its far from my favorite)..

and dove poppers (dove breast stuffed with jalapeno and cream cheese wrapped in bacon) are a seriously tasty snack..

Some of the cuts of eland, sable, and kudu we had the last time my wife and I were in Africa were among the best meats I have ever eaten in my life.. but.. I am sure that was largely due to the chef (she was simply awesome) and also just due to the fact we were there, having an experience of a lifetime, etc..etc.. We also had "steak and eggs" the last breakfast we were there that was to die for.. one of the other hunters in camp took a monster cape buff a couple of days before.. the steaks were taken from his tenderloins..

While I cant 100% put a finger on "the best".. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt what the worst was....

I bagged a couple of parakeets while we were in Argentina last year (they arent the little pastel colored birds you see in the pet shop here.. Argentine parakeets are super bright green and more the size of a small parrot.. the farmers hate them.. they build huge nests on telephone poles and utility poles surrounding the wheat fields and cause all kinds of problems.. and they are major crop thieves.. they eat tons and tons of grain, their nests short out telephone and power lines, etc..)..

Bar none, the nastiest "wild" animal I have ever eaten was parakeet.. it was HORRIBLE (and I have eaten some pretty nasty stuff in my life.. ).. I'd have to be literally starving to death to ever take another bite of that foul fowl...

 

[mdwest]

Sounds like a great time. All of it!

Where is the doe / hog hunt if you don't mind sharing? It probably won't be this year, but I'd like to find a good place for a hog hunt. With so many of them out there, it's hard to tell which are good and which are just shooting pigs in a cage.

Forgot to mention..

when you decide you are ready to come down to bust bacon, let me know... I'll hook you up with a good outfitter that hunts north of Dallas near the TX/OK border if youre wanting to go the guided hunt route.. he doesnt hunt high fence land.. he has a bunch of concession agreements with different farmers in the area.. scouts different places all year.. and puts up blinds prior to taking hunters out.. its not a "guarantee".. but its pretty close (he is very good, does his homework, etc.. and will put you on a pig(s))... and he is reasonably affordable..

Or.. if you want to DIY, I can probably help you with that as well.. there are some other outfitters and farmers in the state that own land, have feeders and stands out, etc.. and you just pay them a day rate to use their land..

There are plenty of places that are not much more than shooting pigs in a cage (small 20-50 acre properties with hundreds of hogs running around) that will charge you a small fortune to stay at their "ranch" and "hunt"...

I'm sure thats a lot of fun.. but.. not really my thing.. I like for there to at least be SOME challenge involved..

 

[mdwest]

I hope you will take the time to share your adventures with us. Especially your Buffalo hunt in Africa, but all of the hunts you mentioned sound like a great time.

I'll post stuff up here.. no worries at all...

The best way to "follow" the adventures is probably through my wife though.. if you do the instagram, facebook, twitter thing (I dont tweet, FB, or IG..).. take a look at her social media.. her IG account is pretty much exclusively stuff from our hunting trips (we rarely hunt without each other..)... her account name is huntress_in_heels



I promise.. this is the end of the thread hijack.. sorry guys

 

[joe45]

Forgot to mention..

when you decide you are ready to come down to bust bacon, let me know... I'll hook you up with a good outfitter that hunts north of Dallas near the TX/OK border if youre wanting to go the guided hunt route.. he doesnt hunt high fence land.. he has a bunch of concession agreements with different farmers in the area.. scouts different places all year.. and puts up blinds prior to taking hunters out.. its not a "guarantee".. but its pretty close (he is very good, does his homework, etc.. and will put you on a pig(s))... and he is reasonably affordable..

Or.. if you want to DIY, I can probably help you with that as well.. there are some other outfitters and farmers in the state that own land, have feeders and stands out, etc.. and you just pay them a day rate to use their land..

There are plenty of places that are not much more than shooting pigs in a cage (small 20-50 acre properties with hundreds of hogs running around) that will charge you a small fortune to stay at their "ranch" and "hunt"...

I'm sure thats a lot of fun.. but.. not really my thing.. I like for there to at least be SOME challenge involved..

That Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. Personally, I'd like to do a little spot and stalk with a pistol, but the guys I would go with would probably rather just sit in a blind, smoke cigars, and hope for the best.

I agree about the others. I definitely want to see some game, but shooting pigs in a cage the barely move is not my thing either.

 

[Old Smokey]

I'll post stuff up here.. no worries at all...

The best way to "follow" the adventures is probably through my wife though.. if you do the instagram, facebook, twitter thing (I dont tweet, FB, or IG..).. take a look at her social media.. her IG account is pretty much exclusively stuff from our hunting trips (we rarely hunt without each other..)... her account name is huntress_in_heels



I promise.. this is the end of the thread hijack.. sorry guys

I don't do the FB, Instagram or Twitter either so I will just try to follow your adventures on here. I wish you great success.

I understand what your saying about the meat depends on who is preparing it. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Old Smokey]

Just got home from sighting in my deer rifle. This is from 100 yds with a spent .22lr case for size perspective. I think I am ready.
Edit- this is with my Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor and Hornady 143g ELD-X.

 

[mdwest]

I did the range thing yesterday too.. re-zero'd one of the 308's (replaced the scope) and got some practice in with the 7x57 prepping for deer, and threw 4 different "heavy" 5.56 loads down range to see which ones grouped the best (pig poppers).. looks like my hunting AR prefers Hornady Black 75gr Accubonds (about a 1" group at 100)...

Headed to the woods next weekend on a doe/hog hunt (whichever shows itself first gets tagged)...

This afternoon Im going to brew up a bunch of different 7x57 loads and hopefully will go back to the range in a few more weeks and see which of those group best.. the PPU stuff I bought in bulk makes decent range fodder.. but my rifle doesnt like it at all.. the best it will do from the bench is about a 3" group.. thats fine for deer @ 100 yards or less.. but the rifle can do better.. so.. its time to do a little hand loading and figure out how to bring it to 1.5" or less while still keeping enough velocity and weight to be an effective deer dropper out to about 200...

 

[Yakcraz]

Just ran a mag through a new edition to my collection that I recently picked up.

 

[Glassman]

Just ran a mag through a new edition to my collection that I recently picked up.

View attachment 122536

Nice. Details? Who's your steel from.?

 

[Yakcraz]

Nice. Details? Who's your steel from.?

We built our house about three years ago. We live out in the country. I had some topsoil left over, so I had the guy that did the dirt work to pile it at the back corner of the yard to have a shooting backstop. The steel is a piece of AR500. Not sure of the brand or maker. If your interested just search “AR500 steel target” on eBay. One like mine & similar can be had for $20-$30. Their rated for rifle rounds & I’ve shot mine with everything from 22 to 270 without issue or damage to the plate. A fresh coat of spray paint after shooting & it’s good to go for another session. I made the stand myself with treated 2x4 & sections of chain. I’ve had it for a couple years now. Cabelas now offers a similar target with metal stand for $99. We have one at work, & it gets shot a lot with both rifle & pistols & holds up fine. The pistol is a gen 4 glock 19 that I got off a buddy for cheap, $350, that needed a little money. It’s been cerakoted tan & has big dot sights, which I’m not a fan of but oh well.

 

[Glassman]

We built our house about three years ago. We live out in the country. I had some topsoil left over, so I had the guy that did the dirt work to pile it at the back corner of the yard to have a shooting backstop. The steel is a piece of AR500. Not sure of the brand or maker. If your interested just search “AR500 steel target” on eBay. One like mine & similar can be had for $20-$30. Their rated for rifle rounds & I’ve shot mine with everything from 22 to 270 without issue or damage to the plate. A fresh coat of spray paint after shooting & it’s good to go for another session. I made the stand myself with treated 2x4 & sections of chain. I’ve had it for a couple years now. Cabelas now offers a similar target with metal stand for $99. We have one at work, & it gets shot a lot with both rifle & pistols & holds up fine. The pistol is a gen 4 glock 19 that I got off a buddy for cheap, $350, that needed a little money. It’s been cerakoted tan & has big dot sights, which I’m not a fan of but oh well.

Nice. Good deal on that. Sights are an easy (ish) change. I like TFOs.

Oh yeah. I'm a big fan of Ar500. Have about a dozen pieces set up on the mountain. Ranging from 7yds to 590.... My favorites have come from shootsteel.com but challenge targets and xsteel make good stuff too.

 

[Yakcraz]

590

 

[XENU]

I sighted in my Blaser Tactical 2 in .338 Lapua Magnum @ 200 yards to prep for shooting the mile next week on the dry lake bed.
10 rounds @ 200 yards off the bench.

 

[kit_luce]

View attachment 125412 I sighted in my Blaser Tactical 2 in .338 Lapua Magnum @ 200 yards to prep for shooting the mile next week on the dry lake bed.
10 rounds @ 200 yards off the bench.

Nice group!