Bang.

[NM_Shooter]

Ok, I settled.  I only had two days to hunt, and this was the third bull I saw.  My buddy said that there is a 350+class bull up there.  I didn't have time to wait.  I'm fine with this one. 

My daughters helped me butcher last night in the kitchen (my wife was delighted, let me tell you).  I finished up with everything except grinding and sausage making.  We already cooked up some tenderloins.  Most of the meat will be donated to a group of CFRs here in ABQ.

6x6, 276pts/-9, .300WinMag 180 Nosler Partition 3100fps 80 yards head on brisket shot.  He walked in a circle and fell 15 feet from where he was hit. 

[StinkerBell]

Nice sice animal you got there. Enough meat in the freezer to last the winter?

[Redoverfarm]

Way to go there Frank.  I am surprised that at that range and the the caliber that it didn't just fall.  But then again some just dont want to give up.

[MaineRhino]

Very nice! Nice rack too! 

[Windpower]

Good on ya

I have spent thousands and at least 3 weeks in pursuit of these critters over the years and I have never even seen a bull that good


sounds like a perfect shot

Noslers are most excellent  

[diyfrank]

Congrats NM_Shooter, beautiful animal! 

Tuck that tongue in next time.    

[NM_Shooter]

You think that tongue is bad?  You should have seen the mess before I photoshop'd it      The bullet path went right between the heart and lung, and made chowder.  A significant amount of lung tissue egressed onto the ground near the drop.  No exit wound, and I didn't find the bullet.  That is one tough beast.  Very little meat was damaged, but in all honesty we had some to spare.  I have an entire cooler full of scraps to grind.

I only had two days to hunt, and I passed on a head shot of a similarly sized bull.  I was watching a trail and heard him bugling, I bleated on a cow call and he came down the hill.  He paused and looked directly at me, but his whole body was hidden by brush, I could only see his head.  I centered the scope between his eyes and fingered the trigger.  I couldn't bring myself to take that shot for fear of wounding him though.  The next day I saw another one in the brush, and I had a good profile shot for about 15 seconds but couldn't confirm that it was the bull that I was watching so I let him walk.  I saw two cows about 15 minutes later and could have bagged either.  I hiked over to a meadow area that I know of, and heard one bugle.  I beat feat to the meadow and the wind was wrong, so I circled downwind to get to the meadow.  I darn near stepped out into the open before I spotted this guy out of the corner of my eye.  He was staring right at me, standing on an old logging road/meadow and I needed to shoot fast.  I eased the rifle around and got the hammer back while we both eyeballed one another.  I held center chest, about 8" up.  I pulled left a bit, but still hit him good.  He staggered around for about 15 feet before collapsing.  Wish I could have found the bullet.  Oddly, he had a large branch stuck in his right scent gland, embedded pretty deep.  Had to hurt like hell. 

I was in the field for no more than 6 hours (Sun afternoon, Mon morning) when I killed this one.  The guy I was hunting with filled his cow tag Tues morning.  He said he killed one off of a herd with a bull that looked to score 350+.  After he shot the cow, the bull circled down wind of him, came up the trail behind him and started huffing and screaming.  He thought he was going to get attacked.  I'm hoping that bull makes it through to next season!

I was exhausted after hauling this one out and deboning the meat back at camp.  I am not in good enough shape to do that sort of work at that elevation.   

[Squirl]

Congratulations.

You are very lucky.  We are not allowed to shoot them here.

[muldoon]

nice bull NM. 

Here is my contribution to the thread.  Perfect weather, 40s at night, 70s in the day; Opening weekend for rifle season, I saw this 10pointer during the Sunday evening hunt.  From 175 or so yards with .270.  In the front neck, no exit wound, I retrieved the bullet from a backstrap in cleaning.  He fell right where he stood. 

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

The other night we were coming home from my aunt's house late and met three big ones right down the hill from our house  (on the dirt road in front of our property.) 

[Sassy]

I almost ran into 7-8 deer (they're not real big) on our road Saturday night.

Good shot, Muldoon!

[MaineRhino]

Well done!   

[pheasantplucker]

Way to go, man...What a trophy!

[MaineRhino]

I just got mine on Saturday, 8 points and 215 lbs!

[peternap]

Gee...Now I feel bad. I passed up on two small bucks and a mama bear with a cub.

I also didn't shoot the two dogs that took a leak on my stand. That may change next weekend.

[NM_Shooter]

Peter... how you hunting this year?  Bang or twang?

(MR, that's a good looking buck...)

[MountainDon]

 

Hmmm. One buck and two rhinos in the one picture.

[peternap]

Peter... how you hunting this year?  Bang or twang?

(MR, that's a good looking buck...)

Yesterday was the first day of the regular rifle season. I* didn't have time to hunt during bow season except for the first day, missed muzzle loader season completely.
I started the day yesterday with my Ruger 25/06 because the range on that stand could go to 300 yards.

I finished up the day on another stand with my O?U 308-12 ga. Range was about 60 yards.

BTW...nice kill Frank!

[muldoon]

not quite the same, but my 5 year old got his first "bang" this weekend.  first time shooting, marlin 60, tubefed .22lr.  He did pretty well. 

[MountainDon]

 

[Sassy]

He did well, looks like he's pretty proud of himself!     He's a cutie, too!

[ChuckinVa]

Muldoon, I have that same 22 only I got mine about 40 years ago.

[Redoverfarm]

Well this year the bucks have eluded my son.  I really think that the massive amount of snowfall hurt the deer population.  After a hard two weeks of hunting he has settled for the next best thing.  With below freezing temperatures he got this on Tuesday. Can you tell from the looks of the bear that he was drug in knee deep snow, through a stream and mountain laurel for about 1 mile.  Although he cannot shot another one he is out with his friends hunting again today to lend a helping hand.

[Redoverfarm]

With winter at midstream the Sportsmen only have a few season available to hunt.  One being rabbit's.  This past Saturday my son went rabbit hunting with one of his buddies.  Doing real good in the morning with 3 to their collection.  Then while stomping around a brush pile and a tree root cavity to his surprise a 250# black bear emerged from his mid winter slumber.  He said he was only about 5 feet from the hole as it rolled out.  I asked my son if he ran.  He said who me or the bear.  He said we both did but in opposite directions.     

[considerations]

Ah, elk roast, barded with bacon, garlic, and rosemary.. I can almost taste it.  Good job!