2019 Oregon blacktail

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daveheffner110

SWOregon
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While hunting private property this last season, I had this buck show up on opening morning of the muzzleloader season. This buck had appeared on some camera pictures and this was the first time I was able to see him. In my hunting area a 100 inch blacktail is good. However, he had broken off his left back fork, so he was a hopeful for 2020. Where is the buck that did that to him.
Nov 6   2.JPG

Opening morning was November 6, 2019. This next picture was taken about 6 hours before I got to the ground blind. I had not seen this buck either in person, or on camera before this picture was taken. He showed up about 0700 that opening morning and I was nervous about being able to get a good shot off with the peep sight on my CVA Optima. Oregon only allows open ignition, no scope, no pointed bullets or sabots, and loose powder only.
The shot was close and things worked out okay. He scored 113 and is probably the oldest deer I have ever seen. His teeth were gummed. I sent the teeth to two different labs for aging and hope to get that back soon. He was only 150 pounds.

Nov 9   2.JPG

This year, the plan is to hunt with a new Pedersoli Hunter Hawken.

Dave Heffner
Roseburg, OR
 
I grew up on the Wa Coast, i Cut my Teeth hunting Blacktail :lewis:

pNZsZHU.jpg
 
That photo of your Washington buck is awesome. The cold, dark, rainy forest is a special place for these blacktail. When they are in the rut and the weather has their antlers glossy auburn colored, they are special. You traded 150 pound deer for 700+ pound elk, a special thing as well.

Thank you for the offer to help with the conical bullets on that Black Mountain Magnum. I really need to get going on my new Pedersoli. I will be trying again to get in contact with Dan at Bull Shop. I think I will ask him about .502/460's that are pre-lubed and see what he says. Do you think I should get pure lead?

Dave Heffner
Roseburg, OR
 
That photo of your Washington buck is awesome. The cold, dark, rainy forest is a special place for these blacktail. When they are in the rut and the weather has their antlers glossy auburn colored, they are special. You traded 150 pound deer for 700+ pound elk, a special thing as well.

Thank you for the offer to help with the conical bullets on that Black Mountain Magnum. I really need to get going on my new Pedersoli. I will be trying again to get in contact with Dan at Bull Shop. I think I will ask him about .502/460's that are pre-lubed and see what he says. Do you think I should get pure lead?

Dave Heffner
Roseburg, OR

Dave, For Hunting i would go Pure Lead, It can’t be beat for Performance at Blackpowder Velocities. Email is the only way I know to Contact Bullshop, I have never Spoke to the Guy’s Voice. I can tell you that he makes an AWESOME Bullet, and His NASA Lube is as good as it gets! Dan understands the importance of a Good Sharp Bullet, and Bullet Base. Even if your Bore is .500, a Soft Lead bullet at .502 Will Go Down Fine, For Hunting i want my Bullet to go down good n Tight so I don’t have to worry about it Backing off the Powder Charge. For Target/Bench Shooting i prefer my Bullets to “Slip Fit/Land Ride” i want them to just Barely touch the Rifling on the way down, The Weight of my Range Rod is usually enough to push them Down. This is obviously no good for Hunting. 2 totally different applications
 
As a follow up on the teeth age of that 2019 blacktail, he was 10 1/2. He had not been on camera until the night before season, and I had never seen him before. I probably saved him from a hard winter's death.

Dave Heffner
Roseburg, OR
 
Good buck, Those Blacktails are the sneakiest ghosts of all the deer. At 10-1/2 years he had a good life probably had quite a few girl friends over the years,
 
Good buck, Those Blacktails are the sneakiest ghosts of all the deer. At 10-1/2 years he had a good life probably had quite a few girl friends over the years,
I sure hope he left his mark in the general area. I have read where these deer don't travel too far from their core area, but I had never had a picture of this buck prior to the night before the hunt. He is my second buck over 10 years old. The first buck gave me 5 years of pictures but not any of those first 4 seasons did I ever get a chance at him. Hard to break their nocturnal nature.
 

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