Firehawk Does

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Killed both these big does within 5 minutes, shot 1st one at about 35 yds and then 3 more came walking out to my left 2 spooked and the other big doe hung around while I crammed a Barnes Expander down my .54 Firehawk, its very hard to be quiet when your loading a bullet that takes all your weight/strength to get down the barrel. She even looked at me for a about a minute when I had bullet about halfway down had to stand thee like a statue until she started to walk then rammed it home and shot her at about 22 yds..
1st deer ran about 80 yds with its heart blown in half and 2nd doe made it about 90 yds or a bit more with lungs/heart destroyed.
Forgot load was 85 gr FF 777 and a 325 gr Barnes Expander w/purple sabot.
I really like these Firehawks.

2aalwe0.jpg
 
Way to Go Dean! :yeah: Yup this is some crazy weather for hunting we had this year.
 
Good job Dean!! Some good Eating right there :yeah:

How long do you guys leave the Hides on a Deer? I have heard of that, But never seen anyone, or done it that way myself. When i get Home with a Deer I immediately Skin the Hind legs down and pull it over the Big Tendon, make a slit for the Gambrel, Up they Go, i skin them on the way up, 99% of the time they are stil steaming. Depending on the weather, i let them hang a few days and then Cut the meat up, If it’s super cold and i worry about them Freezing I only hang that 1 night and Cut them up first thing in the morning. With Elk it’s REALLY important to get the Hide off as quick as possible to let the Heat out
 
If its cold enough will let them hang 4-5 days with hide on, has no effect on taste of meat have done it both ways.. If I feel like it usually clean them immediately and get them in the fridge.



Idaholewis said:
Good job Dean!! Some good Eating right there :yeah:

How long do you guys leave the Hides on a Deer? I have heard of that, But never seen anyone, or done it that way myself. When i get Home with a Deer I immediately Skin the Hind legs down and pull it over the Big Tendon, make a slit for the Gambrel, Up they Go, i skin them on the way up, 99% of the time they are stil steaming. Depending on the weather, i let them hang a few days and then Cut the meat up, If it’s super cold and i worry about them Freezing I only hang that 1 night and Cut them up first thing in the morning. With Elk it’s REALLY important to get the Hide off as quick as possible to let the Heat out
 
seems like every year the weather gets weirder.Used to by this time of year it would be so cold you only wanted to sit for 3-4 hrs but today it was in the 40`s tomorrow 51 and next day 34 deg.






ShawnT said:
Way to Go Dean! :yeah: Yup this is some crazy weather for hunting we had this year.
 
dbowling said:
She even looked at me for a about a minute when I had bullet about halfway down had to stand thee like a statue until she started to walk then rammed it home and shot her at about 22 yds..

Sounds like a fine day of hunting! There can’t be many people who get to experience a double with their muzzleloader.
 
Dean, way to go! Man you are lucky I think :D to get two big does like that and within a few minutes of each other. I’m glad you had the sense to reload after the first one.

Like someone said now the work begins. How was it getting them into your pickup truck by yourself? What are you going to make with them? I would love to have some bologna, pepperoni sticks, cutlets and chop meat made up.
 
Good day. Some think the sound of a firearm discharging scares other deer away, for the most part I have never found that to be the case. Did not seem to be an issue in your case.
 
8) Way to go man!! Loved my FireHawk before I got a case of dumbass an put a QLA on it. (they were new to T/C)
I can't imagine butchering two deer at the same time, we can only kill one a day where I am unless its a kill permit, that's enough for me.
 
Ed,
the 1st doe went halfway down the side of a deep holler and died, had to drag her about 150 yds out to logging road and that about killed me :D The 2nd doe ran about 90 yds down into a big deep holler with a straight up and down side, had to go back home and get 4 wheeler to get her out.. My step daughter was hunting with me and she help me get the one doe in truck and came back with me and helped me load other doe on the 4 wheeler.
One deer will be made into burger and the other into breakfast sausage as that's what e eat the most of.. I've got 6 days left and if I get another one might make summer sausage out of it.





edmehlig said:
Dean, way to go! Man you are lucky I think :D to get two big does like that and within a few minutes of each other. I’m glad you had the sense to reload after the first one.

Like someone said now the work begins. How was it getting them into your pickup truck by yourself? What are you going to make with them? I would love to have some bologna, pepperoni sticks, cutlets and chop meat made up.
 
I've actually killed quiet a few doubles with a muzzleloader over the years, trick is knowing when to move when your loading and when to be perfectly still.. As said below a lot of times the noise doesn't spook them away its your movement after the shot that does.. a lot of the time they cant figure out where the noise came from even when its really close.


granite7 said:
dbowling said:
She even looked at me for a about a minute when I had bullet about halfway down had to stand thee like a statue until she started to walk then rammed it home and shot her at about 22 yds..

Sounds like a fine day of hunting! There can’t be many people who get to experience a double with their muzzleloader.
 
The Firehawks and Black Diamonds with the walnut stocks are hands down the best handling/carrying muzzleloaders that Ive ever had and I've owned a ton of them.. they just have perfect balance and are supremely accurate. Only thing I don't like is they have a very tight bore and they all seem to be most accurate with a very tight hard to load combo.




toytruck said:
8) Way to go man!! Loved my FireHawk before I got a case of dumbass an put a QLA on it. (they were new to T/C)
I can't imagine butchering two deer at the same time, we can only kill one a day where I am unless its a kill permit, that's enough for me.
 
dbowling said:
seems like every year the weather gets weirder.Used to by this time of year it would be so cold you only wanted to sit for 3-4 hrs but today it was in the 40`s tomorrow 51 and next day 34 deg.
ShawnT said:
Way to Go Dean! :yeah: Yup this is some crazy weather for hunting we had this year.


Yup the Weather has been strange the last few years and mostly too warm to hang them very long. :( It used to always bee cold like you said. I was very happy with the cold this year so I could hang the larger one for 4 days. The other one was younger and only got to hang it a day after harvest, so it will be ok.
 
Idaholewis said:
Good job Dean!! Some good Eating right there :yeah:

How long do you guys leave the Hides on a Deer? I have heard of that, But never seen anyone, or done it that way myself. When i get Home with a Deer I immediately Skin the Hind legs down and pull it over the Big Tendon, make a slit for the Gambrel, Up they Go, i skin them on the way up, 99% of the time they are stil steaming. Depending on the weather, i let them hang a few days and then Cut the meat up, If it’s super cold and i worry about them Freezing I only hang that 1 night and Cut them up first thing in the morning. With Elk it’s REALLY important to get the Hide off as quick as possible to let the Heat out
I 'm like Dean. If it is good and cold I let them hang, Head up for me to drain, with hide on for 3 to 4 days. I hang mine in a barn so the hide keeps them clean, Helps keep dust and critters off and no Pigeon crap gets on them (Life on the farm :wink: ). When I bring mine in I also hose the cavity out with Cold Water and wipe it down with a clean towel (sort of dry it off), that helps get rid of any stomach or other contaminants and also aids in cooling. Then use a stick to prop the cavity open. Skinning them right away lets the outer layer of silver skin dry out which is not always a bad thing but when it is real cold the hide helps delay the freezing. Deer are much smaller than your elk or even Muley so the bigger they are the more heat they will hold. If it is warm then I will skin them and let hang over knight and start butchering next morning. Hate that though.

One year I got one on a 75* day and it was still 70* at midnight. I skinned it by the lights on the tractor and the meat was still steaming. Deboned it and put it in pans in the fridge to cool till next day. Mom was not too thrilled with me when she woke up to make breakfast next day though. :roll: :lol:
 

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