First CA deer down!

Wow. Congrats AJ! You worked so hard for that. Way to stay after it. That's a well earned buck if I ever saw one. Great story too.
 
Ok, after some work and internet issues I am back on.

At the time i spotted him he spotted me also and he started heading back to where I had just came from. I began to head around a small hill I was on and I dropped my pack laid down and set the rifle on the pack. He headed up the hill the does had climbed earlier in the morning. I tried to get him to stop, he wasn't stopping. Near the top of the hill he finally stopped and offered me a quartering away shot. I shot and saw his hind quarter drop and he flung his front half of his body to the ground. I thought I may have shot him in the spine so I stayed behind the gun and waited for movement, there was none. I couldn't find in the binos either. After 35 minutes or so I began to head up the hill after about 15-20 minutes of looking for him (everything this is brown here including the belly of these deer haha) I found him. In the words of Ted Nugent "The beast is dead, long live the beast"

After I shot I ranged the area I had shot him at 350 yds, I was shooting a Tikka T3 in .260 Remington (who shoots that) loaded with a 120 gr Sierra ProHunter. I recovered the bullet in the front shoulder. This deer marked a lot of firsts for me

1st deer with a rifle
1st CA deer
1st animal I had killed with my own reloaded ammo

He is no contest winner but he is a trophy in my book. although his little antler is pretty unique and different, that was a surprise when i walked up on him. Last week when I had seen he only had one antler I thought " I wonder what his other antler is? Is it broken or some freak antler"

Thanks to everyone that has helped me in my CA hunting endeavors! SCH has helped me out since the day I found this site!
Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!
AND Thank a veteran tomorrow if you will! Some pay the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to do some of the great things we do as Americans! All give some, Some give ALL!
 
Great story Snack. We are all stoked for you. And great choice in rifle caliber! ;D
 
Great post. I am have not had any luck this year. Like you I am from the Mid West and hunting out here is much different. I have seen deer but no bucks. I have a G10 tag so can take a doe but only have kicked up two that were out of range for both archery and shot gun but at least I was out there and had a good time. Got one more shot this weekend if I get lucky and get a spot. Wish me luck and congrats to you!!
 
Msailor- stick to it there is a lot of deer on pendleton. You couldn't hunt this weekend could you, I heard they shut hunting down this weekend and extended it an additional weekend.

Nice seeing you on the site trigger, we ran I to each other last season.
 

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