2021-2022 hunting thread

[deadshank 24652]

6 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Ribeye of the sky!

My hunting partner is the undisputed king of mixed metaphors and once called Sandhills “the roast beef is the sky.”  
 

🤣

[deadshank 24652]

18 minutes ago, deadshank said:

My hunting partner is the undisputed king of mixed metaphors and once called Sandhills “the roast beef is the sky.”  
 

🤣

Oops.  Roast beef OF the sky.  

[Kennythetiger 9380]

11 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Exactly this.  I've always heard that lefties are 10% of the population.  I'm guessing left-handed firearms are significantly less than 10% of the market.  I had hell trying to find my LH bolt-action 300 Win Mag earlier this year.  Took a buddy stumbling on it in Houston before I found one.  

I shoot left-handed shotguns but got frustrated with the price and selection of rifles so I gave up and shoot right-handed rifles left-handed. 
Hell, when you’re as good as me you only need one shot anyway. 

[hookemATL 11723]

4 hours ago, deadshank said:

My hunting partner is the undisputed king of mixed metaphors and once called Sandhills “the roast beef is the sky.”  
 

🤣

What would be considered the roast beef of the sky?  Pigeon? Guinea fowl? 

[686 3448]

Carbon one? 

Yeah, the carbon is 7.5 and the aluminum is 8.5. They are built pretty stout.

[Da Fino 2781]

These BOG death grips, the inner side of that grip soft enough to not damage wood stock, I assume? 

They will not damage wood stocks. I have used them on old sako’s and weatherbys. No issues.

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

14 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

I shoot left-handed shotguns but got frustrated with the price and selection of rifles so I gave up and shoot right-handed rifles left-handed. 
Hell, when you’re as good as me you only need one shot anyway. 

I did the same thing as a kid.  Always shot a RH bolt action.  Actually got pretty quick at reaching over the scope to pull back the bolt and rechamber a round with my left hand without ever taking my eye off the scope.  In the grand scheme of things, it's really only an issue if you're firing multiple rounds from a rifle or shooting a semi-auto shotgun.  Other than that, it's just preference.  

That being said, I may try to snag one of these in the next few years.  Just having trouble justifying $6K for a pistol.  

https://cabotguns.com/left-hand-1911s/

[Brisketexan 105103]

I did the same thing as a kid.  Always shot a RH bolt action.  Actually got pretty quick at reaching over the scope to pull back the bolt and rechamber a round with my left hand without ever taking my eye off the scope.  In the grand scheme of things, it's really only an issue if you're firing multiple rounds from a rifle or shooting a semi-auto shotgun.  Other than that, it's just preference.  
That being said, I may try to snag one of these in the next few years.  Just having trouble justifying $6K for a pistol.  
https://cabotguns.com/left-hand-1911s/

I shoot lefty, all my guns, all my life. I just adapted, and am pretty damn efficient.

[Herbie Hancock 7346]

My hunting partner is the undisputed king of mixed metaphors and once called Sandhills “the roast beef is the sky.”  
 

Yeah well my cousin, THE Haskell Indian, calls them flying trashcans. Dude could fuck up a pot of coffee

[fattyflattie 4639]

8 hours ago, Da Fino said:

old sako’s and weatherbys.

Myman.gif 

[williemackgarza 1826]

Did you upgrade the bolt shroud on that Tikka? Mine is broken and i need to get a replacement at some point

Yes I upgraded to a stainless metal years back. Only the shroud. I didnt change out the spring. Swap out is pretty easy after following instructions on youtube. I bought it from here:

https://www.mountaintactical.com/categories/tikka-t3t3x-bolt-shrouds

But looks like the smooth 1 I have is no longer offered. A quick googler will get you a few more options including straight from beretta. Mine was like $25 or so but now see they are high $. Thanks brandon!

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

Got this guy back from the taxidermist today. He cleans up really well. 
 

 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

12 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

I did the same thing as a kid.  Always shot a RH bolt action.  Actually got pretty quick at reaching over the scope to pull back the bolt and rechamber a round with my left hand without ever taking my eye off the scope.  In the grand scheme of things, it's really only an issue if you're firing multiple rounds from a rifle or shooting a semi-auto shotgun.  Other than that, it's just preference.  

That being said, I may try to snag one of these in the next few years.  Just having trouble justifying $6K for a pistol.  

https://cabotguns.com/left-hand-1911s/

The only left hand rifle I own is a caplock Lyman Great Plains Rifle. Something about having an exploding percussion cap a few inches away from your eyes made me want to get a rifle to where that is on the other side of the gun. My flintlock is right handed and I don't really have any issues shooting it.

[Scheiss Meister 8407]

I'm right handed and left eye dominant, but didn't know until basic training.  My coach figured it out and had me try shooting left handed.  It worked pretty well until hot brass went down the back of my neck.  (M16A1, before they added the deflector to the upper receiver.) Kinda destroyed my concentration from then on.  I got a cool eye patch for my left eye and learned to shoot well that way.  I had always wondered why I shot better with a pistol than a rifle.  Now I know.

[solamente73 1132]

Update: Bull Elk Mission (Late Aug 2022 in Utah with Dad's Weatherby Mark V chambered in 300 Weatherby Magnum)

First, ongoing thanks to all those who post here and on the Gun Owner's Thread - tons of great information, leads, and insights shared that have helped directly and indirectly.

Second, here's what's going on with gear (sorry for longcat):

• Tried to balance between 1) Elk mission, 2) utility in Texas, and 3) potential future western hunts
• New Rifle Scope: 
  • After a ton of research, it seems @686 nailed it from the get-go.  I'm likely going with the Swaro Z5 3.5-18x44 as it seems to have great glass for my shitty eyes and is versatile enough for Elk and anything else I might need it for in the future (looking at you, Muley). @williemackgarza and others seem to be Swaro fans, too.
  • I'm still mulling reticles - illuminated or not, go plex with ballistic turret or go BRH.  Anyone have thoughts on reticles and/or BTs?
  • Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 CDS-ZL2 Side Focus and Zeiss Conquest V4 4-16x44 rounded out my top three.
• Ammo:  @Gladeite provided some great insight, and agree with those who say it comes down to shot placement.  Decided to go with the Weatherby Select Plus 200gr Accubond - go big or go home.
• Sling:  @686 nailed it again with the Slogan sling - got the long magnum version.  Will really help when traversing uneven terrain.
• Binocs:  My old Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42.  Work great for Texas deer and hog, but might be a weak link for Elk.  Outfitter has spotting scopes (and sticks).  Bino pack TBD.
• Clothing/Camo:  Layers made of synthetic materials.  Lightweight but rugged.
• Boots:  Won't need serious mountain boots as this is an early season hunt maxing at 9500 feet and I wanted something suitable for Texas, too.  Danner Pronghorn uninsulated fit the bill.  Break-in was quick and comfort impressive.
• Rain Gear:  Redhead Squaltex parka and pants; also provides extra protection in case of unexpected cold weather.
• Celebratory Libations:  My dad liked to drink either Wild Turkey 101 or Chivas.  Since this trip is in his honor, I'm bringing both.

Third, the prize:

• A lot of this we're still learning about.
• Butcher:  Local place called Jerry's Meats will "cut, wrap, freeze the meat."  I do not yet know if they will process the meat entirely or if we'll just bring back iced meat for processing in Texas.
• Trophy:  The ranch can set us up with Accurate Services, whoever they are.  I'm looking around DFW for someone to do a Euro.  No word on cape - seems a lot of elk hunters leave it to nature rather than keep it for themselves.
• Bringing it all home:  Getting everything in the F150 will be a challenge.  Ranch recommends three to four 40qt coolers per animal.  Plus two racks and two capes.  That's A LOT to keep on ice and not much space in which to do it.  Working on an upper deck solution for the truck bed to hold a few coolers.  We'll keep an eye out for "fuck waffles" as we make stops on the way home.

I'll update as more is known and as we plan things out further.

Oh, and this will be the only orange I'll be wearing on this hunt (yay private land):

@Spaulding Smails how is your elk trip shaping up?  @deadshank, now that you have the 7mm worked out, any other issues in planning your elk hunt?  I miss anyone else?

Edited July 10, 2022 by solamente73

[deadshank 24652]

3 hours ago, solamente73 said:

 

@deadshank, now that you have the 7mm worked out, any other issues in planning your elk hunt? 

First I need to understand what a “fuck waffle” is.

I, too, haven’t quite figured out local processing of meats and mounts vs bringing it all back to TX.   The closest town is Darby, MT.  Our guide service says there is a local shop but I have no idea if he’s worth a darn.  I may just quarter myself and pack with pre-located dry ice and keep replenishing.  
 

May leave mounts local.  I’ve brought big ass elk heads back to TX before. Super hard to keep caped head cool and prevent rotting.  They also attract unwanted attention and present an easy mark for thrived  if you roost up for a night at a motel.  Not real kosher to drag a caped out elk and mulie  head into your room. 
 

I will hitch up a 5 x 10 trailer to my truck for coolers.   Trailer is light and nimble enough for the trip up mountain and will be good to hold plenty of coolers.  I’m hauling gear for 4 guys.  2 are flying and us other 2 are road dogging it.  
 

2 months away. 

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

Great update @solamente73.  You're light years ahead of me.  I've been slammed with work and just getting my head above water.  Hoping the next month lets me catch up some.

Scope is first.  That's GOING to happen this week.  Assuming I find something in stock and don't get one shipped, I'm going to mount it and take it to the ranch this weekend.  I don't have any permanent targets set up, nor do I have a big pasture, but there's a few lanes where I can shoot to 400 yds or so.  I've got to start stretching it out.

Purchases needed after the scope:  sling (thanks for the suggestion), boots, clothes (any thoughts between Kuiu and Sitka?).

My buddy and I are planning on quartering there, and bringing back to Texas for processing.  He takes his to a place in Houston.  I'll process my own.  I'm debating on whether or not we tow one of my trailers.  I have two Yeti 125s.  Thinking of adding a 160.  I have an 8' bed on my truck with a toolbox.  We can probably fit everything in there.  I like the idea of maybe rigging a second level somehow.  Let me know if you figure out a strategy there.

Thanks again for the post.  Getting me off high center.  3 months out!

[deadshank 24652]

I took the Zeiss scope off of the 7mm and installed the Leupold with the lighted reticle.  Our guide has repeatedly told us that we will be hunting during the rut and focusing on called bulls.  We will be mostly in timber low light conditions so the lighted reticle will make sense early morning and late afternoon dusk.   No need for a dialed up Hubble telescope strapped onto a rifle.  

[solamente73 1132]

fuck waf-fle \fuhk' - wah - full\ n. (coined by @BabaYaga ) (origin) (2022) 1. a person of extreme moral turpitude and the lowest order who scavenges truck beds for, and steals, game meat and/or trophies that have resulted from other people's successful hunts while hunters are taking a piss inside a DQ or are otherwise away from their truck.  2.  a worthless sack of shit who should be shot on sight and left strung up as an example to others.

@deadshank you already have the gist of the above, though I wouldn't give two shits about hauling heads into my room at that point.  FYI we're thinking about just rolling straight through on the way back to minimize stops, but that seems exhausting and a waste of beautiful scenery.

Both your scopes are sweet, and I think it's a good call on the illuminated reticle if your eyes are like mine in low-light conditions.  It's the one thing that keeps me drifting back to illuminated on the Swaro, but they are backordered and I'm running out of time.

@Spaulding Smails I haven't had to pay much attention to clothing since my hunt won't require technical clothing or planning for mid-to-late season weather.  I've looked at Sitka and it's quality stuff, but talk about sticker shock.  I have had zero exposure to Kuiu.  I've found Red Head / Cabela's and Game Winner (Academy) to be durable enough for what I do in Texas and for what I expect in Utah.  If the camo pattern is important to you, I like Truetimber Strata and Kryptek Highlander for both Utah and Texas, depending on time of year and specific terrain. I like the Optifade subalpine for Sitka. I subscribe to what @RMac5 said - cotton kills, so I go synthetic when I can.

I thought about hauling my 14' trailer, but I really don't want to unless I have to.  If it came down to it, I'd rather have a third party handle the trophies than take the trailer.  I'm leaning heavily towards installing a Rhino Rack t-bar system on my RetraxPRO XR tonneau cover and topping it with a Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform to provide a second level for cargo.  Having talked with Retrax and Rhino Rack, if I use 4 t-bars, the system should be able to onroad about 500 lbs of cargo.  I like this system because I will also use it a lot going to and from my farm.  At this point, the cargo weight capacity of the F150 might become the limiting factor, so I need to crunch some numbers before pulling the trigger.

[williemackgarza 1826]

Solamente,
On the swaro, i have both non and illuminated . Illuminated just helps my old ass eyes better. My kid likes it as it helps him keep on target. You can raise and lower the brightness. I went BT and order custom turrets for my specific rounds. But initially used the ring dot system of the factory BT on the scope and it was great. CALL and speak with the guys at camerland ny and/or eurooptic. Tell them your situation and see if they have inventory. Sometimes they have stock not shown on their website or can get it asap.
Ask if they have demos available. Ive bought them before and theyve been in perfect shape with full factory warranty.
When is your trip?

[Da Fino 2781]

Upgrade your bino’s. Second what deadshank said about illuminated reticle.

[686 3448]

Update: Bull Elk Mission …After a ton of research, it seems [mention=2146]686[/mention] nailed it from the get-go.

Glad things are coming together!

As mentioned above, I also prefer the lighted reticle, really helpful in low light (esp for bad eyes); it also helps me focus on the target in general. I have the ballistic turret in my Swarovski, but with a 300 Wby, you probably won’t need it.

Regarding bringing the meat back, I would try to haul it back and have it processed in Texas, that will give it some time to age in the coolers, and save a lot in shipping cost. My buddy got a tuna bag and it worked great for a quartered out elk, the full cape and ~50lbs ice.; might have held two elk with no capes included, and the ice kept fine:



Note: we deboned the meat off the shoulders and hams before putting in the cooler.

A bag-type cooler works pretty well for keeping the skull cool.

[fattyflattie 4639]

18 hours ago, solamente73 said:

• After a ton of research, it seems @686 nailed it from the get-go.  I'm likely going with the Swaro Z5 3.5-18x44 as it seems to have great glass for my shitty eyes and is versatile enough for Elk and anything else I might need it for in the future (looking at you, Muley). @williemackgarza and others seem to be Swaro fans, too.
• I'm still mulling reticles - illuminated or not, go plex with ballistic turret or go BRH.  Anyone have thoughts on reticles and/or BTs?
• Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 CDS-ZL2 Side Focus and

I’m a fan of both the Z5 and 5 power leupolds. Can’t go wrong either way imo.  Especially if you are getting custom turrets. Personally, I’m a plex guy for hunting rifles.  

[fattyflattie 4639]

19 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I’m a fan of both the Z5 and 5 power leupolds. Can’t go wrong either way imo.  Especially if you are getting custom turrets. Personally, I’m a plex guy for hunting rifles.  

*zoom 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

I took the Zeiss scope off of the 7mm and installed the Leupold with the lighted reticle.  Our guide has repeatedly told us that we will be hunting during the rut and focusing on called bulls.  We will be mostly in timber low light conditions so the lighted reticle will make sense early morning and late afternoon dusk.   No need for a dialed up Hubble telescope strapped onto a rifle.  

I have the 4-12x50 on my 6.8. Good glass.

[williemackgarza 1826]

Ive got a used set of Swaro 10x42 EL Range binos. If anyones interested Id make a good surly only deal on em.

[BabaYaga 15290]

On 7/8/2022 at 5:42 PM, deadshank said:

Oops.  Roast beef OF the sky.  

Rib EYE of the SKY rolls off the tongue a little better....;)

[Brisketexan 105103]

Rib EYE of the SKY rolls off the tongue a little better....

It also chicken fries like a mofo. We used to cut it into strips and fry up platters of em to dip in gravy while we watched college football. Glorious days.

[deadshank 24652]

2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Rib EYE of the SKY rolls off the tongue a little better....;)

Like I said, he's the king of mixing metaphors.  Always entertaining.

[Herbie Hancock 7346]

Hey Doc I gotta get you a proverb book or somethin, this mix n match shits’ gotta go

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

Snagged my scope today.  Went with the Swarovski Z5(i) 5-25x52P.  Going to mount it tomorrow, so should be ready to start dialing it in over the weekend.  Bout damn time!

[HOOKEM4 5036]

3 hours ago, deadshank said:

Like I said, he's the king of mixing metaphors.  Always entertaining.

I got one of those at work. We were in a meeting with some high ups at a potential client and the guy used "tea and strumpets." I prefer my strumpets with whiskey though.

 

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

5 hours ago, deadshank said:

Like I said, he's the king of mixing metaphors.  Always entertaining.

We have a guy at my office that does something similar.  He gets the phrase right... but misses a critical word.  We call him "Biff".  

Last week, he said, "we need to quit sending such an exuberant amount of time on invoicing."

[Herbie Hancock 7346]

We have a guy at my office that does something similar.  He gets the phrase right... but misses a critical word.  We call him "Biff".  
Last week, he said, "we need to quit sending such an exuberant amount of time on invoicing."

I see you work with my dad. And his nickname is Dick, not Biff.

[deadshank 24652]

Sir Mix A Metaphor A Lot had has credit card compromised.  He saw a bunch of charges he didn’t recognize.  
 

As he was telling me over the phone, all of the suspicious charges were all at stores and restaurants in some place named “Durham In Eck.”

”Durham In Eck?” I replied.  You mean ‘Durham N C as in North Carolina’ don’t you?”

(Oh, my gawd, we gave him a rifle, too!)

[markstanco 12575]

My land owner called today. North texas up hwy 259 next to the red.

He doesn’t drink, typically doesn’t make shit up. He doesn’t have to, he knows we are in the lease until forever so he doesn’t have to sell us.

Said he saw a panther. About a 5 to 6 foot tail. I’ve heard this a few years ago but we have exactly zero pics on the camera. Anybody heard about panthers in NoTex?

[686 3448]

This one was shot in Gatesville (west of Waco) last year, and there have been some killed in north Louisiana. They seemingly travel a long way sometimes.

[fattyflattie 4639]

1 hour ago, 686 said:

They seemingly travel a long way sometimes.

Something like 60-100 miles is not uncommon, iirc. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Saw one in Hallsville about 12 years ago. Was driving a county road, and jumped a doe by a creek bottom, and then looked over and saw it on the other side of a barbed wore fence running next to the truck. Asked around afterwards and I wasn't the only one to have seen it.

[Herbie Hancock 7346]

Mountain lion? Probably so. Panther? Definitely not

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Panther is just a colloquial name for mountain lions.

[Scheiss Meister 8407]

I saw a mountain lion in Shelby County in 1982.  I had seen a couple of possible tracks on our family farm, but they weren't definitive.  I was walking down a dirt county road on a full moon night and saw him in the moonlight in a clearing about 30 yards away.  We looked at each other then mutually parted ways.  It was unbelievably cool, and somewhat frightening.  If he had wanted me for dinner, there wasn't a lot I could have done about it.

[BabaYaga 15290]

Personally, I like cougars....

[Herbie Hancock 7346]

Panther is just a colloquial name for mountain lions.

That would be like saying grouse is colloquial for dove. They are two very different creatures.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

I have a degree in wildlife. I am aware that they are two different creatures. But that doesn't change the fact that mountain lions have been called Panthers in the US since before it was the US.

Edited July 13, 2022 by NotActuallyALonghorn

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

9 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

I have a degree in wildlife. I am aware that they are two different creatures. But that doesn't change the fact that mountain lions have been called Panthers in the US since before it was the US.

We all have too much time on our hands.  I hate the off-season.

[Herbie Hancock 7346]

I have a degree in wildlife. I am aware that they are two different creatures. But that doesn't change the fact that mountain lions have been called Panthers in the US since before it was the US.

And magazines get called clips all the time too, doesn’t make it any less incorrect. My city slicker wife calls coyotes “wolves”. Vast difference in the two. So I guess forgive me for knowing the difference between a mountain lion and a panther?

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Actually, the difference and whether there really is one between coyotes and red wolves has been debated for decades.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Also, the Florida Panther is actually a subspecies of mountain lions, despite being officially called panthers.

[Herbie Hancock 7346]

I’ve posted it somewhere before, maybe on the other site, but this joker was on several cameras of ours and I heard it screeching one night at the end of deer season. Few months later this kid on his way to school smoked it on the highway about 3 miles from our front gate

https://amp.star-telegram.com/news/local/article203528199.html