This event took place last December, the week before Christmas. I’m posting it now because there have been issues with uploading pictures to this site which are now resolved.
Greetings from Michigan. This is the story of how I “harvested†my first deer, a Michigan Whitetail.
I’ve divided this post in two sections. Part 1 describes the “hunt†and Part 2 provides some details on the rifle. The entire piece is rather lengthy so I’ll get you all started and then insert one of those “below the fold” thingydoos so as to keep the front page real estate usage down. and those of you who are still interested in reading can do so.
Part 1:Â The Hunt
I live in the southern portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula which, for those of you who may not be familiar with our state hunting rules, requires the use of either a shotgun shooting slugs or a muzzleloader during deer season. That is the area below the blue line in the map.
I believe this decades-old rule is based on the assumption that a modern centerfire rifle has a velocity much faster than that of the aforementioned shotguns and muzzleloaders. Add to this the generally accepted truth that the population density is greater in southern Michigan and you arrive at the long standing rule of no centerfire rifles allowed during deer season in my neck of the woods. When the rule was established, and I am guessing here, the premise was that muzzleloaders were of the flintlock and lead ball variety with lower velocity and therefore posing less risk to others. Advancements in firearms technology have, in my opinion, surpassed the intent of the rules as I am using a modern muzzleloader which will push a saboted 275 gr. bullet out the barrel at velocities up to 2400 fps!
According to the rules, I cannot use one of my circa 1870’s single shot black powder cartridge rifles which, at around 1100-1200 fps., have a muzzle velocity of about half that of my muzzleloader. All because they load from the breech and use a brass case and primer. Go figure. I would love to use my Shiloh Sharps or Remington Rolling Block to lob a 535 gr. slug of 45-70 lead at Bambi’s sibling or progeny next year. Umm, in the interest of blogophistic accuracy, progeny no longer applies.
I would love to regal you all with a classic tale of how I was able to spot the biggest buck in the county and proceed to track him for 4 hours through the roughest brush and woods that Michigan has to offer. And then sneak up close for the kill without being detected. Not even close!
What I find most interesting is that the tool that was used to cut the bones looks like a wire saw — you know, the kind you can roll up and store in your pocket.