I bagged my first flintlock deer in Western, NC a few weeks back! Me and my brother were hunting and spotted a doe standing out in the field. There's a dirt road leading back to our barn. We had the wind in our face, so we slipped in a little valley and put a hill between us and her. We made it to the road and crept forward. There were a lot of honeysuckles and small pines to provide cover about half the way to her. When the cover ran out, we belly crawled the final few yards. She went behind an old dead pine tree pile long enough for me to make my final preparations. I rested my .62 cal smoothbore on the old fence rail beside the road we had advanced up. She was at about 50-60 yards. She finally stepped out from behind the old pine and I aimed right for her shoulder. Just as I was about to squeeze the trigger, she turned and started walking toward me! I let her come and she stopped at about 25 yards, nice and broadside. I squeezed the trigger and she dissapeared into a white cloud of smoke momentarily. She ran for the woods, with her front end obviously down. I knew she was hit. After a little wait, we went to the spot where she was standing. There was a nice spot of blood. There was a good blood trail leading to where she entered the woods. We followed and found her about 20 yards inside the woods. She ran about 70 yards from the point of impact. I was thrilled!! My first flintlock deer, in period dress, no less! I do not plan on rejoining the "modern" deer hunting world!
I used 70 grains of FFF Goex powder with a patched .600 round ball. I also cast the ball myself. This, my friends, is a very rewarding and satisfying way to hunt!
-Andrew
No comments:
Post a Comment