For the benefit of the multinationals here who have never hunted deepwoods whitetails, I decided to sort-of photo document the whole thing today.

Some time ago I made a "Blitz Blind", a seat I dug out at the base of a comfy-back-rest tree. The "blind part" is the thin screen of branches I cut and stick in the ground in the front of it. It works. Wind is in my face. Rifle is my Husqvarna M146 in 9.3x57. Bullet is Hornady 225 Spire Point .375 caliber sized down to fit the grooves of my 9.3. Muzzle speed is 2540 fps.

Got in the blind at 6:00, in pitch dark. Temperature about 28 degrees F. At 7:45 saw flashes of brown to my right, just glimpses as a couple critters ran thru the timber. Up went the gun and nestled well, elbows on knees {my favorite shot}, I waited for a doe to pass a clearing {meaning, a television-sized hole in the thick stand of trees, just visible at a little less than 100 yards thru the dim light}. I then saw horns and then a buck who angled and ran away from me. Crosshairs just behind ribs and break trigger. Before the gunshot quit echoing I herd a crash and knew he was down. He went about 16 yards. Bullet was found up by his throat, 28 inches penetration.

Here is what taking the shot looked like:

This was a big deer {small 4x4 rack} for our parts. Later he weighed in at 180 lbs, gutted. A grunt and sweater getting him out as I was alone.

Looking back from where he was hit, this is what you see. You can just make out the bit of orange at my blind. It is threading the needle all the way. There ain't no such thing as a "brush bullet".

I didn't feel like quartering him, so it was dragging all the way. Little by little. Think pleasant thoughts... Up, down, around. Gonna be here a while... A helicopter would be nice. If you've never done it by yourself, ask your wife to lie down and act like dead weight, then toss a dally around her feet and tug her around the front lawn for a while. It's harder if you live in the mountains. Drag her over the lawn mower or a set of lawn furniture if you want to get a feel for what it's like to have logs in your way.

I carry an axe to hook the drag ropes to, then that way I can cut my thru obstacles, too. After a few hours, getting close to the steep slope and the waiting winch here.

Final hundred feet by winch.

Then, to get 180 lbs up on the 4-wheeler, a story in itself...

Loaded and ready for the drive home.

Finally, here's a link for the ballistics involved...

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=73545