Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel Carter
Each part of the country has it's own unique way of hunting. In some areas the topography dictates what will work and what will not. In areas of low deer numbers dogs, driving and bait will not do, deer numbers will not stand it.( Maine) In the south with no winter kill, vast areas of impenetrable swamp and low hunter numbers the deer can sustain the methods used. I hope to sit on the kitchen steps of Hampton plantation in SC and re-read Rutlige's Christmas hunt. In his time and place it was THE way to deer hunt and still seem to be.
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A. Rutledge is one of my favorite outdoor authors of all time. I dearly love his writings, as it describes hunting in the South as I have known it. However .....
I have lived in "deer dogging" country all my life, on the edge of the Savannah River swamp. Hunted with dogs for many years, which requires using blue whistlers (buckshot). Finally gave it up (buckshot) when I realized just how inefficient it is. I once shot a big buck facing straight towards me at about 30 yards with 00 buck. He wheeled and ran, leaving only a few droplets of blood. Saw him the next year near that area in a 'bean field, but couldn't get a shot. The third year I killed him with a Model 99 .300 Savage. When I skinned him I found three of the buckshot encased in a clearish gristly substance, only about an inch deep, under the skin in his fore-chest.
Anything that can't penetrate any better than that is not for me, tho' I killed many deer with it in my life. No more.
Though not a legal caliber, and I don't hunt deer anymore, I'd sooner shoot them with a .22 Magnum than buckshot. At least I can put it exactly where it needs to go to do the job. Buckshot go where they want to go.
SRH
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