2018 California Opening Day Blacktail Handgun Hunt

[Sawfish]

I knew this was going to be a hunt because I only had two days away from work. Managed to find a really good buck on Friday, but never saw him after the season opened. Pickings were slim on Saturday morning, due to all the opening day activity. Late that afternoon, the deer started to move around again, and I spotted an even larger buck. I could never get ahead of him before he vanished onto private property. We heard a cat Saturday night, and the place was empty on Sunday. Finally rousted a small bachelor herd with mostly fork horns. Late that afternoon, I spotted this guy behind a group of trees at 65 yards. I got into position for a shot, and the T/C 30/06 Encore pistol delivered the deadly 150 gr. Nosler on its mission. After it was over, I realized this was the last California deer that I would kill with a lead core bullet. Next year everything will be no lead. Just another of the many changes I have seen in my 59 years of hunting. He was a 4 x 3. Live weight was 197 pounds making him the heaviest deer killed on the ranch, during its 152 year history.

 

[ReddingArcher]

Congrats! That thing is a tank!

 

[JohnnyB]

Nice buck and nice hand cannon!

 

[iseebucks]

Nice buck!
Just curious, what are some of the other changes you have seen in your 59 years of hunting?

 

[Muley Buck]

Very nice sir!

 

[Dukslayer26]

Congrats on a beauty!!

 

[Sawfish]

Nice buck!
Just curious, what are some of the other changes you have seen in your 59 years of hunting?

That could take a few pages, but to name a few: My first hunting boots were from the shoe dept. at Sears-Roebuck; Gore-Tex was unknown; if you had camo, it came from the army surplus store; Most hunting coats were olive green or mustard brown from makers like Red Head (not BPS), Cumberland, Blue Bill, and the like; Weaver was the most popular scope. All had steel tubes and were made in El Paso, TX; Most popular shotgun ammo was Winchester Super X and Peters High Velocity (paper shells); Ben Pearson and Fred Bear owned the bow market, and the recurve was king; Cedar arrow shafts were the most popular and for a while, the only arrow shafts; Before passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act, you could walk into Montgomery Wards, and walk out with a fine war surplus Model 98 Mauser in 8mm Mauser for $25 plus tax-$30 for the select grade. The only paper required was your money; Most folks had only one gun-a shotgun, which was either a Remington or Savage pump; A few had deer rifles. The model 94 Winchester in 30-30, or the Model 92 Winchester n 32/20 Win. were popular in our area. In later years after the deer population increased , the 742 Remington in 30/06 became the most popular gun in our area; Duck Decoys were hand carved wood, or paper Mache; boats were made of wood, or aluminum; Stainless steel guns, pop-up blinds, range finders were to come in later years. These are just a few of the many changes over the years.