Mausers late season Ohio adventures

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mauser06
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Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby mauser06 » Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:31 pm

Back by popular demand...!


I've been fairly quiet this season...bow cable broke the first day I was planning planning hunt. The next day I was going to the shop and unexpectedly lost my coondog.....it took its toll on me. It's never easy. But I can't go through life without dogs. I love them...they are like my kids. Going on these trips is actually tough for me because I know it stresses them.


Pushed myself to the shop later that week. Didn't make it to the woods will 10/28. Weather was....not great...rut activity was non exsisent. I stayed home for my Ohio rut trip..wasn't feeling upto it and the weather and lack of action at home wasn't helping.


I came down and hunted 4 days in gun season.


First morning I started where I killed last year's buck. 10am or so a couple came waltzing through. I think part of a drive. Pressure was a little higher than the previous year.

Decided to sneak around and see what I could find.

Walked into a herd of deer. All the ones I could ID were slick heads.

Couple mins down the trail I ran into another guy. At that point I was a pretty good ways in and pretty surprised. Even more surprised when he told me there was another guy sitting further out the ridge. Never did find him.


Out the ridge I found this.....


Image


Looked at the topo and picked a point with a bench below it.

Sat till dark. Nada deer.



Got to the bottom to walk out and found blood everywhere. Someone drug one outta there earlier in the morning. If it was a buck they ruined the cape. If it was a doe, they are nuts. Lol. Too far to drag anything!


Hunted the next 3 days bouncing around trying to get away from pressure and get on deer....saw does every day but never did find a buck.


I realized after the first day there weren't acorns ANYWHERE. Even the fall sign wasn't where it was last year. Scrapes and rubs around the feed trees and such just weren't there...telling me there were never acorns.

Thought that was odd considering there are several different oak species...till I talked to a buddy that lives local. He said they got a hard freeze way after green up and thinks the acorns crop was lost.


So....I walked and covered ground. Learned a lot about the place. But never did find anything that I felt good about.



So....that brings me to now.


Snow will be a day and a half old in the morning. Going to be extremely cold till about lunch time and then warm up to about 35 by dark.

I think evening will be on fire.


I have 2 large areas of interest. Both have a lot of stuff goin on. Topography, different ages cuts, big timber, pine stands.

Going to start in the one area. I can cover the outskirts of it pretty quick and get a feel for it.

I'm whopped...worked 3-11 and then 7-3 and just settled in the cabin at 11pm.



Stay tuned!

Hopefully I can get on them. If not, 3 days of scouting new areas.


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backstraps
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby backstraps » Sat Jan 08, 2022 9:43 pm

Good luck Mauser!! Hope you get on a slob, you know they are there.

Will be following along sir
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brancher147
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby brancher147 » Sun Jan 09, 2022 12:12 am

Best of luck. Interested to hear how it goes. It’s a steamy 1 degree this morning where I am in WV. Coldest it’s been all winter
Some do. Some don't. I just might...
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby PK_ » Sun Jan 09, 2022 12:57 am

Godspeed.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby Wlog » Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:13 am

Mauser, I always enjoy reading your posts! Good luck!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:21 am

In for the hunt details, but tell me a bit about your rifle, too?
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby Woodsy211 » Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:42 am

KRONIIK wrote:In for the hunt details, but tell me a bit about your rifle, too?


I was thinking the same
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby oldrank » Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:09 am

Kill one !!
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby Kokes » Sun Jan 09, 2022 3:09 am

Good luck!!!
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby mauser06 » Sun Jan 09, 2022 6:32 am

Quick midday update.


As for my rifle in that pic...it's a...semi custom I built.

I had a m700 short action with a burnt out barrel. I found a used Browns Precision Pound'r stock for a fraction of the price the are worth. Bought it because I love lightweight rifles. Decided to build a 450 Bushmaster from it. Seemed like the best way to go. Bought good aluminum bottom metal. Had a Bix n Andy Dakota laying on the bench from another rifle I upgraded triggers in. Ordered a custom McGowens 18" Bushmaster barrel with a "Remage" barrel nut. Basically the savage barrel nut for a Remington. Used a headspace Guage to set the barrel, bedded the action...refinished and painted the stock. Then sent the action to Twisted Barrel for some metal removal. The action needed refinished anyways. Figured I might as well give it a face lift and remove some metal while it's there.

I have 250gr Barnes TTSXBTs doing 2350fps from handloads. Wicked accurate and a nice rifle for my style of hunting. Quick to the shoulder. Light and doesn't wear me out.






Woke up at 7 and it was way too cold to think about being in a hurry. I knew the snow was dry and squeaky too.

Got moving around 830.


Still single digits. Figured I'd drive around the property and check for road sign and pressure.


Really no road sign. Only passed a handful of trucks.


Got back to the end of the road I wanted to start at. Passed 1 truck kn the entire road.

6 piled at the gate. Judging by how they were parked, they were all together and probably driving deer. Turned around and a herd crossed the road lol. Got a look at 2 50 pounders.


Went to the 2nd area I had mapped.

Coyote tracks up and down the trail. LOTS of them.

Got about 3/4 of a mile back and peeked around the bend and caught a coyote sitting down in the sun. He stood up and started crossing the trail.


Image

He was a wee bit slow.


Sorry for the pic..feel freeto delete it if it's too graphic...the Barnes TTSX wasn't very kind to it. Same bullet I use in the rifle above except doing 2050fps.


I walked about a mile and a half of that area. Saw 1 very small rub. A couple old deer tracks. 4 different deer busted me. Just wasn't looking good for deer hunting. The amount of coyote tracks was unbelievable.


Parked at a new access...looks like another 1.5-2mi of trail. Figured I might as well see new ground on this trip and continue learning the area.
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backstraps
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby backstraps » Sun Jan 09, 2022 6:44 am

Awesome update with another yote gone!
Congrats and best of luck rest of the trip
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby upwind predator » Sun Jan 09, 2022 9:07 am

Congrats on the yote. Bedt of luck the rest of the trip
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby Woodsy211 » Sun Jan 09, 2022 11:07 am

mauser06 wrote:Quick midday update.


As for my rifle in that pic...it's a...semi custom I built.

I had a m700 short action with a burnt out barrel. I found a used Browns Precision Pound'r stock for a fraction of the price the are worth. Bought it because I love lightweight rifles. Decided to build a 450 Bushmaster from it. Seemed like the best way to go. Bought good aluminum bottom metal. Had a Bix n Andy Dakota laying on the bench from another rifle I upgraded triggers in. Ordered a custom McGowens 18" Bushmaster barrel with a "Remage" barrel nut. Basically the savage barrel nut for a Remington. Used a headspace Guage to set the barrel, bedded the action...refinished and painted the stock. Then sent the action to Twisted Barrel for some metal removal. The action needed refinished anyways. Figured I might as well give it a face lift and remove some metal while it's there.

I have 250gr Barnes TTSXBTs doing 2350fps from handloads. Wicked accurate and a nice rifle for my style of hunting. Quick to the shoulder. Light and doesn't wear me out.






Woke up at 7 and it was way too cold to think about being in a hurry. I knew the snow was dry and squeaky too.

Got moving around 830.


Still single digits. Figured I'd drive around the property and check for road sign and pressure.


Really no road sign. Only passed a handful of trucks.


Got back to the end of the road I wanted to start at. Passed 1 truck kn the entire road.

6 piled at the gate. Judging by how they were parked, they were all together and probably driving deer. Turned around and a herd crossed the road lol. Got a look at 2 50 pounders.


Went to the 2nd area I had mapped.

Coyote tracks up and down the trail. LOTS of them.

Got about 3/4 of a mile back and peeked around the bend and caught a coyote sitting down in the sun. He stood up and started crossing the trail.


Image

He was a wee bit slow.


Sorry for the pic..feel freeto delete it if it's too graphic...the Barnes TTSX wasn't very kind to it. Same bullet I use in the rifle above except doing 2050fps.


I walked about a mile and a half of that area. Saw 1 very small rub. A couple old deer tracks. 4 different deer busted me. Just wasn't looking good for deer hunting. The amount of coyote tracks was unbelievable.


Parked at a new access...looks like another 1.5-2mi of trail. Figured I might as well see new ground on this trip and continue learning the area.


That’s a sweet gun, thanks for the info. Good luck out there!
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sun Jan 09, 2022 12:12 pm

mauser06 wrote:Quick midday update.


...snip...

Got about 3/4 of a mile back and peeked around the bend and caught a coyote sitting down in the sun. He stood up and started crossing the trail.


Image

....snip.


Sorry for the pic..feel freeto delete it if it's too graphic...the Barnes TTSX wasn't very kind to it.

I'm certainly not offended by the pic; (at least its' tongue isn't hanging out.) :lol:
mauser06
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Re: Mausers late season Ohio adventures

Unread postby mauser06 » Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:32 pm

Hahahaha Kronik! I try to take tasteful pics. No matter what I did, that one wasn't coming out nice. And I know some forums dont like stuff like that being posted. I'm just thoroughly impressed by the bullet. Fabulous expansion quick. That'd been just inside a deers rib cage if I had to guess.


I pulled off countless places after leaving the first area. First spot had lots of boot tracks from yesterday. Archery? Small game? Coyote caller? Trappers? Who knows but too much traffic for my liking.

Next was empty. I walked 50yds and hit fresh boot tracks all over. Must have came off private.

Back to where I killed my buck last year. Fresh deer track crossing the road. Noone parked there since the snow.

Start in. Several deer tracks. Day old buck bed. Alright! I can work with this!

Leaned on a tree 200yds from the truck to see what the wind was doing and what the tracks were telling me and all that.


Sounded like someone kicking snow off their boots.

Turned around and a guy is walking up within 50yds of me. Never seen me because he's looking at his phone the entire time. Right up through the bedding.


I left. Looked like he was dropped off 15yds passed my truck. Guessing he was part of a drive.

Drove halfway out. Spot I never been but always looked good. No tracks. Decided to drag my coyote along.

Found a spot where I could see a good ways and skinned it. Aside from the hole, the fur is actually pretty nice. I'll send it to the tannery with a few other pelts this winter and add it to my fur collection.

Snuck down to where 3 points meet. Theybwere southern facing and figured deer should be on southern facing slopes getting some sun.

Nothing showed.




Now...looking at the weather....my trip might be done.

The snow packed roads didn't melt today in 35-38 degree full sunshine. Actually slippery leaving tonight as they refroze.

35 and rain tonight and into the morning.....then the bottom falls out again. Teens and single digit windchill by Monday morning.

I don't think middle of nowhere dirt road hills are going to be safe. And I won't be able to do much with the woods being completely frozen.


Going to sleep on it and check the weather again in the morning but it doesn't look good.


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