Last Weekend of Oklahoma Deer Season

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

Mind you I grew up reading outdoor stories by Rober Ruark, Jack O'Connor, Ted Trueblood, George Nonte, Elmer Keith and Colonel Askins. So I continue to be a little old fashioned in my deer hunting.

 

Just for hoots this year, I donned the outdoor gear you'd see on a hunter from the FIFTIES and left my Rem 700 25-06 at home for the first time in 30 something years. Also left at home were the CAS type guns I sometimes take.

 

No, I didn't carry a 30-30 or a Model 70. Took two rifles: 1) A 1957 era Remington 722 in 300 Sav fitted with an old Weaver K3 and 2) a 1954 era Marlin 336 in 35 Rem and with a Williams peep sight. I wound up toting the 300 exclusively as it is beautifully balanced and shows at least a modicum of yesteryears craftsmanship.

 

We don't have a lot of deer where I hunt and even less this year. Seems like the yearlings even disappeared. Too many coyotes perhaps and there certainly is at least one mountain lion working the area.

 

So the pickings were slim for me. I'd killed a pretty good buck with my scratch built ML during that season and was looking for ole Mossy. Instead, a nice sized forkhorn appeared in front of me and I snicked the safety off. Hmm, he's got nice confirmation and maybe will grow up to be a biggun too. In short, I let him walk twice as I saw him again two days later. We'ed decided to let the does alone too as everyone could tell we have only about a quarter of the deer we had two years ago and probably only half as last year.

 

So I didn't take one with the 300. Perhaps next year, the Sav 99 will get a turn one weekend then maybe the 1893 32 HPS. As long as my eyes and joints hold out I'll keep on. Despite no deer, I had a ball using the old guns and answering questions posed by the matte finish/synthetic/monstermagnum crowd.

 

I'd like to think ole Jack O'Connor mighta smiled down on me. He might have even grinned if it had been a 270 instead of a 300 Sav.

[Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381]

That 35 Remmie is a fine deer gun. One of the old-time writers called it 'the game getter'.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

Yellowhouse Sam, deys all up here !!!!

 

When I hunt, it's fer meat...no troupy huntin' here, so...

"Ifin' it's brown..it's down !!!!"

 

 

 

Use my 1873 Springfeild trapdoor 45-70 when I was huntin. Took many a deer and a few buffalo wif dat rifle.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

It do make a hole in whatever it hits!!!

[Willie Wheelgun]

I had to smile Sam. My first deer rifle was a Remington 722 in 300 Savage. Great gun and very accurate. Had a Weaver K-4 post rectical sight. Still have it. Next was a Marlin 336 (sold by Sears) in 35 Remington and with a Williams peep for hunting elk in the Olympic National Forrest.

[Grouchy Greg, SASS#71981]

Mind you I grew up reading outdoor stories by Rober Rouark, Jack O'Connor, Ted Trueblood, George Nonte, Elmer Keith and Colonel Askins. So I continue to be a little old fashioned in my deer hunting.

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I grew up in the '50's and early '60's reading all those guys too. Robert Ruark was my favorite. His childhood and mine were quite similar, he growing up in eastern North Carolina under the tutelage of his grandfather and others, sort of honorary uncles, and I growing up in southside Virginia under the tutelage of mine.

 

If I really wanted to be old fashioned in my deer hunting, I'd go in the woods in overalls, flannel shirts, surplus combat boots and ratty old ball cap, and with a single-barrel 16 gauge shotgun or scope-sighted .22, like I did for much of my youth until I moved up to a side-by-side 12 gauge when I was 15. I've still got that old 12 gauge, too.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

I had to smile Sam. My first deer rifle was a Remington 722 in 300 Savage. Great gun and very accurate. Had a Weaver K-4 post rectical sight. Still have it. Next was a Marlin 336 (sold by Sears) in 35 Remington and with a Williams peep for hunting elk in the Olympic National Forrest.

 

Great minds think alike! My affection for the 300 came early as my gunsmith uncle built a very nice custom mauser chamber in it in about 1950 and sold it to Dad. By 1955 I had access to a Shooters Bible and other magazines. It was entrenched in my mind that the 300 Sav was the most powerful caliber on earth and that besides Dads rifle that the 99 Savage was the best ever built. Alas, Dads rifle was stolen about 1968 but I continued my interest in the round. However, where I was raised was varmint country not deer and I had no money to buy into expensive Texas deer leases so the yote calibers guided my selections.

 

Finally, I began a modest collect of 99's while keeping my modern rifles at 25 cal or under. That 25-06 has served me well and continues to do so along with various small caliber rifles . Finally after so many years gone by...I saw this 722 last year and fell in love. Perfect matchup for the 722 I have in 222 Magnum.

 

I don't feel undergunned at all with the 300 Sav or with my 250 Sav for that matter within reasonable ranges.

 

Bought the 35 Marlin on a whim because it was near mint, had Ballard rifling, and it fit right in with my ever accumulating collection of old Marlins. Although I've whittled the herd somewhat, I think there's still over a bakers dozen or so around.

 

Guess I just like real guns with nice oiled walnut and polished blue but they are just not made anymore.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

Mind you I grew up reading outdoor stories by Rober Rouark, Jack O'Connor, Ted Trueblood, George Nonte, Elmer Keith and Colonel Askins. So I continue to be a little old fashioned in my deer hunting.

=========================================

I grew up in the '50's and early '60's reading all those guys too. Robert Ruark was my favorite. His childhood and mine were quite similar, he growing up in eastern North Carolina under the tutelage of his grandfather and others, sort of honorary uncles, and I growing up in southside Virginia under the tutelage of mine.

 

If I really wanted to be old fashioned in my deer hunting, I'd go in the woods in overalls, flannel shirts, surplus combat boots and ratty old ball cap, and with a single-barrel 16 gauge shotgun or scope-sighted .22, like I did for much of my youth until I moved up to a side-by-side 12 gauge when I was 15. I've still got that old 12 gauge, too.

 

Reading about it made me only that much more miserable. I grew up in the vast cotton patch of the High Plains of Texas. There was no deer (there is now ), no lakes, no rivers, no woods. But I can see myself with my first gun, a Savage 94 410 shotgun jumping jackrabbits or using my brothers Savage 29 pump to potshot at prairie dogs. I never hunted deer, squirrel, or really learned how to fish until I was 24 yrs old. Yessir, those ole half cajun boys from Mississippi taught me a lot. Thank ya Kit, Larry, Randy, and Doc.....wherever you are.

[Blue Steel Duke]

You Pards are making me jealous talking about all these decent rifle calibers, here in Indiana we can only use rifles in pistol calibers up to a 500 S&W. My Henry in .45 Colt was with me this year!

 

BSD