{"id":172625,"date":"2024-05-06T13:24:58","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T18:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=172625"},"modified":"2025-12-09T07:27:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:27:47","slug":"hunt365-take-the-shot-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-take-the-shot-6\/","title":{"rendered":"Take The Shot: A Hawaiian Axis Buck Presents Hidden Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-1-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" class=\"wp-image-172626\" title=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-1-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-1-2-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-1-2-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-1-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-1-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-1-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A solid field position is always a good thing. Prone with a rest is top-notch, and will enable you to precisely place a shot that would be impossible from any other field position.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What seems to be a chip shot at a Hawaiian Axis buck presents. But hidden challenges lurk behind the scene. Will you take the shot?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A strong sea breeze fans my right cheek before it blows across my son Ivan, who lies just to my left, prone behind his rifle and aiming steeply uphill at a feeding buck. To my right the sea reaches out, grasping steadily at the edge of nothingness. To my left is the island; powerful in its beauty, its sunshine, and its fragrance. And up the mountain is a bunch of Axis deer, busily filling their bellies in the late morning light. We\u2019ve worked hard for this opportunity, hiking away from the sea and up the steep, ancient volcanic flow, stalking the distant herd as they moved up the mountain. We crawled the last few yards to our position, rested my pack across a couple of rocks, and now Ivan stares steadily through the scope. He\u2019s waiting for a buck to clear the bush it\u2019s feeding behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s my first time hunting Axis deer, and Ivan\u2019s too. They are reportedly wonderful to eat, and we\u2019re excited to harvest some meat, especially since we are housesitting for friends in Hawaii for two weeks, where food is over-the-top expensive. A loaf of bread costs ten bucks. Yup, that\u2019s right; ten whole smackeroos for one loaf. So we\u2019re keen to put some venison on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-2-1-1024x733.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" class=\"wp-image-172627\" title=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-2-1-1024x733.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-2-1-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-2-1-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-2-1-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-2-1-1536x1099.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-2-1-2048x1465.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Axis venison, marinating in a local homemade Teriyaki recipe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rifle-ammo-amp-optic\">RIFLE, AMMO, &amp; OPTIC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ivan is hunting with a family rifle that has an impressive list of <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-take-the-shot\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-6\" title=\"Take The Shot: A Hawaiian Axis Buck Presents Hidden Challenges\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1826\">mule deer<\/a>, elk, and Coues deer to its credit. It\u2019s one of the most accurate <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/firearms\/rifles\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-6\" title=\"Take The Shot: A Hawaiian Axis Buck Presents Hidden Challenges\">rifles<\/a> I\u2019ve ever used, and with it I shot my personal best-ever 200-yard group, a minuscule .10-moa cloverleaf on a target that\u2019s pinned on my safe to this day. Made by Fierce Firearms and chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, the rifle is their \u201cEdge\u201d model, sporting a 24-inch fluted stainless barrel and a hand-laid fiberglass and carbon-fiber stock. The trigger breaks at a beautifully crisp 2.5 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-3-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" class=\"wp-image-172628\" title=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-3-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-3-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-3-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-3-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-3-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-3-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trail-worn and battle-scarred, this rifle and ammo combination has accounted for more than its share of game.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Clamped securely in Vortex Rings is a Vortex 4-16X44 SHV scope. It\u2019s an older model, and not super expensive nor does it offer superb optical clarity. What it does offer is reliability and consistent dial-ability. A simple moa-turret sits atop the scope, complete with a rudimentary zero-stop. Many big game animals have toppled under its crosshairs. As I said; the rifle has an impressive resume. Completing the scope setup is a clamp-on Vortex anti-cant indicator level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rifle\u2019s favorite ammunition is Hornady Precision Hunter loaded with their 143-grain ELD-X bullet. This bullet sports a G1 ballistic coefficient (BC) of 0.625 and possesses a reputation for superb accuracy. The rifle has what riflemen call a \u201cfast\u201d barrel, sending the ELD-X bullets downrange at 2775 feet per second at the muzzle; 75 fps faster than Hornady\u2019s factory-advertised velocity. The rifle is zeroed dead on at 200 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-4-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" class=\"wp-image-172629\" title=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-4-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-4-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-4-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-4-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-4-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-4-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Climbing the ridge to recover Ivan\u2019s deer. This country is steep!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-take-the-shot\">TAKE THE SHOT?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Place yourself in Ivan\u2019s shoes. You\u2019ve traveled across the Pacific to hunt these deer, climbed a mountain, and crawled through the rocks. You now lie on your belly on those rocks, your rifle pointed steeply uphill at the deer. There are two bucks, neither of which is big but that\u2019s okay; you\u2019re not trophy hunting. Fresh meat is the goal for today\u2019s hunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The distance is not significant, at 234 yards. You could hit a cue ball at this range; a deer should be no problem. There is a significant uphill angle but that should not affect your impact; horizontal distance (which dictates the amount of drop your projectile will experience) will be roughly equivalent to 200 yards \u2013 right on your zero. So no need to dial, you\u2019ll use a dead-on hold. You have a 3 o\u2019clock wind of about 5-8 miles per hour, not significant at 234 yards. You are prone and using a backpack as a dead rest. Every element is in place to create a chipshot opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A steep and deep ravine runs straight up the mountainside, disappearing into the clouds. You and the deer are both on the left side. Your position is high along the rim edge of the ravine. The buck is also high on the wall, feeding up towards several other deer. Below him is a small section of near-vertical meadow, then a jungle-like tangle of semi-tropical vegetation. He\u2019s partially obscured by a bush, so you must wait for him to feed into the open and present a clean shot. Your hunting buddy is prone at your shoulder, watching through an 8X32 binocular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, the deer takes a couple of steps and stops broadside, feeding. The time is now. Will you take the shot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-5-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" class=\"wp-image-172630\" title=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-5-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-5-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-5-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-5-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-5-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-5-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Finding a downed animal in this kind of vertical jungle can be genuinely challenging. Ivan is understandably happy to have found this one.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-here-s-what-happened-true-story\">HERE\u2019S WHAT HAPPENED (TRUE STORY)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I watched through my binoculars as Ivan pressed the trigger. The deer instantly disappeared and we heard the distinct sound of a bullet hitting a game animal. I told Ivan \u201cHe\u2019s down, he dropped in his tracks\u201d, slapping him on the shoulder and congratulating him. He wore a broad smile as we shouldered our packs and headed up the mountain to recover his first Axis buck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where the story takes an abrupt turn. I was morally certain that I\u2019d seen the buck drop, so we found where he\u2019d been standing and looked down the hill, which was far steeper than it had looked from a distance. Five of us slid, scrambled, fell, and crawled around that hill for an hour without finding a single spot of blood, tuft of hair, or skid mark. We wedged our way through the dog-hair jungle below the hillside and peered over the sheer drop-off into the bottom of the deep ravine. Nothing. I hiked back down the ridge to the shooting position and verified that we were indeed searching in the right area. I began to doubt that I saw the buck hit, doubt that we heard the bullet strike, doubt that we\u2019d ever see that buck again. Finally, I sat down and pondered all the evidence we had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-6-1-1024x769.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" class=\"wp-image-172631\" title=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-6-1-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-6-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-6-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-6-1-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-6-1-1536x1154.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-6-1-2048x1539.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Regaining the ridge with loaded packs. At least we had plenty of Sherpas to spread the meat between!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I knew Ivan was a good shot, and that he was shooting a superbly accurate rifle. His position was solid. Considering those elements and that we\u2019d heard the bullet impact, my confidence that he hit the deer returned. But I still couldn\u2019t understand the total absence of sign. Finally, it occurred to me that maybe the deer hadn\u2019t dropped at the shot at all. Heading back up the mountain toward the scene I told the boys to work the area as though the deer had not dropped at all, but ran off instead. Three minutes later they found it in an unbelievably thick tangle. It had made an out-of-sight horizontal 30-yard death run and was right there, dead as a stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-7-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" class=\"wp-image-172632\" title=\"2 - Hunt365 - Take The Shot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-7-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-7-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-7-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-7-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-7-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Photo-7-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A happy ending to a challenging hunt: hiking toward the sea and dreaming of venison sizzling in the pan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">CONCLUSION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We have a moral and ethical responsibility to recover and utilize every big game animal we shoot at. Because of that, we as hunters should never kill an animal we are not confident we can recover. This experience served as a cautionary reminder to me; things are not always as they appear. I should have observed the potential for a very difficult recovery before Ivan took the shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mistake I made was in assuming that the deer would be downhill from the impact site. I was sure it had dropped, but the fact is I was looking through low-power binos and really should have recognized that it had just disappeared. Even so, as steep as that hill was you\u2019d think a mortally hit deer would end up at the bottom. But it didn\u2019t. We learned several good lessons that day; never assume anything while hunting unfamiliar territory, and do not give up easily. I\u2019d been on the verge of calling the search off, with a perfectly hit dead deer only 30 yards away in the brush. Thank goodness we were stubborn enough to keep searching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ivan\u2019s shot had been spot-on, impacting just fore of the crease and exiting in the far side crease. The deer had not dropped at all, just instantly disappeared when it made its death run into the thicket. We never did find a blood trail, or cut hair, or any other sign. Just a dead buck, wedged in an unexpected location deep in a thicket. His horns were hooked hard on a small tree trunk, which proved a blessing in disguise. That hill was brutally steep, and we slipped and slid as we quartered him into our backpacks. Had those antlers not been hooked we all would have been a runaway bobsled team into the bottom of the canyon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Would I take that shot again? Absolutely. However, I would press that trigger with the expectation of a challenging recovery. What about you &#8211; would you take the shot? I\u2019d love to hear what you think in the comments section below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">***<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-6\" title=\"Take The Shot: A Hawaiian Axis Buck Presents Hidden Challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE!<\/a>***<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What seems to be a chip shot at a Hawaiian Axis buck presents. But hidden challenges lurk behind the scene. Will you take the shot?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":172626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1220,1164,1217,4320,992,1256],"tags":[1352,1209,1269,1283,2620],"featured":[4084],"hunt365":[4089],"class_list":{"0":"post-172625","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-huntgear","8":"category-aram-von-benedikt","9":"category-hunt365","10":"category-hunting-hunt365","11":"category-specialty-publications","12":"category-stories","13":"tag-deer-hunting","14":"tag-hunt365","15":"tag-hunt365moresponsor1","16":"tag-hunting-stories","17":"tag-take-the-shot","18":"featured-row6","19":"hunt365-hunting"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Axis Buck Hunting: Exploring the Hidden Challenges<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What seems to be a chip shot at a Hawaiian Axis buck presents. 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