Odd deer

[Randy Tidwell]

Thought everyone would find this interesting.

Earlier this year I built a Mod 70 6.5x47 Lapua, Bartlin 7.5 twist, HS Precision Stock.

Drew blood twice earlier this week. Shot a nice doe on Wed afternoon at 80 yards.

Thursday afternoon I shot this Forkie THING.

On our lease we have a 10 point rule unless it's a rag horn.

This Forkie came in at about 4:20. When I first glassed it, the Forks looked odd. I swung the rifle over and cranked it to 20X. Had funky bumps at the bases and still in velvet?

Decided to take IT out of the gene pool.

At 160 yards, the 120 grain Barnes TTSX did the job, dead on the spot, never took a step .

Got out of the stand and walked over to get a closer look. When I turned IT over, no sex organs. Only a small knub with a pee hole? Actually a pretty good size deer.

I've heard of these oddities, never seen one. When I told the guy at the processor what I had, the whole crew of about 10 people came out to see it. They said they had never seen one either.

The TTSX blew the heart in half.

I called local Oklahoma Game Warden to report it. He told me they usually hear about 1 or 2 a year. So far he has heard of 5 or six this year. I said "Well Biden is screwing this up too!" Got him laughing.

We moved here from CA 3 years ago. Some of the guys on our lease are accusing me of bringing Transvestite deer with me, lol.

Chock up another one for my favorite rifles!

 

[Smokepoles]

Are you sure you didn't bring it from Cali?
Just kidding, I've never seen anything like that.

 

[Mark37082]

Mother nature can pitch some curve balls for sure. At least he/she did not have to go through gender reassignment surgery.

 

[asd9055]

Mother nature can pitch some curve balls for sure. At least he/she did not have to go through gender reassignment surgery.

Nice shot. Congrats!
Love to hear more about the rifle! M70 is one of my favorites

 

[Monster Toms]

Pretty common here in our area. 10+ percent of the antlered deer here will be stags. Just enough testosterone to grow antlers but never rub or neck swell. Some will never drop the first-year antler, other times the spring growth will push off the previous year resulting in really messed up heads.

 

[SamuelBerryhill308]

Nice rifle i have come to really like m70s and yep that's a odd deer for sure.only thing I've seen close to that is a doe with antlers a guy on the neighboring property shot one last year or the year before

 

[Randy Tidwell]

Thanks ASD, my two favorite rifles are Mod 70's and Ruger No.1s.

This rifle started out as a youth model 243 built in the early 80s. I traded a stainless SA Rem for the complete rifle.

I prefer the push feeds over the control feed versions.

The barrel is a medium sporter weight Bartlin 7.5 twist finished at 24". I had the action Cerakoted in a Titanium finish. On the tan HS stock it looks pretty good.

I installed a one piece floor plate, took a little inletting for correct fit. Had the floor plate engraved with a EKG Buck Head. Bedded in Devcon.

I love the X47 over the Creedmoor, so that's what we chamber it in. I considered doing it in 260 Rem, but went for the more efficient round.

Zero mods to the mag box or feed rails, feeds flawlessly.

So far been getting good results with the Barnes 120 TTSX and the Hornady 143 ELDs with Varget.

Had a weird thing happen while fireforming cases and breaking in the barrel. Loaded some 143s with CFE223 with bullets seated into the lands. On a 45 degree morning, you could watch the firing pin drop before it went off? Grouped ok, but defiantly a delayed ignition. I've know CFE was temp sensitive, but that was crazy.

 

[asd9055]

Definitely a beautiful rifle and fine craftmanship. I love the engraving. My M70's are all factory from 90's, New Haven CRF.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[selmerfan]

Very cool story. Nature works in all sorts of ways.

 

[Randy Tidwell]

Just spoke with a Oklahoma Fish n Game biologist, says it is prob an old doe that stopped producing estrogen. Or defective glands.

It is safe to eat.

 

[Jon Bischof]

Randy, Wonder what manner of poisoning causes such a glandular abnormality? Herbicides, perhaps?

Love your rifle and good shot. But please tell us why you prefer push-feed over the CRF. I have had both. And both good shooters. But why the preference for Push-feed?

 

[Chadp82]

Just spoke with a Oklahoma Fish n Game biologist, says it is prob an old doe that stopped producing estrogen. Or defective glands.

It is safe to eat.

Or is it….. I had a certain show theme pop in my head when I saw this

 

[Randy Tidwell]

Randy, Wonder what manner of poisoning causes such a glandular abnormality? Herbicides, perhaps?

Love your rifle and good shot. But please tell us why you prefer push-feed over the CRF. I have had both. And both good shooters. But why the preference for Push-feed?

I've never cared for the control feeds because the round in most cases must be feed from the mag and the claw puts side pressure on the case head.

I reduce the spring tension on the ejection pin so the case is not throw way away from the rifle.

I will not try to tell you one is better than the other. Just my preference.

 

[Randy Tidwell]

Randy, Wonder what manner of poisoning causes such a glandular abnormality? Herbicides, perhaps?

Love your rifle and good shot. But please tell us why you prefer push-feed over the CRF. I have had both. And both good shooters. But why the preference for Push-feed?

Regarding the cause, the biologist indicated it is age more than anything. Since it was pretty good size, I'm confident that was the cause.

After I have the skull cleaned the biologist asked for photos of the jaw bone and teeth. I offered to give him the head, said it wasn't necessary.