Short story:
This is Jerome. He was taken at 8:31 on opening day of gun season.
55 yards, broadside, slightly uphill. My shot hit him at the exact elevation I was hoping for but about 3 inches left (forward) of where I was aiming, busting him in the shoulder. He tried to take off running but his left front leg wouldn't work and he piled up about 15 yds from impact.
Long story:
I left for my "deercamp" down in Adams County on Saturday morning after turkeyday. (My deercamp is the 12'x12' workshop in my dad's old garage, which I converted into a mancave of sorts as a place to stay when I hunt. Twin bed, microwave, space heater, place to hang my stuff, pretty comfortable actually.) Got there and got my stuff unloaded and hunted Sat afternoon with the xbow, didn't see anything. Even the squirrels were quiet.
Sunday woke to steady rain/drizzle which didn't let up till Wed. No hunting Sunday - I spent the morning helping my uncle with a project, then we went to the property we'd be hunting to put up our groundblinds. Usually I don't use the pop-up, I prefer to brush myself in somewhere - but given the crappy weather forecast, I opted for comfort. (Glad I did too.) After the blinds were set I took my uncle on another errand he wanted to go on, then went back to camp to range-check my muzzleloader and shotgun. Good thing I did - the shotgun was spot on but the muzzy was erratic. Daylight was gone before I could get my issues worked out, so I had to use the Mossberg 500 with the rifled barrel the next morning.
The Hunt: I'd chosen an area where I'd been hunting earlier, but had always gotten busted going in early. My new gameplan was to put myself across the field on the fenceline on the downhill side - sneak in using the hill as cover and be able to cover anything that stepped out of the woods behind me (there were numerous "runs") and anything coming out of the bedding area up the hill. By taking the downhill location (basically at the bottom of a "bowl") I was limiting myself to a shooting area about 130 yds in 3 directions, but I was pretty sure of the funnel effect bringing any deer crossing the area into my sights.
I'd be hunting alone Monday, as my uncle had an appointment. I only hit the snooze once on the alarm, which is pretty good for me. Even with gear laid out and plan made, I was still about 15 minutes later getting in the stand than I wanted to be. But the good news is that I did not hear any deer blowing or snorting, so I was pretty pleased. Shooting time came, and I expectantly looked out....to see nothing. But rain, rain, and more rain. But finally, just before 8:30....
I saw a deer come out of the woodline behind me to my right about 35 yards...it was a buck, and his headgear was small. It took only a second to make the decision - you get a pass. He stared at my blind and I didn't move..he did the bob/weave thing, then it looked like he was going to take off - he took two bounds then stopped, looked around, flicked his tail, and started walking slowly. Funny thing, he was high-stepping, lifting his hooves way up in the air, like he was walking thru molasses or something. So I relax for half a second then Jerome steps out of the same place, and does basically the same thing (without the two jumps). I looked at him, sizing him up, and realized he was about the same size as Rufus (last year's buck). I thought "his rack isn't wider than his ears...but it's got some height...should I wait for something bigger?"....then the honest truth barrelled in on me - "I'm tired, I'm ready for this season to be over, fugg it". So I let him walk until I got myself into position, opened the window a little more, then stopped him with my version of "baaah" and then put the shot on him.
When I watched him go down I got that feeling - you know that feeling? - of relief, and happiness, of thanks....that feeling that we hunt for. I said my prayer of thanksgiving, then decided what I'd need to take with me to go retrieve him (I'd come back on the 4wheeler to get the rest of my stuff).
I took some pictures on my phone (which have since disappeared, wtf?) then dragged him around the hill a bit to do the gutting. Getting him on the back of the 4 wheeler was not an easy task by myself. I'm glad nobody was watching, it took a few tries, he flopped, blood went flying, I looked like Carrie, dang.
Got him back to the garage, here are pics of the entrance wound with/without hide:
I am a big fan of the Remington Copper Solid Sabots. Devastating effects.
Couple of pics of him hanging:
There's more to tell and I'll share the thoughts as they come back to me, but I will say that I'm pretty pleased with this outcome.
This is Jerome. He was taken at 8:31 on opening day of gun season.
55 yards, broadside, slightly uphill. My shot hit him at the exact elevation I was hoping for but about 3 inches left (forward) of where I was aiming, busting him in the shoulder. He tried to take off running but his left front leg wouldn't work and he piled up about 15 yds from impact.
Long story:
I left for my "deercamp" down in Adams County on Saturday morning after turkeyday. (My deercamp is the 12'x12' workshop in my dad's old garage, which I converted into a mancave of sorts as a place to stay when I hunt. Twin bed, microwave, space heater, place to hang my stuff, pretty comfortable actually.) Got there and got my stuff unloaded and hunted Sat afternoon with the xbow, didn't see anything. Even the squirrels were quiet.
Sunday woke to steady rain/drizzle which didn't let up till Wed. No hunting Sunday - I spent the morning helping my uncle with a project, then we went to the property we'd be hunting to put up our groundblinds. Usually I don't use the pop-up, I prefer to brush myself in somewhere - but given the crappy weather forecast, I opted for comfort. (Glad I did too.) After the blinds were set I took my uncle on another errand he wanted to go on, then went back to camp to range-check my muzzleloader and shotgun. Good thing I did - the shotgun was spot on but the muzzy was erratic. Daylight was gone before I could get my issues worked out, so I had to use the Mossberg 500 with the rifled barrel the next morning.
The Hunt: I'd chosen an area where I'd been hunting earlier, but had always gotten busted going in early. My new gameplan was to put myself across the field on the fenceline on the downhill side - sneak in using the hill as cover and be able to cover anything that stepped out of the woods behind me (there were numerous "runs") and anything coming out of the bedding area up the hill. By taking the downhill location (basically at the bottom of a "bowl") I was limiting myself to a shooting area about 130 yds in 3 directions, but I was pretty sure of the funnel effect bringing any deer crossing the area into my sights.
I'd be hunting alone Monday, as my uncle had an appointment. I only hit the snooze once on the alarm, which is pretty good for me. Even with gear laid out and plan made, I was still about 15 minutes later getting in the stand than I wanted to be. But the good news is that I did not hear any deer blowing or snorting, so I was pretty pleased. Shooting time came, and I expectantly looked out....to see nothing. But rain, rain, and more rain. But finally, just before 8:30....
I saw a deer come out of the woodline behind me to my right about 35 yards...it was a buck, and his headgear was small. It took only a second to make the decision - you get a pass. He stared at my blind and I didn't move..he did the bob/weave thing, then it looked like he was going to take off - he took two bounds then stopped, looked around, flicked his tail, and started walking slowly. Funny thing, he was high-stepping, lifting his hooves way up in the air, like he was walking thru molasses or something. So I relax for half a second then Jerome steps out of the same place, and does basically the same thing (without the two jumps). I looked at him, sizing him up, and realized he was about the same size as Rufus (last year's buck). I thought "his rack isn't wider than his ears...but it's got some height...should I wait for something bigger?"....then the honest truth barrelled in on me - "I'm tired, I'm ready for this season to be over, fugg it". So I let him walk until I got myself into position, opened the window a little more, then stopped him with my version of "baaah" and then put the shot on him.
When I watched him go down I got that feeling - you know that feeling? - of relief, and happiness, of thanks....that feeling that we hunt for. I said my prayer of thanksgiving, then decided what I'd need to take with me to go retrieve him (I'd come back on the 4wheeler to get the rest of my stuff).
I took some pictures on my phone (which have since disappeared, wtf?) then dragged him around the hill a bit to do the gutting. Getting him on the back of the 4 wheeler was not an easy task by myself. I'm glad nobody was watching, it took a few tries, he flopped, blood went flying, I looked like Carrie, dang.
Got him back to the garage, here are pics of the entrance wound with/without hide:
I am a big fan of the Remington Copper Solid Sabots. Devastating effects.
Couple of pics of him hanging:
There's more to tell and I'll share the thoughts as they come back to me, but I will say that I'm pretty pleased with this outcome.
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