With everything that goes with changing jobs, and moving, and dog training, and duck hunting, and a bunch of other stuff (lol), I really didn't get to bowhunt much this season. In fact, I've bowhunted less this year than any other year I can remember. Sunday night was only the second time I entered the woods with bow in hand! So anyway, knowing all of this going through the fall, I decided I wanted to dedicate some time to hunt during gun season. I hadn't been down to visit my mom in months, and I had new Savage 220 that had yet to spill any blood... ergo some Carroll County slug-slinging was in order.
I got down there Sunday afternoon and walked up the ridge to do a quick bowhunt, but my intentions were mainly scouting for the following morning. I got in a little late and bumped some bedded deer, but saw 4 others as the evening progressed. No shots were taken, but I had a tree picked out for the gun opener.
That next morning I went up the ridge with my millennium and LW sticks and hung a set in a cherry tree. This tree let me look over the ridge top and also down most of the side. For gun season, I'm all about maximizing opportunity... IMO, range=opportunity.
Monday morning came and went... I hunted until 11 am and never saw a deer. I was a little bummed out.
Even so, I went back to the same tree for the afternoon's hunt. A little after 4 oclock I spotted some movement way off along the ridge. At first I thought maybe gray squirrel, but I stood up anyway. Then I saw legs and a hint of antler. I grabbed my gun and found the deer in the scope. What seemed like a minute but was probably only an instant, I noticed his body characteristics and that uniquely-forked main beam... I knew it was a mature deer and that I was going to shoot. So I looked out in front of him for an opening in the timber. He was moving at a pretty good clip so I didn't have much time. Just before the opening, I bleated to stop him and he did... giving me an 8" window to shoot through to the vitals. He was about 70-80 yds away when he stopped. BANG. The buck dropped right in his tracks!
He won't even come close to making any record books but I'm very happy and proud of this deer.
The next morning, I climbed right back into the same tree. A little after 7:30 or so, I saw some legs down near where I saw the buck the night before. More legs, and more legs followed. 4 deer total, with the lead deer being a nice big doe, moving down the same trail the buck did. They were moving at a relaxed pace so I knew I had more time to set up on them. Once that lead doe got to the opening I picked out, I bleated and she stopped, about 50 yds away from me. I settled the crosshairs and squeezed... BANG. Deer ran everywhere and she circled back over the crest of the ridge. I knew I hit her, but I didn't see enough of her reaction to be really confident in the hit. Right as those deer showed up, it had started raining. I feared that blood was starting to wash away, so I did what I almost never do and climbed down right away. I figured I'd better, in case I needed a followup shot on this deer.
Soon after taking up the trail, this is what I came to:
...and then this:
...and my confidence level got an immediate boost. lmao
As she lay, 40 or 50 yds from the point of impact:
The exit wound:
All in all it was an awesome few days of vacation. I got a couple deer and shared some great quality time with family. It doesn't always happen that way but it did this year and for that I feel very blessed.
On a side note, if anyone is looking for a new slug gun, PLEASE do yourself a favor and look into the Savage bolt guns. Man these things are sweet! My gun, shooting 20 ga 2.75" Remington Accutips, throws a 3-shot group inside the bottom of a beer can at 100 yds. For a slug gun, I don't think it gets a whole lot better than that. And the accutips performed very well... I was shocked by how hard they hit those two deer.
I got down there Sunday afternoon and walked up the ridge to do a quick bowhunt, but my intentions were mainly scouting for the following morning. I got in a little late and bumped some bedded deer, but saw 4 others as the evening progressed. No shots were taken, but I had a tree picked out for the gun opener.
That next morning I went up the ridge with my millennium and LW sticks and hung a set in a cherry tree. This tree let me look over the ridge top and also down most of the side. For gun season, I'm all about maximizing opportunity... IMO, range=opportunity.
Monday morning came and went... I hunted until 11 am and never saw a deer. I was a little bummed out.
Even so, I went back to the same tree for the afternoon's hunt. A little after 4 oclock I spotted some movement way off along the ridge. At first I thought maybe gray squirrel, but I stood up anyway. Then I saw legs and a hint of antler. I grabbed my gun and found the deer in the scope. What seemed like a minute but was probably only an instant, I noticed his body characteristics and that uniquely-forked main beam... I knew it was a mature deer and that I was going to shoot. So I looked out in front of him for an opening in the timber. He was moving at a pretty good clip so I didn't have much time. Just before the opening, I bleated to stop him and he did... giving me an 8" window to shoot through to the vitals. He was about 70-80 yds away when he stopped. BANG. The buck dropped right in his tracks!
He won't even come close to making any record books but I'm very happy and proud of this deer.
The next morning, I climbed right back into the same tree. A little after 7:30 or so, I saw some legs down near where I saw the buck the night before. More legs, and more legs followed. 4 deer total, with the lead deer being a nice big doe, moving down the same trail the buck did. They were moving at a relaxed pace so I knew I had more time to set up on them. Once that lead doe got to the opening I picked out, I bleated and she stopped, about 50 yds away from me. I settled the crosshairs and squeezed... BANG. Deer ran everywhere and she circled back over the crest of the ridge. I knew I hit her, but I didn't see enough of her reaction to be really confident in the hit. Right as those deer showed up, it had started raining. I feared that blood was starting to wash away, so I did what I almost never do and climbed down right away. I figured I'd better, in case I needed a followup shot on this deer.
Soon after taking up the trail, this is what I came to:
...and then this:
...and my confidence level got an immediate boost. lmao
As she lay, 40 or 50 yds from the point of impact:
The exit wound:
All in all it was an awesome few days of vacation. I got a couple deer and shared some great quality time with family. It doesn't always happen that way but it did this year and for that I feel very blessed.
On a side note, if anyone is looking for a new slug gun, PLEASE do yourself a favor and look into the Savage bolt guns. Man these things are sweet! My gun, shooting 20 ga 2.75" Remington Accutips, throws a 3-shot group inside the bottom of a beer can at 100 yds. For a slug gun, I don't think it gets a whole lot better than that. And the accutips performed very well... I was shocked by how hard they hit those two deer.
Im afraid If I build it I won't give it to her, I'll keep it for me and buy here a 220 anyway.
