Most of you know from the past years on this forum that I hunt the first 12 days of Dec and then for 12 consecutive days after Christmas for my muzzleloader whitetail deer. This year started a little late because I took up a longbow and was holding out to get something with that first. Long short story of the bowhunt, I started in October but did not have a shot until the first week of December where I took a small deer. I've lost some of the deer hunting access I had in the past due to the death of a close friend. Our church has plans for a campus that have never come to fruition so the church owns a large chuck of acreage that is undeveloped woods other than about a 2 acre pond on the property. I've been focusing my hunting there. While this is not a gigantic property it is large enough for an all-day walking hunt. I started out with a new-to-me rifle, a short Zouave. I think it's supposed to be a Navy Arms Buffalo Hunter, but it is not marked as such. It's a .58, 1:72 ROT, one wedge and checkered grip Zouave look-alike. Using a PRB at the first range session, the windage was spot-on and the elevation was high at 50-yards and low at 100-yards by about 4-inches respectively. All loaded up, I set out on a game trail that heads to a bedding area. After a few hours of creeping along I spotted movement up ahead. I tucked myself into the brush when I realized a buck was coming my way. I lost sight of the buck for a minute or two and then he appeared almost on top of me. I cocked the hammer back, but the buck heard it and jumped and trotted up about 20-yards further away. At this point the deer was moving slowly away. I still had the hammer cocked and was looking for an opening. The buck poked his head out in a small opening. I put the sights on him. "A little more" I say to myself. The buck takes a full step. I put the sights straight up his front leg, bottom 1/3 of body, let out a breath and squeeze. Boom! Through the smoke cloud I see the deer bound to his left and then make another left. His tail is high and he has his head up and is lifting his rear off the ground as he trots. "Uh-oh, that ain't good", I continue the conversation with myself. I go directly to the spot the buck was standing at when I shot. No blood, no hair. Nothing unusual. Deep hoof prints in a few places where he turned but no dragging leg or unevenness. I check about 3 times to make sure I am in the right spot, and I am. I follow the more obvious game trails for around 50-yards each but see nothing. Suddenly it is dark, like someone flipped the switch. My flashlight is back at my little camp so that's it for tonight.....
Day 2-
I am near the spot where I shot at the buck by 5:30AM and it is very dark. I wait until around 8:40AM before I budge. So far all I've seen for wildlife is a pair of squirrels. I go to where the deer was and spend the rest of the morning and well past lunch searching a grid pattern, looking for buzzards and smelling for a deer. There is nothing. All I can say is, "I missed". I pace off where the deer was compared to my shooting position and it is 53 strides. Back at my little camp I put a target out and pace of 53 strides. I hold the rifle just like I did when the deer was in the sights and breathe and squeeze. Boom! Bullseye. Can't blame the rifle, I don't know what happened. The afternoon hunt is unproductive and I am back at camp at 7PM and wrap it up until the next day.....
TBC
Day 2-
I am near the spot where I shot at the buck by 5:30AM and it is very dark. I wait until around 8:40AM before I budge. So far all I've seen for wildlife is a pair of squirrels. I go to where the deer was and spend the rest of the morning and well past lunch searching a grid pattern, looking for buzzards and smelling for a deer. There is nothing. All I can say is, "I missed". I pace off where the deer was compared to my shooting position and it is 53 strides. Back at my little camp I put a target out and pace of 53 strides. I hold the rifle just like I did when the deer was in the sights and breathe and squeeze. Boom! Bullseye. Can't blame the rifle, I don't know what happened. The afternoon hunt is unproductive and I am back at camp at 7PM and wrap it up until the next day.....
TBC
