Almost got 2

[Juniata]

Monday we had some fresh snow, I texted my wife to see if she was ok holding down the fort a couple hours longer with the 3 kiddos, since I normally get home from work at 3:30.
She was cool with it so I headed out for the evening.
(I don't sit, I never sit, I hate sitting, I shoot most my deer slip hunting)
However I knew there were deer in these woods and with the fresh snow, I should get a shot I was willing to wait. Also, I can't film anything slip hunting it's too difficult. This way I would try to capture a hunt on film.
Normally I don't get excited when I head to the woods until something happens, but I had that feeling... I was gettin' near giddy.
Wind was perfect, fresh snow, I had just smashed that doe 2 days prior up north, and you know how confidence is key.

I headed in and got in a treestand.
Cold weather killed my main camera battery within the first 45 minutes. held the batterie in my hand and warmed it up and got enough out of it to film a fox. I still had the go pro.
I was watching the grey fox when I saw a deer coming up from my right pushing 90-100 yards away. A big doe and her 2 fawns..
I got positioned and she came my way after acting edgy. No way she smelled me, but she was on alert.
I got rested and settled the fine sights on her shoulder. I honestly wonder if resting screwed me up. I NEVER shoot rested. I was telling Jim K this, I can't hit a squirrel rested but I can blast their head off free hand. I shoot offhand all the time, so much so that resting just feels weird. Not sure if anyone else has had the same feeling. Anyhow I put it on her and took my time and squeezed it off. I could tell she was hit and she took off back the way they came from.
Now I got downand went to impact finding hair. As I tracked down through light was fading, but the snow helped me see and I saw 2 deer out ahead. I could tell they were doe, but was it her? (The one I had hit.) Can't be sure...here in PA a buck tag is good for either sex so I figured might as well kill it and if not the one I had just hit, no big deal at all, I'll put my buck tag on it. (I had a doe tag and my buck tag)
So I blast the deer. It runs off along with like 6 or 7 others.
I'm reloading and I see the big one, walking down the hill. So, I thought that's got to be the one I first shot, till I got down there she was gone. So, after the 2nd one I go, which I quickly came up to it was hit through the guts and came out behind the shoulder, yet it has its head up so I walked up and put a ball through its head.
It was a button buck which is a great eating deer!
So now I needed lights. I went home got my DeWalt light and got on her tracks as she went a long way and I got down to her bedded by the creek. The bed had very little blood, appeared mid section...I'm thinking a low hit. She got up and easily went right up a steep bank and I followed tracks clear off the property I was on. I never found any blood from impact to the bed, nor from the bed till off the property.
I am feeling confident she will not succumb to the wound, but you can never know for sure.
I stopped and talked to the neighboring property owner and he hadn't seen anything, (he's out and about his property a lot.)
I'm curious if any of you feel they would just rather shoot free hand. It seems to work better for me. Seems weird but it clearly works.

 

[Juniata]

Here is a video of how it all went down

 

[beagle74]

I take a rest at every opportunity.

 

[Spikebuck]

I take a rest at every opportunity.

Me too. Most of my smokepole hunting is done off a very low "zero gravity position" turkey chair and my knees become my rest. If not that, the side of a tree works fine.

I admire great offhand shooters...I'm not one of them though!

 

[Loja man]

I do better if I don’t have time to think!

 

[PathfinderNC]

Here is a video of how it all went down

A great video!

 

[Dutch7]

I do better if I don’t have time to think!

Most of us do, and according to my wife that is a lot of the time!

 

[Eric Krewson]

I would have been back there the next morning to make sure she was OK, fat can plug a hole, they won't bleed much. She could have ended up being a coyote dinner just over the next ridge. I always go back the next day on a wounding loss, 90% of the time I find a dead or almost dead deer.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Sounds to me you need to practice more!

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Here is a video of how it all went down

congrats on your deer.Enjoyed your film too. dang it got my heart to beating fast lol. I could almost smell the powder. thank you for sharing

 

[Juniata]

I would have been back there the next morning to make sure she was OK, fat can plug a hole, they won't bleed much. She could have ended up being a coyote dinner just over the next ridge. I always go back the next day on a wounding loss, 90% of the time I find a dead or almost dead deer.

I did

 

[Juniata]

Sounds to me you need to practice more!

Thats hilarious....I don't need to take the time to defend myself. You clearly don't know my capabilities.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thats hilarious....I don't need to take the time to defend myself. You clearly don't know my capabilities.

I wasn't assaulting you. Just a recommendation from long long way away.

I practice off hand and rested. Never experienced what you described.
Glad you got your venison.
I've screwed shots up also.

 

[2 shots]

i told myself over 50 years ago ,when i started deer hunting that if i ever lost a deer i would never shoot at another one .i meant it. it keeps me from taking risky or running shots. too much respect for the animal. 71 now and still hunting so i guess it works. i also only hunt with single shot rifles, m/l/ and ruger #1's so i dont have the spray and pray mentality. aim small miss small.

 

[Juniata]

i told myself over 50 years ago ,when i started deer hunting that if i ever lost a deer i would never shoot at another one .i meant it. it keeps me from taking risky or running shots. too much respect for the animal. 71 now and still hunting so i guess it works. i also only hunt with single shot rifles, m/l/ and ruger #1's so i dont have the spray and pray mentality. aim small miss small.

I suggest to change your handle to 1 shot then.

I hunt, a lot and this happens. Not a lot but it does. It doesn't mean I don't hold respect towards animals. It's sad when I hear people make bold statements like this. They are doing one of two things. 1, they don't hunt much or 2 lying through their teeth.
You can share your ideas and mindset to the 1,000s of folks who don't shoot their flintlocks until just before season if at all and then go try to shoot deer with them. Thats spraying and praying. I vowed like you did not to be that person. I shoot a ton and I'm extremely confident in my shots. Deer are living moving animals and there is always a chance for error. Thats the chance you take when you shoot at them. As long as your doing what YOU feel is necessary to be on your A game then that's what matters.

I'm done discussing this topic.

 

[2 shots]

sorry Juniata, this was not directed at you , you tried to do all you could. i was more thinking of those you here say , oh i missed because the deer did not fall over dead on the spot and they move on not even looking. again, seems you did all you could. i was just thinking out load i guess and i should not have put this under your post. the spray and prey comes from regular season when you here lots of 3-4 shots go off in rapid fire. people just blasting away because as you say they are season only shooters. you are not doing that with a flintlock. again meant no foul.