12 26 09
After Christmas dinner last evening, I decided that I should try and fill my 2nd tag, so I headed out today and took along a brand new .62 smooth rifle that I picked up a month ago. A friend of mine had TVM put it together for him last summer and then decided that he needed some extra funds, so I bought it (like I really needed another gun!) Well, it made it's first kill today. I got this one at 14 yards with 80 grains of 2f and 1.5 oz. of mixed shot.
Earlier in the day I located a group of 18 long beards. I snuck around and watched them for two hours but never could cut them off or get closer than 50 yards. The terrain was just to open. At one point, one of the toms flew up into a Hawthorn bush and flapped it wings like crazy to get the last of the remaining berries to hit the ground. One hell of a squabble ensued as the rest of the bunch made a dash to get to the fallen berries. It was pretty entertaining! These birds eventually worked their way onto some ground that I do not have permission to hunt so I headed elsewhere.
I then located a group of hens around mid afternoon and watched them for an hour or so in order to determine where they were headed. Fortunately they were headed toward the thicker timber and brush and I was able to position myself in front of their travel route. Every thing worked out well and a half hour later, after I had set up, they had worked their way right in front of me.
The whitetails were moving like crazy today. Must have seen 30 or better. The bucks have dropped their antlers already but I did not find any sheds. Also saw a group of seven mule deer out on an open ridge. A 24 inch or so 4x4 was in that group. The mule deer won't shed their antlers for a few more months.
I like stalking and ambushing turkeys in the fall. It is not quite as fun as calling the toms in during the spring months, but it is mighty close.
After Christmas dinner last evening, I decided that I should try and fill my 2nd tag, so I headed out today and took along a brand new .62 smooth rifle that I picked up a month ago. A friend of mine had TVM put it together for him last summer and then decided that he needed some extra funds, so I bought it (like I really needed another gun!) Well, it made it's first kill today. I got this one at 14 yards with 80 grains of 2f and 1.5 oz. of mixed shot.
Earlier in the day I located a group of 18 long beards. I snuck around and watched them for two hours but never could cut them off or get closer than 50 yards. The terrain was just to open. At one point, one of the toms flew up into a Hawthorn bush and flapped it wings like crazy to get the last of the remaining berries to hit the ground. One hell of a squabble ensued as the rest of the bunch made a dash to get to the fallen berries. It was pretty entertaining! These birds eventually worked their way onto some ground that I do not have permission to hunt so I headed elsewhere.
I then located a group of hens around mid afternoon and watched them for an hour or so in order to determine where they were headed. Fortunately they were headed toward the thicker timber and brush and I was able to position myself in front of their travel route. Every thing worked out well and a half hour later, after I had set up, they had worked their way right in front of me.
The whitetails were moving like crazy today. Must have seen 30 or better. The bucks have dropped their antlers already but I did not find any sheds. Also saw a group of seven mule deer out on an open ridge. A 24 inch or so 4x4 was in that group. The mule deer won't shed their antlers for a few more months.
I like stalking and ambushing turkeys in the fall. It is not quite as fun as calling the toms in during the spring months, but it is mighty close.
