Deer Hunt Starts Tomorrow

[cynthialee]

Well it has finally come around to Muzzle Loader season in Huckleberry GMU here in Washington State.

I have my tag, my rifle is in good condition, the possibles bag is ready to go and so am I.

I can take any White Tail Deer or any 3+ Point Mule Deer. Only seen 2 mulies around here and that was last fall and it was a mom and fawn. Which it is a little out of the normal territory for mulies around here, I doubt I will see any mule deer bucks. That doe and fawn last year was odd.

Probably take the first critter I get a good bead on. I am not looking for trophies, just food. Well there is a runt fawn around here I won't shoot as there won't be enough meat to justify my tag. But if there were more reasonable laws around here and I could get more than one tag, I'd cull the critter for the herds good. Poor thing is about 1/2 the size of its twin.

Wish me luck. I have until the 11th to make good on my tag.

 

[Patocazador]

Good luck to you.
You have a short muzzleload season like we do but ours doesn't start for 3 more weeks.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Take a camera Cynthia :hatsoff:

 

[cynthialee]

back from my early morning walk about
I spotted that fawn I said I wouldn't shoot. Then As I was walking down the road side I flushed a deer...across the road. So that one got away.
Then I stalked up on a stump I thought was another fawn. That stump never flinched once. sigh

I did get to see a grouse that is as black as midnight. It is a sport as the rest of the flock is normal looking. He did a nice tail spread and strut that was cool to see.

Anyways. I need breakfast then back out at it.

 

[Silky921]

Best of luck. Hope to see some pictures.

 

[BrownBear]

Hang tough. It's already a good hunt, and it's barely started! :thumbsup:

 

[Spikebuck]

Good luck! Looking forward to some pictures.

 

[cynthialee]

Well what a day.
On the way out to the evening hunt I run into a grouse in the middle of the trail. He didn't care to make much space between us just walking away. So I start talking to it and it stops in the road, spreads its tail and does the butt bop dance. cute critter. I explain to the dude that he is lucky I am toting a rifle, and the state says he has to be shot with shot. After a handful of yards our paths parted ways.
So I make my way to my favorite spot. After awhile I spot a buck. Nice looking critter. I took a shot and missed. I shouldn't have tried, he was out to 120 yards and I am sighted in at 70. I tried to account for some drop, but I saw the bullet hit the dirt behind him. So I reload and then go after him. He takes me into the neighbors cow pasture, all around the property then he jumps the fence into a property of someone I don't know. He just stopped and looked at me, like he knew I wasn't going to chase him into that field.
So on the way home I spot a 3 point buck in another mans cow field. I had a perfect shot, but I would have had to shoot into land I don't have prior authorization to go into...So I continue home. I am almost all the way home and I notice that there is a fawn in my neighbors yard. Well I know they are away for the next month on vacation and I took the shot. Dropped the Bambi on the spot, it struggled for about 30 seconds and expired.

She weighs about 65 lbs, she isn't big.
I was gonna take a picture, but Sevan feels it is not respectful to the animal and asked me not to do it.

I considered not taking the deer, but I have a ton of stuff on my schedule and a bird in the hand...

It was my second bullet, my PRB missed the earlier buck and my fast reload is 90 grains of 3F and a 275Grain .50 conical.
Deer was only about 30 yards away.
I did the shoulder shot. It planted her on the spot and I didn't have to track.

Now about them grouse......

 

[PaulN/KS]

Congratulations on your deer! :thumbsup:
You'll have some good eating there, I call those young ones "vealison".
And a 65 pound "fawn" was about what the average adult deer weighed down in Oklahoma... :wink:

 

[pab1]

I was gonna take a picture, but Sevan feels it is not respectful to the animal and asked me not to do it.

Congrats on the deer! A tasteful picture is a great way to remember and respect the animal IMO.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well done you. :hatsoff:
B.

 

[Elkeater]

Congratulations Cynthialee!
Seeing the ball hit the dirt tells us you have great follow thru, good shooting. :hatsoff:

 

[robinsroost]

Congratulations on making meat. You have done well Cynthialee, and while not large, it will certainly be tender........robin :bow:

 

[BrownBear]

She weighs about 65 lbs, she isn't big.

Well done!

Frankly, as the years pass we've gravitated to smaller and smaller deer. We just like the tender sweet meat better, and it's a lot more versatile.

 

[Spikebuck]

Congratulations on making a fine shot. From prior posts, if I recall correctly, this is your first deer?

Hopefully you were able to take a few minutes and really savor the moment. Whether one's first or one-hundredth, it's always something special when you've worked hard for it.

:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Spikebuck]

 

[cynthialee]

yes my first deer out of 4 muzzle loader seasons and a few regular seasons in past years

Usually it is me helping some other hunter and we get one deer and call it done.
This is the second year I went out solo. If the tag limits would have been any deer in the past I could have sealed the deal allot sooner. But finding a 4 point buck that is also in shooting range is hard.
The worst part is the gutting the critter, but I have gut porcupine in the past and if you can gut a porcupine, you can gut anything.

I probably should take the lung shot but after reading so many stories here on the hunting forum of tracking 200 yards...didn't appeal to me.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

I think we each have our little ways of showing respect for the game we take. Maybe if it is not too far, when you have the time a photo of where the deer stood from where you shot.
I only have two photos by bill of my bear, because it was above freezing and I am near fanatic about gutting, skinning, cooling meat when the temp is above 35 or so.

:thumbsup: Good on you for providing for your family & and good on Sevan for choosing her own way to honor the deer. :hatsoff:

 

[Britsmoothy]

I think we each have our little ways of showing respect for the game we take. Maybe if it is not too far, when you have the time a photo of where the deer stood from where you shot.
I only have two photos by bill of my bear, because it was above freezing and I am near fanatic about gutting, skinning, cooling meat when the temp is above 35 or so.

:thumbsup: Good on you for providing for your family & and good on Sevan for choosing her own way to honor the deer. :hatsoff:

Well said :thumbsup:

 

[will5a1]

Congrats, and thanks for sharing the story. Our season is still a ways off, and your success has me chomping at the bit.