Deer Hunting starts in 11 days

[cynthialee]

In 11 days folks in my neck of the woods get to start the BP hunt. Time to dust off the rifle, put away the smoothbore and make sure me and the Hawken are still getting along.

This morning there was a bachelor group of bucks in my front yard eating up the overgrown and wild looking lawn. (there is a reason I quit maintaining the lawn in early August)
Two 4 pointers and a pair of unhuntable young uns. One a spike buck and the other a 2 pointer. The two young ones were practicing there jousting skills, then one of the older bucks seemed to ask if they would like to spar with him and the jousting was over. The spike buck seemed to consider it for a second but passed.
The spike buck is the largest of the group which seemed kinda odd to me.

Anyways, I am hoping this is the year I take my first muzzle loading buck. The odds are looking in my favor. The neighbor is chomping at the bit for the general season. There were a pair of 5 pointers caught on the game camera up in the area he hunts. The majority of the deer I have seen this summer have been male. In fact, now I think on it, I haven't seen very many doe at all this summer.

 

[BrownBear]

...I am hoping this is the year I take my first muzzle loading buck.

Unsolicited advice:

Do your scouting now, then quit and stay out of the woods for the week before. Can't tell you how often I hear guys complain about seeing deer on their scouts one or two days before the opener, then not seeing a thing on the fateful morning.

Well, duhhhhh.....

One will get you ten, they scared the things out of the county on their "scouts."

 

[Patocazador]

Our bowhunting season started Saturday. At 8:30 a 10"spike in velvet showed up at 30 yards. As usual, I shot over his back. :td: Haven't seen him since. Muzzleload season is more than a month away.

 

[cynthialee]

I am looking forward to the time more than anything.
I have a clear schedule for 8 glorious days. I have blocked every attempt to schedule anything during that time. Now we all know I won't spend all that time in the forest so it will be a nice break from the go, go, go, get things done pace of the last few months.
There is a nice natural pine tent by the local watering hole I plan on getting a nap in on one of them days.

 

[satx78247]

GOOD LUCK on your hunt.

yours, satx

 

[jamesthomas]

Good luck!, put some venison in the freezer!. We will need pictures of course. :grin:

 

[Roguedog]

Good luck and enjoy your time off. We don't get blackpowder season started here in Tennessee until early November. I still got a ways to go but archery season does open up in a week or so and maybe I'll get lucky myself.

Jeff

 

[Silex]

Good luck, or as we say Waidmannsheil!
I'm looking forward to your hunting story.


Silex

 

[jamesthomas]

I have to wait till Nov. 18th down here :td: . But Oct. 1st. for rabbits an squirrels! :grin: 14 more days for those guys.

 

[harleysboss]

Good luck with those whitetails! I've got to wait until Oct 4th to chase elk. I'll be hunting near to Yakima.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Good luck with your hunt. Post pics if yer successful.
Regular season starts here on Saturday but I had a chance to fill 2 tags on a special CF hunt so I did. :grin: GW

 

[cynthialee]

Well I took the Hawken out today. Even though we haven't seen each other in almost a year (the smoothbore .56 Renegade has gotten all the shooting love this past year) it went to my shoulder like it never left, and hit my targets consistently. I only missed what I was aiming at one time and it was so close (off target 1.5 inches aprx.) if it was a deer heart it still would have died.
I am feeling confident in my firearm and shooting skills. Looking forward to getting out there this fall! Going solo this year so I need to go practice my sidearm skills. Probably tomorrow.

 

[cynthialee]

My load for the hunt will be 80 grains of 3F GOEX, and over powder card, a .015 pre-lubed patch, .490 roundball with Remington #10 caps.

As an aside:
I need a new and improved patch worm. The one I have came in a black powder shooting/cleaning kit from Traditions and it is garbage. Didn't grab the lost patch for squat and it took me about 10 minutes of worrying at it to get it out.

 

[Roguedog]

Sounds like your ready. I think this will be your year! :thumbsup:

Jeff

 

[Grumpa]

May you wake up to the sight of a big buck by the water. Good shooting. :thumbsup:

 

[daniel collums]

years ago i fell asleep by a little stream and was woke up by splashing sounds, when i opened my eyes a nice buck was standing about ten feet from me. he stood there frozen in his tracks with the water dripping off his legs, i pointed the rifle at him and pulled the trigger. that was the first time i ever saw a deer fly backwards. the maxi ball hit square in his chest and came out the tip of his tail.

 

[Patocazador]

I need a new and improved patch worm. The one I have came in a black powder shooting/cleaning kit from Traditions and it is garbage. Didn't grab the lost patch for squat and it took me about 10 minutes of worrying at it to get it out.

For an actual patch worm, I like the one I got with my T/C Hawken 40 years ago. It is not the bullet-puller screw but a spiral with 2 widely spaced wires. It grabs patches good and has worked for me for decades.

 

[Spikebuck]

Best of luck to you. We're all holding our breath waiting for see a picture and hear the story. :hatsoff:

 

[cynthialee]

This morning I went out just after dawn and found a three point buck. Not legal, so no shot. Could have plugged him twice he was busy seeing what I was up to.

Then later this afternoon I went up to my pond and snooped around. I spotted a deer in the woods down the hill from me and advanced. Too many trees in my way to be able to count points and it became aware of me and boogied out of there.

Plenty of coyote sign all around. Got yelled at by a few squirrel. Watched the dragonflies and enjoyed the fall colors more than anything.

 

[Brokennock]

Sounds like a pleasant day. No shots but seeing deer is a good start.