Yesterday was the last day I would be able to hunt in the PA late season. I hunt 1 or 2 days a week but the weather hasn't been the greatest and I haven't seen a buck in a while.
Friday's hunt I saw about 20 deer. We had about an inch of dry creaky snow on the ground. I was still hunting through some of my favorite places in NE PA but the deer were tight in the thick. I couldn't walk quietly enough and every group I bumped into saw me before I saw them.
So Saturday I decided to hunt the bottom of a patch of laurel I have seen deer in every time out. I brought my climber to sit on the edge of the bench where the tracks show they have been crossing. Walking in from the top of the mountain I bumped a group in the dark. Usually the deer are down low and move up in the morning to the thick blueberry&Oak bushes. I was concerned the deer might be on their way up earlier than usual.
I get 20 yards from the tree I'm going to climb and sure enough, deer jump up everywhere. I guess they bedded there for a change.
I decided to climb the tree anyway and see what happens. I was about a mile from the nearest road in a heavily traveled spot so why not.
Daylight came, and by 9 I saw nothing. I decided to come down and hunt the top.
I was slowly working my way up the ridge when I saw a deer coming down towards me about 150 yards away. It was a little wet spot were I was, the dirt was like expanded icicles with crunchy snow so I couldn't move. I took a knee as best I could with the climber, cocked the gun and got ready.
The deer was coming down at a hard angle that if not interrupted would pass just to my right. It stopped once to look and listen, seemed to be slightly pushed from the top. When it started trotting again I could see it had antlers, then I got excited.
I set the trigger kneeling in the open. He got past a little brush and into an opening 50 yards or so away and stopped for another look. I think he looked at me, exposed in the open, but I'm not sure. That's when the gun went off!
He dropped at the shot struggling just a little. It was steep where he was and he slid on his side downhill about 10 feet until he wedged in some small logs. He half way grunted and then was still.
I ran up to him and it was over. I shot my first deer with a flintlock!
I had some load troubles, so the load was 75 grains swiss 2f, 530 round ball and .015 ox yoke pre lube. I wanted to shoot more but it hit were I was aiming with about 1 1/2" groups at 50. 80 grains was about 8" groups. My patches were 3 years old so I'm confident that's the problem.
Anyhow, that load seemed plenty! The ball entered at the front edge of the shoulder blade and almost came out at the last rib. The picture is exactly how he ended up, the bulging tuft of hair is the round ball. It was flattened and one side also flattened.
He's not the biggest buck but one of my favorites!
Friday's hunt I saw about 20 deer. We had about an inch of dry creaky snow on the ground. I was still hunting through some of my favorite places in NE PA but the deer were tight in the thick. I couldn't walk quietly enough and every group I bumped into saw me before I saw them.
So Saturday I decided to hunt the bottom of a patch of laurel I have seen deer in every time out. I brought my climber to sit on the edge of the bench where the tracks show they have been crossing. Walking in from the top of the mountain I bumped a group in the dark. Usually the deer are down low and move up in the morning to the thick blueberry&Oak bushes. I was concerned the deer might be on their way up earlier than usual.
I get 20 yards from the tree I'm going to climb and sure enough, deer jump up everywhere. I guess they bedded there for a change.
I decided to climb the tree anyway and see what happens. I was about a mile from the nearest road in a heavily traveled spot so why not.
Daylight came, and by 9 I saw nothing. I decided to come down and hunt the top.
I was slowly working my way up the ridge when I saw a deer coming down towards me about 150 yards away. It was a little wet spot were I was, the dirt was like expanded icicles with crunchy snow so I couldn't move. I took a knee as best I could with the climber, cocked the gun and got ready.
The deer was coming down at a hard angle that if not interrupted would pass just to my right. It stopped once to look and listen, seemed to be slightly pushed from the top. When it started trotting again I could see it had antlers, then I got excited.
I set the trigger kneeling in the open. He got past a little brush and into an opening 50 yards or so away and stopped for another look. I think he looked at me, exposed in the open, but I'm not sure. That's when the gun went off!
He dropped at the shot struggling just a little. It was steep where he was and he slid on his side downhill about 10 feet until he wedged in some small logs. He half way grunted and then was still.
I ran up to him and it was over. I shot my first deer with a flintlock!
I had some load troubles, so the load was 75 grains swiss 2f, 530 round ball and .015 ox yoke pre lube. I wanted to shoot more but it hit were I was aiming with about 1 1/2" groups at 50. 80 grains was about 8" groups. My patches were 3 years old so I'm confident that's the problem.
Anyhow, that load seemed plenty! The ball entered at the front edge of the shoulder blade and almost came out at the last rib. The picture is exactly how he ended up, the bulging tuft of hair is the round ball. It was flattened and one side also flattened.
He's not the biggest buck but one of my favorites!
