Late Season

[Dirty Steve]

Today is the last of NYS late muzzleloading season. The crew I hunt with nocked down 4 deer over the weekend. I carried my TC GrayHawk cap lock and Traditions Trapper caplock pistol. Never got a shot off until Sunday. A doe tried to side slip myself and the other driver- he hit her first, I lined up for the kill as she was still moving and squarely destroyed a three inch maple. She quickly entered some thick cover and laid sown. She was looking around for an escape so I jerked the Trapper out and tried for a neck shot through the thick brush she laid in. She started to get up as I shot and put a .50 ball into her right shoulder. :hatsoff: She expired in another fifty yards. I can't say my shot with the pistol completed her but I sure was happy to get to use it after carrying for two days along with the long gun. Ceremony dictates to our hunting group that we choose a target at fading light on Sunday and "empty" our guns. More than one requested use my trapper for some follow up shots. :thumbsup: One gent agreed we should get some flintlocks in our group. And by the way... one inline was having problems firing at all. :slap: Steve to the rescue- one use of the nipple pick and some 4FFF in the nipple. Kablam! All in all- a very enjoyable weekend.

Steve

 

[Stumpkiller]

Good on you.

I spent the last three days watching NYS trees grow. Saw an owl, but no deer.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I have been spending my time nursing a bum shoulder and reading the stories you guys are posting. Hoping for next year.

 

[buttonbuck]

Illinois weather and hunting in our area has plain stunk this year, last year my son and I harvested(7 in all) more deer than we have seen all 2 gun and 1 muzzleloader season. We got a buck during gun season. I sure hope late season in January is more profitable. we have 5 tags to use. Maybe after our GOV Rod is gone some curse will be lifted.

 

[arw22lr]

Yesterday I managed to take a doe with my flintlock- my first game w/a flinter- at the last minute. Sunset (quitting time) was 4:37 per the paper, and after I got the deer I looked & it was 4:37. So it ain't over till it's over!

 

[Protrucker]

Yep.......similar to Stumpy, I spent the last several days watching non-target animals. Turkeys, Red & grey squirrels, but no deer. :shake:
I only filled two out of four NY tags.
At least I still have the late PA flintlock season to look forward to, after Christmas.

It really hasn't been a bad year for though. I got to harvest two caribou bulls in Quebec, Canada, a whitetail doe & six point buck & a bobcat in NY. PA hunting wasn't so good, but I would rather save my tags for the late flintlock season anyway. :thumbsup:

 

[Dirty Steve]

Bald Mountain Man,

Nice job on your take so far. :hatsoff: Where did you get the cat? A buddy of mine shot a 25 lb female Bobcat at his place in Russell, NY (by Canton). First cat he had ever seen in the woods- came to a fawn bleat.

Steve

 

[Protrucker]

That was the first bobcat I ever actually saw too. My hunting club has property leased in WMU 4W, Hancock area, in a village called Lordville. There, apparently is such a large population of bobcats in the areas that are open for taking them that there is no bag limit. Just one makes me happy, though! :grin:
I posted a pic & story earlier about the cat in a thread titled "I got a surprise this weekend" or something like that.