I've been hunting a different farm this year. I had bowhunted there about 25 years ago but it's a lot different now. The spots that used to be open are solid brush, the brush is now woods, some of the woods are now pasture, the small cedars are big trees. What a difference 25 years makes!
The farm I have hunted since was hit by EHD a couple years ago and the deer herd was drastically reduced. There are still a few nice bucks, but hardly any deer compared to before. So, when the lady that owns the other farm called me a few weeks ago and asked if I'd like to hunt there again in exchange for tending a CRP field I gladly accepted. Wish I had more warning... I mighta done some scouting.
Anyway, I went out this morning around 6:30, just at legal shooting time, and snuck down in there until I found a likely looking spot. There was a bunch of cedars to my left, CRP over my right shoulder, mature woods to my right, and a brushy drainage in front of me. There were also several deer trails that intersected within range of my flintlock. I squeezed in next to some deadfall and sat down on my 3 legged stool at about 8:00am.
At about 8:30 I heard leaves crunch over by the cedars and saw an ear flicking behind some brush. I brought my .54 rifle to full cock and waited for a clear shot.
Just then the wind swirled and the deer caught a whiff of me. She didn't know where I was tho so she started blowing and stomping like they do, trying to get me to show myself. Didn't work. I know that game. I just sat there and waited.
After what seemed like forever the deer finally stepped out from behind the thick brush and I could see that it was a nice sized doe. I brought the rifle up toward an opening she was headed for and set the trigger. When she stepped into the clear, almost broadside, at 15-20 yards I touched off the shot.
My vision was completely blocked by the cloud of white smoke but I could hear the sound of running deer, in two separate directions. One sounded like it was going back where she had come from. The other was going in the direction she was headed. I was confident that it was a good shot.
After I sat and had a smoke I walked over where she had stood when I fired and found a large wad of hair and immediately saw a good blood trail. After the first 10 yards the blood trail got even easier to follow. It was literally 4 feet high and 6 feet wide!
She only ran about 40-50 yards and piled up. The .530 ball went thru both lungs and out the other side just as I had expected, I have not recovered a ball yet.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to once again hunt this property, and also for the meat that will be filling my freezer. Still have another ML-only tag in my pocket and will be out the rest of this weekend and 3 days next weekend looking for Mr. Monster Buck.
Good luck to the rest of you who still have season and tags left. :hatsoff:
The farm I have hunted since was hit by EHD a couple years ago and the deer herd was drastically reduced. There are still a few nice bucks, but hardly any deer compared to before. So, when the lady that owns the other farm called me a few weeks ago and asked if I'd like to hunt there again in exchange for tending a CRP field I gladly accepted. Wish I had more warning... I mighta done some scouting.
Anyway, I went out this morning around 6:30, just at legal shooting time, and snuck down in there until I found a likely looking spot. There was a bunch of cedars to my left, CRP over my right shoulder, mature woods to my right, and a brushy drainage in front of me. There were also several deer trails that intersected within range of my flintlock. I squeezed in next to some deadfall and sat down on my 3 legged stool at about 8:00am.
At about 8:30 I heard leaves crunch over by the cedars and saw an ear flicking behind some brush. I brought my .54 rifle to full cock and waited for a clear shot.
Just then the wind swirled and the deer caught a whiff of me. She didn't know where I was tho so she started blowing and stomping like they do, trying to get me to show myself. Didn't work. I know that game. I just sat there and waited.
After what seemed like forever the deer finally stepped out from behind the thick brush and I could see that it was a nice sized doe. I brought the rifle up toward an opening she was headed for and set the trigger. When she stepped into the clear, almost broadside, at 15-20 yards I touched off the shot.
My vision was completely blocked by the cloud of white smoke but I could hear the sound of running deer, in two separate directions. One sounded like it was going back where she had come from. The other was going in the direction she was headed. I was confident that it was a good shot.
After I sat and had a smoke I walked over where she had stood when I fired and found a large wad of hair and immediately saw a good blood trail. After the first 10 yards the blood trail got even easier to follow. It was literally 4 feet high and 6 feet wide!
She only ran about 40-50 yards and piled up. The .530 ball went thru both lungs and out the other side just as I had expected, I have not recovered a ball yet.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to once again hunt this property, and also for the meat that will be filling my freezer. Still have another ML-only tag in my pocket and will be out the rest of this weekend and 3 days next weekend looking for Mr. Monster Buck.
Good luck to the rest of you who still have season and tags left. :hatsoff:
