Hi all,
I haven't posted on here very much, but I've learned so much from all of you. I wanted to post the story and pictures of my first flintlock deer...and what turned out to be the biggest buck I've taken off the mountain I hunt back home in Otsego County, NY over the last 16 years.
One of my college buddies and I were hunting Saturday afternoon. My dad had just left to head back to the house. My friend and I decided to do 1 last hunt before dark. He came upon some deer bedded, 1 of which was this 8 point. He had a poor shot at it, and elected to pass. The deer ended up running along a diversion ditch to a small ravine/woods where I was. They stopped in the woods for a few seconds, and then started running again along the opposite side of the ravine in a field. I thought they would stop, but soon realized they weren't going to. As they entered a large opening, I blatted as loud as I could. The deer were 100 yards from me at this point. I couldn't believe it, but the buck stopped pefectly broadside in the opening. I squeezed as best I could, and my .50 TC white mountain carbine cracked across the valley. My friend watched the whole thing, fire and all.
At this point,I go to look for blood. Knowing it was a long shot, I also knew my sight picture was perfect when the patched round ball went on it's way. I get into the field, and find blood on the left side of the track. He ran 60-80 yards across this cut field, bleeding as he went. It wasn't great blood, but I've seen worse. As he entered a brushy area, the blood stopped. I was heartbroke. I look up and there he goes ahead of me with the doe he was with....so I just glass him for a bit. He follows the doe for 100yards, and as she starts to go up the steep side of the mountain, he leaves her and goes up the mountain on a more gentle slope. That told me that he must be in trouble. But he didn't bed down. I watched him for 5 minutes as he climbed the mountain, thinking he would bed. But he never did. With the impending nor'easter here in NY, I walked up the mountian to see if I could find blood or get another shot. Neither happened.
So...I went back up there yesterday[url] morning..in[/url] the middle of the storm, trying find any track or sign of him. I figured if he was anywhere, it would be along this steep bank on the west side of the mountain, out of the wind. I was really expecting to hunt him as if I never hit him. I had no idea what kind of hit I had. But this was his core area, and figured with 3 days of hunting left I could get another shot at him.
So, as I'm still hunting along the ledges, I'm taking in natures beauty etc, just trying to relax, and I turn to look ahead of me and there he is lying there...done. I couldn't believe it...it was so crazy to just walk up on him like that. I feel soooo lucky. I still can't get over the fact that I shot him with a flintlock. I've used percussion cap for years, and never owned an inline. And I'm only 31 which causes people to wonder why I'm so traditional when it comes to BP. I just love the heritage of it.
I just wanted to thank everyone once again. This was the most memorable hunt of my life I think. I've taken bigger bucks and have 2 in the NYS big buck club, but this really takes the cake for me. It's all about the experience and quality of the hunt in my book. Good luck to everyone the remainder of the year.
~Ryan~
P.S. I have a cap rifle in the pictures because I was carrying it in the storm when I found him.[url] http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj93/rpblothe/RyansBuck2007010.jpg http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj93/rpblothe/RyansBuck2007006.jpg http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj93/rpblothe/RyansBuck2007007.jpg[/url]
I haven't posted on here very much, but I've learned so much from all of you. I wanted to post the story and pictures of my first flintlock deer...and what turned out to be the biggest buck I've taken off the mountain I hunt back home in Otsego County, NY over the last 16 years.
One of my college buddies and I were hunting Saturday afternoon. My dad had just left to head back to the house. My friend and I decided to do 1 last hunt before dark. He came upon some deer bedded, 1 of which was this 8 point. He had a poor shot at it, and elected to pass. The deer ended up running along a diversion ditch to a small ravine/woods where I was. They stopped in the woods for a few seconds, and then started running again along the opposite side of the ravine in a field. I thought they would stop, but soon realized they weren't going to. As they entered a large opening, I blatted as loud as I could. The deer were 100 yards from me at this point. I couldn't believe it, but the buck stopped pefectly broadside in the opening. I squeezed as best I could, and my .50 TC white mountain carbine cracked across the valley. My friend watched the whole thing, fire and all.
At this point,I go to look for blood. Knowing it was a long shot, I also knew my sight picture was perfect when the patched round ball went on it's way. I get into the field, and find blood on the left side of the track. He ran 60-80 yards across this cut field, bleeding as he went. It wasn't great blood, but I've seen worse. As he entered a brushy area, the blood stopped. I was heartbroke. I look up and there he goes ahead of me with the doe he was with....so I just glass him for a bit. He follows the doe for 100yards, and as she starts to go up the steep side of the mountain, he leaves her and goes up the mountain on a more gentle slope. That told me that he must be in trouble. But he didn't bed down. I watched him for 5 minutes as he climbed the mountain, thinking he would bed. But he never did. With the impending nor'easter here in NY, I walked up the mountian to see if I could find blood or get another shot. Neither happened.
So...I went back up there yesterday[url] morning..in[/url] the middle of the storm, trying find any track or sign of him. I figured if he was anywhere, it would be along this steep bank on the west side of the mountain, out of the wind. I was really expecting to hunt him as if I never hit him. I had no idea what kind of hit I had. But this was his core area, and figured with 3 days of hunting left I could get another shot at him.
So, as I'm still hunting along the ledges, I'm taking in natures beauty etc, just trying to relax, and I turn to look ahead of me and there he is lying there...done. I couldn't believe it...it was so crazy to just walk up on him like that. I feel soooo lucky. I still can't get over the fact that I shot him with a flintlock. I've used percussion cap for years, and never owned an inline. And I'm only 31 which causes people to wonder why I'm so traditional when it comes to BP. I just love the heritage of it.
I just wanted to thank everyone once again. This was the most memorable hunt of my life I think. I've taken bigger bucks and have 2 in the NYS big buck club, but this really takes the cake for me. It's all about the experience and quality of the hunt in my book. Good luck to everyone the remainder of the year.
~Ryan~
P.S. I have a cap rifle in the pictures because I was carrying it in the storm when I found him.[url] http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj93/rpblothe/RyansBuck2007010.jpg http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj93/rpblothe/RyansBuck2007006.jpg http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj93/rpblothe/RyansBuck2007007.jpg[/url]
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