Opening day buck with the Acura MR

Today was the opening day of muzzleloader season here in Virginia and I took my Acura MR out hoping for some opening day success.

I had done very little bowhunting this season, so my scouting knowledge wasn't where it usually would be. I simply set up before sunrise in a spot I knew would let me overlook a small field that has several trails intersecting. I was shooting in an impromptu ground blind where there was a small clearing inside some scrub. My back was to a heavy thicket and I had an excellent field of view of the trails where I assumed the deer would come from, about 80 yards opposite my position.

Sunrise came and an hour or so passed without any movement. I suddenly remembered when I was driving our other family car the night before the gas was very low and i had forgotten to fuel it up. I picked up my phone planning to text to the spouse so she could factor a gas run into her schedule when I had this feeling of being watched.

I looked up and a big buck was staring right T me no more than 15 yards away. He had apparently moved out of the thicket just off to my right.

As the buck starting to slowly move I raised my rifle from my lap to my shoulder. He froze, staring at me again. I was sure he'd spook, and give me fleeting glance as he disappeared into the cover on the opposite side, but he started browsing.

I cocked the hammer and it sounded like a church bell in that clearing. Once again he froze, looked directly at me then in a few moments lost interest.

Deciding to waste no more time, I put the crosshairs just behind and slightly below the shoulder and squeezed the trigger.

I saw him react to the hit, he stumbled and his legs looked ready to buckle. I thought he was going down, but apparently one last adrenaline surge gave him the energy to regain his balance then take off for a 30 yard run upon which he collapsed in the middle of the biggest patch of burs I've ever seen.



300 grain XTP Mag did its job well. Both lungs were destroyed along with the 1/3 of the heart. Complete through shot with a big entrance wound and a bigger exit.



Edited: Typos from using my phone

Wow that is a great buck you shot there. Glad to hear the XTP mag did the job.

Congrads! Great looking buck! :yeah:

Very nice! What part of Virginia are you from? I was born in portsmouth but we moved when I was really young. I want to go back and see it one day.

How many burrs did you get on you?

silentstalker said:

Very nice! What part of Virginia are you from? I was born in portsmouth but we moved when I was really young. I want to go back and see it one day.

How many burrs did you get on you?

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A few burrs were acquired:



I live in the Leesburg area, and the farm I was hunting is in Lovettsville right along the Potomac River. In fact, the spot where I was sitting was a long stones throw from the river.

Right on, burrs or not, that buck was worth it!

Good hunting strategy. When I hunt somewhere I'm not familiar with I like to be in a place where I can see long distances. I also do it with my crossbow.Those burrs were well worth it it.

Congrats on a fine buck & great hunt. Really enjoyed the story too!

Congrats! Nice buck :yeah:

JStanley said:

Congrats on a fine buck & great hunt. Really enjoyed the story too!

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Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. It was a surreal encounter. I've never had a deer so close to me, clearly aware on some level of my presence and not seem to care one bit. I was moving very slow, but still I could tell the buck noticed, but maybe he didn't process it as a threat.

I didn't have much vegetation between us, but I was wearing head to toe (except for the orange hat) camouflage, including a facemask and gloves, so maybe there was enough break up that my movements didn't register as being a danger. I was expecting the deer to come into the field much farther away from my position, and in my experience as long as you have 50+ yards between you and the deer, slow careful movements behind some concealment don't even register.

I hunted the same field two more times since my original post, moving my location. The second hunt I had a nice 6 point come right out into the field from a similar spot as the 7 pointer I shot. Due to regulations in my county, I had to let him walk. On the third hunt, I saw a 4 pointer pushing a small doe, and let them both walk as well.

Nice work! :yeah:
I live about an hour west of you... we've started to see bucks chasing does some. My son killed a nice 6 on Monday...hope to post it up here when I get time to. Them are some ugly burrs for sure!!! :lol:

Nice buck, nice write up. Congrats!

Congrats! I'll finally get in the blind over Thanksgiving weekend and I can't wait.