- Joined
- Feb 16, 2006
- Messages
- 207
- Reaction score
- 8
I managed to get out of work early by an hour so I headed home and got ready to go hunt the afternoon with the muzzleloader. My wife's vehicle is malfunctioning and after all I tried to do in order to fix it failed. So we had to have it towed to the auto mechanic. I stayed at the house until it was towed then proceeded to hunt the back part of my property.
I donned my Polar fleece pants and obligatory hunter orange along with my TC Contender muzzleloader and out the back door.
I walked down the hill to check the trail camera I have next to a pop up blind. After replacing the batteries and putting in a new chip I went to the other camera and switched chips.
I took out my pull up rope and slipped a carabiner over the sling of my TC and day pack. I walked up the rungs of the ladder stand facing westward towards a large swamp. It snowed the other day so my cushion seat was frozen. Brushed off the snow and flipped it over. Although the other side was drier it wasn't completely dry.
I sat there facing west and could smell the smoke of a woodstove as it wafted its way across the land. I chose to hunt my ladder stand because I was busted last week in my pop up blind. I figured the same would happen today since the winds were not in my favor.
After a while I could hear things moving in the swamp in the back of me. For some reason I knew it was deer that were making the noise
Soon as the sun was setting I saw a deer behind me. I readied my TC and spotted the deer. I tried to discern as much as possible if it had antlers. It was a doe. I made a promise to my wife to not shoot any does on our land. I suppose I could but I don't want to rock the boat of domestic bliss.
In the distance downwind and to the east of me I overheard more movement. It was a larger doe. I suspect it is the two does that more or less call our place home. Again they get a free pass. I do have on my cameras a three point and an eight point. They are fair game, if I can see them in order to shoot one of them.
For a solid half hour I watched the two does mill about to the south and east of me feeding and milling about. There was a third deer but I could not really discern the thing well enough to shoot.
I decided to call it a night and began the process of getting down the treestand. I took my pack and TC and reconnected it to the carabiner-cord I use to lower it to the ground. In this process I must have spooked that deer but not a great deal . I heard it trot off not blow and bolt. I hope that I didn't really spook it off but the plan is to hunt some property I have permission on in a neighboring town.
I will state something else. I must be stressed out as I forgot something very simple yet pivotal for success. While I was walking to my stand I "loaded" up my gun by putting a 209 shotshell primer in the breech of the TC. I took it out to climb my ladder stand but forgot to reload while in the stand.
Maybe it was a good thing that the buck didn't show up. I'd have lost it when the hammer would fall and the only report would be CLICK.
Right now I am sitting in my recliner waiting for a wonderful supper my wife made. Roast turkey breast with roasted broccoli. The whole room is filled with the aroma of spices and good food as well as a wonderful wife.
I donned my Polar fleece pants and obligatory hunter orange along with my TC Contender muzzleloader and out the back door.
I walked down the hill to check the trail camera I have next to a pop up blind. After replacing the batteries and putting in a new chip I went to the other camera and switched chips.
I took out my pull up rope and slipped a carabiner over the sling of my TC and day pack. I walked up the rungs of the ladder stand facing westward towards a large swamp. It snowed the other day so my cushion seat was frozen. Brushed off the snow and flipped it over. Although the other side was drier it wasn't completely dry.
I sat there facing west and could smell the smoke of a woodstove as it wafted its way across the land. I chose to hunt my ladder stand because I was busted last week in my pop up blind. I figured the same would happen today since the winds were not in my favor.
After a while I could hear things moving in the swamp in the back of me. For some reason I knew it was deer that were making the noise
Soon as the sun was setting I saw a deer behind me. I readied my TC and spotted the deer. I tried to discern as much as possible if it had antlers. It was a doe. I made a promise to my wife to not shoot any does on our land. I suppose I could but I don't want to rock the boat of domestic bliss.
In the distance downwind and to the east of me I overheard more movement. It was a larger doe. I suspect it is the two does that more or less call our place home. Again they get a free pass. I do have on my cameras a three point and an eight point. They are fair game, if I can see them in order to shoot one of them.
For a solid half hour I watched the two does mill about to the south and east of me feeding and milling about. There was a third deer but I could not really discern the thing well enough to shoot.
I decided to call it a night and began the process of getting down the treestand. I took my pack and TC and reconnected it to the carabiner-cord I use to lower it to the ground. In this process I must have spooked that deer but not a great deal . I heard it trot off not blow and bolt. I hope that I didn't really spook it off but the plan is to hunt some property I have permission on in a neighboring town.
I will state something else. I must be stressed out as I forgot something very simple yet pivotal for success. While I was walking to my stand I "loaded" up my gun by putting a 209 shotshell primer in the breech of the TC. I took it out to climb my ladder stand but forgot to reload while in the stand.
Maybe it was a good thing that the buck didn't show up. I'd have lost it when the hammer would fall and the only report would be CLICK.
Right now I am sitting in my recliner waiting for a wonderful supper my wife made. Roast turkey breast with roasted broccoli. The whole room is filled with the aroma of spices and good food as well as a wonderful wife.
