We JUST rolled in from Kentucky! What a great hunt! This time Kristels luck could have been better but my luck probably could NOT have been better!
Our hunt was with Barebottom Lodge/Tradewater Outfitters( http://www.tradewateroutfitters.com/index.html) in Providence, KY. Our hunt started Saturday October 15th and lasted THRU Sunday October, 16th. That's Kentuckys first muzzleloader whitetail season. The next muzzleloading whitetail season is December 10-18. Let me tell you if I wasn't going to Texas in three weeks, I'd be right back up there without a doubt! The great thing about this outfitter is they don't allow firearms on whitetail. Only bows, crossbows, and muzzleloaders.
There were a total of four hunters in camp including Kristel and myself. That's really all they want but WILL take a maxium of five if they have to. Talk about a hands on operation, Russell and Michelle Edwards have exactly that.
Now to the HUNT! I had made up my mind to use the NULA in the mornings and the Savage #4 with the new Leupold VX-III and the German #4 reticle in the evenings since it would have a slight optical advantage. Saturday morning found myself and two other hunters(Lloyd and Scott from Ohio) in ladder stands and Kristel in a shooting house. Russell had some game cams up in the area and had been seeing some really big bucks in the area we were all hunting. Kristel saw four or five does along with a 4-point, Lloyd saw a bunch of does, I saw NOTHING, but Brian said he saw the biggest deer he has ever seen! Brian shot at the deer which he said presented a really difficult shot, broadside and TWENTY YARDS! He was laughing, but practically crying when he said that. He said he just blew it and that was that. After a barbeque lunch we returned to our stands. Brian, Lloyd, and Kristel wanted to be back to their same stands but I wanted to go some other place. I went to the other side of the property based on some game cam photos they had shown me. Kristel saw a few more deer as did everyone else but no shooters. On the OTHER hand...I saw COMPLETELY too many deer to count. Behind me, in front of me, and to both sides deer were moving. Boy was I glad I had the picked the new scope with the #4 reticle because at 6:35PM there he is! I'm on him in a second. He is of course to my left and I'm right handed! At first he is 100% facing away from me and then he gives me shot. It coundn't have been ten seconds from the time I saw him until I've pulled the trigger! One of the fastest shots I've made. With all those does around I was SO afraid he'd spook. I didn't have the BEST shot in the world, a good bit more than quartering away at 58yds. At the shot he COLLAPSED! I quickly reloaded and put the scope on him again and I saw him kick a couple of times and that was THAT! I climbed down the tree stand and had to reach for my flashlight to see how to get to the deer. It was so dark I don't know how in the WORLD I made the shot! This goes as my RECORD as the latest I have EVER shot a deer! Man was I excited when I got to the deer. There was no ground shrinkage on THIS one!
The SPOTS on the pic....Boy did this make me mad! Russell pulled up on the four-wheeler just moments after I shot and I GUESS this is dust!
Here was the first pic I took...The deer was below me in a log road. You can see the entrance wound. I shot him thru the last rib and the 250gr SST went all the way thru and lodged in the opposing front shoulder. I recovered the bullet but there really wasn't much left of it.
ANYWAYS....We still had hunting to do on Sunday...I could kill as many as two more does and everyone else still has their first deer to shoot. Sunday morning and Kristel and I both go to ladder stands and Lloyd and Brian go close to where I was the previous evening...I can't remember what everone else say but I saw three does and another buck with nice horns but I couldn't make it out too good as it was too far/thick. Of course I couldn't have shot it but it would have been nice to see. The does were in just too thick of cover to have any time to shoot. Kristel saw three does and let go of a shot and dropped it in its tracks. I think it was about fifty yards or so. Here's a pic of HER deer!
Boy...she REALLY loves that Savage NOW! Anyway...We go back out that afternoon...Kristel sees NOTHING....and I see six does, and four point and a NICE 6-point... Brian...who missed his FIRST deer..sees a goup of three 8 pts or better bucks! He picks out what he thinks is the largest of the three. THIS time...he connects with a nice buck himself!
Overall...I was EXTREMELY impressed with the whole operation and hunt at Tradewater Outfitters. It is really hard for me two believe that four hunters in two days get three shots at really nice bucks!
I'll give this hunt two thumbs up!
Our hunt was with Barebottom Lodge/Tradewater Outfitters( http://www.tradewateroutfitters.com/index.html) in Providence, KY. Our hunt started Saturday October 15th and lasted THRU Sunday October, 16th. That's Kentuckys first muzzleloader whitetail season. The next muzzleloading whitetail season is December 10-18. Let me tell you if I wasn't going to Texas in three weeks, I'd be right back up there without a doubt! The great thing about this outfitter is they don't allow firearms on whitetail. Only bows, crossbows, and muzzleloaders.
There were a total of four hunters in camp including Kristel and myself. That's really all they want but WILL take a maxium of five if they have to. Talk about a hands on operation, Russell and Michelle Edwards have exactly that.
Now to the HUNT! I had made up my mind to use the NULA in the mornings and the Savage #4 with the new Leupold VX-III and the German #4 reticle in the evenings since it would have a slight optical advantage. Saturday morning found myself and two other hunters(Lloyd and Scott from Ohio) in ladder stands and Kristel in a shooting house. Russell had some game cams up in the area and had been seeing some really big bucks in the area we were all hunting. Kristel saw four or five does along with a 4-point, Lloyd saw a bunch of does, I saw NOTHING, but Brian said he saw the biggest deer he has ever seen! Brian shot at the deer which he said presented a really difficult shot, broadside and TWENTY YARDS! He was laughing, but practically crying when he said that. He said he just blew it and that was that. After a barbeque lunch we returned to our stands. Brian, Lloyd, and Kristel wanted to be back to their same stands but I wanted to go some other place. I went to the other side of the property based on some game cam photos they had shown me. Kristel saw a few more deer as did everyone else but no shooters. On the OTHER hand...I saw COMPLETELY too many deer to count. Behind me, in front of me, and to both sides deer were moving. Boy was I glad I had the picked the new scope with the #4 reticle because at 6:35PM there he is! I'm on him in a second. He is of course to my left and I'm right handed! At first he is 100% facing away from me and then he gives me shot. It coundn't have been ten seconds from the time I saw him until I've pulled the trigger! One of the fastest shots I've made. With all those does around I was SO afraid he'd spook. I didn't have the BEST shot in the world, a good bit more than quartering away at 58yds. At the shot he COLLAPSED! I quickly reloaded and put the scope on him again and I saw him kick a couple of times and that was THAT! I climbed down the tree stand and had to reach for my flashlight to see how to get to the deer. It was so dark I don't know how in the WORLD I made the shot! This goes as my RECORD as the latest I have EVER shot a deer! Man was I excited when I got to the deer. There was no ground shrinkage on THIS one!
The SPOTS on the pic....Boy did this make me mad! Russell pulled up on the four-wheeler just moments after I shot and I GUESS this is dust!
Here was the first pic I took...The deer was below me in a log road. You can see the entrance wound. I shot him thru the last rib and the 250gr SST went all the way thru and lodged in the opposing front shoulder. I recovered the bullet but there really wasn't much left of it.
ANYWAYS....We still had hunting to do on Sunday...I could kill as many as two more does and everyone else still has their first deer to shoot. Sunday morning and Kristel and I both go to ladder stands and Lloyd and Brian go close to where I was the previous evening...I can't remember what everone else say but I saw three does and another buck with nice horns but I couldn't make it out too good as it was too far/thick. Of course I couldn't have shot it but it would have been nice to see. The does were in just too thick of cover to have any time to shoot. Kristel saw three does and let go of a shot and dropped it in its tracks. I think it was about fifty yards or so. Here's a pic of HER deer!
Boy...she REALLY loves that Savage NOW! Anyway...We go back out that afternoon...Kristel sees NOTHING....and I see six does, and four point and a NICE 6-point... Brian...who missed his FIRST deer..sees a goup of three 8 pts or better bucks! He picks out what he thinks is the largest of the three. THIS time...he connects with a nice buck himself!
Overall...I was EXTREMELY impressed with the whole operation and hunt at Tradewater Outfitters. It is really hard for me two believe that four hunters in two days get three shots at really nice bucks!
I'll give this hunt two thumbs up!
