How did your hunt go today?
- Thread starter Marty1
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Last Friday my wife Samantha told me she wanted to go out for a deer hunt. She hasn't been out yet this year, she knows I'll take her anytime she wants to go so I just wait for her to ask. She had plans for Saturday already so Sunday was her only option. The forecast showed rain on Sunday, so I told her I'd go make a Saturday morning hunt and then put up my ground blind for Sunday so we could keep dry. I chose a spot that is a good funnel year after year on our place to put up the blind.
I call this hunt the 5 minute hunt.
We get up Sunday morning and get ready. I grab my .54 and she has her 7mm/08. The property is about a 45 minute drive and we're aiming to be there a bit before shooting light. A whole 3 blocks from the house she suddenly looks at me and says, "Crap! We haven't bought my deer tag yet!". I blame myself, I usually take care of these things. I buy a "Sportsman's Package" that comes with everything I need and it just slipped my mind that we still needed to get her tag. Fortunately there is a 24 hour truck stop in town that actually has a F&G setup. We head there and get her tag. This puts us behind, so we arrive at the property about 20 minutes after shooting light. I had talked with her on the way up as to what she wants to target, bucks and does are both open (whitetail). She has only shot one other deer, a doe, and last year she wanted a buck but never had an opportunity. This year she says she will take any mature deer, doe included. We grab our stuff quickly and head for the blind. When we get there we crawl in and I get her all set up, shooting sticks at the right height and the opening in the blind adjusted to just allow her to see and shoot through it. I set my rifle aside as she is the first shooter. The rut is just kicking off here, so I have brought rattling horns, a bleat call, and a grunt tube. I get them arranged next to me and we are ready. I have already confirmed we have a favorable wind. I have sat for about a minute after getting all my stuff arranged when she says she sees movement. I look up and see it too, it is some deer headed our way already. I raise up the binoculars and see that it is three does. The first one is the biggest of the three. The lead doe sees the blind and I can tell she is nervous of it...I had only put it up the day before. I tell Sam to get ready because this is going to happen fast, and which deer is the biggest. The deer start to trot, they are on our left and will come across in front of us about 110 yards out and head down over the hill into some thick timber on our right. I see that Sam is tracking the deer with her rifle, so I grab my grunt call. As the deer hit a good opening out in front of us I let out a grunt. All 3 deer stop. The target doe is quartering to us hard, almost straight on, and the other deer stopped clear of her. I've talked with Sam lots of times about aiming points for different angles, and also that when a call is used to stop a nervous animal the shot needs to be taken as soon as a good hold is acquired. Two seconds after I stop the deer she shoots and I see the target doe crumple and drop on the spot! Sam is excited, I love the excitement that a fairly new hunter has when they are successful. We hear rain starting to hit the blind, so I tell her we'll just watch for a bit to make sure the deer is down for good and give the rain a chance to stop. The sky is broken clouds so it won't last long. About 10 minutes later the rain quits and we go out to see her deer. She made a great shot on it, hitting it in the left side of the neck just above where it meets the body and the bullet exited behind the far side shoulder. Sam is a bit remorseful when we first walk up on it, as we all feel when we take one of these beautiful animals, but states that she is looking forward to the excellent steaks, breakfast sausage, summer sausage, and jerky we will make out of her. I gut it out, drag and load it in the pickup I was able to drive the pickup within 50 yards), and we head home. The deer is hung up in the shed and skinned. I remove the tenderloins as the final step. Thinking about the whole hunt, we were in the blind maybe 5 whole minutes before the shot and the tag was about 45 minutes off the printer. Sometimes it just all comes together doesn't it?
That night we ate some very excellent bacon wrapped BBQ tenderloins for dinner. Next year she wants to hold out for a buck again.
I call this hunt the 5 minute hunt.
We get up Sunday morning and get ready. I grab my .54 and she has her 7mm/08. The property is about a 45 minute drive and we're aiming to be there a bit before shooting light. A whole 3 blocks from the house she suddenly looks at me and says, "Crap! We haven't bought my deer tag yet!". I blame myself, I usually take care of these things. I buy a "Sportsman's Package" that comes with everything I need and it just slipped my mind that we still needed to get her tag. Fortunately there is a 24 hour truck stop in town that actually has a F&G setup. We head there and get her tag. This puts us behind, so we arrive at the property about 20 minutes after shooting light. I had talked with her on the way up as to what she wants to target, bucks and does are both open (whitetail). She has only shot one other deer, a doe, and last year she wanted a buck but never had an opportunity. This year she says she will take any mature deer, doe included. We grab our stuff quickly and head for the blind. When we get there we crawl in and I get her all set up, shooting sticks at the right height and the opening in the blind adjusted to just allow her to see and shoot through it. I set my rifle aside as she is the first shooter. The rut is just kicking off here, so I have brought rattling horns, a bleat call, and a grunt tube. I get them arranged next to me and we are ready. I have already confirmed we have a favorable wind. I have sat for about a minute after getting all my stuff arranged when she says she sees movement. I look up and see it too, it is some deer headed our way already. I raise up the binoculars and see that it is three does. The first one is the biggest of the three. The lead doe sees the blind and I can tell she is nervous of it...I had only put it up the day before. I tell Sam to get ready because this is going to happen fast, and which deer is the biggest. The deer start to trot, they are on our left and will come across in front of us about 110 yards out and head down over the hill into some thick timber on our right. I see that Sam is tracking the deer with her rifle, so I grab my grunt call. As the deer hit a good opening out in front of us I let out a grunt. All 3 deer stop. The target doe is quartering to us hard, almost straight on, and the other deer stopped clear of her. I've talked with Sam lots of times about aiming points for different angles, and also that when a call is used to stop a nervous animal the shot needs to be taken as soon as a good hold is acquired. Two seconds after I stop the deer she shoots and I see the target doe crumple and drop on the spot! Sam is excited, I love the excitement that a fairly new hunter has when they are successful. We hear rain starting to hit the blind, so I tell her we'll just watch for a bit to make sure the deer is down for good and give the rain a chance to stop. The sky is broken clouds so it won't last long. About 10 minutes later the rain quits and we go out to see her deer. She made a great shot on it, hitting it in the left side of the neck just above where it meets the body and the bullet exited behind the far side shoulder. Sam is a bit remorseful when we first walk up on it, as we all feel when we take one of these beautiful animals, but states that she is looking forward to the excellent steaks, breakfast sausage, summer sausage, and jerky we will make out of her. I gut it out, drag and load it in the pickup I was able to drive the pickup within 50 yards), and we head home. The deer is hung up in the shed and skinned. I remove the tenderloins as the final step. Thinking about the whole hunt, we were in the blind maybe 5 whole minutes before the shot and the tag was about 45 minutes off the printer. Sometimes it just all comes together doesn't it?
That night we ate some very excellent bacon wrapped BBQ tenderloins for dinner. Next year she wants to hold out for a buck again.
Marty1
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Got snow?
Yesterday was opening day of the deer shotgun season here in MA. Today was day 2 of steady snow-shoveling ending in about 11 inches. It’s unusual to have a significant snowfall this early in the season. Day one hunting with a virgin .45 inline smoker is planned for Thursday. Hunting in the snow is always a favorite of mine.
MattRaymond
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I’ll be out tomorrow in Warren with my flintlock. We got 15 inches over in Longmeadow!
Marty1
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Les than 8 inches is nice. 15 inches certainly makes for a laborious hunt! Good luck with that flinter.
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Good Luck Marty!!!! Hope you track a big one.
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you too mattraymond!
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I decided that I want to take a deer that is bigger than the one that is currently my biggest. I have not ever been a trophy hunter and was always satisfied with the experience of the hunt and a representative animal. The deer doesn't have to have a better "score" than my current wall-hanger, just bigger to me. Maybe more points, taller rack, more pronounced antler profile, bigger mass. On my little property this year there are only 2 significant bucks that have been seen either in person or on camera. None are that interesting to me (and that is an archery only property). I really want to take one with my flintlock (first choice) or percussion rifle. My friend called and said his family was done deer hunting for the year and at least 2 significant bucks have been seen pretty regular on his property. I drove the 3-hours with the .54 caliber flintlock. In the afternoon I poured 80 grains of Goex FFFg into the barrel, tapped on the stock opposite the lock and short started a ball into the pillow ticking, then cut at the muzzle and pushed it down with the ramrod. I hiked into the area and began glassing. At one-half-hour into it I see a deer coming down the far 5-strand wire fence-line. Optics confirm it is a buck and a really good 12 point. I settle in where I run out of cover. The deer paces that fence-line to my left. Another half-hour goes by and I see a spike and a doe to my right about 80-yards out. Another half-hour and a small 8-point buck crosses about 40-yards to my right. All the while, the big buck is still pacing. A few does move into a spot in front of the buck and I range them. 147-yards. Uh-oh. I cannot get closer. In October I pulled off a 137-yard shot on a Pronghorn with a little hold-over and Kentucky windage. I think the drop is 8 or 10 inches. Well, the buck isn't near those does anyway he is still hanging at 230 something yards. The light fades and I check my watch to see there are 20 or so minutes of legal shooting but maybe not that many for my open sights. Whoa. The big buck moves in right in front of the does all of a sudden. My rifle is rock solid, the sights are not moving at all. I put the sights on his backline, set the trigger and "poof". Flash in the pan? Never happened on a hunt before. The wind conceals the noise, so I prime again and take aim. Set and squeeze - boom. Just under the cloud of smoke a can see the dirt cloud of impact underneath the buck. He is alarmed but doesn't take off instantly, he just slowly wanders off. I wait until dark and hike back out.
At the cabin I load the rifle and put it in the case. Sleep comes quickly and so does the morning alarm. I am ready and out-the-door at 6AM exactly. Wow, the fog is so thick I cannot see anything. Even the flashlight only lights up my boot tips. I know the way and I trek on in the dark and fog. I set-up near the same place I was last night. The fog is so thick I cannot see the tree that I know is 100-yards from me nor the one at 150. 7AM and zero visibility. 830AM and I can see about 30 yards. Wait there is movement. A spike buck crosses the path I walked in on just 20 yards behind me. The fog closes in again and no visibility for another 15-minutes. Again, the visibility expands to 30-yards. Straight in front of me I see a small 8-point buck and two does within 25-yards. A few minutes later my work cell phone vibrates and I pull it out to turn it off, I forgot I had put it on my pack strap last night. I look at the screen as I turn it off and I set it into the pack next to me. When I look up, a huge 10-point buck with antlers well outside his ears is standing about 15 FEET from me. I ease the rifle up and pull back the cock. The click is loud enough that the buck stops and stares right at me. Before I can set the trigger and focus on the sight he starts to run and in 3 bounds, disappears into the fog. I stay until 10AM ish when the fog finally lifts and there does not seem to be any deer around so I hike out.
At 3PM I hike back in to the area and decide so set up further out along this opening to be closer to where I have previously seen the most deer and where the big guy was on the first afternoon. I cut some tumbleweed and make a blind against a tree. In order to cut my outline and "human" profile I put the HECS suit on over my traditional clothes. I am sure I am well concealed and in range of where the big deer was. At 5PM I see a forkhorn and two does way off to my right about 200-yards away. As light fades I know it ain't gonna happen. When I can no longer see the sights I pack up and hike out. I have to get back to business tomorrow so this hunt is over. The only thing I don't like is leaving the flintlock loaded. I leave the frizzen forward with a stall on it, a pin in the touch-hole and the cock all the way down. It is in a case and will stay in the case until I get to the range to shoot it. Until next time.....
At the cabin I load the rifle and put it in the case. Sleep comes quickly and so does the morning alarm. I am ready and out-the-door at 6AM exactly. Wow, the fog is so thick I cannot see anything. Even the flashlight only lights up my boot tips. I know the way and I trek on in the dark and fog. I set-up near the same place I was last night. The fog is so thick I cannot see the tree that I know is 100-yards from me nor the one at 150. 7AM and zero visibility. 830AM and I can see about 30 yards. Wait there is movement. A spike buck crosses the path I walked in on just 20 yards behind me. The fog closes in again and no visibility for another 15-minutes. Again, the visibility expands to 30-yards. Straight in front of me I see a small 8-point buck and two does within 25-yards. A few minutes later my work cell phone vibrates and I pull it out to turn it off, I forgot I had put it on my pack strap last night. I look at the screen as I turn it off and I set it into the pack next to me. When I look up, a huge 10-point buck with antlers well outside his ears is standing about 15 FEET from me. I ease the rifle up and pull back the cock. The click is loud enough that the buck stops and stares right at me. Before I can set the trigger and focus on the sight he starts to run and in 3 bounds, disappears into the fog. I stay until 10AM ish when the fog finally lifts and there does not seem to be any deer around so I hike out.
At 3PM I hike back in to the area and decide so set up further out along this opening to be closer to where I have previously seen the most deer and where the big guy was on the first afternoon. I cut some tumbleweed and make a blind against a tree. In order to cut my outline and "human" profile I put the HECS suit on over my traditional clothes. I am sure I am well concealed and in range of where the big deer was. At 5PM I see a forkhorn and two does way off to my right about 200-yards away. As light fades I know it ain't gonna happen. When I can no longer see the sights I pack up and hike out. I have to get back to business tomorrow so this hunt is over. The only thing I don't like is leaving the flintlock loaded. I leave the frizzen forward with a stall on it, a pin in the touch-hole and the cock all the way down. It is in a case and will stay in the case until I get to the range to shoot it. Until next time.....
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Great story, even if you didn’t bring home any horns. Better luck next time!
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wow sparkitoff, sounds like a great spot. I can go whole seasons without seeing that many deer. that would keep me in it for sure. always great to see animals. congrats to samantha on her doe as well. gotta "love it when a plan comes together".
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I've read huntin' stories in major publications the aren't as good as yours, great job. I see potential as a outdoor author. Please give us more! Out Here
