- Joined
- Sep 16, 2015
- Messages
- 440
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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
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