rockytop

I suffered from a severe case of temptation yesterday afternoon but came through honorably. We just finished a week of muzzleloader and now it' s archery season until gun opens Nov. 22. Yesterday, I went to my observatory tree house that I built on the corner of my yard and a power line. My purpose was to watch the power line that I have several food plots on and to observe the deer crossings so that I might bow hunt a few afternoons in the right place. I wanted to have my best optics with me and thats my nikon scope on my 7mm mag. I also thought I might see a coyote crossing the power line and the 7mm will reach out and get him.
I was watching 4 deer that had just come out on the power line about 400 yards from my tree house. I was trying to determine bucks and does, light was fading, when all the deer I was looking at, alerted and looked back toward me. I then noticed the biggest buck I' ve ever seen in the woods step out about 100 yards from me. This is tennesse and we don' t get alot of record book deer but this is a record book deer and I' ve never seen him or his tracks before. One more thing, I' m looking at him through my nikon attached to my 7mm mag. I didn' t have a round chambered but it would have been easy to chamber a round, flip the saftey off and illegaly harvest this deer. I have to admit the thought entered my mind but I thought, if I kill this deer, I' ll be living a lie and I' m too old for that. What I did was open the bolt to make sure a round wasn' t in the barrel, then I clicked off the saftey and while that buck walked slowly across the power line, I dry fired about 4 times just for the heck of it. I aimed at his lungs once, his neck once, his heart and the last click I tried to hold it right on that shoulder. I think all would have been kill shots.
I know I did what all of you guys would have done and this afternoon I' m going to do what all of you guys would do and that' s be in a tree with my bow in the area where he came out of the woods.

justhrowit

next time....bring a video camera with you. At least you could take that with you. Hopefully you have the same thing happen on the 22nd, but you can squeeze off a round. Good luck to you.


J

Tazman

Good job rockytop, I know the temptation you went through, I have been through it more than once, big buck in a wide open field while driving in with the gunb in the car, deer within 15 foot while bow hunting but it was after legal shooting hours, I will be honest and say I was tempted because no one would have ever known what time I shot it, except me!

GR8atta2d

Hmm don' t understand the temptation aspect. Is jack-lighting deer a tempatation for you also? An illeagle harvest is poaching, period. The thought should not even have entered your mind. Admire him and wish for different circumstances sure, but honestly I question your taking a 7mm scouting anyway.

rockytop

Bad, I guess I see where you got your name. No, my mind is not pure but my actions are. I' m not ashamed to admit to temptation, I' m the first to admit my mind might wonder from the straight and narrow but again, my actions don' t. As for caring the gun, I took it for the reasons stated, my best optics and we' re over run with coyotes and wild dogs. Two years ago I was attacked by 4 wild dogs about 30 yards from where I was sitting and I thankfully I had my 7mm mag then. Also, if I was ashamed of what I was doing, I wouldn' t have broadcast it on this thread among people that I respect very much.
Taz, thanks. Temptation is what makes us better people as long as we do right.

PABowhntr

Well, I am glad to see that you did not do anything illegal though it might be a better idea to take something else to scope out your area next time. In my neck of the woods the game warden would have given me one heck of a difficult time had he found me out in the woods with a rifle when it was not rifle season.

How about a pair of Nikon binos for Christmas?

GR8atta2d

delete. answerrred wrong post, I' ll let this one alone.

rockytop

PA, I' d love a new pair of nikon binoculars, would you like my home address?

As far as the game warden goes, this treehouse I was in, I call it the Hilton, is in the corner of my 6 acre yard and it allows my to see over 700 yards down a power line. I don' t bowhunt out of it. It' s an observatory. I guess technically I' m in the wrong, but, have you ever been attacked by wild dogs. I bushhog the power line cause tva only cuts it about once every 8 years and I don' t even bushhog it with out a pistol strapped on. I ain' t scared, just safe. With a busted up back, and a replacement knee, I don' t run very well.

PABowhntr

Which model would you like? The 8x32s or 10x40s??



I understand our concern and totally sympathize with your situation. On a related note, I picked up some decent qualities binos from the sportsmans guide at a very, very agreeable price. You may want to check them out as you might find something affordable that meets your needs.

jerseyhunter

If your just going to use it in the Hilton get a spotting scope. They have them reasonably prieced in cabella' s.