Eight Point Story and (pic)
02-23-2003, 04:53 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Corning, NY
Posts: 806
Eight Point Story and (pic)
Thought I would share the picture and story of my first deer with my muzzleloader to you fellows.
It was the last day of muzzleloader season for NY. That means after today, you done for the year. I hadn’t been seeing any action in weeks because of all the pumpkins walking the woods. Deer were for the most part, nocturnal. It was time for an evening hunt. The morning didn’t produce anything but a runny nose. I planned to hunt a stand I hadn’t been in since the second day of gun season. The temperature was dropping fast. I noticed after I stepped out of the Jeep that the snow was now noisy to walk on and it wouldn’t be easy to sneak in undetected. I decided I would take my time on the way up to hill to the stand. It normally takes approximately 5 minutes to walk from the field edge to the bench the stand was located on. Today would be a different story. I would take three steps, look and listen for a minute, then take three more. Still-hunting. Something I hadn’t done all season I thought to myself as I reflected on the past month of hunting. It was a closing of the season. There was a weird feeling that I hadn’t experienced before. I would take a few steps, let out a breath as if you made it to your destination and you’re relieved to find it still there. I didn’t want it to be the last day. I wasn’t ready to stop. But as I worked my way up I took in the moment as much as possible and accepted the fact that it was getting close. An hour and a half at past by the time I reached the bench. My stand was now in site and the wind was blowing down and to my left as I looked up at the pine ridge. I looked at my watch and figured I had about an hour of daylight left. Just then I thought I heard deer running in the distance. I dropped down and started scanning. I couldn’t locate the sound. At one point it sounded like it was to my left and then the next time I heard it sound as if it were from my right. I couldn’t get a fix on it. It was frustrating and I feared that I was caught off guard and spooked one. Suddenly I noticed a set of deer legs heading down from the ridge. The doe broke out into an opening and a buck was following or maybe chasing behind. Was that a buck I thought as they moved into thicker cover? I new they were coming my way so I quickly jumped to the nearest tree and crouched down as if I just slid down it. The deer reappeared but there was no buck. Two doe worked there way to within 30 yards and I was at a loss. I really wanted to take the bigger doe but after a small debate in my mind I decide I really did see a buck. Then two more deer appeared from the cover. Again doe. I now seriously doubted my eyesight and thinking maybe my mind was playing games. Then all of a sudden he came out into the open hardwoods. He would follow the same path as the doe and I will have a shot. This was going to be a peace of cake. The first and second sets of doe are now downwind from me and maybe twenty yards. I didn’t look but they could have been closer. Anyway they were getting spooky and sending the wrong signals to the buck because he stopped about 40yds away and stared at the doe as well as scanned the area. The bad part was I had drawn my gun and had nothing but a head shot witch I wouldn’t take. It had to be five minutes before the doe finally moved down the hill and two more doe appeared and traveled the same route. By now my arms are on fire. The buck took the five steps needed and I stopped him with a mouth grunt. I took the shot and waited for the smoke to clear. As it did I saw the buck on the ground. Suddenly he got up and ran sixty yards before going down for good. I looked up at the canopy of the trees and thought, " what a great closing to such an awesome year." I’ve been bow hunting for ten years and shotgun hunting for eight. I think I’m going to enjoy this as well!
~MM~
It was the last day of muzzleloader season for NY. That means after today, you done for the year. I hadn’t been seeing any action in weeks because of all the pumpkins walking the woods. Deer were for the most part, nocturnal. It was time for an evening hunt. The morning didn’t produce anything but a runny nose. I planned to hunt a stand I hadn’t been in since the second day of gun season. The temperature was dropping fast. I noticed after I stepped out of the Jeep that the snow was now noisy to walk on and it wouldn’t be easy to sneak in undetected. I decided I would take my time on the way up to hill to the stand. It normally takes approximately 5 minutes to walk from the field edge to the bench the stand was located on. Today would be a different story. I would take three steps, look and listen for a minute, then take three more. Still-hunting. Something I hadn’t done all season I thought to myself as I reflected on the past month of hunting. It was a closing of the season. There was a weird feeling that I hadn’t experienced before. I would take a few steps, let out a breath as if you made it to your destination and you’re relieved to find it still there. I didn’t want it to be the last day. I wasn’t ready to stop. But as I worked my way up I took in the moment as much as possible and accepted the fact that it was getting close. An hour and a half at past by the time I reached the bench. My stand was now in site and the wind was blowing down and to my left as I looked up at the pine ridge. I looked at my watch and figured I had about an hour of daylight left. Just then I thought I heard deer running in the distance. I dropped down and started scanning. I couldn’t locate the sound. At one point it sounded like it was to my left and then the next time I heard it sound as if it were from my right. I couldn’t get a fix on it. It was frustrating and I feared that I was caught off guard and spooked one. Suddenly I noticed a set of deer legs heading down from the ridge. The doe broke out into an opening and a buck was following or maybe chasing behind. Was that a buck I thought as they moved into thicker cover? I new they were coming my way so I quickly jumped to the nearest tree and crouched down as if I just slid down it. The deer reappeared but there was no buck. Two doe worked there way to within 30 yards and I was at a loss. I really wanted to take the bigger doe but after a small debate in my mind I decide I really did see a buck. Then two more deer appeared from the cover. Again doe. I now seriously doubted my eyesight and thinking maybe my mind was playing games. Then all of a sudden he came out into the open hardwoods. He would follow the same path as the doe and I will have a shot. This was going to be a peace of cake. The first and second sets of doe are now downwind from me and maybe twenty yards. I didn’t look but they could have been closer. Anyway they were getting spooky and sending the wrong signals to the buck because he stopped about 40yds away and stared at the doe as well as scanned the area. The bad part was I had drawn my gun and had nothing but a head shot witch I wouldn’t take. It had to be five minutes before the doe finally moved down the hill and two more doe appeared and traveled the same route. By now my arms are on fire. The buck took the five steps needed and I stopped him with a mouth grunt. I took the shot and waited for the smoke to clear. As it did I saw the buck on the ground. Suddenly he got up and ran sixty yards before going down for good. I looked up at the canopy of the trees and thought, " what a great closing to such an awesome year." I’ve been bow hunting for ten years and shotgun hunting for eight. I think I’m going to enjoy this as well!
~MM~
] GREAT BUCK!!! Congrats
