Deer 1 Me 0

[B.Habermehl]

I took the trade gun out to the farm this morning. Ratcheted my way up a tree with my climber and setteled in. About dark thirty I hear a deer wheeze/blow. What the heck? I hadn't moved and the slight air movement was from the sound source to me. About 7ish I see several deer about 30 yds out. No shot oppertunity presented itself. I watch them dissapear from view, expecting them to cross the trail to my right. I carefully stand and face where I expect the deer to cross the trail. Sure enough one crosses the trail. I watch it do its thing for 15 min or so, milling and feeding around. I don't try to set up a shot because I can't judge the size of the deer to prevent whacking a button buck or teeny doe. The deer lays down in plain view. Several more are milling around in the thick stuff next to the trail, I even see one rear up on it's hind legs for some reason. Maybe a bit of a tiff between deer? Now two come into view at the same distance and give me some reference. They are definately smaller than the laying deer... I pull the hammer back and raise the trade gun. The deer is laying with its head to the right and quartering away at 35-38 yds. Doable but I would have preferred closer. I settle the front sight on the deer's shoulder and squeeze. Booom! The white cloud of smoke obscures the target deer, but it seems to be raining deer. There was several white tails and running DSOs scattering every where. The target deer has vanished too. I wait 20 min to 1/2 an hour to climb down as there are still deer milling around and none seem to know where I am. Once the deer leave the area I climb down and start to search the area where the deer was laying for signs of a hit. No blood or hair, more carefull looking around. Aha! A bullet furrow in the ground. Yup I missed clean as could be. After some more circle searches for blood that come up only as false alarms due to blood red patches on leaves, I feel good about a harmless clean miss.

 

[chance]

Get right back out there!!! Good Luck!!

 

[B.Habermehl]

Yes I'll be back out in a hour or so. Diffierent farm, for some reason I only see deer in the morning at the first farm. The other farm can be either morning or evening.

 

[Britsmoothy]

better luck next time, I enjoyed the honest account :thumbsup:

Brits.

 

[B.Habermehl]

Slight score change :wink: I got into my stand at 5:45 am and ratcheted up into my tree. Had some trepidations about hunting the same tree twice in two days but decided to any how. By the usual happy hour of 8 or so no sign, I resolved to stay till at least 10. About 9 I see a DSO in the thick stuff. Here we go three more.... The hammer gets pulled back. Which one is the biggest one? Well the closest one is definately a youngin. Dang! The little doe is getting way too close, right under my stand. I watch the the two biggest deer, The doe gives me a brief window for a shot but I'm too fussy. I look at the other big deer and ..... The body language is wrong! It's a Buck. He follows the little doe directly under my stand. I could have dropped my hat onto him. He noodles around and pesters the doe and her two little does till they tire of the game and leave. He hangs around for a while making a couple of scrapes nearby, then moves on. The morning ends with two definate counts of coup on the 6pt buck and the yearling doe. I could have easily pegged them both with a couple of acorns. Neat wildlife show, got to hear the buck's soft grunting twards the does, and got to see the scrape building process. Naturally Bucks are not fair game during our early muzzleloader season.