silly goose
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2010
- Messages
- 712
- Reaction score
- 2
I had a fantastic experience last week on a rainy/snowy day, and taking a great doe with my plains pistol. Black powder season here in NY only goes for 9 days, and I'm not complaining, but these are the 9 days that I work the rest of the year for. Yesterday was a family commitment day. Today I rose from bed and sighed. Momma said what's the matter? I said I only have three mornings left to this years hunt, I could feel the sadness creeping in of the closing of another season. All I can do is hunt as much as I can during those 9 days and hope to have no regrets.
This morning I go off behind the house, yup the thick stuff. It feels like a great morning, only about 30 degrees, barely a North breeze. I'm in the stand well before sunrise. I sat to dead silent woods until appx 11am. A couple squirrels for entertainment, but thats about it. Home for lunch.
About 12:30 I pack up and head to sit in a hedgerow on a farm a couple miles up the road. I really enjoy sitting in a makeshift blind on the ground. This farm is comprised of 3 large hayfields and a cut cornfield. On the way in I can see two of the hayfields held deer. These deer have been hunted since Oct 1, and they weren't having any of that, they were gone like whitetailed rockets.
I decide to set up in the Southern most field in a hedgerow that runs East/West. The Western and Southern border is thick woods, road to the East and cut cornfield to the North. I take up residence facing West about 75 yards from the woodline with the cornfield to my back. Its a beautiful overcast, gray day. The wind picked up to about 15mph from the Northwest which made things kind of chilly. I'll be honest here folks, I was drifting in and out of sleep. It was kind of like, open eyes, scan field, drift off, repeat...
In between cat naps, I took the time to admire my rifle. One of the things that draws me to hunting with muzzle loaders is how classy they are, and lots of times, just being out there with mine is enough. This rifle is no beaut, trust me. It started life as a TVM kit, and was the first and only rifle I've ever built. I have to say that I like it, even though I know it is flawed. I am proud to carry it. She is a .50 cal, Green Mountain 36" barreled, Early Virginia with a Large Siler flintlock. I rust blued all the iron and used LMF maple stain. For some reason, in spite of my building it, this rifle seems to shoot like a house afire. Balls touch at 50 yards with this thing. I took two deer with it last year and was kind of hoping to take another with it this year.
About 3:30 I usually get my second wind, knowing that if its going to happen, it will happen soon. By 4pm, I'm a little surprised that nothing is showing, so turn around to look into the cornfield and see a tail of a feeding deer. Oh boy! I start to study and see a few deer feeding to the North. The wind is perfect from them to me, and masks my sound as I move to their side of the hedgerow. I make it to the edge, just a couple yards and try to set up for a shot. The deer are about 80 yards out and the sights seemed less than crisp. I don't feel comfortable with the shot. I watched carefully as the last deer disappeared behind a depression in the field and out of sight. Here we go!
I start to crawl towards the lip of that depression. Its about 100 yards away. the field is wet and muddy, and it doesn't take long to get wet through all layers of clothing.
50 yards, sneak peek, see two deer still feeding away from me, probably 80 yards away. Keep crawling.
75 yards. Tired, breathing heavy, wet, cold, yet sweating. Sneak a peek, DONT BLOW IT! See several deer all feeding away, no heads up.
I just have to get over one hump, then a slight depression to hide in before coming up to the crest of that rise. I get down in that depression and take the slightest peek, just wanted to see that they were still there. The deer I saw were about 70 yards and still feeding. 10 yards to go.
I realize I'm breathing very heavy and my neck is cramping. I lay face down for a moment to catch my breathe and ease up on the neck pain. I very, very carefully crawled the last 10 yards. I peeked...
7 deer feeding away from me, all heads down. I pulled the cock back on my .50, praying she wouldn't let me down now. Eased up on my elbows and picked the largest deer I could tell. About 50 yards quartering away. First the set trigger, then steady pressure. The gun went off with the faintest delay and I kept saying to myself to just hold those sights steady. The shot felt real good. I could see her buck and take off straight away. I knew that run, seen it before. 3 deer still stood there, not knowing what happened, the other three ran because they were in front of the deer I shot.
The deer I shot, crossed the next hedgerow, and entered the hayfield. After about 75 total yards, I could see her legs get weak, and she fell in the hayfield. I was elated to say the least.
I walked back to retrieve my gear, and made my way to my trophy. What a magnificent doe, as large as any I've ever shot. Upon dressing her I could see the ball entered just behind the ribs and exited between the neck and shoulder on the far side, center mass. The shot was true. I love my little homely rifle.
So there you have it folks. I realized that a lot could have gone wrong during this escapade, but I got lucky. The stars lined up, the shot rang true, and I am a very happy and lucky man. Still feel like a 10 year old.
I'm never going to stop doing this.
This morning I go off behind the house, yup the thick stuff. It feels like a great morning, only about 30 degrees, barely a North breeze. I'm in the stand well before sunrise. I sat to dead silent woods until appx 11am. A couple squirrels for entertainment, but thats about it. Home for lunch.
About 12:30 I pack up and head to sit in a hedgerow on a farm a couple miles up the road. I really enjoy sitting in a makeshift blind on the ground. This farm is comprised of 3 large hayfields and a cut cornfield. On the way in I can see two of the hayfields held deer. These deer have been hunted since Oct 1, and they weren't having any of that, they were gone like whitetailed rockets.
I decide to set up in the Southern most field in a hedgerow that runs East/West. The Western and Southern border is thick woods, road to the East and cut cornfield to the North. I take up residence facing West about 75 yards from the woodline with the cornfield to my back. Its a beautiful overcast, gray day. The wind picked up to about 15mph from the Northwest which made things kind of chilly. I'll be honest here folks, I was drifting in and out of sleep. It was kind of like, open eyes, scan field, drift off, repeat...
In between cat naps, I took the time to admire my rifle. One of the things that draws me to hunting with muzzle loaders is how classy they are, and lots of times, just being out there with mine is enough. This rifle is no beaut, trust me. It started life as a TVM kit, and was the first and only rifle I've ever built. I have to say that I like it, even though I know it is flawed. I am proud to carry it. She is a .50 cal, Green Mountain 36" barreled, Early Virginia with a Large Siler flintlock. I rust blued all the iron and used LMF maple stain. For some reason, in spite of my building it, this rifle seems to shoot like a house afire. Balls touch at 50 yards with this thing. I took two deer with it last year and was kind of hoping to take another with it this year.
About 3:30 I usually get my second wind, knowing that if its going to happen, it will happen soon. By 4pm, I'm a little surprised that nothing is showing, so turn around to look into the cornfield and see a tail of a feeding deer. Oh boy! I start to study and see a few deer feeding to the North. The wind is perfect from them to me, and masks my sound as I move to their side of the hedgerow. I make it to the edge, just a couple yards and try to set up for a shot. The deer are about 80 yards out and the sights seemed less than crisp. I don't feel comfortable with the shot. I watched carefully as the last deer disappeared behind a depression in the field and out of sight. Here we go!
I start to crawl towards the lip of that depression. Its about 100 yards away. the field is wet and muddy, and it doesn't take long to get wet through all layers of clothing.
50 yards, sneak peek, see two deer still feeding away from me, probably 80 yards away. Keep crawling.
75 yards. Tired, breathing heavy, wet, cold, yet sweating. Sneak a peek, DONT BLOW IT! See several deer all feeding away, no heads up.
I just have to get over one hump, then a slight depression to hide in before coming up to the crest of that rise. I get down in that depression and take the slightest peek, just wanted to see that they were still there. The deer I saw were about 70 yards and still feeding. 10 yards to go.
I realize I'm breathing very heavy and my neck is cramping. I lay face down for a moment to catch my breathe and ease up on the neck pain. I very, very carefully crawled the last 10 yards. I peeked...
7 deer feeding away from me, all heads down. I pulled the cock back on my .50, praying she wouldn't let me down now. Eased up on my elbows and picked the largest deer I could tell. About 50 yards quartering away. First the set trigger, then steady pressure. The gun went off with the faintest delay and I kept saying to myself to just hold those sights steady. The shot felt real good. I could see her buck and take off straight away. I knew that run, seen it before. 3 deer still stood there, not knowing what happened, the other three ran because they were in front of the deer I shot.
The deer I shot, crossed the next hedgerow, and entered the hayfield. After about 75 total yards, I could see her legs get weak, and she fell in the hayfield. I was elated to say the least.
I walked back to retrieve my gear, and made my way to my trophy. What a magnificent doe, as large as any I've ever shot. Upon dressing her I could see the ball entered just behind the ribs and exited between the neck and shoulder on the far side, center mass. The shot was true. I love my little homely rifle.
So there you have it folks. I realized that a lot could have gone wrong during this escapade, but I got lucky. The stars lined up, the shot rang true, and I am a very happy and lucky man. Still feel like a 10 year old.
I'm never going to stop doing this.
