peter hawbaker
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2010
- Messages
- 186
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PA's late flintlock season is one of my favorite hunts. I have lived in Alaska for over a decade now, and despite bagging most species of Alaska's big game, I still try to get back to my home state of PA every year for flintlock season. I have been hooked since I killed a doe with my TC Renegade when I was 16. This year I was able to make it back to hunt the last week and a half. My season got off to a slow start, missed a bedded doe I spotted and spent half an hour sneaking into position on, only to overestimate the range and shoot right where I was aiming, an inch or so over her back. The second week ended without being able to redeem myself.
On Monday of the last week, I was still hunting up a ridge and spotted a coyote approximately 70 yards away watching me. He was off my right shoulder, and I never expected to be able to get a shot off on him. Every coyote I ever encountered put it in high gear upon sighting me. I slowly pivoted without moving my feet, slowly raising and cocking the rifle when it was in line with my body. I was in an awkward position, feet facing away from the coyote when I took the shot. He took off running at the shot, but despite the odd position the shot felt good. After a moment or two I heard brush crashing in the direction he ran, and I was able to follow an easy blood trail to where he lay. He ran 100 yards or so despite being shot through the heart with the .54.
The next day, Tuesday, some friends and family and I were putting on a drive on State Game Lands. I was a stander on this particular drive and had just seen a large group of deer heading up the mountain, but I could not get a shot because of thick saplings and brush along with their speed. Just as they disappeared from sight, I saw another deer sneaking through the trees about 40 yards below me. I glimpsed a flash of an antler, and he stopped with his chest behind some trees, with his head and neck sticking out. I counted three points on one antler, and put the front sight right at the base of his neck. At the shot, he dropped where he stood, I had hit right where I had aimed. He was a small buck, a 5 point, but as anyone who has hunted PA flintlock season knows, a legal buck on public land in the late flintlock season is a trophy. I was happy with him !
I hunted Wednesday and Thursday without getting any shots. On Friday morning, I was still hunting when I saw the sunlight on a deer's back about two hundred yards up the mountain above me. I stopped, and soon saw two deer headed my way. I waited, and the lead doe eventually gave me a good shot at about 60 yards. She ran, but I was confident I had made a killing shot. I found her piled up dead about 50 yards away. She was a big doe, among the biggest I have killed.
All in all, it was my best flintlock season to date, and I cant wait for next year !
On Monday of the last week, I was still hunting up a ridge and spotted a coyote approximately 70 yards away watching me. He was off my right shoulder, and I never expected to be able to get a shot off on him. Every coyote I ever encountered put it in high gear upon sighting me. I slowly pivoted without moving my feet, slowly raising and cocking the rifle when it was in line with my body. I was in an awkward position, feet facing away from the coyote when I took the shot. He took off running at the shot, but despite the odd position the shot felt good. After a moment or two I heard brush crashing in the direction he ran, and I was able to follow an easy blood trail to where he lay. He ran 100 yards or so despite being shot through the heart with the .54.
The next day, Tuesday, some friends and family and I were putting on a drive on State Game Lands. I was a stander on this particular drive and had just seen a large group of deer heading up the mountain, but I could not get a shot because of thick saplings and brush along with their speed. Just as they disappeared from sight, I saw another deer sneaking through the trees about 40 yards below me. I glimpsed a flash of an antler, and he stopped with his chest behind some trees, with his head and neck sticking out. I counted three points on one antler, and put the front sight right at the base of his neck. At the shot, he dropped where he stood, I had hit right where I had aimed. He was a small buck, a 5 point, but as anyone who has hunted PA flintlock season knows, a legal buck on public land in the late flintlock season is a trophy. I was happy with him !
I hunted Wednesday and Thursday without getting any shots. On Friday morning, I was still hunting when I saw the sunlight on a deer's back about two hundred yards up the mountain above me. I stopped, and soon saw two deer headed my way. I waited, and the lead doe eventually gave me a good shot at about 60 yards. She ran, but I was confident I had made a killing shot. I found her piled up dead about 50 yards away. She was a big doe, among the biggest I have killed.
All in all, it was my best flintlock season to date, and I cant wait for next year !
