seasons almost over....

[FF Jim]

....And I will be eating tag stew this winter. Unless I can make something happen in muzzleloader season. Anyone else get skunked this season?

[Gill-T]

Was hunting my buddies property bordering rt. 78 in wales Sunday. After being dejected about not seeing even a squirrel on stand, I decided to go stillhunting as a last chance hailmary. Using a drainage cut I counted 500' off rt.78 and entered into a bedroom area. Using the cars whizzing-by to mask my footsteps I snuck around some recently timbered areas with lots of fallen tops. I was standing next to one such top when a buck stands up from underneath, then another, then another, then another, then another. Six bucks all huddled in under this top. Given the size of the tree top, they had to be spooning!!!!! A four point, three sixes, a 2.5 year old eight, and a three year old eight. After getting to their feet, they were all looking around for the disturbance. Not moving a muscle these deer stood for five minutes within 5-8 yards of me trying to find the source of danger.....and yes, "all camoflage-hunter guy" I had an orange camo vest on. It helps late in the season when the rut is over to go for a walk and look in all the nooks and crannies.

[ray koziatek]

and did ya shoot one Chad,or did ya melt... I have such a place where bucks hole up in the season been that way for the 25 years sence

I discovered this....I never go their without snow or before the last day of season ,Why snow, well to be shur 100% of the most recent trail to get in the area,its 100yds long and 50 yds wide , Funny you mention near road as this area borders a main road..This year i stayed out for gun because I got a nice buck earlier ... But my muzzy tag is good , no snow and I wont go but their is a tall tree i can sneak up the branches 50 yds away and sit em out usually their is 4 or 5 nice bucks in their..but one wiff or wrong move and its all over..I have never showed anyone this spot ,But one of the neighbors kid who is gaining my respect might be the first,but it will take a couple years too tell.

AND NO! i ant tellin you Chad.

[Gill-T]

This story does not have a good ending . After remaining motionless (I even closed my eyes so my blinking didn't give me away)....I had to wait for the 2.5 year old to look down hill before I could make a move on the bigger buck hanging back. Finally, when a car driving by caused the younger buck to look down at the road, I was able to turn, take a knee and find a small 4" window in the cover to shoot at the older deer front quartering. Now, I don't like front quartering for obvious reasons, but it was less than 10 yards. At the shot, the buck humped all up with it's opposite shoulder/leg dragging as it ran past me at 5 yards (deer still did not know where I was). Every indication was a perfect shot. The deer wavered at 20 yards broadside and I considered reloading my single shot and shooting again but it looked like he was going down and with the road nearby I did not want to throw anymore lead than needed. Then the deer labored behind a blowdown and out of site. As I fully expected the deer to be dead behind the downed tree top, I was shocked to find the deer absent upon looking. Good blood immediately. He can't go far right? Well the trail continued on 100 yards, and I started to think I single lunged him. Problems continued as the trail went across a neighboring property (horse farm) which we did not have permission to access. We called the phone number on the posted sign but was only able to leave a message on the answering machine. Then the sun departed and the skies opened up with a deluge. So it looks like it will be an after season antler hunt with my dog. Coyote food. Wish I never had shot. A hunter's shame.

[FF Jim]

I feel your pain. I did that to a nice doe last week. Had a good shoulder shot opportunity at 30 yards and figured i would drop her in her tracks. Apparently i was wrong in that thinking since I looked for her for 2 hours and couldn't find her. Probably going out a couple times with the smoke pole towards the end of the week, hopefully the deer will be moving on their own. Don't like taking running shots with a muzzle loader. Good luck guys!

[BSmaster]

This year is my first skunk. Kinda sad about it but it is good to get the disappointment out of the way. Thought about muzzle loading but with the weather pattern hanging tight, I figure I would get back to fishing for a bit. Hoping the perch are biting.

Gill-T, good story, sorry about the ending. It happens. I lost an 8 pt in a large unmowed hayfield one year. I knew I hit it good but lost sight of it because of the terrain. Looked and looked and had my family look too, and finally gave up. Walking across the field a week later stumbled right on it. The deer took a left hand turn once it went out of my sight. The coyotes didn't even find it yet. I still feel aweful about wasting it like that. I killed two deer that year that never made to the freezer because of that field. Field gets mowed now.

Congrats to those that got nice bucks, to those who got there first ever or first in a long while, and to those that have that much needed venison in their freezers. I think I will be buying beef hotdogs from wilson farms this year.

And remember, a good beer and some venison jerky will keep the inlaws away from you these holidays.

[FISHIN AGAIN?]

I have tried that with the inlaws but they still come around.