The Firearms Forum banner

I guess that's why it's called "Deer Hunting...."

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  polishshooter 
#1 ·
....and not "Deer Shooting.":cool:

Last year was the first time I got skunked in 10 years, despite more time in the stand than any other year. Saw deer but only one in range I missed with a tough shot....


And this year it continues.....although seeing less deer this year, not even one yesterday all day.:confused: Even though there are all KINDS of sign and we see deer all the time around there. Just not when I'm out it seems....


I guess my wife was right when a few years ago I filled both buck and doe tags on opening day and I told her something like "This is almost too easy....."


She got mad at me and told me to remember the years I used to get nothing....Oh how I remember....;):p

And going into my busy time at work....only this afternoon, Thanksgiving morning, and maybe Friday Saturday afternoons and if I'm lucky SUnday all day to end gun season....then comes muzzleloading and late gun doe so I should have a lot more time.....


But then I said that LAST year about this time too....:cool:


The three tags in my pocket are getting AWFULLY heavy....:p
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I went through the same thing last year. I hunted my arse off and didn't shoot anything. First time in years with no venison.
My meat grinders and sausage stuffers sat in storage. I was seriously sad about it.

This year, my son and me bow hunted, got an extra month, saw nothing we could shoot. I thought it was going to be a repeat of last year:(

then on opening day rifle season, a young buck came in and I took him out just to get some meat in the freezer. It was a relief. My whole attitude changed. It was like a rock was off of my chest, knowing I at least had something. Then Saturday a week ago, with my son and a nice doe came in and he got her. I may only hunt a few more times now, even though we have plenty of tags left. Either look for Muy Grande or something that needs thinned out for grinding meat.

Hang in there, when you least expect it, your luck will change!;)
 
#3 ·
Muzzle loader just ended here on Friday evening. Thought I was going to get skunked but got a small spike around 2 o'clock. Rifle season runs right behind. Opening day was yesterday but didn't go (took my grandson for his Tn hunter education certification). I hate to say it but, I wish they would give us a break between just to give the deer a chance to settle down. Oh well, rifle runs through January 3rd so there's plenty of time.
 
#4 ·
Yeah, ours is the other way around, 2 weeks of gun then a week off and two weeks of ML starts the following weekend Dec 7th.

My wife was upset I wanted to go to church today instead of hunting this morning....17 degrees had something to do with it though....:p


Getting ready to go out for the rest of the day and this evening however, wind is a lot less than yesterday, and WNW which works for my stand, maybe tonight is my time....


The ONLY good thing about getting skunked is I didn't have to sharpen my gutting OR Skinning blades before the season this year....;):p:mad:
 
#5 ·
I'm with you polishshooter, I've had this stand in this spot for 5 years now, and I have taken a buck each year out of it except this year, and I have hunted more out of it then any year. Oh well the season goes to Dec. 8.
 
#6 ·
What's depressing is I cut out of work early Friday and hunted from about 3:30 til dark, Saturday Legal Shoot AM until about 11:30, then 2:30 until dark, today got out about 2:30 and just got back....


And I didn't see even a tail or even one doe in the distance....:cool:

And today the wind was perfect for me, and died completely from 4:00 until dark...cold as heck, but clear...thought for SURE tonight was it....
 
#8 · (Edited)
KY, yeah, I think old George in 2010 was a CURSE.;):eek::D

Either that, or the button I got later in the same season to fill my antlerless tag. I NEVER shoot buttons unless with the flintlock if I think it's a button, but he ran right under my stand and I SWEAR I didn't see any buttons so I knew he was a young doe, then he stopped about 100 yds away and stood broadside....giving me an EASY shot....

The year after I got a scrawny buck that was the only deer I could get a shot at, and since that one, NOTHING.

It's looking up though, we got about 10 inches of snow Friday I saw a bunch of doe too far away right before end of legal shoot on Saturday and had six does come by about 4:30 yesterdat, had the flintlock cocked and ready but decided not to shoot....EXACTLY the same set up as when I got George, 4 of them stopped broadside when I blew the doe call, even though they winded me and two were already booking off with tails flying...

But I kept reminding myself that was at LEAST 190 yds, and while I quessed right with the '97 how much that slug would drop, I have only fired my flintlock maybe 3 times at 100 yds since I've owned it, and I'll be DAMMED if I can remember how much I held high with it....so I uncocked and they ran off...don't know how much that .440 roundball behind 60 grains FFFg would have dropped at that range....maybe when I go to the range this spring to sight in for SOuth Dakota I better take the flintlock and really figure it out on paper at 100....

But so far it's batting 1.000, in 20 years or so I have only taken two shots at a deer with it, and got them both....a button with a nice shot at 75 in freezing rain that took me cocking it three times before it went "boom" and a 210 pound dressed doe at less than 20 yds that I hit in the jugular...but even a .22 would have killed her with the same shot....


I would have taken the shot with the shotgun...


I usually hunt muzzleloading for fun, AFTER I already have at least one deer in the freezer from gun season.....

I may have to concede I am a HUNTER and not a re-enactor and break down and buy an Encore or some other in-line with a scope that can hit out to 200 for seasons like this.....

Oh well, I have 10 days this year for the bonus antlerless season after Christmas so I can use the '97, so I am still not too worried....
 
#9 ·
And as for Old George, the mount is BEAUTIFUL....;)

But I heard my two kids arguing a couple of weeks ago...


...over who would get STUCK with it after I die!!!!:eek:


I decided if either of my GRANDDAUGHTERS doesn't want it, they maybe could sell it to Cracker Barrel or something....:cool::p:D:D
 

Attachments

#10 ·
Officially skunked again.:(

Gonna yank the stands this year, redo the seat on one, junk the homemade one, buy another on clearance and next year put them back up on different trees on either side of the big ravine so I'm set no matter which way the wind blows.

Plus play with the ground blind my wife got me for Christmas... got a few good places it might work for when it's too windy or cold or wet...

I haven't moved my stand in about 8 years. Kinda got used to always filling my tag from it plus I got my trophy from it. But I think they figured it out. Saw lots of deer but always too far or too tough a shot....no easy ones any more.:cool:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top