Nov 7 my first w/ Muzzleloader

[VaRedneck]

The screaming for a glass of milk caused by the two huge bowls of slow cooked ham&bean soup that I had for supper last night, woke me up at 4:30 this morning. I rolled back over and dealt with it. At 5:15 I got up, one of the dogs figured it was a good time to start the day so I grabbed the spot light and went on outside. I lit up a line of does spread out across the pasture heading for the neighbors. As I was panning down the line, I kept on going....just see how many there were. I noticed the eyes of a straggler picking it's way through the tree line to the north looking to catch up with the rest.

I figured what the heck....the wind was slight...outa the west...clear sky...gonna be a beautiful day. I went back inside, had a bowl of Cheerios to settle my stomach, made some coffee, and put on my gear. As I was climbing the stairs the mrs asked if I would feed the dogs for her. I said, "Nope...gotta go...I'll be out back...have a nice day...I love ya, babe." I grabbed my coffee cup and out the door.

As I rounded the garage I heard the door open...the mrs was grabbing the bowls...and letting the dogs out...damn. They heard me hit the leaves on the fence line behind the garage and set to barking....great..thanks alot, babe...grumble.

With my muzzleloader slung on my right shoulder....hotseat and coffee in my left I slowly climbed the stand. As I got to the top I set the cup down...turned, sat, lowered the shooting rest...then attached my harness. With the rifle set down between my feet, barrel leaning against the rest I slowly took a sip of some coffee...this is kinda nice...I've never brought coffee before....and then looked to my right. Son!....30yds at my 5 o'clock...deer...just light enough to see....yep...buck. Now what do I do?

He came on at a slow walk...not in a hurry...definately preoccupied. He stopped at my 3 o'clock ten yards away...I still hadn't moved...holding my coffee in my right hand...gun standing between feet. He pawed at the ground a bit then walked toward my front....took a left behind some scrub pine on the fence line. I slowly put down my cup behind me on the seat and brought the ML to bear where I'd hoped to see him re-imerge from the pines. I could hear him walking around in there...hoping he wouldn't cross onto the neighbors....I have permission...but it's thick in there.

Right there at my feet...5 yards in front of me. I look through the scope...like I really needed toBOOM! He set back and takes off at a dead run straight down the hill....I know I hit him...how could I miss?...he gets to the far tree line and I hear him crash...then crash again...then silence.

A coupla does pop back up over the top of the hill to see what's up. I don't want to give myself away so I wait...and wait....then couldn't wait anymore. They take off as I check around for a blood trail...none...I head to the house to get Black Dog. The rest wanted to go to but I didn't need a circus. When I got back I still couldn't find any blood. Black Dog sniffed around a bit then we headed over the hill in the direction the buck headed. I didn't really need the dog....just headed for the biggest break in the brush and saw him layed out about twenty yards in...70 yards total from the stand.

Not bad I thought....2 minutes in the stand and a 9 pointer is on the ground....I could get spoiled this way.

It's not as big most of y'alls...but it's the biggest I've ever taken. 9 point, dressed out at 165lbs.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n163/PhilGash/Nov7002.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n163/PhilGash/buck2.jpg

A while back I was intending on buying a Savage 10MLBSS-II. Long story, short...I got a pretty good deal on this CVA Kodiac Pro Magnum 209. SS w/ laminate thumbhole stock, 3-7x32, starter kit and 20 powerbelts. If I remember right I paid $420 through Cabela's.

I'm using a 100gr of 777pellets behind a 245 Powerbelt.

[fabsroman]

Congratulations and great write up. I wish I had the ability to hunt out of my back door, but then my wife would probably be down to my stand every 5 minutes to ask me questions. Probably wouldn't work out, but it is a nice dream nonetheless.

How long have you been deer hunting? It took me about 10 years to get my first antlered deer, which turned out to be pretty decent. The very next year, I shot a really mature 11 pointer, but the spread wasn't as big as I had hoped. I've hardly deer hunted over the last 3 seasons, but might get out this season for a day or two. Who knows.

[VaRedneck]

Thanks, here's the spot. The red dot is where my ladder stand is located. The pic's a few years old so you'll have to add 4'-5' to the pines farther down the tree line from the stand.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n163/PhilGash/backyard001.jpg
I started hunting....sometime around '90, barrowed 30-30...hard sighted in for a lefty...I'm right handed. I missed a huge buck...never seen one as big since then but I was hooked.

[LoneWolf]

Nice looking Rottyin the pic!
Mine just turned 6 months old, so she is still growing and not filled out yet.
Is this the black dog you used to help track your deer?

[VaRedneck]

Yeah, that's Black Dog. I don't have a lot of pics of him but here's another with a coupla his run'n buddies.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n163/PhilGash/MVC-001S.jpg
I found him at a construction site where I was working during the christmas of '03. After a week of watching him run the neighborhood, I found him building a bed in some moldy straw next to a dumpster. I took him home after that. We tried several different names...he wouldn't obey...I was about at my whits end when I said something...Black Dog....he reacted...and started obeying. It wasn't that difficult to train him after that. Wish I'd a got him as a pup.

[fabsroman]

Kind of addicting that hunting stuff, especially when you miss a big buck on your first time out. I probably started deer hunting in 90 or 91. Killed a button buck with my dad's .30-06 after being in the stand for less than 30 minutes, and debating whether or not to take the shot for about 10 minutes.

Nice backyard by the way. I am almost jealous.

[VaRedneck]

One thing would make it better....a pond.

I've often thought about bringing the subject up with my neighbors....figured if we could dam up the small feeder creek behind the hill we could flood anywhere from 40 to 200 acres depending on where we do the deed.

Put some fish in it and I'd be hard pressed to wanna leave.

[Steverino]

Welcome to the HC board and congratulations on a fine deer! You do have a very nice set-up & have due reason for being very thankful this season of counting our blessings!;)

I drive two hours from my home each weekend to my deer woods. I cannot even imagine hunting off of my back porch. Absolutely nothing would get done around my house all Fall!:D

[bigbrother]

Great deer!

[Duffy]

Congratulations! That is a great deer, and your story makes for very good reading!

[VaRedneck]

Thanks guys.

[LoneWolf]

I'm curious on how you trained Blackdog to track wounded deer?
I know mine has a nose and a half on her, so it might it be usefull little trick to teach her.

[VaRedneck]

Heh....as to his training... :D

I don't know how long he was on his own before I took him home. He was awfully thin...only weighed 85lbs....hip displasia too.

My other two dogs were never behind a fence...or on a chain...they visited the neighbors...but they knew where their food bowls were.

When Black Dog got here...he stuck around...I think because of the free eats and warm dog bed. After a while he called this place home...but for a while there....

Ever see a lion on tv hunt?.....when one is close enough to the prey....she hunches down to make herself small...and waits till the time is right, then launch? Black Dog would do that. He was damned near fast enough to run one down giving it a 30yd head start across open ground. Once they hit the woods the deer would leave him behind....he wouldn't stop though. after a few hours he'd come limping home...outa breath...tired...wore out.

Come hunting season...we had better bring his ass in and put him on a chain. or we'd have every gut pile in the county in the back yard either being rolled in or yacked up after being gorged on.

When I'd come in towing a deer behind or on my shoulder...he's beside himself...you can almost see him thinking WOO HOO, YOU GOT ONE! Ha!.

Anyway....he's back trailed me before....three day old trail...the mrs let him out to eat and didn't get him on a chain soon enough. A few days earlier I'd brought a doe home. We watched him tear outa the yard and run down the exact path through the pasture that I'd walked 3 days before. I watched him go right into the woods where I'd come out. Then it dawned on me and I hurried down there before he got into that pile.

Anyhow...I've been training him to be a good family dog, sit, stay off my bed...no begging...walk on lead ect.

I didn't have to train him to track/hunt.

He's up over a 100lbs...still thin...but with his hips, we try an make sure he don't gain too much weight.

A coupla years ago...he got a neighbors cat...didn't kill it but shook it like a rag doll in front of it's owner. In an effort to keep the peace and make sure he wasn't shot when he'd run around the next time...we put up a 2 acre invisible fence perimeter. He hasn't been outside the fence off a lead since.