--------here's my season ender------
I got busted as soon as I got past the big Ash tree in the yard. Could tell one had some size...that's about it..they went blowin into the woods to the north and gone. I did a hard left and walked my old trail almost to my old stand location. Moon set hadn't happened...not a cloud in the sky so I was lit up till I could get into the shadows of the tree line to the south. Light breeze blowin so any noise I made would be lost behind me. Half way to my old place i cut straight down hill in the wide open. Breeze still helping so I made no pretenses just got to where I wanted to be...the far tree line. Once there i stopped and listened. Didn't hear nuthin from the two that busted me...maybe by taking the long way around they lost me over the rise of the hill.
I did the rattle thing on the way into the stand. I don't like how just 2 antlers sound....tinkly...doesn't sound serious. Anyway once there I got into the stand I buckled up and just froze...no motion...nada...didn't even hit my coffee. Somethin was movin in the dark...maybe 40-50yds off...moving slow...two...maybe three. Just as dawn thought about brightening things up a bit...all noise stopped...figured they decided to hit the trail away from me. Few leaves on it so they wouldn't make much noise at all.
The forcast was dead on the money...upper 20's but the breeze had the wind chill down to almost 19....and I had snot runnin down my face since the get go. About 30min after sunrise I couldn't stand it anymore and sniffed...yeah...hard enough that something jumped the fence 65yds at my 4 o'clock and beat feet into the pines...great.
That cold breeze hit me in the face till about 1pm when all of a sudden...it just stopped...instantly it felt 20 degrees warmer. A little while late I had a button buck or maybe a spike with a busted antler approach my 6 o'clock. He got to within 20 at my 3 o'clock and got reall antsy...figured he winded me...he stopped dead...milled around then beat feet back the way he came. It woulda been real hard to swing that far to the right and down before he was in high gear.
I'm glad I held off. 30min later I had 4-5 does 85yds to my right movin from the north...nervous like...woundered if it could be me that far away. Then I saw horn...I stood up to clear some branches and brought the ml to bear. Real thick there...more moving...there...he's what's got them all riled up.
110yds...7pt dressed at 160lbs. It was the last day of MuzzleLoader season here.....I'm glad I stuck it out.
