Season '15

[VaRedneck]

Early muzzle loader was uneventful...except the weather...heh. First time I've been hunting in nuthin but drawers and and rain gear.

Anyway...finally be filling the freezer today...

Yesterday, dawn was 20min past when I climbed into my stand. Wind was supposed to have calmed by 0600....didn't happen. Just before 7 had some guy walk down the hill to the west. He stopped 40' from my and my northern neighbors' fence...sat in the lee of an old oak and settled in. About the third time he looked around...he saw me. 5min later he decided hunting across my fence line, while I was there, was a bad idea. Took about 10min of slow walkin to ease on to the north.

Somehow I allowed the mrs to schedule a meeting in town so as lousy as the day started I wasn't too sad to call it.

I managed to climb back into the stand at 1530. Figuring it a waste of time, I buckled the harness strap and turned around. Shocked to see a 4pt...110yds...sniffin around the spot the poacher had taken...then he followed on to the north as well. It wasn't 5min later...doe at my 12....antsy...movin around more than I like..in the thick...I took the shot. couldn't find her...but saw 3 more jump out into the pasture. One, like the first, was an older doe. I slowly jacked another round and squeezed off a better shot. She dropped on the spot. The first jumped the fence into the thick sht to the west and the two yearlins faded to the south.

I returned with the truck...dressed the second and then spent the next hr and a half trackin the first thru a 150yds of thick saplings and blackberry. They went about 140# apiece. A slow start to my season...but it's a start none the less.

[Dan Morris]

Should eat good....my congrats.
Dan

[VaRedneck]

Thanks,Dan.

I had tenderloin on the grill tonight. I used mesquite charcoal. Damn was it good. It's my new favorite, just eclipsed fried in bacon grease.

[Adog]

Nice deer, congrats to you.

[wrenchman]

nery nice i hav not had the smoke pole out in a while

[VaRedneck]

46* this morning...high overcast....softened the glare a bit. Turkey's really tossed the leaves around. The floor looked like hundreds of piles placed haphazardly around. About 11 I couldn't stand it any more and did something about my floating eyeballs. A lil while later I heard something at my six. Stretched around and saw a buck...cautiously heading my way. Took him 15 min to close to 25yds at my 5. He musta smelled the watered bushes and froze...testing the wind....looked right at me....tested some more...decided to break right and head down hill fast. He musta then seen me complete my stand/turn he stopped...quartering away at 60 yds. The angle was still too much...I couldn't bring my rifle square...had to hold it off a bit...sight picture was only a 1/4" wide on the back of the scope...saw the cross hairs past the shoulder and up a bit....BOOM. he made 20yds straight down to the creek.

8pt dress at 160lbs. Felt a lot heavier when I was draggin it up outa the creek and up hill to the truck...must be gettin old or somethin.

[Adog]

Wow 160, that's a biggin. Great looking buck, congrats.

[VaRedneck]

59* this mornin....wet...foggy....intermittent light rain. About 0830...two does and two fawns cut my 6 and headed west down the middle of the pasture. I picked the lead at my 9...after the lousy hot weather of wed, I squeezed off a near perfect shot...double lung...missed the heart but also missed both shoulders...so I considered it a plus...till I had to track it. It'd taken off when hit, straight into the thick..the trailing three split south. I herd mine crash after a few seconds so went to grab the truck. When I got back out... is when I realized how much fun it was gonna be to track over sopping wet ground...grass...leaves...trees...soaking wet.

I circled the hit zone for 10min w/o seeing the first sign...scanned 50' of wire...no go. Dog let me down for the second time...headed off to the south after the 3...till I called him back...he just sat by the truck and watched me cuss...he's getting old...don't move around good anymore. I've said it before a few years back but this might be his last. Ah well. back to the story...

I knew I hit her...so I went through the fence and headed to the creek....amazing how many white rocks show when everything is soaked. If she hadn't fallen with her belly toward my line I would have been much longer on the trail.

As hot as it's been, I sent this one to a processor. Splitting the whole thing in summer sausage and hot snack sticks.