Tenpin
Senior Member
Had a 2-deer weekend! That’s 4 for the year now in the two weekends I've spent at camp.
I pulled the card from my trail cam and only had 5 pics of deer from over the last 3 weeks and 4 of the pics were pre-dawn or after dark so I thought it was going to be quiet time out in the blind – but at least there were two bucks I’d never seen before. Sadly, they were the predawn and after dark visitors.
Friday evening hunt I dragged doe estrous in and hung out my scent wicks – nothing.
Saturday morning I dragged in again, re-dipped the wicks and nothing again. I did kick one up walking back in to camp for breakfast but that was a long ways from my blind.
Saturday evening was a blank too and, yet again, as I am walking back to camp I kick up a pair I couldn’t even see in the dark. Oh well, at least there was Jack Daniels and a nice fire at the shack.
Sunday morning I go through the routine and get settled into the blind. Sat for a couple hours and at about 8:15 I pulled out my vaping pen, took a few drags and from behind me a deer I had no idea was there because the back of the blind is solid, blows the loudest (and first) blow I’d ever heard. It sounded to be about 15 yards away and it scared the crap out of me. It bolted and blew three more times as it was crashing off into the distance. It sounded huge.
Well, dang. I figured that was all she wrote for that sit. As loud as that deer was I figured every deer within a mile was now alerted and knew to stay the heck away.
I mulled packing up and going back to camp for a bit but then I caught movement out in front of me – a doe was working her way through the woods about 70 yards out but she was steadily eyeballing my direction every time there was a break in the underbrush. I sighted between two trees and waited for her to cross the narrow gap and when she did I shot! Dropped right there. It was 8:35. Texted the guys to drive out with the drag.
I made my way over and when I got to her I pulled out my wallet to fill out my tag and all of a sudden a deer lets out a huge blow and goes running off. Aw heck – again!? There must have been a buck following. Well, at least I got some meat and learned a lesson
Had 4 does cross the road onto our lease on the way to the processor to drop off the deer, head back to camp, have some coffee and breakfast. Two of my buddies start packing and I figure I should too but the other one of us says he wants to get in a mid-day hunt so I said I’d stay.
Walked back out at noon – got to my blind at 12:20 for a short sit since we agreed to meet back at the shack at 2. I had about an hour.
I’d barely gotten settled in when 40 yards out and from the left I see a deer moving and he has a rack! I pick up my Mosin, set it on the shooting stick and swing to the left side of the blind opening and sight him in. I raised the scope to count points since I’d already shot a fork-horn on opening weekend and as I did that-----the shooting stick fell. The buck, that I counted 4 points on my side and was now alerted to my presence because I counted, halted a second then turned off the trail and started trotting away.
I had one chance to shoot before he went into a thicket so I took a rear quartering away shot that he presented at about 60 yards. The Mosin blasted and he piled right up.
I headed over and turns out I’d hit high but I got his right lung (bubbles) and the soft point and rib fragments took care the rest of his organs. Turned out he only had 3 points on one side though but still it was my biggest buck ever!
All in all I saw (or heard) more deer this weekend (11) than any other in 10 years on our meager 100-acre lease and I got a buck taboot.
68 year-old Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine
7.62 x 54R Winchester 180 gr Soft Point
I pulled the card from my trail cam and only had 5 pics of deer from over the last 3 weeks and 4 of the pics were pre-dawn or after dark so I thought it was going to be quiet time out in the blind – but at least there were two bucks I’d never seen before. Sadly, they were the predawn and after dark visitors.
Friday evening hunt I dragged doe estrous in and hung out my scent wicks – nothing.
Saturday morning I dragged in again, re-dipped the wicks and nothing again. I did kick one up walking back in to camp for breakfast but that was a long ways from my blind.
Saturday evening was a blank too and, yet again, as I am walking back to camp I kick up a pair I couldn’t even see in the dark. Oh well, at least there was Jack Daniels and a nice fire at the shack.
Sunday morning I go through the routine and get settled into the blind. Sat for a couple hours and at about 8:15 I pulled out my vaping pen, took a few drags and from behind me a deer I had no idea was there because the back of the blind is solid, blows the loudest (and first) blow I’d ever heard. It sounded to be about 15 yards away and it scared the crap out of me. It bolted and blew three more times as it was crashing off into the distance. It sounded huge.
Well, dang. I figured that was all she wrote for that sit. As loud as that deer was I figured every deer within a mile was now alerted and knew to stay the heck away.
I mulled packing up and going back to camp for a bit but then I caught movement out in front of me – a doe was working her way through the woods about 70 yards out but she was steadily eyeballing my direction every time there was a break in the underbrush. I sighted between two trees and waited for her to cross the narrow gap and when she did I shot! Dropped right there. It was 8:35. Texted the guys to drive out with the drag.
I made my way over and when I got to her I pulled out my wallet to fill out my tag and all of a sudden a deer lets out a huge blow and goes running off. Aw heck – again!? There must have been a buck following. Well, at least I got some meat and learned a lesson
Had 4 does cross the road onto our lease on the way to the processor to drop off the deer, head back to camp, have some coffee and breakfast. Two of my buddies start packing and I figure I should too but the other one of us says he wants to get in a mid-day hunt so I said I’d stay.
Walked back out at noon – got to my blind at 12:20 for a short sit since we agreed to meet back at the shack at 2. I had about an hour.
I’d barely gotten settled in when 40 yards out and from the left I see a deer moving and he has a rack! I pick up my Mosin, set it on the shooting stick and swing to the left side of the blind opening and sight him in. I raised the scope to count points since I’d already shot a fork-horn on opening weekend and as I did that-----the shooting stick fell. The buck, that I counted 4 points on my side and was now alerted to my presence because I counted, halted a second then turned off the trail and started trotting away.
I had one chance to shoot before he went into a thicket so I took a rear quartering away shot that he presented at about 60 yards. The Mosin blasted and he piled right up.
I headed over and turns out I’d hit high but I got his right lung (bubbles) and the soft point and rib fragments took care the rest of his organs. Turned out he only had 3 points on one side though but still it was my biggest buck ever!
All in all I saw (or heard) more deer this weekend (11) than any other in 10 years on our meager 100-acre lease and I got a buck taboot.
68 year-old Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine
7.62 x 54R Winchester 180 gr Soft Point
