yellowtail3
01-01-2010, 09:46 PM
SEASON ENDED today. Went AM, short lunch, went PM... the deer were locked up tight. Did see an otter, though.
A couple weeks ago - Dec 16 - I got the best deer this year. It's been a good season; I've had a lot of time to hunt. While I'd rather be working, the freezer is very full.
Dec 16 - on Game Lands south of Chapel Hill. It's a loooong ways in; takes me 45 minutes to walk in, longer if I'm being quiet. I'd left my stand there from the two days earlier. Got there just before sun-up. I'm right next to a wide (30') creek, overlooking a swamp. This is the view from the tree...
254
It was cold, and by 9am, I'm daydreaming a bit instead of deliberately looking. After carelessly scratching my head I glance to my right, and there's... a deer? Just standing there, about 150-175 yards out. I think it's a deer, facing directly toward me - that, or a tall gray tree stump that just magically materialized. The an ear flickered... deer is looking right towards me. I don't move... do I see antlers? We have a face off for a few minutes - I'm about 30 feet up, screened by some branches of tree next to me... finally deer turns head a bit, and THIS NICE RACK ROTATES with his head. My heart rate about doubles.... then he starts walking in, and turns left. As he passes behind a tree I pull up rifle, get locked down... he's still moving, getting close to thicket, thought about grunting but didn't want to ... good sight picture, sqeeeeze BOOM! deer runs - behind tangle, can't see him, never comes out. Got down, walked a ways to find a log to crawl across, then waded through a couple feet of water toward where I hoped hoped hoped he would be, and... there he was.
Shot was about 120-150 yards (hard to pace in swamp, across creek etc). The load was a 150gr Federal FP in 30-30; he covered about 30 yards after being hit, a dead-center heart shot. It was a good day. Took me over two hours to drag him out, and I was feeling some new muscle groups two days later, but it was worth it. Best deer of the year for me, by far -
where he was when shot
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs108.snc3/15538_1175038542044_1410487766_30458131_2409438_n. jpg
On the ground
http://forum.trianglefreeforum.com/download/file.php?id=90
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs088.snc3/15538_1175041622121_1410487766_30458140_2095166_n. jpg
Nice mass on rack. This is exit - entrance wound is higher on other side. Heart shot!
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs108.snc3/15538_1175041782125_1410487766_30458144_4943020_n. jpg
A couple weeks ago - Dec 16 - I got the best deer this year. It's been a good season; I've had a lot of time to hunt. While I'd rather be working, the freezer is very full.
Dec 16 - on Game Lands south of Chapel Hill. It's a loooong ways in; takes me 45 minutes to walk in, longer if I'm being quiet. I'd left my stand there from the two days earlier. Got there just before sun-up. I'm right next to a wide (30') creek, overlooking a swamp. This is the view from the tree...
254
It was cold, and by 9am, I'm daydreaming a bit instead of deliberately looking. After carelessly scratching my head I glance to my right, and there's... a deer? Just standing there, about 150-175 yards out. I think it's a deer, facing directly toward me - that, or a tall gray tree stump that just magically materialized. The an ear flickered... deer is looking right towards me. I don't move... do I see antlers? We have a face off for a few minutes - I'm about 30 feet up, screened by some branches of tree next to me... finally deer turns head a bit, and THIS NICE RACK ROTATES with his head. My heart rate about doubles.... then he starts walking in, and turns left. As he passes behind a tree I pull up rifle, get locked down... he's still moving, getting close to thicket, thought about grunting but didn't want to ... good sight picture, sqeeeeze BOOM! deer runs - behind tangle, can't see him, never comes out. Got down, walked a ways to find a log to crawl across, then waded through a couple feet of water toward where I hoped hoped hoped he would be, and... there he was.
Shot was about 120-150 yards (hard to pace in swamp, across creek etc). The load was a 150gr Federal FP in 30-30; he covered about 30 yards after being hit, a dead-center heart shot. It was a good day. Took me over two hours to drag him out, and I was feeling some new muscle groups two days later, but it was worth it. Best deer of the year for me, by far -
where he was when shot
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs108.snc3/15538_1175038542044_1410487766_30458131_2409438_n. jpg
On the ground
http://forum.trianglefreeforum.com/download/file.php?id=90
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs088.snc3/15538_1175041622121_1410487766_30458140_2095166_n. jpg
Nice mass on rack. This is exit - entrance wound is higher on other side. Heart shot!
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs108.snc3/15538_1175041782125_1410487766_30458144_4943020_n. jpg