Got Busted Saturday.....

[Plank Road Farm]

At least I didn't get busted for the season.....

I finally shot a doe last friday (New Year's Eve eve).
It was late in the afternoon about 20 minutes after sundown.
I was concerned I'd get busted for the season.
I've seen several bucks this season but didn't get a chance to get a shot off.
I went hunting the next morning and saw two bucks about 450 yds. out.
One was following behind the other about 15-20 yards.
I'm already in the "can't wait till next year" mode.
Hope y'all's harvest was better than mine.
At least I've got some meat in the pot!

 

[M-Cameron]

hrmm...i think ive got a solution to prevent deer from running off....

bring some large flood lights, set them up behind to.....see a deer, turn on the lights, hopefully the deer will freeze, and then you simply shoot at the stationary deer.....sounds good ...no?

 

[usmccpl]

The only deer I saw during shooting hours this season almost stepped on me. I first saw it at about 75 yards and could tell it was walking tward me.When I was about to have a good shot I put the scope to it and saw two 2inch long spikes coming from its head. In Missouri it has to have less than one inch spikes or at least 4 points on one side. I had to watch this one walk past me. I wasnt upset about it but but my 6 year old thought I should had shot it in self defence.

 

[Jason977]

I hunt out of an elevated blind about 20yds from a large pond. It was about 30min before sundown, and I hadn't seen a single living thing larger than a sparrow since I'd been there. I read in the blind, and look up to scan the horizon every time I turn the page. I see a (relatively speaking) big spike just step out of the treeline about 200yds away to my left. He turns broadside to me, and although it's a little out of my comfort zone I decide to take a shot.

The second my muzzle breaks the plane of the blind opening, a Heron that was fishing right under me alerts and flies up with all kinds of racket, and continues to circle and caw very loudly for about 15 seconds. First I had to check my drawers, but when I looked back through the scope all I could see was the silhouette of my spike trotting off through the brush.

Luckily, I saw him again Sunday morning (the last day of regular season) with a more desirable result (for me, at least).

 

[Kilgor]

This year I shot a buck opening morning. After waiting a bit, I was walking to him and had a herd of 7-8 doe come jogging by about 50 yards away. They had been spooked by something and didn't see me at all. They slowed to a trot and I nailed one (fell right there) and they scattered in all directions. Not knowing where I was, one of them ran to my right several yards and stopped looking around. Perfect broadside presentation. Took her down too. Ended up with 3 deer down.

Things to learn:

1) Spooked deer will often run a little ways and stop to look around or back. If you get busted, get into a firing position and ready to shoot them if they stop.

2) If the deer are obviously fleeing something else, you don't have to be as careful about movement. Get in a firing position asap and nail them.

 

[Johnny_Come_Lately]

Reminds me of a trip I took into the woods about 35 years ago.

Me and one of my dearest friends had planned an afternoon hunt. However, all he had was a 12 gauge shotgun. Where we were going to hunt didn’t really lend itself to buckshot and he had never used slugs. So I offered him my trusted .30-30.

About noon we decided that we would go down to the river so he could sight it in for him. As we were making our way through a slick hardwood bottom, he pulled up along side of me to inform me that nature had come a calling and he needed to stop. No problem. I sat on my 3-wheeler while he went behind a tree and proceeded to let the apple fall next to the tree.

He hadn’t been gone more than a minute when he came running towards me with one hand holding his pants just above his knees. As he tried to stop he slid across the slick wet algae covered dirt falling flat on his naked rear end.

Getting up, he grabbed my rifle, his pants dropped to his ankles, less than a foot from me he shot a doe still standing about 30 yards behind us. He then turned a little and leveled it on another doe that was standing about five yards behind the first one. I wasn’t about to let him shoot two deer with my rifle so I took it from him and promptly shot the second doe while still sitting on my 3-wheeler.

To this day I wonder why those two does in all that commotion never ran.

 

[tmccray45]

I had just setup at the base of a tree with the wind in my face, sitting on my plastic bucket. My Handi Ultra rifled barrel shotgun was ready to go. I scanned the entire view in front of me and had seen nothing. Then, directly in front of me, I saw movement.

Slightly turning, I saw it was a doe that had just come over the crest of a hill about 75 yards away. Best part? At the angle she was coming, she would eventually be about 25 yards away. I slowly panned the shotgun, looking for a place that would allow a clean shot. (This was a heavily wooded area that, in spite of the heavy canopy, had lots of undergrowth and of course, the tree trunks.)

I had to turn to my right as the doe was walking in the same general direction until I found a spot that would give me my clean shot. I was slowly turning at about the same pace that the doe was walking. Once I found my spot, all I had to do was wait.

Unfortunately, as I was turning, more and more of my weight ended up on my right leg. I realized that, unless she picked up the pace a little, I wouldn't be able to hold my position - the right leg would give out. Something had to happen. I knew that I would have to move my leg.

I shifted my foot about three inches and that's all it took. I'm watching her as she dropped into a slight crouch and then leapt into the air. (This was a big doe and I'll bet she went 10 feet in the air.) Then, she was off to the races. The white flag never went up, but she wasted no time in exiting the scene. The only shot I would have had was a Texas heart shot and I didn't feel like doing that.

So, I sat there feeling like a fool, trying to find some good out of the experience. This would have been my first good shot at a deer and I had blown it! (Now you have to understand that I'm 65 years old and have only been hunting three years. Yeah, I got a late start.) I did realize that I didn't have one bit of buck-fever. I also learned to pick my spots first and be prepared for those spots. And I learned to clear the area around me of leaves that might make noise if I have to shift my feet. {Sigh}

 

[mikerault]

When I was a beginning deer hunter back in SC in the early 80's I was on some WMA land with my buddies, they had stands, I didn't. So I wandered around for a bit and found a nice bottom area. It was a little swampy with a huge oak right in the middle. I positioned myself right uner the oak with my 7.62 mauser and iron sights and huddeled in to wait.

Shortly a buck (about an 8 pointer) and a nice doe walked right past me! I waited until they were past and then raised the rifle and thought I aimed well, but when I shot neither jumped or fell down (I probably aimed high since they were just a few yards away), they just looked at me like I wasn't there! I then cycled the bolt and tried once more, same result! I was in total shock! How could I miss not once, but twice from point blank range!

Anyway, they wandered off and I said a few sharp words. I got a Remington 742 BDL .243 with a 3X9 Weaver Scopechief and a climbing stand later that week.