sbarkowski
Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2008
- Messages
- 302
So yesterday was my one and only day to deer hunt this season due to work and I nearly blew it. We were hunting a large open field that we knew the deer came through to get to the watering hole. Knowing that there was a chance that we would have to take fairly long shots at 300 or so yards (which is uncommon in our area) my partner and I praticed on water jugs at that distance for a solid week in windy conditions until we felt confident in taking that kind of shot. I was in my blind nice and early awaiting a beautiful sunrise and my partner was at the other end of the field in his. The sky was just beginning to light up as I uncased the Rem. 700 and started loading the mag. While im doing so my parter comes across on the 2-way radio saying he forgot his binoculars in the truck and he'd be right back. I of course hassled him and told him not to spook any deer on the way. About 45 min. later my partner is back on the 2-way and tells me there's a big doe heading my way and he didnt have a good shot. Instantly my heart starts pounding as I grab my binoculars. The doe finally comes into view comming over the crest of a small hill roughly 350 yards away and heading straight for me. It suddenly stops and turns and walks slowly towards the edge of the tree line. It is now 268 yards away from me but behind a brush pile. When it comes out past the other end of the brush pile I would not have a clear shot at the vitals. So not wanting to miss an opportunity on a big doe I slowly left my blind crawling through the tall gass with my rifle on my back poking my head up every few yards to check to see if the doe had moved. I crawled parallel to the direction the do was heading and found myself 50-60 yards from my blind and range the doe at 276 yards standing between the brush pile and the treeline. In a sitting position I deployed the bipod and got that doe in my crosshairs. It was dead calm no wind and I was brimming with confidence, that doe was as good as down. I flipped off the safety and squeezed the trigger.. *click*.. yeah thats right.. not only did I not chamber a round, the magazine wasn't even in the rifle!! My eyes nearly poped out of my head. When the rifle dry fired it got the doe's attention and she turned her head and looked straight at me. After cursing to myself and throughly pating myself down to confirming I did not have the mag on me somewhere, I figured I've got nothing to lose and slowly made my way back to my blind with the doe watching me with suspicion and curiousity the whole time. I found my mag under my folding chair. Apparently when my partner had interupted me while I was loading the mag I had somehow forgot to actually put the damn thing in the rifle
Anyways there is a happy ending, (for myself anyways, not the doe ). To my surprise the doe had not moved one inch from when it turned to look at me. I made my way back to my shooting position soaked from the wet grass and covered in um.. lets call it mud.. (cow field, you know what im talking about). I lined up the shot for the second time, now she is facing straight at me looking right at me. Proabablly making fun of me the whole time. The shot entered her straight in the chest and she dropped instantly. I took a big sigh of relief and contacted my partner. Who I might add saw the whole mishap through his binoculars and was laughing hysterically after I told him why I had to go back to the blind. Im still kicking myself over this one but in the end I got our doe. I'll mark this one down as a lesson learned, the hard way. But please someone out there tell me im not alone.
Anyways there is a happy ending, (for myself anyways, not the doe ). To my surprise the doe had not moved one inch from when it turned to look at me. I made my way back to my shooting position soaked from the wet grass and covered in um.. lets call it mud.. (cow field, you know what im talking about). I lined up the shot for the second time, now she is facing straight at me looking right at me. Proabablly making fun of me the whole time. The shot entered her straight in the chest and she dropped instantly. I took a big sigh of relief and contacted my partner. Who I might add saw the whole mishap through his binoculars and was laughing hysterically after I told him why I had to go back to the blind. Im still kicking myself over this one but in the end I got our doe. I'll mark this one down as a lesson learned, the hard way. But please someone out there tell me im not alone.