Deer hunting thread 2012-13

The elk herd I hunt in Montana used to number 16,000 head. 2 years ago it was down to 5000 and this year the FWP warden I spoke to said it is now at 3500. This is all due to the introduction of the wolf... Its hard to spend the cash on an elk tag with the numbers changing so radically.
 
All kinds of activity tonight! It looked like a Nascar race with all the deer zooming around chasing each other. Missed an opportunity at a doe that snuck in on me without my bow in my hand. Pretty small anyway...
 
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I was fortunate on opening day to take a decent buck that I had seen a few times before ; not a monster , but too good to pass up for the area I'm hunting . Right at daylight a young doe came in to the scrape I was near . She stayed in the area , looping out and back for about 45 minutes , so I suspected she might be " hot " . About 10 til 8 she looked hard to the area behind me and I heard footsteps coming from that direction . With a slow glance over my shoulder , I could see the buck coming... uhhh walking to the scrape . He passed directly under my treestand but went past and stopped in some brush . The doe got jittery and she started to lead the buck away . I let him get out to about 30 yards and shot him with my muzzleloader . He leaped up and then took off on a " scalded dog " run . I found him about 100 yards away at the end of a blood trail that even me and Stevie Wonder could follow . Heart shot .

The sad part of this tale is that about 2 weeks ago , from this exact same stand , I arrowed a buck that makes this one look like a puppy . Hit exactly where I aimed but the arrow exited high instead of driving down through the vitals . Must have deflected off some bone . He ran out about 30 yards ( of course where there was no possible shot ) , stood there about 10 minutes occasionaly licking where the arrow came out the other side , then walked off . I waited about an hour , thinking he would lie down and expire . Just as I was getting ready to get down , two does came blasting by with the buck chasing them . Shocked ? Stunned ? Pissed ? Sick ? You name it , I felt it . Got my blood covered arrow and looked for a blood trail but found only one drop . Searched the rest of that day and a whole day more but could not find him . Hoped against hope that he survived and that I might at least see him again . All the bucks that came through after that still avoided getting near his scrape so I thought either he was still around or THEY thought he was still around. The buck I ended up killing had avoided the scrape too but walked right in on opening day of gun season . That's hunting . From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in an instant . I'll play that shot over in my mind for the rest of my days . Don't get me wrong , I am thankful , pleased , and proud to have taken the buck I did and will never forget that either . Both deer were exceptional for such a hard hunted area of stripped ground and almost no agriculture . The " one that got away " was exceptional for anywhere on earth .
 
Nice deer guys!

Id rather not talk about my luck this year.. Monday and Tuesday in Killbuck for me kinda sucked. Did see over 100 turkeys though! And a 160 at 5:15 on Monday as well was a 130ish at 5:30 standing right by where we park.. Couldnt make myself do it.. Didnt see him Tuesday..

Tim, you hunting public in Killbuck? Im out off 60 near 62 on private ground.. I had a S&W 460 for a couple of years. Never did kill a deer with it though. Wish I wouldnt have sold it..

Just got a text from my dad and at 8:24 he whacked a doe with this new Savage 220 I bought him for Christmas last year..

For the record, this is my 17th year hunting the first two days of gun season in Killbuck at the same farm. This is the FIRST year that NO ONE on the farm killed a deer on Monday. There were 10 guys out.. All I could have killed was a spike and a 4 point, didnt even have an opportunity for a doe or ida took it!
 
Meister said:
Nice deer guys!

Tim, you hunting public in Killbuck? Im out off 60 near 62 on private ground.. I had a S&W 460 for a couple of years. Never did kill a deer with it though. Wish I wouldnt have sold it..
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I was on public land off of Clark Rd. I usually go down by Coshocton, but this was a lot closer and I only had half a day.

I took several deer with my Ruger Redhawk in .44 Magnum, but once it became legal to use my Freedom Arms .454 Casull in Ohio I havent used the Ruger since. I've gotten a lot with it too. It tends to immediately anchor them usually, and always leaves an exit wound, even though I've rarely had to track one shot with it. I got two of them at over 100 yards, and they both dropped, something I know the .44 isn't capable of. This one was only about 50 yds, but he never stopped to pose for the still shot.
 
Good shootin' Alph ! Were you hunting PA or OH ? Nice snow cover in the doe pic so I'm assuming PA . Loads of great meals coming your way .
 
Finally harvested my buck this morning. 200lbs. hanging. Old deer...only had 5 bottom teeth. maybe 8 years old. All broke up.
They opened up North Ridgeville to bow hunting this year. So this grandpa has had the luxury to grow old.deer.jpg
 

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