OBXPilgrim
12-06-2011, 02:04 AM
Funny how it goes sometimes. I've had some real problems come up this year that, everytime I've walked in the woods, I've a flood of other things that have coming screaming to the forefront enough to remind me of why I shouldn't be there.
My brother and I have been hunting the same piece of property for a few years, deer hunting with bows, muzzleloaders, and firearms. He lives a few miles from the property and has done a phenominal of keeping up the place - I don't think you could pay anyone to do a better job. Anything we've needed...he's been there for it.
He's never really been a deer hunter, he's been a fisherman. My avitar shows a 50 inch long red drum that I caught in 2005 - he taught me to fish in the ocean (and most everywhere else).
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/P6230361.jpg
One of my most memorable fishing photos I have, is of me & him standing with Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the background with him holding a 60lb Cobia & me holding a 55lb'er. I hauled the baits out to a drop with a kayak & within 30 minutes (all before 7am), we had a couple fish that some guys spend years trying to catch. BTW, we used sinkers I cast from WW (it was a good cause- don't be hatin').
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/DSC01096.jpg
Anyway, we'd been deer hunting since early September (bow season) and are looking at the end of the season this Saturday (mid December), he's had a great year, one deer from filling his tags, and I've seen squat. I could have bowhunted all year just carrying the arrows - didn't really need the bow. Between the lack of luck & the background issues going on, I'd really been down some this year - but I kept thinking - it must get better.
Well, today was the day.
I've always been a meat hunter, much more so than a horn hunter, which usually means poppin' a doe (if legal) instead of waiting for something better. It was also the 3rd day to carry my Winny 94 44 mag from 1971, that I bought about 8 years ago. It was the last of my real cast boolit slingers that had not "paid for itself" yet. In this area we've been hunting, this week is "doe days" - so I figured it was about time for me to bloody the Winny at last.
About 9:15am, a nice deer came slipping through the pine trees that I was in, from the direction my brother had been in. It was on a rail with a purpose - knew exactly where he was going & was moving fast. Stopping about 20 yards out, he knew he screwed up and being "snakebit" all year, I was on him. At the shot, he came towards me in warp speed gear and turned, probably hearing me cycle the action in case it was needed. His tail was DOWN, which usually means "hit", but not always. Circling away from me & up the hill, he stopped about 50 yards away, BROADSIDE. What would a hardcore meat-hunter do? Dang right - shot number 2, and all 4 hooves dug into the earth for all they were worth at the sound of it - I'm talking dirt clod rooster-tail. As more evidence that he got a 2nd fatal hit, he slowed to a crawl at the top of the hill - which just so happened to be the crest of the ridge that drops down about 300-400 feet to the South Toe River in Yancey County, NC. Last year, we fished a doe out of the river after a bow hunt & the uphill drag just about killed us both. On that one, I finally got up off the ground from "resting" after I saw buzzards circling overhead - figured the signs were right to move out. Back to the present & cutting a long, frustrating, trailing job short (no blood due to a high hit), my brother finally found my deer - a meat hunters delight - not huge, but a good decent 8 point. The funny thing is, that last year he killed an 8 pointer that was real similar to this one, within 400-500 yards of where we were - he got it with a bow near my stand & I heard the shot from his bow that got it. My deer was near his stand & he definetly heard it, too - although he had walked out to his truck just before I saw the deer - he probably pushed it to me.
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/IMAG0031.jpg
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/IMAG0034.jpg
Anyway, my bad luck streak is broken, killed the best deer I've ever taken (8 points) & even killed a 4 point "crab claw" deer on the evening hunt (thought it was a doe) and the 1971 Winchester 94 44 Mag (Lyman 66LA receiver sight) SCORED, TWICE!! And, since he had the 4 wheeler and pooling together every piece of strap & string, paracord & all, we were able to PULL it up the hill without any further destruction to ourselves (he's got a titanium knee, I've got 2 titanium plates in my neck).
For the hardcore details guys, it was a gas checked LEE 310gr .430" boolit lubed with Felix lube, pushed to 1550fps with 2400 powder. Full passes on the 8 point and the 4 point "crab claw" buck (that dropped where he stood), although the 8 point only had 2 holes (one in, one out), but since the angle of the two shoots were so similar, I have NO IDEA which one hit. SO...one was a clean miss!! - don't ask which one - I don't know!! There's probably a pine tree limb in there somewhere that knows for sure.
So, if you've had some days that haven't quite panned out for you yet, hang in there - my dog days have lasted since early September. And just remember, some days you're the dog, some days the diamond.
I'll try to get some pics tomorrow.
My brother and I have been hunting the same piece of property for a few years, deer hunting with bows, muzzleloaders, and firearms. He lives a few miles from the property and has done a phenominal of keeping up the place - I don't think you could pay anyone to do a better job. Anything we've needed...he's been there for it.
He's never really been a deer hunter, he's been a fisherman. My avitar shows a 50 inch long red drum that I caught in 2005 - he taught me to fish in the ocean (and most everywhere else).
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/P6230361.jpg
One of my most memorable fishing photos I have, is of me & him standing with Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the background with him holding a 60lb Cobia & me holding a 55lb'er. I hauled the baits out to a drop with a kayak & within 30 minutes (all before 7am), we had a couple fish that some guys spend years trying to catch. BTW, we used sinkers I cast from WW (it was a good cause- don't be hatin').
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/DSC01096.jpg
Anyway, we'd been deer hunting since early September (bow season) and are looking at the end of the season this Saturday (mid December), he's had a great year, one deer from filling his tags, and I've seen squat. I could have bowhunted all year just carrying the arrows - didn't really need the bow. Between the lack of luck & the background issues going on, I'd really been down some this year - but I kept thinking - it must get better.
Well, today was the day.
I've always been a meat hunter, much more so than a horn hunter, which usually means poppin' a doe (if legal) instead of waiting for something better. It was also the 3rd day to carry my Winny 94 44 mag from 1971, that I bought about 8 years ago. It was the last of my real cast boolit slingers that had not "paid for itself" yet. In this area we've been hunting, this week is "doe days" - so I figured it was about time for me to bloody the Winny at last.
About 9:15am, a nice deer came slipping through the pine trees that I was in, from the direction my brother had been in. It was on a rail with a purpose - knew exactly where he was going & was moving fast. Stopping about 20 yards out, he knew he screwed up and being "snakebit" all year, I was on him. At the shot, he came towards me in warp speed gear and turned, probably hearing me cycle the action in case it was needed. His tail was DOWN, which usually means "hit", but not always. Circling away from me & up the hill, he stopped about 50 yards away, BROADSIDE. What would a hardcore meat-hunter do? Dang right - shot number 2, and all 4 hooves dug into the earth for all they were worth at the sound of it - I'm talking dirt clod rooster-tail. As more evidence that he got a 2nd fatal hit, he slowed to a crawl at the top of the hill - which just so happened to be the crest of the ridge that drops down about 300-400 feet to the South Toe River in Yancey County, NC. Last year, we fished a doe out of the river after a bow hunt & the uphill drag just about killed us both. On that one, I finally got up off the ground from "resting" after I saw buzzards circling overhead - figured the signs were right to move out. Back to the present & cutting a long, frustrating, trailing job short (no blood due to a high hit), my brother finally found my deer - a meat hunters delight - not huge, but a good decent 8 point. The funny thing is, that last year he killed an 8 pointer that was real similar to this one, within 400-500 yards of where we were - he got it with a bow near my stand & I heard the shot from his bow that got it. My deer was near his stand & he definetly heard it, too - although he had walked out to his truck just before I saw the deer - he probably pushed it to me.
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/IMAG0031.jpg
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k523/OBXPilgrim/IMAG0034.jpg
Anyway, my bad luck streak is broken, killed the best deer I've ever taken (8 points) & even killed a 4 point "crab claw" deer on the evening hunt (thought it was a doe) and the 1971 Winchester 94 44 Mag (Lyman 66LA receiver sight) SCORED, TWICE!! And, since he had the 4 wheeler and pooling together every piece of strap & string, paracord & all, we were able to PULL it up the hill without any further destruction to ourselves (he's got a titanium knee, I've got 2 titanium plates in my neck).
For the hardcore details guys, it was a gas checked LEE 310gr .430" boolit lubed with Felix lube, pushed to 1550fps with 2400 powder. Full passes on the 8 point and the 4 point "crab claw" buck (that dropped where he stood), although the 8 point only had 2 holes (one in, one out), but since the angle of the two shoots were so similar, I have NO IDEA which one hit. SO...one was a clean miss!! - don't ask which one - I don't know!! There's probably a pine tree limb in there somewhere that knows for sure.
So, if you've had some days that haven't quite panned out for you yet, hang in there - my dog days have lasted since early September. And just remember, some days you're the dog, some days the diamond.
I'll try to get some pics tomorrow.