Tuesday, December 16th.....has to rank up there as one of my most memorable hunts............EVER!
It was late season muzzleloader in Indiana. I knew there were big ones out there.....but after weeks of busting my butt....sitting for hours in stands passing smaller bucks.....being shot at (yes!!...both me and the deer!!).....and a less than spectacular Kansas trip....my enthusiasm level was pretty shot. I was running on empty...and fighting a cold wasn't making it any easier.
However, we had a nice two inch snow that day and it stopped by 1:30. It was one of those days you just "knew" you should be out. So I decided to go out....if nothing else to enjoy the peace and quiet after a snow. I knew the deer should be feeding after the snow...and the impending cold. But....the deer SHOULD HAVE been doing a lot of things this year.
I got home from the office about 2 PM...and realized I had not purchased my muzzleloader tag. Got online....filled everything in....and when I got to the "submit" button...I hesitated. "Do I really want to spend the money? After all I have a bow license...and bow is open as well." Knowing that I usually regret not doing stuff like that...I pushed submit...and got the license. The printout read...."Purchased at 2:04 PM."
Next question was "where?" I had been perusing a book on hunting "Post rut" bucks. The author said that you must hunt the thickest cover you can find near a food source. Well....there was one place I was aware of that has served me well through the years. It's a ridgetop lined on one side with lots of honeysuckle. It's so thick...the rabbit beagles struggle in it. That honeysuckle served two purposes....food and cover. So...I decided for the ridgetop...although this year I had seen ZIP up there! However....it just seemed the logical place this time.
However, we had a nice two inch snow that day and it stopped by 1:30. It was one of those days you just "knew" you should be out. So I decided to go out....if nothing else to enjoy the peace and quiet after a snow. I knew the deer should be feeding after the snow...and the impending cold. But....the deer SHOULD HAVE been doing a lot of things this year.
I got home from the office about 2 PM...and realized I had not purchased my muzzleloader tag. Got online....filled everything in....and when I got to the "submit" button...I hesitated. "Do I really want to spend the money? After all I have a bow license...and bow is open as well." Knowing that I usually regret not doing stuff like that...I pushed submit...and got the license. The printout read...."Purchased at 2:04 PM."
Next question was "where?" I had been perusing a book on hunting "Post rut" bucks. The author said that you must hunt the thickest cover you can find near a food source. Well....there was one place I was aware of that has served me well through the years. It's a ridgetop lined on one side with lots of honeysuckle. It's so thick...the rabbit beagles struggle in it. That honeysuckle served two purposes....food and cover. So...I decided for the ridgetop...although this year I had seen ZIP up there! However....it just seemed the logical place this time.
I got my gear together. As I walked out I told my wife..."I know I'm forgetting something since it's been about two weeks since I've been out...and I'm not in the groove right now." (Prophetic words!)
I pulled into the field...and the turkeys were everywhere...scratching up the snow...looking for something to eat. When I stepped out to start getting my stuff together...I noticed how nice and quiet it was....and how soft the snow was. I decided I better "hunt" back to my stand instead of just "getting there." The wind was in my face....perfect!
I walked slowly to my stand....noticing how well you could see a good distance with the snow on the ground. I crossed the creek bottom and began my ascent to the ridge. I started noticing a lot of tracks....which due to the snow had to have been made in the last two hours.
As I climbed...there were more and more tracks. I began to feel real good about my decision. When I reached the crest...I started moving real slow looking through the honey suckle where I could. Within sight of my stand now...I caught movement down to my right. It was a doe feeding along. She had no idea I was there. I decided I better watch her for a bit...at least till she moved out of sight so I could get to my stand undetected. As she fed....she would keep snapping her head back to the left of her. That meant there were either other does in there....or maybe a buck. Since she was a yearling doe....she could have been attracting attention. I never saw anything.
After about 15 minutes...she moved out of sight...and I progressed to my stand. When I got to my stand...I realized what I had forgotten.......hangers....to hang my gun and pack on in the tree. It was a ladder stand. Normally....I'll climb it with my muzzleloader capped...because I've got somewhere to hang it on as soon as I get up there. But this time for safety sake....I decided to "uncap" until I figured out what to do.
So I "uncapped"...and began my climb. I laid my gun against the seat...laid the pack on the seat...and climbed under the shooting rail. I took out my seat cushion and sat down. I had a problem. I had nowhere to hang my pack. So I decided to get everything out I needed and simply hang it upside down on the shooting rail. Normally....I leave everything in there and just hang the pack on a hanger off the tree where it is easily reachable.
First I pulled out my gloves....then my neck gaiter...and then my knit cap. So here I am....gun between knees (uncapped)....contents of backpack in lap....back pack on top.
I catch movement out of the corner of my left eye. I turn to catch a deer's rear end...because it's behind a big tree...but moving steadily toward me. When he stepped from behind the tree I freaked out!! "O man....that's a good one!!" (I determined this year I wasn't pulling the trigger unless I had that reaction.)
The buck is in that "buck in rut" trot. His tongue is hanging out and he has obviously been "chasing." (That's what that doe had probably been watching!)
He's now 20 yards away...in front of my stand...moving to my right. I'm able to get my gun up. Oh...no!! No cap!! I rip open the zipper to my handwarmer pouch....and pull out the 35mm bottle full of caps. He doesn't notice all this noise and movement. He's on a mission!!
I decided to forget about watching him and concentrate on getting the gun capped. I figured if I hurried up....I could catch him within a 100 yards.
I finally got the gun capped. When I looked up to locate him...he was 50 yards away to my right....beginning to move downhill. As I turned in my stand to put the gun on the shooting rail...I can't believe what happened next. My pack and all my gear fell out of my lap and hit the ground with a resounding "whap!"
That was the best thing that could have happened. He stopped dead in his tracks...slightly quartering towards me trying to figure out what that noise was. I settled the crosshairs of my .50 cal. muzzleloader on him...."Boom!" Right on!! He ran downhill favoring his right front leg so I knew the shoulder was broken. He disappeared...but I knew right where to find him. Same spot we have recovered a number of deer through the years.
I sat there in my stand in a state of shock trying to figure out what just happened!! I had only been there 5 minutes. After hours of sitting in various stands this year...and now it's over in 5 minutes!!! Bought my tag at 2:08....and filled it at 3:30!! Unbelievable!!
Like I said, the deer ran downhill out of sight....but I knew the snow would make an easy tracking job. Here is the sight I was greeted to.....
This is my third best deer ever! He is a main frame 7....with a kicker. Gross score is 130 & some change. He has the widest spread of any deer I've shot at 21 1/4 inches.....and the G-2 on his right side is a foot long.
I'm a blessed man!!
