Bambi Whacking 2022-2023

[Squaregrouper]

For the Grendel folks...
This is highly unscientific and I no longer hunt deer.
The Hornady 120gr Interlock is plenty accurate at 200yds and when I hit my 6" steel gong with them, the "clang" and steel jump are much more obvious than with any other projectile I have shot. I have no idea how this relates to shooting a deer, but that bullet hits steel hard.

 

[RRomig]

Nice, brisk afternoon here in the fields of Central Maryland. Got out here much earlier in case that doe wants to make another early afternoon appearance. The sun's out, so no complaints here.

I do have a question for you savvy hunters. If I see a legal buck, I shoot it. I hope the big one comes by when firearms season starts, but if the loner 5 pointer is unlucky number 3, so be it. Are there others like me, or do most of you only shoot the geriatric, wall hanging bruisers?

I’ve past on deer , wished I hadn’t passed on deer and also wish I had passed on deer. Hunting racks is relative. Only the hunter knows what’s right for them. Hunting meat for me is much more straight forward. I wait for a doe with no fawns and do not care of age. Funny thing is it seems like that would be easy until I set out to do.
GL

 

[gwchem]

My dog eats

Some folks say "you can't eat antlers".

I say "you can't hang your coat on a backstrap".

My dog eats the antlers...

 

[wilcam47]

Rut-vacation 2022

Nice

Nice, brisk afternoon here in the fields of Central Maryland. Got out here much earlier in case that doe wants to make another early afternoon appearance. The sun's out, so no complaints here.

I do have a question for you savvy hunters. If I see a legal buck, I shoot it. I hope the big one comes by when firearms season starts, but if the loner 5 pointer is unlucky number 3, so be it. Are there others like me, or do most of you only shoot the geriatric, wall hanging bruisers?

If its a trophy for you, who cares what anyone else thinks...

I hunt for meat, horns are a bonus.

Same.

 

[outrider58]

Rut-vacation 2022

I was going to ask you if you were at your usual haunt this year.

So, are you planing on mounting that tree or...

 

[outrider58]

My dog eats

My dog eats the antlers...

He would love it at my place...

 

[308Scout]

My dog eats

My dog eats the antlers...

Very familiar with that battle. My dog loves gnawing on antlers. She hates it when I bring a new pair into the house. Except for spikes/forks. She gets those.

 

[Ecestu]

Nice, brisk afternoon here in the fields of Central Maryland. Got out here much earlier in case that doe wants to make another early afternoon appearance. The sun's out, so no complaints here.

Today turned out to be pretty awesome and tragic. I was sitting at the treeline that opened to a field. The field is about 300 yards long. I was about at the halfway point. Wind was swirly. At around 3ish, heard some rustling about 20 yards to my left in the treeline. Then a doe popped out in full bouncing stride, heading to the treeline across the field. I didn't bother trying to slow her down.

The field is about 60 yards wide. Didn't see much after that, but I was happy with at least seeing something. About 30 minutes until sunset I decided to stand up, stretch, and look down the field to my right, because where I sit, the brush provides cover but I can't see through it very well. I see another doe. Perfect. She's about 110 yards away. She upwind without a care in the world. Even better. I peak out further, and there are 2 more does just hanging out, eating grass. One's a little closer, the other one is farther away. They don't seem to be making there way towards me. Dammit. Tick tock, Mr. Wick. I can't step out into the field to walk towards them because it's wide open, and I can't move backwards to flank them from the treeline because the leaves are too loud.

While I'm standing there contemplating on a way to get closer to them, I hear rustling from across the field. Sounded like a couple of fat, clumsy squirrels, but it was too loud. Oh, and I'm trying to keep my head on a swivel because deer tend to pop out from my right at the other end of the field. When I get to watching potential targets, I tend to get tunnel vision. About 30 seconds later, this tiny, spotless fawn pops out doing fawn shit. The sibling isn't far behind. They're both within 60 yards. The mama emerges at about 80 yards. It looks like the fawns are slowly making their way towards me. But as I was tunnel visioned with these Bambis, 15 yards away to my right a doe blows at me and darts about 20 yards. I said to myself thank god and aim at the much bigger doe. She was walking slowly up the field to the left, so why would I need to stop her? (there's sort of a median in the field of tall grass and brushes that runs the length and it's about 10 minutes from sunset) I'm aimed at the V, slowly following the deer, release. Heard a thwack, but not from a body but from wood. What should have been a chip shot is stopped by a bush with a 2 inch limb. F. M. L. It startled the deer, so it jumped, which had me excited at first, but then she looked back in my direction, and walked off into the sunset. LESSON LEARNED: ALWAYS STOP THE DEER. Lol. What a day.

 

[Ecestu]

You can see two of them here. The third one was closer, tucked behind the pine.

 

[RRomig]

Today turned out to be pretty awesome and tragic. I was sitting at the treeline that opened to a field. The field is about 300 yards long. I was about at the halfway point. Wind was swirly. At around 3ish, heard some rustling about 20 yards to my left in the treeline. Then a doe popped out in full bouncing stride, heading to the treeline across the field. I didn't bother trying to slow her down.

The field is about 60 yards wide. Didn't see much after that, but I was happy with at least seeing something. About 30 minutes until sunset I decided to stand up, stretch, and look down the field to my right, because where I sit, the brush provides cover but I can't see through it very well. I see another doe. Perfect. She's about 110 yards away. She upwind without a care in the world. Even better. I peak out further, and there are 2 more does just hanging out, eating grass. One's a little closer, the other one is farther away. They don't seem to be making there way towards me. Dammit. Tick tock, Mr. Wick. I can't step out into the field to walk towards them because it's wide open, and I can't move backwards to flank them from the treeline because the leaves are too loud.

While I'm standing there contemplating on a way to get closer to them, I hear rustling from across the field. Sounded like a couple of fat, clumsy squirrels, but it was too loud. Oh, and I'm trying to keep my head on a swivel because deer tend to pop out from my right at the other end of the field. When I get to watching potential targets, I tend to get tunnel vision. About 30 seconds later, this tiny, spotless fawn pops out doing fawn shit. The sibling isn't far behind. They're both within 60 yards. The mama emerges at about 80 yards. It looks like the fawns are slowly making their way towards me. But as I was tunnel visioned with these Bambis, 15 yards away to my right a doe blows at me and darts about 20 yards. I said to myself thank god and aim at the much bigger doe. She was walking slowly up the field to the left, so why would I need to stop her? (there's sort of a median in the field of tall grass and brushes that runs the length and it's about 10 minutes from sunset) I'm aimed at the V, slowly following the deer, release. Heard a thwack, but not from a body but from wood. What should have been a chip shot is stopped by a bush with a 2 inch limb. F. M. L. It startled the deer, so it jumped, which had me excited at first, but then she looked back in my direction, and walked off into the sunset. LESSON LEARNED: ALWAYS STOP THE DEER. Lol. What a day.

I’ve seen it and read about it but it can have mixed results.
I’ve shot (bow) more of my deer while they are walking than not. To me a deer stopped and standing has a better chance to jump the string. They’ve been alerted and all four legs are ready to drop. I’m probably in the majority but it’s worked out well for me. Certainly up to what makes each hunter feel more confident about the shot.

 

[sclag22]

Heading out tonight on public. Last time out I had 2 coming down into my shooting lane when some other guys further down the field (I didn't know were there) took shots, missed and sent the deer flying by me. Ugh. Hoping tonight is better luck!

 

[Ecestu]

I’ve seen it and read about it but it can have mixed results.
I’ve shot (bow) more of my deer while they are walking than not. To me a deer stopped and standing has a better chance to jump the string. They’ve been alerted and all four legs are ready to drop. I’m probably in the majority but it’s worked out well for me. Certainly up to what makes each hunter feel more confident about the shot.

Good points. If the bush wouldn't have been in the way, I wouldn't have thought twice about it, because I've preciously done it enough times to not be concerned.

 

[outrider58]

I don't stop them if they're inside 20 yards or so. If you are going to try and stop them, start quietly and be prepaired to shoot the second you stop them. Don't give them any time to think. You don't want them to zero in on you before you get the shot off

 

[tallen702]

Has anyone been out on the west side of the Monacay in the MNRA recently? I've been too busy with work to get out but I should be able to get out there for a morning or two this week. Just wondering what people have seen lately.

 

[94hokie]

Hoping this guy shows up during daylight hours next weekend

 

[outrider58]

Has anyone been out on the west side of the Monacay in the MNRA recently? I've been too busy with work to get out but I should be able to get out there for a morning or two this week. Just wondering what people have seen lately.

I see a couple-three trucks parked on Park Mills Rd and there's usually 5-6 cars/trucks parked at the bridge lot. I hunt about 3/4 of a mile up river from there. The property I hunt goes right down to the river bank.

 

[outrider58]

Hoping this guy shows up during daylight hours next weekend View attachment 388786

That looks just like a deer that walked within 10 yards of my stand this morning. Broken tip and all.

 

[tallen702]

I see a couple-three trucks parked on Park Mills Rd and there's usually 5-6 cars/trucks parked at the bridge lot. I hunt about 3/4 of a mile up river from there. The property I hunt goes right down to the river bank.

Thanks. In the past, most of the vehicles parked on Park Mills have been hunting crows or squirrels when I've been bow hunting deer. Guess I'll try my luck there tomorrow morning.

 

[outrider58]

Thanks. In the past, most of the vehicles parked on Park Mills have been hunting crows or squirrels when I've been bow hunting deer. Guess I'll try my luck there tomorrow morning.

The main guy I've been seeing on PM with a pickup truck looks like he's been bow hunting.

I hunted this morning. The wind was wicked. Still, some deer were moving.

 

[CaptainAwesome]

If you use a wide angle camera setting, the antlers look wider...... just saying.....