Somewhat related to the above discussion, I took a nice doe yesterday evening. I am very grateful that I made a very good shot and she only ran about 50 yards. She had been living in a corn field, so I'm anticipating some tasty steaks! (For anyone who cares, I used a rage extending broadhead. I've had good outcomes with those the past few seasons. I hit her high shoulder on the side not shown. Hit double lung heart shot so it was fast). Now that I've secured some excellent meat, I'll start hunting selectively for a nice buck. This is how I've done it the past few years -- get a doe in the bag, then stop shooting the first deer I see to try to get a trophy buck. I'm excited for muzzle loader season!
2019-2020 Bambi whacking
- Thread starter lazarus
- Start date
The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast
Member Benefits:
No ad networks! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
Doco Overboard
Ultimate Member
Looks like the necks are starting to get a little puffy already. This one was nosing around some does and grunting a little bit. Not a real pretty rack but a nice heavy body for plenty of meat.
Maybe the Sika are starting to get wound up a little bit by now I didn't realize early mzl is next week already. Some rain would be nice by then.
Maybe the Sika are starting to get wound up a little bit by now I didn't realize early mzl is next week already. Some rain would be nice by then.
Nice guys!
That’s what excites me about my hunting opportunities now. Get one in the freezer on the early side and then switch to looking for big bucks and if I strike out, or need more venison even if I connect I can probably still tuck a second doe in to the freezer towards the end of the season.
Had turkey bacon wrapped backstrap tonight from this season’s doe. Was real tasty. My Oldest wanted seconds. Ate as much as I did.
Be nice to find a good 6+pt next week. Hitting up Patuxent again. Or at least I am till I can connect with something nice (decent buck or I might consider a big doe). If I do early I might try out Monacacy. Never been there and I am interested in it for firearm season.
Monacacy is rifle allowed now, right? I still need to call DNR about it.
That’s what excites me about my hunting opportunities now. Get one in the freezer on the early side and then switch to looking for big bucks and if I strike out, or need more venison even if I connect I can probably still tuck a second doe in to the freezer towards the end of the season.
Had turkey bacon wrapped backstrap tonight from this season’s doe. Was real tasty. My Oldest wanted seconds. Ate as much as I did.
Be nice to find a good 6+pt next week. Hitting up Patuxent again. Or at least I am till I can connect with something nice (decent buck or I might consider a big doe). If I do early I might try out Monacacy. Never been there and I am interested in it for firearm season.
Monacacy is rifle allowed now, right? I still need to call DNR about it.
Yep, it is Frederick county and not Frederick City.
Okay great. I know a year or two ago, the website still said ML, archery and shotgun only. I figured they hadn't updated it since most of the county opened for rifle hunting.
bigdv
Ultimate Member
Looks like you killed this deer on a boat ramp.
Archeryrob
Undecided on a great many things
Daughter shot one last night. She must have had the adrenaline kick in and pulled the shot left a bit. Had muscle blood on leaves and high sticks. Tracked 150 yards and lost blood. She commiserated as she's never lost one and had to work today. I was off to start hunting, but spent the morning tracking. We were lost last night in the dark and I left my red flannel at the last blood and marked a pin on the iphone. My knee has been hurting and she was a mental mess.
Showed up this morning with the dog and followed the pin to the flannel. I am like look, we were lost and 10 yards of the access trail and didn't know it. I started circling looking for blood and the dog smelled the blood all at the last spot and started searching. I watched her out the corner of my eye while circling. She when to the access trail and was smelling leaves and nose in the air. I went to her and told her to search and pointing at the ground where she smelled before and she moved toward the far side of the access trail and then I saw the white belly 10 yards off the access trail. The doe was 20 yards from my red flannel but we were lost in the thick stuff in the dark.
My daughter put the arrow through in the very front of the chest cavity and through both shoulders. Maybe nicking the lungs only. Bleed out externally more. A fox or something got part of the left front shoulder and we will put that back in the woods this weekend for them to finish with the bones. She has people she wants to donate deer to this year and ask if we should do this one. I said, not the one the critters chewed on. We'll butcher this one and save what is left.
Showed up this morning with the dog and followed the pin to the flannel. I am like look, we were lost and 10 yards of the access trail and didn't know it. I started circling looking for blood and the dog smelled the blood all at the last spot and started searching. I watched her out the corner of my eye while circling. She when to the access trail and was smelling leaves and nose in the air. I went to her and told her to search and pointing at the ground where she smelled before and she moved toward the far side of the access trail and then I saw the white belly 10 yards off the access trail. The doe was 20 yards from my red flannel but we were lost in the thick stuff in the dark.
My daughter put the arrow through in the very front of the chest cavity and through both shoulders. Maybe nicking the lungs only. Bleed out externally more. A fox or something got part of the left front shoulder and we will put that back in the woods this weekend for them to finish with the bones. She has people she wants to donate deer to this year and ask if we should do this one. I said, not the one the critters chewed on. We'll butcher this one and save what is left.
Congrats on finding it...your daughter will be happy, then sad again that it wasn't recovered last night.
Someone once told me that he would never eat a deer that had been chewed on. His reason was that there was a chance (albeit very small) that the fox/'yote started chewing before the deer was all the way dead, which could pump any diseases through the bloodstream, in to other meat. It's plausible. I gave up an entire buck two seasons ago because I didn't want to take the risk. That said, hundreds of people have cut around the bite marks and salvaged what they could with no issues.
Whatever you choose, congrats on getting back out there and looking/finding the deer
Archeryrob
Undecided on a great many things
It's all cool and hanging in the deer cooler at 39°. She is going to butcher it this morning after she went over last night to get a picture. You can't post it on instagram unless you got a picture, .. don't you know. Chewed the fat with my buddy a bit. One the way home I got the "You going to help me butcher, or I gotta do this one all on my own?" Yea, .. I'll help.
My buddy told her to focus on bucks on the farm for a while and we can all kill does in December and January. She has a spot with neighborhood deer to kill off does for friends wanting deer meat. She hasn't killed any does there yet as the does are late breed and the fawns were young. She wanted to give them some time to grow before dropping momma. I told her she's going to be helping the herd over there killing does over there. Lots of white oaks and old forest. I told her I'd hunt that and wait for the fawns to get bigger and look for cruising bucks over there.
She just spent a bunch of money on a Diamond Carbon Knockout and was excited as it is her first kill with it. She wanted the Eva Shockey bow but determined it came with nothing, cost more and was essentially the same bow. Maybe she does listen, when I'm not aware.
My buddy told her to focus on bucks on the farm for a while and we can all kill does in December and January. She has a spot with neighborhood deer to kill off does for friends wanting deer meat. She hasn't killed any does there yet as the does are late breed and the fawns were young. She wanted to give them some time to grow before dropping momma. I told her she's going to be helping the herd over there killing does over there. Lots of white oaks and old forest. I told her I'd hunt that and wait for the fawns to get bigger and look for cruising bucks over there.
She just spent a bunch of money on a Diamond Carbon Knockout and was excited as it is her first kill with it. She wanted the Eva Shockey bow but determined it came with nothing, cost more and was essentially the same bow. Maybe she does listen, when I'm not aware.
Doco Overboard
Ultimate Member
Thats a great picture! my daughters never became completely immersed in bow hunting like I would have liked them too. I just showed the youngest the picture of your girl and she said "Oh that's cool!"
Sounds like you and your buddy have a solid plan for keeping the bucks nearby, it'll pay off for sure.
Sounds like you and your buddy have a solid plan for keeping the bucks nearby, it'll pay off for sure.
BossmanPJ
Ultimate Member
That’s kind of how I feel about it.
But, I can hunt my property with one and the neighbors probably wouldn’t be happy with me Gun hunting on it (neither would I). Also 5 months to hunt versus about 5 total weeks worth combine for ML and gun.
engineerbrian
JMB fan club
BossmanPJ
Ultimate Member
I am trying it because a good friend bought a new crossbow. He brought his old Barnett Jackyl over to me and demanded I try it. Completely set up with broad heads in the quiver and a few practice arrows. I tried it. Killed a deer with it. Think I’ll try it again to extend my season.
I’m still a firearm guy though. Just don’t care for bows.
Right before I shot my first doe this season I noticed my scope was loose. I tightened it, but that “oh crap, is it zeroed right?” It was. Also you look so much like my cousin.
I love practicing with a recurve bow. But not much of a bow hunter. And I suspect for a very long time to come that’s how most of my deer are going to get killed that way. So need to invest more time, energy and money in to it.
I don’t regret getting my basic Barnett crossbow. Hasn’t screwed the pooch yet. At the same time, something a bit lighter, slightly more compact limbs and another 40-80FPS wouldn't be bad...
Zeroed my ML in today. Switched from 240gr .44 XTP w/ 100gr BH209 to 300gr .44 XTP. Noticeably heavier recoil. Most accurate load was 103gr of BH209 measured volumetrically. Slightly more accurate than the 240gr were and should have a lot more down range smack to them. I’d tried upping to 110gr and the groups were having fliers so I backed it to 103 and the fliers disappeared.
3 more days and a night and ML season starts!
Ha! That's funny. I killed her on the edge of a corn field. She then ran through the woodline and expired on a recently cleared farm field. It hasn't rained in so long that the soil looks and feels like concrete.
Question: I notice most of these pictures are of does. Now that I've got a doe in the bag, I'll be moving on to being patient for a buck. Has anyone noticed daytime buck activity picking up recently? For those of you who hunt muzzle loader every year, do you typically get a buck in the morning or evening? I have Th-Sat set aside for hunting...I am planning to duck hunt in the morning and deer hunt in the evening. These surf and turf days are my favorite few days of the year! But this year I'm really interested in getting my first mature buck. Do you think I'm missing out on major opportunities by skipping the morning hunts? I'll hunt all day next moth during the rut, so I figured this is my chance to get out for ducks in the morning. Any thoughts welcome!
Users who are viewing this thread
Forum statistics
Latest threads
-
-
-
Severna Park Elementary School Teacher Accused of Inappropriately Touching Students (5 Viewers)- Started by CrawfishStu
- Replies: 2
-
-
-
-
