This year, we decided to head up to Deer camp a Day early, Friday, in hopes of getting shooting lanes cut at various different watches cut on our hunting grounds, as well as clean up the old skidder trail that was becoming over grown. Both Sat. and Sun. were dedicated to both of these pursuits, and the six of us ended up getting a lot of the work done, that we had set out to accomplish.
One of our group, bought a new ATV, so Sat. and Sun. were also spent familiarizing himself with his new toy, lovingly now referred to as "Precious"
Monday morning had us out to the deer woods at 7:30 am, and put in 3 pushes, without seeing or hearing any deer moving through the woods. After a bush lunch, we decided to all sit for the remainder of the afternoon, and one of the members, got a shot off at a deer as he was getting to his chosen stand location, was a clean miss at a doe, through thick cover, but things were looking up
We were out of the woods around 4:45, and back to the cabin at 5:30 for dinner and libations
View outside of the cabin over looking the Lake:
The main lodge where we stay, looking up from our cabin:
Tuesday morning, we started a drive, and a deer tried sneaking in from behind one of the Blockers, silly deer. Ended up with a spike buck, and the first for our group this year.
Another member got a shot off at a doe, again through thick cover, and ended up with a clean miss.
Wednesday morning was a good day for me. We started a drive through the area where the other member missed a deer on Tuesday. I was on the extreme eastern edge set up as a blocker. The drive was moving from the North, when about 20 minutes into it, I could hear leaves rustling, and the faint sounds of antlers rubbing together. I could easily have seen the deer, if it wasn't for the rather larger and bulked out Hemlock tree that was blocking my view. I had estimated that the 2 deer were no more than 50 yards from my location, and I was not about to move, for fear of snapping 1 of the 1/2 million dry twigs and leaves that surrounded my position.
The Drivers continued to press towards my location, and was quite surprised that the 2 fighting deer were completely unfazed by this. I bidded my time, and finally 1 of the Bucks stepped out into a dried up Beaver Swamp behind my position, I was still inside of the Bush line, and had to wait for him to step into an opening in the trees, for me to get a shot away. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, the .44 Ruger Carbine was put to task, and I squeezed off a shot. The Buck arched up after the impact of the 225 Grain Hornady LeverEvolution got him behind the Shoulder, and he took off running, and I ended up firing 2 more shots at him, and on the third he turned around and went back the way he came.
Meanwhile, Buck #2 ran out from behind cover, converging on Buck #1, so I putt the Fibre Optic front sight trained on him and squeezed off 2 quick shots on him. I was pretty sure I contacted him on the first shot, but he turned an was making quick time away from my position, down the Beaver swamp. By this time I was out of ammo, and was working my way from the cover I was in, to the edge of the swamp, and got two more shells into the Ruger. By the time I reached the edge, Buck #2 was 275 - 300 yards on the other side of the swamp, and stopped and looked back at me, standing broadside.......well, thinking that I had already hit him, and not knowing exactly where he might be hit, I raised the .44 Ruger up to my shoulder, got the front sight trained on him, I raised the front sight above his front shoulder, by a couple of feet, and slowly squeezed of another shot. By the time the gun came back down, the deer was gone......
Now, I would never have shot at a deer that far with that gun, except in a situation like this, and honestly I don't know if I had hit that deer on the long shot, or he died on that spot from one of the closer shots. The action happened so fast, all this within 30 seconds of the first shot being fired. It was very exciting, and my gut instinct tells me that one of the closer shots ended it for him, he just ran off that far, not knowing he was already dead.
Deer #1, the bigger of the 2
Deer #2
Both together:
Group Photo:
That was the end of the excitement for Wed., and we had a lot of work in store for us getting those 2 deer out of the woods.
Thursday morning saw about 2 inches of wet snow on the ground, so we decided to have an easy morning, and we ended up butchering up the 2 deer ourselves, as the local butcher didn't think he would be able to get to the 2 Bucks by the time we left on Sat. Morning.
We also had a little fun with "Precious". The owner of "Precious" was having his Birthday on Friday, and he made the mistake of having a nap:
So we adorned "Precious" with some new toys:
Friday saw us out in the woods again, did a couple of drives in the morning, then after the bush lunch, we went our separate ways for the afternoon. I got a couple pics of our hunting area, and captured a fox, sitting on a rock, sunning himself, and just having a lazy afternoon:
And some random shots around our hunting area:
All in all it was a great week, and I doubt if I will ever have the chance at 2 Bucks again, but there is always next year.
One of our group, bought a new ATV, so Sat. and Sun. were also spent familiarizing himself with his new toy, lovingly now referred to as "Precious"
Monday morning had us out to the deer woods at 7:30 am, and put in 3 pushes, without seeing or hearing any deer moving through the woods. After a bush lunch, we decided to all sit for the remainder of the afternoon, and one of the members, got a shot off at a deer as he was getting to his chosen stand location, was a clean miss at a doe, through thick cover, but things were looking up
We were out of the woods around 4:45, and back to the cabin at 5:30 for dinner and libations
View outside of the cabin over looking the Lake:
The main lodge where we stay, looking up from our cabin:
Tuesday morning, we started a drive, and a deer tried sneaking in from behind one of the Blockers, silly deer. Ended up with a spike buck, and the first for our group this year.
Another member got a shot off at a doe, again through thick cover, and ended up with a clean miss.
Wednesday morning was a good day for me
. We started a drive through the area where the other member missed a deer on Tuesday. I was on the extreme eastern edge set up as a blocker. The drive was moving from the North, when about 20 minutes into it, I could hear leaves rustling, and the faint sounds of antlers rubbing together. I could easily have seen the deer, if it wasn't for the rather larger and bulked out Hemlock tree that was blocking my view. I had estimated that the 2 deer were no more than 50 yards from my location, and I was not about to move, for fear of snapping 1 of the 1/2 million dry twigs and leaves that surrounded my position.The Drivers continued to press towards my location, and was quite surprised that the 2 fighting deer were completely unfazed by this. I bidded my time, and finally 1 of the Bucks stepped out into a dried up Beaver Swamp behind my position, I was still inside of the Bush line, and had to wait for him to step into an opening in the trees, for me to get a shot away. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, the .44 Ruger Carbine was put to task, and I squeezed off a shot. The Buck arched up after the impact of the 225 Grain Hornady LeverEvolution got him behind the Shoulder, and he took off running, and I ended up firing 2 more shots at him, and on the third he turned around and went back the way he came.
Meanwhile, Buck #2 ran out from behind cover, converging on Buck #1, so I putt the Fibre Optic front sight trained on him and squeezed off 2 quick shots on him. I was pretty sure I contacted him on the first shot, but he turned an was making quick time away from my position, down the Beaver swamp. By this time I was out of ammo, and was working my way from the cover I was in, to the edge of the swamp, and got two more shells into the Ruger. By the time I reached the edge, Buck #2 was 275 - 300 yards on the other side of the swamp, and stopped and looked back at me, standing broadside.......well, thinking that I had already hit him, and not knowing exactly where he might be hit, I raised the .44 Ruger up to my shoulder, got the front sight trained on him, I raised the front sight above his front shoulder, by a couple of feet, and slowly squeezed of another shot. By the time the gun came back down, the deer was gone......
Now, I would never have shot at a deer that far with that gun, except in a situation like this, and honestly I don't know if I had hit that deer on the long shot, or he died on that spot from one of the closer shots. The action happened so fast, all this within 30 seconds of the first shot being fired. It was very exciting, and my gut instinct tells me that one of the closer shots ended it for him, he just ran off that far, not knowing he was already dead.
Deer #1, the bigger of the 2
Deer #2
Both together:
Group Photo:
That was the end of the excitement for Wed., and we had a lot of work in store for us getting those 2 deer out of the woods.
Thursday morning saw about 2 inches of wet snow on the ground, so we decided to have an easy morning, and we ended up butchering up the 2 deer ourselves, as the local butcher didn't think he would be able to get to the 2 Bucks by the time we left on Sat. Morning.
We also had a little fun with "Precious". The owner of "Precious" was having his Birthday on Friday, and he made the mistake of having a nap:
So we adorned "Precious" with some new toys
:
Friday saw us out in the woods again, did a couple of drives in the morning, then after the bush lunch, we went our separate ways for the afternoon. I got a couple pics of our hunting area, and captured a fox, sitting on a rock, sunning himself, and just having a lazy afternoon:
And some random shots around our hunting area:
All in all it was a great week, and I doubt if I will ever have the chance at 2 Bucks again, but there is always next year.
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It's a big, heavy, slow bullet, and usually does put them down on the spot.....these were the first deer that I shot with the LeverEvolution bullets, I think I will go back to the Hornady XTP's next year.
