Hunting Season 2008

[PegLeg45]

Thanks, all.

We have seen at least 2 other bucks with larger racks on our property behind our house.
Luckily, we have 40 acres of our own and about another 60 that that is connected to ours that we have permission to hunt own.
This one was taken on our 20 acre plot across the road from the house (half open field and half hardwoods).
 

[Teresa Heilevang]

I am going to try to hunt ..AND film.........
Ex hubby is getting the stand all done and putting it on our land ..and this year it won't be any climbing a danged old tree and setting in it for hours freezing to death.. This year I am going to be hunting in comfort style..

I'm actually doe hunting this year.. not rack searching..as I want the meat to make into jerky..hamburger...except the back strap..and that of course is going straight into the skillet. 

Hopefully will have some pictures to post soon of the finished stand.

[PegLeg45]

Good luck on the hunt.
Going myself this afternoon.
I actually hunted from the same blind as my son, only I was there the day before. I heard the buck but never saw him. I guess it's all just a matter of timing. I would not have taken the shot though. I've killed enough in my time to sit back and watch the next generation take the lead. I will bag a doe for the meat, though. Georgia wants hunters to focus on big does and older bucks to try to control a booming deer population. We're crawling with them.

I focus more on handgun hunting at close range now. Can't climb trees (never cared for that part anyway) so we built several enclosed blinds with windows all around to shoot from.

I take my 7 1/2" Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum with 280gr Cor-Bon ammo at around 1400 fps. They will put a thumpin' on whatever they hit.

[MikeBjerum]

I am going to try to hunt ..AND film.........
Ex hubby is getting the stand all done and putting it on our land ..and this year it won't be any climbing a danged old tree and setting in it for hours freezing to death.. This year I am going to be hunting in comfort style..

I lost the e-mail ... what time was I supposed to drive by and let the deer out of the trailer 

[Teresa Heilevang]

shhhhhhhhhh...early early morning and DON"T FORGET to take the halter off him.. 

[Sponsor]

[ericire12]

M'ette-

What caliber deer rifle do you shoot?

[DDMac]

I went out early this morning to get a shot at the coyote that has been stalking my wife's cats. I was sitting against a big pasture rock overlooking the game trail with my AR, when Scarlett came up from behind and "woofed". She went after varmints as well, and had better luck than me.



Any news, Marshal'ette?

Mac.

[Teresa Heilevang]

243 Browning. I can also use a 270 Browning ( it has better knock down) but I have never had a problem with my 243 and I like it better.

One shot.. dead on.. one down deer.. Nothing to it.. 

Actually, I did have a problem one year with the "down part".
I hunt totally by myself because I like the solitude..and if I want to move or stalk or whatever I can without worrying about anyone with me.
I have had deer stands in the trees and also made my stands with hay bales and I have sat in old combines in the middle of the field.. in the top of barns ..and  I have leaned against trees and also climbed trees (without a stand or ladder) Just depends on where I want to scope them out.
This particular year I had started out at the edge of the bean field..where I had been watching them come in for a week or two to eat. The trail l behind them was some rocky timber with lots of sign ..rubs etc. Sat there the whole morning and that night and just a few doe come in..
 Hmmmmmm... So ... I moved my position through the timber..and right on the outside of the drop off to the river. They were using that to cross and it was heavy with fresh tracks. Wouldn't you know it that the only tree that could give me the view I wanted was in a damned huge old hedge tree. For those of you who are not familiar ... these are trees with big spiny short, stout thorns. NOT pleasant to climb.. unless there is an 11 point buck using the path.. THEN... you kind of cowgirl up and start the climb... and say to hell with the thorns 

So I did.. precariously..and hoping like hell I didn't drop my gun or get all snagged up and fall ....you know.. those idiot moves that sometimes happen.

Got up there and settled in with my butt all situated on this one branch...and proceeded to wait.

It was getting on into the very very late afternoon and was hoping I saw something within the next 30 minutes or so, or it would have been too dark to shoot.( legally  )  and I looked up and there the girls were.
You know how you can be looking  and watching and all of a sudden your eyes sweep back to the place that you were looking at 10 seconds before and there are deer all out in the field eating like they had been there forever? How is that possible?  ( I think that they just come up from the middle of the ground  )

Anyway.. there wasn't a buck anywhere ...but I knew the ole' boy was back there..waiting. I just felt it.  I was just hoping it wouldn't be too dark to shoot when he decided to appear.
I didn't move a muscle.. and wasn't long til he took one step out of the timber on the far side. It sure enough was the 11 point..and he was a dandy. He was only about 200 yds from me..and still kinda hidden in the brush and I would have liked  him to be a bit closer ( but my butt was numb and I needed to move just a little so I could get my elbow on my knee) so I slowly got moved and ready..gun up.. eye on scope.. watching...........

 He was leery for a bit , but then started moving and eating..  He turned broadside and my shot was there and I took it. Breathe..let it out..squeeze....It was perfect ( right in the zone)   But instead of dropping like they always do... he kinda staggered and  slowly turned and started walking  going the other direction towards the cliff that dropped to the river.

 I was wondering what the hell?? I knew I hadn't missed.   He wasn't running or anything but he was making a B-line to the cliff.. so I did what any red blooded American girl would do to stop him..
 I shot him in the ass and blew his balls off.
THAT stopped him!

I climbed down and ran out there and he was sure enough dead this time.
After I got him loaded ( which was a frickin' challenge as I had to put the rope on his horns and get in the truck and pull and heave and I finally got him loaded and headed back to town. He was HEAVY!  ( I don't field dress as we have hoists and hangers in the game cleaning room with a floor drain and I like to gut and clean there so there isn't dirt and leaves etc inside it.) So when I started to clean and gut him and I had light.. I pulled out my 243 slug and it was flattened on a rib. THAT is why he only staggered.
 But the shot to the ass didn't flatten.. No sireee.. He knew he better die right then and there, cause the girls would never look at him the same way again if he lived...   
The end..


PS................. He dressed out over 200# so he was worth having.
 

[shooter32]

OMG!!! Marshal don't ever run from her

Great story M'ette, did you get any pics of him and is he hanging on the wall?

[Teresa Heilevang]

I have his rack.. just cut it off and hung it out under the garage with all the other ones through the years.. LOL

Oh... and when Marshal is creeping and sneaking off.. and I yell stop.. he does..