Sorry in advance for long post.
Yep buckshot, just realized I didn't specify in my earlier post. Honestly I'm trying to get myself away from using it but it was just what I decided to load up with. He was just a two pointer. One long "cow-horn" and one little gnarled spike. I guess he broke it off and it regrew. I'm past "antler-hunting" and was just trying to top off the last bit of room left in the freezer. He had a decent sized body.
I normally go for does at this point of the season but we have been seeing very few of them so far. I think perhaps the very active coyotes we had last year might've put a hurt on the doe population during birthing season. It's made for a very heavy rut this season though, more scrapes and rubs than I can ever remember seeing. On that note, during our early muzzleloading season I scored with my biggest buck ever. Definitely one of those "right place, right time" deals.
Back on election day I returned to the house from voting and after eating some lunch decided to head out to the woods. I had my climber stand on my back and half way to my intended spot I realized the wind was shifting in exactly the wrong direction. So I changed direction and headed in to a different area. First time I had been in there this season. I slowly walked around and picked out a tree that would give me a good view of the downside of a hill that leads down to a creek. I got my stand hooked around the tree and climbed on, CVA Optima was on the ground attached to the stand with my rope. I made it about three "stand-steps" up the tree when I heard it......
I hear this crashing coming from exactly where my back is turned towards, so I quickly pulled my gun up and put a primer in, and turned around. I'm standing with my back against the tree and out from behind a holly tree comes a big ol' buck. Sniffing and snorting at the air, he stopped broadside right behind several little pine trees and just stood there. Here I am with the gun raised and sights lined up, shaking like a squirrel with ADD, and he just stands there sniffing and looking around. I shut my eyes and took a couple breaths and when I looked again he had made another step or two forward and I had a shot, no more than maybe 25 yards.
So I squeeze the trigger and smoke roars out of the gun, and just sits there. No breeze down there to clear it out. All I saw of the deer was a flash of tail as he took off. I got down on the ground and reloaded, and listened...... Nothing. Walked over and immediately found blood, and some very erratic tracks. After waiting about 30 minutes I followed and less than 50 yards away he's down for the count. Double lung shot and just barely clipped the top of the heart, 270 gr. Platinum Powerbelts with 100gr. Pyrodex. Around here he's a really nice buck, and a monster in my own book of personal experiences. 11 points, with some real tall G2's and a nice tall wavy left brow tine.