Got two deer on Saturday...kinda funny story

FrontSight · November 21, 2005, 06:19 PM

Saturday was opening firearms day in southern NY, happiest day ever, get to spend some time with my pop, one of the few times during the year...

So I hear a noise behind me at 8:15, I had forgotten my tree stand, of all things, so I was on the ground. Anyways, I turn around, and I see a pair of ears about 50 yards away, I raise my shotgun about 6 inches and blow me down if this doe didn't bust me! So here I am, in a REALLY awkward position, off balance, hunched over, holding the gun, and this doe is burning holes through me, trying to figure out what movement she saw.

In the meantime, I see another deer about 5 yards behind her & to my left...and this one's got antlers...a 5 pointer

So my heart rate jumps up even higher, my breathing is even heavier, I notice that the cold is making cumulus clouds out of my breath, the sun is SHINING on me, and the wind had just changed directions about 3 minutes before this and is blowing right to her, so I'm wondering how long before a) my legs and back give out, b) how long before she sees my breathe or c) how long before she smells me...

To my disbelief, after what seems like an eternity with her just absolutely locked in on me, she figures it was nothing and starts going about her business. I take the opportunity to raise my shotgun the rest of the way, and now the buck spots me!

So I'm looking through the scope, he's 47 yards away (I rangefindered it later), and all I can see is his head & neck. But he's nervous as hell, after seeing the doe all nervous for so long & now he saw something, too. I figure now or never, so BOOM!

Recoil kept me from following through, but when I look up, I see nothing. Just as I'm thinking "what the hell??" I see the bushes all shaking in one spot, where he was standing a second ago.

The doe was gone behind a lot of brush, so I couldn't see her, but I sure as hell can hear her SNORT once, then AGAIN, and I mean LOUD...

So I wait a minute or so, and call my dad on the cell to tell him the news. As I'm tallking to him, the doe comes back! So I'm like "ooooh, dad, I'll call ya back, I gotta try to shoot the doe...."

Raise the shotgun, and she busts me AGAIN! Same as the buck, all I have is a head & neck shot, she's obviously nervous, so BOOM!

She drops like a ton of bricks, too, all I see is the brush shaking, talk about deja vue.

I couldn't even control myself to wait an hour, I waited 15 mins to go see. I take 3 steps, and another deer, a monster doe, pops up like Houdini and runs off before I can even raise my gun. I should have waited, I might have seen her too and could have gotten three, but oh well...

Both deer dropped right in their tracks, a perfect neck shot on both, exits both through the ribs on the opposite side.

I was using a Savage 12 ga bolt action Slug Warrior, and Hasting Laser Accurate Slugs. I gotta give those slugs mad props, most accurate slugs I've ever seen, every single one on bullseye at 50 yards when I sighted in a couple of months ago...and again this past Saturday on these two deer.

Aaaah, you gotta love deer season...

Iowa Cornfed · November 21, 2005, 08:22 PM

Isn't it funny when you think of all the spots you could have chose to plop down, that you did it where you did, and right away there's activity to the max...

How many deer are you allowed on a tag up there? I know some states allow quite a few, while others aren't as generous.

Fremmer · November 21, 2005, 10:12 PM

Great job, Scrap! You never realize how quickly your muscles can tire until you've been spotted by a deer and you can't move an inch. But you kept your cool and everything worked out fine.

FrontSight · November 22, 2005, 01:39 PM

Thanks guys! We actually got there before sun-up, and these deer at 8:15 were the first I saw...no one was even shooting all morning, mine was the first shot we heard, and I mean out of as far as you can hear a gunshot, not just in our immediate woods....

NY is not too bad with the tags - if you bowhunt, too, you can get a total of 3 right off the bat, guaranteed (one buck only with gun or bow, one anterless only with bow, and one of either sex with the bow), and then you can apply for up to two extra anterless tags which is awarded on a lottery system by management unit, some units are almost guaranteed, some are harder to get, this year I got 2, one for Westchester, one for Putnam. The other cool thing is you can sign over these unit tags to anyone else...

Would you believe I spoke to the guy who designed and patented the Hastings Slugs today on the phone?! I e-mailed them my thanks and the story above, and he actually called me to say hello and thank you!! Really nice guy, he said it took him 9 years and all his money to design, I hope he makes a fortune off of them, he deserves it in my opinion!

You guys are out in the mid-west, correct? Wow, God Bless you guys, you have some absolutely amazing deer out there...

Can I contact you guys one day if I ever need info on a good guide for me & my cousin?

Clayfish · November 22, 2005, 02:11 PM

Congrats on the deer. You've got a great story.

Iowa Cornfed · November 23, 2005, 01:38 AM

When it comes time, you can sure give me a shout out. Not sure of any guiding operations around my neck of the woods here in Western Iowa, but I know one of my brother-in-laws has acted kinda like a quasi guide in years past. I don't generally hunt with them though, as they tend to be more into drive hunts, using some to walk through the timber, and some standers. That's partly due to the fact that our season isn't until like December 3rd and with the rut being over the deer all hole up in the timbered ravines, etc. and need pushed out. I still perfer to go solo and stand hunt from my climber or my permenant stands, and hope I've figured out their feeding and bedding patterns. But it does get cold on stand, and ya do miss out on the group bonding thing.

November 21, 2005, 06:19 PM	#1
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	Got two deer on Saturday...kinda funny story Saturday was opening firearms day in southern NY, happiest day ever, get to spend some time with my pop, one of the few times during the year... So I hear a noise behind me at 8:15, I had forgotten my tree stand, of all things, so I was on the ground. Anyways, I turn around, and I see a pair of ears about 50 yards away, I raise my shotgun about 6 inches and blow me down if this doe didn't bust me! So here I am, in a REALLY awkward position, off balance, hunched over, holding the gun, and this doe is burning holes through me, trying to figure out what movement she saw. In the meantime, I see another deer about 5 yards behind her & to my left...and this one's got antlers...a 5 pointer So my heart rate jumps up even higher, my breathing is even heavier, I notice that the cold is making cumulus clouds out of my breath, the sun is SHINING on me, and the wind had just changed directions about 3 minutes before this and is blowing right to her, so I'm wondering how long before a) my legs and back give out, b) how long before she sees my breathe or c) how long before she smells me... To my disbelief, after what seems like an eternity with her just absolutely locked in on me, she figures it was nothing and starts going about her business. I take the opportunity to raise my shotgun the rest of the way, and now the buck spots me! So I'm looking through the scope, he's 47 yards away (I rangefindered it later), and all I can see is his head & neck. But he's nervous as hell, after seeing the doe all nervous for so long & now he saw something, too. I figure now or never, so BOOM! Recoil kept me from following through, but when I look up, I see nothing. Just as I'm thinking "what the hell??" I see the bushes all shaking in one spot, where he was standing a second ago. The doe was gone behind a lot of brush, so I couldn't see her, but I sure as hell can hear her SNORT once, then AGAIN, and I mean LOUD... So I wait a minute or so, and call my dad on the cell to tell him the news. As I'm tallking to him, the doe comes back! So I'm like "ooooh, dad, I'll call ya back, I gotta try to shoot the doe...." Raise the shotgun, and she busts me AGAIN! Same as the buck, all I have is a head & neck shot, she's obviously nervous, so BOOM! She drops like a ton of bricks, too, all I see is the brush shaking, talk about deja vue. I couldn't even control myself to wait an hour, I waited 15 mins to go see. I take 3 steps, and another deer, a monster doe, pops up like Houdini and runs off before I can even raise my gun. I should have waited, I might have seen her too and could have gotten three, but oh well... Both deer dropped right in their tracks, a perfect neck shot on both, exits both through the ribs on the opposite side. I was using a Savage 12 ga bolt action Slug Warrior, and Hasting Laser Accurate Slugs. I gotta give those slugs mad props, most accurate slugs I've ever seen, every single one on bullseye at 50 yards when I sighted in a couple of months ago...and again this past Saturday on these two deer. Aaaah, you gotta love deer season...

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November 21, 2005, 08:22 PM	#2
Iowa Cornfed Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Location: Western Iowa Posts: 72	Isn't it funny when you think of all the spots you could have chose to plop down, that you did it where you did, and right away there's activity to the max... How many deer are you allowed on a tag up there? I know some states allow quite a few, while others aren't as generous.

November 21, 2005, 10:12 PM	#3
Fremmer Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2005 Location: Nebraska Posts: 3,482	Great job, Scrap! You never realize how quickly your muscles can tire until you've been spotted by a deer and you can't move an inch. But you kept your cool and everything worked out fine.

November 22, 2005, 01:39 PM	#4
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	Thanks guys! We actually got there before sun-up, and these deer at 8:15 were the first I saw...no one was even shooting all morning, mine was the first shot we heard, and I mean out of as far as you can hear a gunshot, not just in our immediate woods.... NY is not too bad with the tags - if you bowhunt, too, you can get a total of 3 right off the bat, guaranteed (one buck only with gun or bow, one anterless only with bow, and one of either sex with the bow), and then you can apply for up to two extra anterless tags which is awarded on a lottery system by management unit, some units are almost guaranteed, some are harder to get, this year I got 2, one for Westchester, one for Putnam. The other cool thing is you can sign over these unit tags to anyone else... Would you believe I spoke to the guy who designed and patented the Hastings Slugs today on the phone?! I e-mailed them my thanks and the story above, and he actually called me to say hello and thank you!! Really nice guy, he said it took him 9 years and all his money to design, I hope he makes a fortune off of them, he deserves it in my opinion! You guys are out in the mid-west, correct? Wow, God Bless you guys, you have some absolutely amazing deer out there... Can I contact you guys one day if I ever need info on a good guide for me & my cousin?

November 22, 2005, 02:11 PM	#5
Clayfish Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2005 Location: Valdosta, GA Posts: 953	Congrats on the deer. You've got a great story.

November 23, 2005, 01:38 AM	#6
Iowa Cornfed Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Location: Western Iowa Posts: 72	When it comes time, you can sure give me a shout out. Not sure of any guiding operations around my neck of the woods here in Western Iowa, but I know one of my brother-in-laws has acted kinda like a quasi guide in years past. I don't generally hunt with them though, as they tend to be more into drive hunts, using some to walk through the timber, and some standers. That's partly due to the fact that our season isn't until like December 3rd and with the rut being over the deer all hole up in the timbered ravines, etc. and need pushed out. I still perfer to go solo and stand hunt from my climber or my permenant stands, and hope I've figured out their feeding and bedding patterns. But it does get cold on stand, and ya do miss out on the group bonding thing.