My Deer Season

garryc · December 6, 2009, 07:40 PM

Deer gun season opened here in Ohio on Monday November 30th. I thought I might share this seasons hunt with you all.

I decided to hunt for a buck only until Thursday after which I would take a doe. I went down a tractor road that runs on top of a ridge, we call it the Williams Trail. Coming off this ridge is four fingers, three of them having narrow and deep hollows in them. I sat on one over looking the deepest of these hollows. On the high point of the trail is a patch of grass.

All along the trail I found a great deal of tracks and scrapes. The thing about these bucks is that after the first shots go off they will not cross open ground. They don't have to, the area is heavily wooded. I sat where I could see the deer skirt the edge of the grassy area and cross at the top of the hollows. I saw a fork horn and 8 does that day.

Now I know I said that I was only going to shoot a buck until Thursday, but mid day Monday I was walking out when a doe stepped out on the edge of the trail. I was 50 yards from the truck and well away for where I was hunting, so I shot her in the neck. Bang flop. If that is handed to me like that, heck, I'll take it!

Tuesday morning I saw more does and that fork horn again. I got out late Tuesday evening. About half an hour after getting to my stand a 10 point buck shows up. I catch him a little far back on a 50 degree going away shot, caught some gut. He crossed the hollow at its head and started running down the opposite finger. I set up on an opening in the trees, and when he crossed it I lead him by about 18 inches and fired. He went down flailing and rolling. He got hung up on a small tree near the edge of the drop off. He was on a 40 degree slope and the drop off is more like 65 degrees. He was trying to move so I put one between his shoulder blades. Both the running shot and the final shot were at about 70 yards. Now I figure I had 18 inches of lead on the deer, but I still broke his back at the last rib.

He was an old buck, his muzzle was gray as were the fronts of his legs. I figure he was on the decline. His neck was swollen and he had the musky smell of a rutting buck. I tied him off to that tree and gutted him in the dark. The slugs that went through the chest cavity turned it to mush. I am always impressed with those Lightfield Sabot Slugs. I was sliding towards that edge so I had to sit down next to him to gut him. Of course the ATV broke down and we had to drag him 1.5 miles. That sucked!

I took Wednesday off. I cleaned around the place and did some cooking. I ran up to Buckeye Sports. I asked the sales clerk to give me a AR-15 handle with sight from the case, he was standing in front of me and I only wanted him to give it to me so I could buy it. He said, " Did you get a number sir?" I waved him off and left, pluck him.

Thursday morning I Went close to the road, no way I was going to do another drag like that. I shot another doe. That Lightfield Sabot slug went in the rear of the right lung and came out behind the left shoulder. She went 15 yards and piled up.

That was my season, how's yours going?

Countertop · December 7, 2009, 01:27 AM

If there's no pictures, there ain't no deer

Mine, well, mine has been dry.

I've gotten out 4 days, passed on a small doe, haven't seen anything else but a fox and lots of waterfowl.

That'll change this weekend as I get to spend 3 days in a row hunting the same place. At this point, I just want meat for the freezer, but if I find me a buck, well, he's mine.

One of my lease mates though (actually, the guy who has the lease, I sublease from him) saw both a 4 point and a 6 point sika on Saturday morning. I had given him some .280 Remington ammo that I loaded, and he complained it didn't put down either deer. I was sort of shocked, because these were basically mule deer rounds and a sika - while a type of elk - is only about 70 pounds and about the size of my black lab.

That he couldn't take either, and found no blood trail amazed me - so finally about 4 hours later I asked him, when was the last time he sighted his gun in. He responded 5 years ago, prior to putting the scope on it.

Ugh. Ruined the weekend. Needless to say, I am hunting elsewhere this coming weekend.

BIGR · December 7, 2009, 09:53 AM

Congrats on your hunt. During muzzlelaoder week I took a decent 8 point and let some other smaller bucks and does walk since I was hunting another good buck. That week it rained about 4 days and it was the worst muzzleloader week I have seen as far as weather. The next week started rifle season and it was not much better but there were better days to hunt. I was wanting to get some more meat but there deer kind of disapeared. I am going back next week one more time so maybe the deer have calmed down a bit since the hunting pressure has been down. One deer in the freezer is not going to be enough meat this year.

camper4lyfe · December 7, 2009, 10:12 AM

Those "little" Lightfields do some damage. They're pretty heavy slugs compared to others. Great slugs.

I've been blanked this year...haven't even SEEN anything.

sserdlihc · December 7, 2009, 12:25 PM

I killed a spike on opening day here. I have seen nothing but doe's since.

James R. Burke · December 7, 2009, 07:37 PM

On opening day I got a seven pointer running slow thru the neck. Weighed in at 156. The next Sunday I seen a real big deer about 190 yards away, and only could see the neck and head. I do alot of reloading, and shooting so I tryed the neck shot, and dropped it right there nice eight pointer. I will see if I can post the pic's. Good luck to everyone still hunting. Guess I cant because I already posted them?

shortwave · December 7, 2009, 08:21 PM

Quote:

His neck was swollen and he had the musky smell of a rutting buck

Yea, the chase was still on as of opening day. Think the bucks where going crazy trying to run down the last few receptive does.

I`ll closely watch activity the next couple of wks. but I don`t look for much of a 2nd. rut since the 1st one was so good. Hope I`m wrong.

rantingredneck · December 7, 2009, 08:45 PM

Muzzleloader opening day I killed a smallish 8 pointer. 30 yd shot over my right shoulder shooting left handed (I'm a righty, but that's where he was).

Monday of muzzleloader season (we get a full week) I shot a doe at 85 yds as she was crossing a creek. DRT in the creek.

Friday of muzzleloaders season I took another doe at approx 30 yds.

Shooting CVA Optima with 100 gr. 777 and Hornady SST 250 gr. sabots.

Then a couple weeks ago I shot a small screwed up racked buck at about 60 yds with my Remington 700 .30-06. Dropped like he was struck by lightning.
150 gr. Remington Express Corelokt.

So far 4 of my 6 tags are filled.

December 6, 2009, 07:40 PM	#1
garryc Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2005 Posts: 2,536	My Deer Season Deer gun season opened here in Ohio on Monday November 30th. I thought I might share this seasons hunt with you all. I decided to hunt for a buck only until Thursday after which I would take a doe. I went down a tractor road that runs on top of a ridge, we call it the Williams Trail. Coming off this ridge is four fingers, three of them having narrow and deep hollows in them. I sat on one over looking the deepest of these hollows. On the high point of the trail is a patch of grass. All along the trail I found a great deal of tracks and scrapes. The thing about these bucks is that after the first shots go off they will not cross open ground. They don't have to, the area is heavily wooded. I sat where I could see the deer skirt the edge of the grassy area and cross at the top of the hollows. I saw a fork horn and 8 does that day. Now I know I said that I was only going to shoot a buck until Thursday, but mid day Monday I was walking out when a doe stepped out on the edge of the trail. I was 50 yards from the truck and well away for where I was hunting, so I shot her in the neck. Bang flop. If that is handed to me like that, heck, I'll take it! Tuesday morning I saw more does and that fork horn again. I got out late Tuesday evening. About half an hour after getting to my stand a 10 point buck shows up. I catch him a little far back on a 50 degree going away shot, caught some gut. He crossed the hollow at its head and started running down the opposite finger. I set up on an opening in the trees, and when he crossed it I lead him by about 18 inches and fired. He went down flailing and rolling. He got hung up on a small tree near the edge of the drop off. He was on a 40 degree slope and the drop off is more like 65 degrees. He was trying to move so I put one between his shoulder blades. Both the running shot and the final shot were at about 70 yards. Now I figure I had 18 inches of lead on the deer, but I still broke his back at the last rib. He was an old buck, his muzzle was gray as were the fronts of his legs. I figure he was on the decline. His neck was swollen and he had the musky smell of a rutting buck. I tied him off to that tree and gutted him in the dark. The slugs that went through the chest cavity turned it to mush. I am always impressed with those Lightfield Sabot Slugs. I was sliding towards that edge so I had to sit down next to him to gut him. Of course the ATV broke down and we had to drag him 1.5 miles. That sucked! I took Wednesday off. I cleaned around the place and did some cooking. I ran up to Buckeye Sports. I asked the sales clerk to give me a AR-15 handle with sight from the case, he was standing in front of me and I only wanted him to give it to me so I could buy it. He said, " Did you get a number sir?" I waved him off and left, pluck him. Thursday morning I Went close to the road, no way I was going to do another drag like that. I shot another doe. That Lightfield Sabot slug went in the rear of the right lung and came out behind the left shoulder. She went 15 yards and piled up. That was my season, how's yours going?

December 7, 2009, 12:25 PM	#5
sserdlihc Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2008 Location: S.C. Posts: 1,454	I killed a spike on opening day here. I have seen nothing but doe's since. __________________ Familiarity breeds contempt, while rarity wins admiration. Aupleius If someone doesn't like you, that's their problem! Milton Childress

December 7, 2009, 08:45 PM	#8
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	Muzzleloader opening day I killed a smallish 8 pointer. 30 yd shot over my right shoulder shooting left handed (I'm a righty, but that's where he was). Monday of muzzleloader season (we get a full week) I shot a doe at 85 yds as she was crossing a creek. DRT in the creek. Friday of muzzleloaders season I took another doe at approx 30 yds. Shooting CVA Optima with 100 gr. 777 and Hornady SST 250 gr. sabots. Then a couple weeks ago I shot a small screwed up racked buck at about 60 yds with my Remington 700 .30-06. Dropped like he was struck by lightning. 150 gr. Remington Express Corelokt. So far 4 of my 6 tags are filled. __________________ NRA Member NC Hunter's Education Instructor PCCA Member (What's PCCA you ask? <- Check the link)

December 7, 2009, 01:27 AM	#2
Countertop Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: At the diner Posts: 125	If there's no pictures, there ain't no deer Mine, well, mine has been dry. I've gotten out 4 days, passed on a small doe, haven't seen anything else but a fox and lots of waterfowl. That'll change this weekend as I get to spend 3 days in a row hunting the same place. At this point, I just want meat for the freezer, but if I find me a buck, well, he's mine. One of my lease mates though (actually, the guy who has the lease, I sublease from him) saw both a 4 point and a 6 point sika on Saturday morning. I had given him some .280 Remington ammo that I loaded, and he complained it didn't put down either deer. I was sort of shocked, because these were basically mule deer rounds and a sika - while a type of elk - is only about 70 pounds and about the size of my black lab. That he couldn't take either, and found no blood trail amazed me - so finally about 4 hours later I asked him, when was the last time he sighted his gun in. He responded 5 years ago, prior to putting the scope on it. Ugh. Ruined the weekend. Needless to say, I am hunting elsewhere this coming weekend.

December 7, 2009, 09:53 AM	#3
BIGR Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2000 Location: Mountains Posts: 1,385	Congrats on your hunt. During muzzlelaoder week I took a decent 8 point and let some other smaller bucks and does walk since I was hunting another good buck. That week it rained about 4 days and it was the worst muzzleloader week I have seen as far as weather. The next week started rifle season and it was not much better but there were better days to hunt. I was wanting to get some more meat but there deer kind of disapeared. I am going back next week one more time so maybe the deer have calmed down a bit since the hunting pressure has been down. One deer in the freezer is not going to be enough meat this year.

December 7, 2009, 10:12 AM	#4
camper4lyfe Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2008 Location: Fairport, NY Posts: 165	Those "little" Lightfields do some damage. They're pretty heavy slugs compared to others. Great slugs. I've been blanked this year...haven't even SEEN anything.

December 7, 2009, 07:37 PM	#6
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	On opening day I got a seven pointer running slow thru the neck. Weighed in at 156. The next Sunday I seen a real big deer about 190 yards away, and only could see the neck and head. I do alot of reloading, and shooting so I tryed the neck shot, and dropped it right there nice eight pointer. I will see if I can post the pic's. Good luck to everyone still hunting. Guess I cant because I already posted them?