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rantingredneck · January 15, 2010, 08:32 AM

This'll take a few posts as the pic limit is 6 per so bear with me......

I started off my typical hunting season slow. Went on one dove hunt (on public land) and got so frustrated with the number of people crowded around one field that we left in short order. I fired one shell, killed one dove, gave it to the guy next to me and left. Only bird hunting I did this year.

Then on to archery deer season, which here in NC opens mid-Sept.

I can sum up my archery season with one picture:

I saw deer nearly every outing. But they were always WAY OVER THERE! My usually successful archery setups failed me this year. I tried making some adjustments and moving some climbing stands but it didn't pay off. Moved one stand to where the deer seemed to be funneling through an area and lo and behold they moved back to their old pattern and walked right under the tree I'd just left. Them's the breaks sometimes.......

This was the first year (aside from 2007 when I broke my back) in about 8 or 9 years that I've been completely skunked with the bow.

On to muzzleloader season. This is where it started to get interesting.......

Opening day 8 pointer:
This one walked up within 30 yds of one of my stands (I finally found the deer!). Chip shot with my CVA Optima shooting 250 gr. SST over 2 777 pellets. Dead in his tracks.

closeup:

Couple days later......Doe: 85 yd shot down to the creek below my other ladder stand. DRT.

Couple days later.........'nother doe: This one was again about 25-30 yds from one of my ladder stands (where were these deer in archery?). She ran about 30 yds from where I shot her to where she folded.

To be continued.......

January 15, 2010, 08:32 AM	#4
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	My season in pictures........ This'll take a few posts as the pic limit is 6 per so bear with me...... I started off my typical hunting season slow. Went on one dove hunt (on public land) and got so frustrated with the number of people crowded around one field that we left in short order. I fired one shell, killed one dove, gave it to the guy next to me and left. Only bird hunting I did this year. Then on to archery deer season, which here in NC opens mid-Sept. I can sum up my archery season with one picture: I saw deer nearly every outing. But they were always WAY OVER THERE! My usually successful archery setups failed me this year. I tried making some adjustments and moving some climbing stands but it didn't pay off. Moved one stand to where the deer seemed to be funneling through an area and lo and behold they moved back to their old pattern and walked right under the tree I'd just left. Them's the breaks sometimes....... This was the first year (aside from 2007 when I broke my back) in about 8 or 9 years that I've been completely skunked with the bow. On to muzzleloader season. This is where it started to get interesting....... Opening day 8 pointer: This one walked up within 30 yds of one of my stands (I finally found the deer!). Chip shot with my CVA Optima shooting 250 gr. SST over 2 777 pellets. Dead in his tracks. closeup: Couple days later......Doe: 85 yd shot down to the creek below my other ladder stand. DRT. Couple days later.........'nother doe: This one was again about 25-30 yds from one of my ladder stands (where were these deer in archery?). She ran about 30 yds from where I shot her to where she folded. To be continued....... __________________ NRA Member NC Hunter's Education Instructor PCCA Member (What's PCCA you ask? <- Check the link)