Well I'm finally giong to write some.
Amber and I both killed does during bow season.
During muzzleloader season I killed a 3 1/2 old 6pointer( that looks like a 1 1/2yo) on opening morning
Amber killed a doe opeming day also
Then a couple days later I killed a 3 1/2 yo 10point
Then Amber shot a doe on the last day
Now for rifle season.
Well let me start this by saying I never really knew My Uncle Roy untill a family reunion when my grandfather was dieing (arent we all) a couple years ago, where we really hit it off. He was a veteran of 5th SF Group in Vietnam, so we had that in common (SF that is) and agreed to get together and hunt some time. About six monthes past and my grandfather, (his brother), died, and we started to get to know each other better. I really liked him and said its about time I spend some time with family. So he came up for deer season last year and we hunted mourning and evening for four days. It was hard for him to breath as he had had open heart surgery the year before and climbing the hills only made it worse. In spite of that he hunted hard and never gave up. Amber got her first good buck on a very hurried shot the first mourning, the only buck we saw that day, and he wanted to wait for as long as possible for a good buck as we have several of them on this farm. He had at chance at a very good seven pointer on the second evening but an ambulance siren going down the road caused some coyote's to start howling right as he started to shoot and the buck darted back into the woods. We didnt see him again. On the last mouring right berfore he headed home we decided to hunt a couple hours even though it was raining. He missed an awkward shot at doe 80 yards away and that was the end of the trip. Didnt matter as I had got to know a very good man over four days. We got together several times this year and but didnt know if we would beable to hunt this year as I had several schools and courses to go to that were running back to back. Well it worked out that I had pretty much this whole fall off so we were going hunting. Enough of the history. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
He came up from Fla. on Friday, we bought our licenses, and went out to eat. Saturday mourning was cool and crisp, about 24 degrees with a good frost. Amber and I pick Roy up at the hotel at 4AM load the rover and head out. On the way we stop at a gas station to get some biscutes, never want that tummy grawling /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif, and finish the 15min drive to Stacy's where we are hunting. We get there about 4:30, Amber jumps out and opens the gate, I turn off the lights and we drive about half way up the hill and park. As I get out I think man its chilly, should be a great day. It takes us about five minutes to get our rifles out and put our packs on, then we start heading up the hill slowly, taking breaks often so Uncle Roy can cath his breath (flatlander /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif). Its five before we arrive at the top, where we procede to setup the Tomahawk, and Ambers 308, the video camera, laser RF, and lay out our bags (we sit in sleeping bags, since we walk so much we wear light clothing and the bags allow us to quickly get in and stay warm when we get to where we're going). We get settled in just as the first absalutely gorgous sun rays start streaking in the east sky. Orange, red, pink, yellow, turning green then to blue as it met the night sky. Soon it was light enough to see and the hunt started. We scrutinized the fields and woodlines looking for signs of a deer, a sudden movement, twitch of an ear. Nothing. We see anything untill around 7:30. All of a sudden a deer burts out of the woodline to the right and stops in the middle of the 200yrd wide field, looking back. My Uncle leans over and smacks me on the arm to let me know there was a deer, but I already had the spotting scope up. Amber says what is it? I was just getting it focused when four or five more come jogging out to the other one. I say its a doe and so are the rest of them. As I'm watching them its easy to see that several are in cycle. After a few minutes with several more walking out into the field at different places, a couple cross the fence onto our property and I ask Roy if he wants to shoot one, he decides not to since its still early and he wamts to see if a decent buck comes out. This continued for a while and we eventually see seventeen different does and fawns. At one point two does from different herds meet and box it out chasing one another all over the field the were in, untill they made a truse and went back to feeding. After a while they wandered off over the hill into a thicket, and we lost sight of them. We watched for a few minutes with no deer activity when I looked over and noticed Amber snuged up in the sleepingbag, snoozing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. Wanker /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Well a little bit later I noticed Uncle Roy was napping /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. O'well it was pretty late in the mourning and the sun was warming me up nicely so I decided to take a nap. About nine thirty I woke up and looked down the hill and there was a deer walking where the does were earlier. I snatched up the spotter but could already tell it was a buck. Not a giant but a decent buck, and Uncle Roy hadnt shot a deer in twenty years. I rolled over and grabed Roy's arm, to which he jumped quite startled, and told him theres a buck down the hill, a big buck just over the crest in front of us. He was imeadiatly excited, when we crawled om all fours over to the Tomahawk about six feet away. Amber heard the comotion and leaned up looking "is there a deer" she said. I looked back and shooked my head yes, put my hands up to form antlers telling her it was a good buck, and pointed to where it was. She leaned up and got a big'ol grin. As we were moving the deer saw us but couldnt quite make out what we were I guess because he just stood there staring at us. Uncle Roy layed down behind the gun as I got the range, 251yds. I put the corrections on the scope and told him to wait while I turned the video on, and not touch the trigger untill he was ready to shoot. Well in his excitment he forgot how light a two once trigger is and shot before he got the gun on the deer. Did I mention I was laying on the left side of the gun and we forgot our ear muffs that mourning /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif. It suprized me as I wasnt expecting him to shoot yet. Didnt matter though as I could see he didnt hit the buck but he was still standing there so I said "reload it, reload the gun he's still there" His eyes were as big as saucers and I could tell he didnt mean to shoot. He said "now I know what you mean, I didnt even touch the trigger!" In a hurry I said "he's still there, get on him". This is about when I noticed the ringing in my ears. Ignoring that I whispered hold on just a second, let me get the camera on h... I could hear him breathing heavy when he saw him in te scope. And then... BOOOOM! He shot and I heard Amber yell "hell yeah he's down" The bucked dropped strait down and only kicked once. "Good shot" I sat up grinning from ear to ear, turned around as Uncle Roy was sitting up and had the biggest smile on his face. I tackled him /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Gave him a hug and said you got one! We were quite happy and I dont really remember what all was said but it was great. He asked if I got it on camera and I replied " no you shot too fast /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" He siad " I'm sorry but I really didnt want him to get away" Me, "Man I dont care about that, I'm just happy you got one". As I was getting up I saw a doe around the hill and said "Amber get your gun. Get your gun theres another deer." She grabbed the 308 and we crawled up to where we could see it and the muzzle would clear the hill. We got got far enough forward that she could get a shot on it and excididly asked whats the range I told her to hold dead on as she had the scope set for 175yds and I knew the doe wasnt over 200. I told her to breath and calm down (yes we still get excited over does. Even me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif) while I was turning on the camera. I found the deer in the eyepiece and told her whenever she was ready. She said, ready, and I said send it. She broke the shot and I could see she hit it. At the shot the doe just jumped up a little and hunched up walking slowly to the right. I yelled "hit". And Amber imeadiatly reloaded and asked if she should shoot agian. I replied, no, as I could see internals hanging out the other side. She walked about twenty yards and Amber asked again if she should shoot it. I said no she's dead. A couple more steps and I thought I saw her drop. I hugged her, got up and went back to the top of the hill where Uncle Roy was standing. He yelled down to us asking if Amber got her. Amber said "yeah, she's down". He said well theres a couple does in the field. I looked at Amber and Amber looked at me and said "get'um butthole". I handed the camera to her and ran up to the tomahawk. Sliding down behind it I saw them. One had already crossed the fence and the other was runing back and forth looking for a place to cross. I ranged the deer at 434 and dialed it into the scope. I told Amber to hurry up while I dropped a round in the chamber. Put my cheek on the stock and got that familier feel and instantly found the deer. She was trotting along the fence toward us, and I said "Amber! Do you have her in the camera?" She said "No... Wait. Got her!" The doe stopped for a second facing to our right and I said ready, she told me to send it. "No wai... BOOOM... Right over her back. I instantly reload as Amber's telling me "just over 300". I make the correction on the scope and say ready. She say's send it and I do. I see the ripple of her hair and some blood spray out the other side and Amber and I both say hit at the same time just as the WHOP reaches us. Amber said " I tried to stop you when I relized she covered that much distance before you shot". From the time I ranged her to when I shot, which was probably five or six seconds she covered over a hundred yards. I ranged where I hit here at to us at 330yds. I aimed high on her shoulder and coupled with being a minute and a half high caused me to shoot
right over her back. We grabbed the camera's leaving the gear except Ambers 308 and Roy's 30/06 and went down to Uncle Roys buck. He isn't huge
but he was tickled pink. He siad last year coyote's scared off a seven pointer and I wasnt gonna let this one get away. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Sure 'nough /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif.
It took us a few minutes to find Ambers deer as even though it fell she got back up and made it back into the thicket. After about five minutes we found it and dragged it to where the buck was. We walked right to my doe stuck in the fenceline and dragged it to the other two deer. I went and got the truck and took a few pictures.
We loaded them up. Checked them in and went to eat lunch. All in all a very good day. To Uncle Roy we love you and had a blast. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
