This morning was the opening day of gun season in this part of New York State. I was looking forward to hunting with the rifle. On my trail cameras and during cross bow season I had seen many great bucks. While cross bow hunting I had never seen so many great bucks and had so many great buck within range. They were always behind some brush, just a tad too small, just a bit out of range, or just plain never stopped moving.
After days of cross bow hunting I finally settled on this 7 pointer which I thought was an 8 point.
The weather forecast for this morning was for rain and south wind. A south wind meant that I couldn't use my favorite "gully stand" so I decided to use the "shooting hut" which accommodates a south wind.
I got in the stand early, way before daylight and watched the sun come up.
When it got to be daylight and shooting time, I looked all around and didn't see any deer. So I decided to step outside and relieve myself before settling in for a long wait during shooting hours. I step out to the north/west corner of the deck. When I got back inside the blind, I sat down and pivoted the chair around 360 degrees to check everything. Low and behold there was a deer on the north/east side. I figured it was a doe and checked it with the binoculars. Whoa! It was a buck that had come up from the hillside and was checking the field for does. I started counting points and when I got to 4 points on one side, I decided it was a shooter. I put down the binoculars, and picked up the rifle. When I was all set, the buck was facing me with his head down. I waited for him to move. He turned broadside and starting walking at 90 degrees from me. I gave a doe bleat and he stopped. Then he took a couple of step toward me. He was quartering hard toward me at about 150 yards. I place the cross hairs of the 270 Win. right on the near front shoulder and squeezed the trigger.
He made a three legged 50 yard dash for the woods and went down right at the edge of the woods.
After I field dressed the buck I found this fungi on my way back to the truck.
Here is the happy hunter.
Here is a close up of the rack.
After days of cross bow hunting I finally settled on this 7 pointer which I thought was an 8 point.
The weather forecast for this morning was for rain and south wind. A south wind meant that I couldn't use my favorite "gully stand" so I decided to use the "shooting hut" which accommodates a south wind.
I got in the stand early, way before daylight and watched the sun come up.
When it got to be daylight and shooting time, I looked all around and didn't see any deer. So I decided to step outside and relieve myself before settling in for a long wait during shooting hours. I step out to the north/west corner of the deck. When I got back inside the blind, I sat down and pivoted the chair around 360 degrees to check everything. Low and behold there was a deer on the north/east side. I figured it was a doe and checked it with the binoculars. Whoa! It was a buck that had come up from the hillside and was checking the field for does. I started counting points and when I got to 4 points on one side, I decided it was a shooter. I put down the binoculars, and picked up the rifle. When I was all set, the buck was facing me with his head down. I waited for him to move. He turned broadside and starting walking at 90 degrees from me. I gave a doe bleat and he stopped. Then he took a couple of step toward me. He was quartering hard toward me at about 150 yards. I place the cross hairs of the 270 Win. right on the near front shoulder and squeezed the trigger.
He made a three legged 50 yard dash for the woods and went down right at the edge of the woods.
After I field dressed the buck I found this fungi on my way back to the truck.
Here is the happy hunter.
Here is a close up of the rack.
