Well, the last few days, my hunting partner and I have been trying to fill our freezers up, since our gun season ends on 5 January. As most of you know, we are hunting with a group of hound hunters here in Va. It is still a fairly new sport for me, as I have only done it for about 3 years, with last season being the most I have done it. This year, we have followed them around a bunch and done okay, not great, but pretty decent. The hunting area is just 35 minutes South of the house, so it allows us to get in on the afternoon hunts and really not kill ourselves getting into and out of our hunting areas. It is alot different than what I am used to, but it is pretty exciting when the dogs are working well.
The first part of the season seemed kinda slow and the guys said it was due to the dry conditions, well, we have gotten some decent precipitation the last few weeks, and hunting has picked up.
This past Saturday, my hunting partner, his wife, and my wife all went down and got to hunting.
On the first stand, I heard the dogs really getting into something in the triple canopy pines, and began waiting for a chance. Everyone else was spread out around the hunt area. I shot this doe running past me at about 35-40 yards.
Got somewhat lucky on that shot, as the 1.25 oz Buckhammer also mowed through this small tree.
The shot was right on point, a high shoulder shot, which hammered her to the ground. The 2nd deer that was there then spun and ran down past another stander.
After wrapping up that hunt, the girls wanted some photo time. My buddies wife, Angie has not EVER hunted before and was sitting with her husband when the hunt went down. To say she was excited, was a huge understatement.
Then Lori and I got a cool picture
We did another drive towards the end of the day and I had another deer come up running from the dogs, thankfully this one paused at about 70 yards or so, and took another Buckhammer in the ribs. I saw her run from the shot location, then heard a huge crash.
Thinking it would be cool for Angie to follow her first blood trail, we waited till the end of the hunt, and I tuned her and Shaun (husband) into the shot location. Immediately she found the point of impact and took off after the deer.. The cool think about Buckhammers is the 1" hole in and the same on the exit side.. The trail was about 2ft wide most of the time with spray all over the trees! She was beside herself she was so excited when she found another dead deer.
That was our Saturday. Unfortunately, no one else got decent opportunities on deer, but we did collect two good eating sized does.
Lori after a hard day in the woods!
We spent the evening quartering and cleaning them. Then went to bed! I was beat. Got to bed about 2300 that evening.
The following day, I got to break in my new meat grinder I got for Christmas. Made alot of good meat.. Grinder worked slick.
After we finished up our butchering duties, Shaun thought maybe it would be fun to take the girls to the range. His daughter gave him a one day hunting pass. The pass stated that she would go hunting with her Dad, one time. She knows how much her father loves hunting, but she didn't really like the idea of it, but she said she would go once. SOOO, we took her to the range, gave her some time behind the 20 gauge and 22.. She did EXCELLENT. Natural born shooter. Very safe and cautious while being aggressive with the gun, it was excellent.
My daughter Dylann also got some range time with her 22.. Did very well, chewing the bull out of the target at 25 yards.. Very happy pops..
click picture for video
Her were the kids with one of their targets.
The young feller is my buddies littlest. Also a very anxious hunter/shooter.. Going to be another crack riflemen!
Well, Monday morning, we got the girls up and dressed. 25* degrees here in Va, so we bundled them up really heavily.
We got out on the first stand and the dogs were pushing some far off woods and seemed to die off. Well, at that point, the hunt leader mentioned if the girls were getting cold to get into the truck.. Well, at that point, Shaun and his daughter started pushing up the line to head to the truck, AND, I was in another position about 100 yards away, and heard some leaves and twigs breaking coming right for us, WELL, at that point a NICE 10 PT cleared the woods and ran right between us two standers, but since Shaun and his daughter (Ally) were already coming up the hill, they were directly in the line of fire and they were just behind a knoll with blocked their observation of the buck. Ah well, always cool to see big bucks.
Here are a couple of pictures of the young ladies throughout the day.
Here are a couple of Dylann taking a snooze on stand...
Shaun and his daughter Ally.
Dylann and I
The young ladies making their way outta the woods.
The girls were bushed by the time we headed home. Both were crashed out in the truck in the way home.
Took the wives out again today. Lori missed a good buck the woods, hitting the only limb in her path, but such as hunting. Again, the wives and daughters were fighting to who would get to go with Dad/Husband next time.
Overall, we still have some more time, but I am calling it a totally awesome success. Great hunting with family and great friends. Sorry for the long post..
The first part of the season seemed kinda slow and the guys said it was due to the dry conditions, well, we have gotten some decent precipitation the last few weeks, and hunting has picked up.
This past Saturday, my hunting partner, his wife, and my wife all went down and got to hunting.
On the first stand, I heard the dogs really getting into something in the triple canopy pines, and began waiting for a chance. Everyone else was spread out around the hunt area. I shot this doe running past me at about 35-40 yards.
Got somewhat lucky on that shot, as the 1.25 oz Buckhammer also mowed through this small tree.
The shot was right on point, a high shoulder shot, which hammered her to the ground. The 2nd deer that was there then spun and ran down past another stander.
After wrapping up that hunt, the girls wanted some photo time. My buddies wife, Angie has not EVER hunted before and was sitting with her husband when the hunt went down. To say she was excited, was a huge understatement.
Then Lori and I got a cool picture
We did another drive towards the end of the day and I had another deer come up running from the dogs, thankfully this one paused at about 70 yards or so, and took another Buckhammer in the ribs. I saw her run from the shot location, then heard a huge crash.
Thinking it would be cool for Angie to follow her first blood trail, we waited till the end of the hunt, and I tuned her and Shaun (husband) into the shot location. Immediately she found the point of impact and took off after the deer.. The cool think about Buckhammers is the 1" hole in and the same on the exit side.. The trail was about 2ft wide most of the time with spray all over the trees! She was beside herself she was so excited when she found another dead deer.
That was our Saturday. Unfortunately, no one else got decent opportunities on deer, but we did collect two good eating sized does.
Lori after a hard day in the woods!
We spent the evening quartering and cleaning them. Then went to bed! I was beat. Got to bed about 2300 that evening.
The following day, I got to break in my new meat grinder I got for Christmas. Made alot of good meat.. Grinder worked slick.
After we finished up our butchering duties, Shaun thought maybe it would be fun to take the girls to the range. His daughter gave him a one day hunting pass. The pass stated that she would go hunting with her Dad, one time. She knows how much her father loves hunting, but she didn't really like the idea of it, but she said she would go once. SOOO, we took her to the range, gave her some time behind the 20 gauge and 22.. She did EXCELLENT. Natural born shooter. Very safe and cautious while being aggressive with the gun, it was excellent.
My daughter Dylann also got some range time with her 22.. Did very well, chewing the bull out of the target at 25 yards.. Very happy pops..
click picture for video
Her were the kids with one of their targets.
The young feller is my buddies littlest. Also a very anxious hunter/shooter.. Going to be another crack riflemen!
Well, Monday morning, we got the girls up and dressed. 25* degrees here in Va, so we bundled them up really heavily.
We got out on the first stand and the dogs were pushing some far off woods and seemed to die off. Well, at that point, the hunt leader mentioned if the girls were getting cold to get into the truck.. Well, at that point, Shaun and his daughter started pushing up the line to head to the truck, AND, I was in another position about 100 yards away, and heard some leaves and twigs breaking coming right for us, WELL, at that point a NICE 10 PT cleared the woods and ran right between us two standers, but since Shaun and his daughter (Ally) were already coming up the hill, they were directly in the line of fire and they were just behind a knoll with blocked their observation of the buck. Ah well, always cool to see big bucks.
Here are a couple of pictures of the young ladies throughout the day.
Here are a couple of Dylann taking a snooze on stand...
Shaun and his daughter Ally.
Dylann and I
The young ladies making their way outta the woods.
The girls were bushed by the time we headed home. Both were crashed out in the truck in the way home.
Took the wives out again today. Lori missed a good buck the woods, hitting the only limb in her path, but such as hunting. Again, the wives and daughters were fighting to who would get to go with Dad/Husband next time.
Overall, we still have some more time, but I am calling it a totally awesome success. Great hunting with family and great friends. Sorry for the long post..
