Woodycreek
Handloader
- Aug 2, 2007
- 2,240
- 0
Went out Saturday for the first day of Muzzleloader season. Got in an a ladder stand on the farm since I had no time for scouting or hanging stands. I have seen big bucks out of this stand in the past, but never could get a shot at them. The stand sits in some hardwoods with a few 50 yard shooting lanes and one open area about 178 yards long across the dam of a pond. Went before daylight and still spooked some deer that were hanging around stand. Not much action the rest of the morning except for 10 turkeys feeding in Front of me along the oaks.
It got windy right before lunch and I decided to come and try another spot that afternoon. Thought I would try sneaking around one of the hayfields on the way out. 40 yards in front of the ladder stand and found this!
Found a scrape line not far away also. Figured I should take a quick lunch and come right back to the ladder stand! Slow afternoon with just the turkeys feeding through in the cow pasture.
An hour before dark the deer started to move and a spike stepped out first in the cow pasture. He was feeding along the far fenceline under some oaks.
The spike went out of sight and a doe steps into the field. The doe was feeding up to the oaks when she started to act funny. Jumping around and running in circles. I had a feeling that a nice buck was in the area that I couldn't see yet. Sure enough I could see horns through the trees across the pond! He was feeding right for my shooting lane across the field. What seemed like 3 hours was about 15 min. The buck was going to step out just in front of the fence that I had lasered at 178 yards. I guessed he would be around 165-170 yards. Lucky I had shot my TC Encore at 200 yards the day before and knew my holdover points. Luckily he gave me that 15 min to lock in for the shot. I held the crosshair on top of his back when he finally stepped out giving me a broadside shot. At the shot he went straight in the air and bucked. He hit the ground running for the timber and could only hope it was a good hit. It was dark by the time I came out of the stand since I gave him over 20 minutes before looking. A call for reinforcements to look got some friends and family on the ground. We found no blood where I had shot him or near where he went into the woods. All of us pushed into the woods since a rainstorm was coming in later on. With nothing found in this narrow strip of woods, we almost gave up for the night. My cuz was looking on one fenceline coming out and found him piled up beside the fence!
The Parker 250gr bullet did what it was meant to do!
Exit
Sorry for the long read, but it was a fun day!
It got windy right before lunch and I decided to come and try another spot that afternoon. Thought I would try sneaking around one of the hayfields on the way out. 40 yards in front of the ladder stand and found this!
Found a scrape line not far away also. Figured I should take a quick lunch and come right back to the ladder stand! Slow afternoon with just the turkeys feeding through in the cow pasture.
An hour before dark the deer started to move and a spike stepped out first in the cow pasture. He was feeding along the far fenceline under some oaks.
The spike went out of sight and a doe steps into the field. The doe was feeding up to the oaks when she started to act funny. Jumping around and running in circles. I had a feeling that a nice buck was in the area that I couldn't see yet. Sure enough I could see horns through the trees across the pond! He was feeding right for my shooting lane across the field. What seemed like 3 hours was about 15 min. The buck was going to step out just in front of the fence that I had lasered at 178 yards. I guessed he would be around 165-170 yards. Lucky I had shot my TC Encore at 200 yards the day before and knew my holdover points. Luckily he gave me that 15 min to lock in for the shot. I held the crosshair on top of his back when he finally stepped out giving me a broadside shot. At the shot he went straight in the air and bucked. He hit the ground running for the timber and could only hope it was a good hit. It was dark by the time I came out of the stand since I gave him over 20 minutes before looking. A call for reinforcements to look got some friends and family on the ground. We found no blood where I had shot him or near where he went into the woods. All of us pushed into the woods since a rainstorm was coming in later on. With nothing found in this narrow strip of woods, we almost gave up for the night. My cuz was looking on one fenceline coming out and found him piled up beside the fence!
The Parker 250gr bullet did what it was meant to do!
Exit
Sorry for the long read, but it was a fun day!
