My First Smoked Deer
huntingal
9/12/07 1:56pm
Due to extinuating cercumstances (being 7 months pregnant come September) I put down the bow and picked up a muzzleloader this year to chase the deer.
My husband had seen several real nice bucks in the mountains that we persued without luck the first weekend. Then, while driving the bean and sunflower fields around the house we ran into a herd of bachlors that had several nice and one whooper of a buck. We figued out they were bouncing between two fields every other day and set up a plan to ambush them one morning.
Tuesday morning we found them in their respective field. I set up along thier escape rout, my husband would circle them and "encourage" them right past me. Simple right, of course not! :)) Instead of heading down the draw they broke out across the field. I got a good look at all of the bucks. There were three about 24", three smaller and the whopper. The last couple of years I have coyote hunted in this draw/ field combo and had a pretty good idea where they were headed. On a hunch I started after them. As soon as I topped the rise I saw antlers and went into "stealth" mode. Slinking from one sagebrush to the next till I was within 80-100 yards of the bunch. I could tell they didn't know what to do next and the sagebruch was to high form me to pick one from the next. So I set up to wait them out. I got set up on my sticks, pulled back the hammer, set the trigger and waited. I didn't have to wait long, Hubby had gone back to the bronco and circled around on the road (good half mile away) to look for the deer. The deer had seen him before he saw them and were getting nervous, deciding to come my way =D>
This guy was the second one out and he obediatly stopped when asked. Hubby didn't know I was anywhere neer the deer. Said he just saw deer running and then a big cloud of blackpowder came out of a sagebush. :))
The 54 slug entered a little low and farther back than I would have liked, but deadly none the less.
I am quite proud of my first blackpowed buck, even if he wasn't the "whooper" I believe he is the biggest most symetrical buck I have ever taken.
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Not the best pic of me, but a good one of the deer! :)
My husband had seen several real nice bucks in the mountains that we persued without luck the first weekend. Then, while driving the bean and sunflower fields around the house we ran into a herd of bachlors that had several nice and one whooper of a buck. We figued out they were bouncing between two fields every other day and set up a plan to ambush them one morning.
Tuesday morning we found them in their respective field. I set up along thier escape rout, my husband would circle them and "encourage" them right past me. Simple right, of course not! :)) Instead of heading down the draw they broke out across the field. I got a good look at all of the bucks. There were three about 24", three smaller and the whopper. The last couple of years I have coyote hunted in this draw/ field combo and had a pretty good idea where they were headed. On a hunch I started after them. As soon as I topped the rise I saw antlers and went into "stealth" mode. Slinking from one sagebrush to the next till I was within 80-100 yards of the bunch. I could tell they didn't know what to do next and the sagebruch was to high form me to pick one from the next. So I set up to wait them out. I got set up on my sticks, pulled back the hammer, set the trigger and waited. I didn't have to wait long, Hubby had gone back to the bronco and circled around on the road (good half mile away) to look for the deer. The deer had seen him before he saw them and were getting nervous, deciding to come my way =D>
This guy was the second one out and he obediatly stopped when asked. Hubby didn't know I was anywhere neer the deer. Said he just saw deer running and then a big cloud of blackpowder came out of a sagebush. :))
The 54 slug entered a little low and farther back than I would have liked, but deadly none the less.
I am quite proud of my first blackpowed buck, even if he wasn't the "whooper" I believe he is the biggest most symetrical buck I have ever taken.
Not the best pic of me, but a good one of the deer! :)
10,373
I remember you stories from last year and enjoyed them. Glad you got a BIG one.
I'd be tickled with one like that! :thumb :thumb
Boy, us guys have no room to complain! You stalked and harvested that bad boy while almost 7 months pregnant?! AWESOME!
Man I wana see the "whooper".
Congrats on a fine buck.
Thanks for the story and I've got to admit, I'm still chuckling about "stealth mode" and "slinking" while being 7 months pregnant! :))
Evidently, it works very well! :thumb
oakbrush