I bought a muzzleloader in the fall of 1998 when I moved to Roanoke, and I've hunted with the thing each season since. Yesterday, right at last shooting light, I finally killed my first deer with the thing.
I'm either a really bad hunter, a really unlucky hunter, or didn't spend much time hunting with the gun.
It's probably a combo of all three.
I really haven't hunted much with it in the early black powder season because I usually stick with the bow. And when I do carry it I typically am on the lookout for mature bucks, so I'm passing shots at does.
I've hunted some in the late season, and actually missed a shot at doe a couple of seasons ago.
Yesterday I hunted a friend's place in Botetourt. The wind had layed down a bit from Thursday, but the morning was still awful. I hunted on a fairly protected hillside but couldn't hear a thing because of the wind howling through the treetops. I didn't see a deer, and gave up after a couple of hours and spent the next few hours at the cabin catching up on some work. (I know you shouldn't take your laptop to hunt camp, but I do.)
By afternoon the wind was getting better, but it still blew pretty well. I hunted the point of a ridge that was fairly exposed, getting in the stand at 1:30 p.m. At 3, I saw a button buck. Then, at 4, the action got pretty good. The problem was the deer were all above me, most at least 100 yards out. I had two does at about 50 yards but couldn't get a shot at the largest one. (Yesterday wasn't an either-sex day in Botetourt, but the property is under DMAP so I had an antlerless-only DMAP tag, which is valid whether or not it's a designated either-sex day.)
One note about my muzzleloader. It's a Knight in-line and relatively "obsolete" in that it uses musket cap primers, but it's a decent gun and shoots well. Like any decent muzzleloader, its effective range is at least 100 yards. But my scope is just a 4X. For me, at that modest level of magnification, a deer much past 50 yards is pretty small. So, that's pretty much my self-imposed max range, although I'd shoot at a deer beyond that under the right circumstances.
After a parade of about 10 deer around 4 -- they were all does except one four-pointer -- things got quiet again.
After sunset I heard some loud crunching below me. I was sure it was a deer, but it turned out to be the loudest squirrel ever. Then I saw movement and spotted a deer that had come in quietly. It was a big doe, about 75 yards out. I pulled up my binoculars to get a better look. It was pretty brushy but I guess she still saw me. Or maybe she smelled me because she was dead downwind. She got real jumpy, and even snorted a few times. But she didn't bolt. Over the next 10 minutes she worked her way to within 50 yards but was facing me. I know the brisket shot is OK, but I'd rather not take it. Finally, she turned broadside and I shot. She bounded off.
I immediately went to the spot and started looking for blood. But my headlamp's light was dim so it was pretty hopeless. I marked the spot with my blaze orange hat and went back to my truck at my friend's cabin to get a better light.
By then my buddies were filtering in from their hunts and they all offered to come help me look for the deer. Even with better lights we couldn't find blood. I just walked downhill toward where she ran and there she was. The hit had been perfect, but she still went a good 75 yards, about three times farther than the doe I killed with my bow last month.
My friend Hal Orr and I took turns dragging her down the mountain to the nearest road while the other guys got an ATV and met us.
She weighed 93 pounds field-dressed, which is pretty good.
Rifle season opens today but I might not even get out, which seems strange. I've got family obligations early in the day. We've also got a ton to do to get ready for our Thanksgiving guests. But maybe I'll slip out for a quick hunt at my Bedford County spot.
The weather is perfect today, sunny and crisp. I think we're in kind a lull in the rut, which usually happens around now as bucks connect with does and stop moving around as much. But I think we'll see stuff pick up again in the next week as Round Two gets underway.
Comments
[November 17, 2007 12:24 PM]
Briancongrats on the deer. I went in roanoke county(windy gap area) this morning and passed on a shooting an 8 pointer full bore chasing a doe. There is a 12 pointer around and Im holding out for him...atleast until the second week.
[November 17, 2007 7:43 PM]
Mark TaylorThanks, Brian. And thanks for the report. You're actually the second reader who reported good chasing this morning. The other guy was in Bedford and shot a nice buck that was on the trail of a doe.
I ended up not hunting today. I worked around the house this afternoon (while watching my alma mater, Northwestern, get shelled by Illinois). Then I decided to make venison ragout, which is pretty much just a fancy stew that takes a lot of time (but was worth it, as it is, imho, incredible).
I talked to a buddy who hunted our Botetourt spot and he said it was slow up there. Unfortunately it looks like I might not get out again until Wednesday. But maybe I can figure something out. Monday looks tempting. mt
[November 18, 2007 6:45 AM]
g wolfeMark,
Thanks for your reporting, I enjoy all of the articles.
One - I saw somthing Sat. AM I have never seen before (50 years) a gang/gangs of 41 not a misprint 41 turkeys passed in front of my deer stand. They were not running in circles or grouped up, but more or less in line. It was just unbelievable and I actuall missed a good shot at a doe because I was watching the turkeys. :-)
Two - Later I did shoot a nice 7 pointer. You wrote an article last year (?) about bleaching the head, where can I find the details? Thanks!!
gary