Pine-lock
Active member
The last few years my brothers and I have been making a trip out to the Adirondacks to hunt the early muzzle loader season. The first year we were surprised by how little deer sign we were finding compared to what we were used to finding in the areas of Maine that we hunt but by the end of the trip we were able to get into some deer. None that came home with us though. Year 2 more of the same, but the pieces were starting to come together a bit more. This year we went into the trip with similar expectations. It's a good warm up hunt. An opportunity to stretch your legs and see some new country and some pretty big woods.
Day one started with us breaking up into a couple groups and hunting separate sides of a good size block of woods. Less than an hour in I hear the crackle on the radio and Shooterbuck had a doe down. He had just finished his mile or so hike in on a trail to get into the area he was planning to hunt. While climbing up a knob a grouse flushed up and at the same time a small doe ran by at very close range but wouldn't stop for a shot. While letting that dust settle he noticed a bigger doe a little further up the hill. She crumpled when hit in the high shoulder/neck with a Barnes bullet.
Since we'd had minimal luck out there in the past I decided to make the trek over to help with the drag. I had a mile of busting brush just to get to him and then had the privileged of helping with another mile of dragging.
That afternoon it was raining hard. Rather than trying to hunt through that, we got the deer all butchered and packaged and in a freezer.
Day two with only 3 guys with tags we decided to all hunt in a similar area but split out to opposites sides of a mountain road. Things happened fast as I bumped a deer up out of a bed less than 100 yards from the road. Shortly after that I could hear another deer blowing from the other side where the other guys had headed. I slowly poked along through the woods trying to keep myself between the deer I had got up out of the bed and the one(s) I heard blowing as I figured they'd try to get together.
A few minutes later I spot a deer right around the same time it spots me. We have a short stand off facing head on at 30-40 yards. She's giving me a few head bobs trying to make me out. I have my cross hairs on her neck but I'm hesitant to take the shot knowing I only have one and I'm standing without any support. I lower the gun for a second to look to see if there are any other deer with her hoping there may be a buck and come back up on her as she starts to turn just enough to give me a quartering to shot. She took a few bounds and piled up.
This time it was only a 150 yard drag back to the road. Again we had her all butchered and in the freezer in time to watch the Patriots later that afternoon.
Over night it had cooled off and the last couple tag holders went out for one last go of it the next morning. No luck for them but buck sign was starting to show up a little more. After that we packed up and started our drive back home.
Day one started with us breaking up into a couple groups and hunting separate sides of a good size block of woods. Less than an hour in I hear the crackle on the radio and Shooterbuck had a doe down. He had just finished his mile or so hike in on a trail to get into the area he was planning to hunt. While climbing up a knob a grouse flushed up and at the same time a small doe ran by at very close range but wouldn't stop for a shot. While letting that dust settle he noticed a bigger doe a little further up the hill. She crumpled when hit in the high shoulder/neck with a Barnes bullet.
Since we'd had minimal luck out there in the past I decided to make the trek over to help with the drag. I had a mile of busting brush just to get to him and then had the privileged of helping with another mile of dragging.
That afternoon it was raining hard. Rather than trying to hunt through that, we got the deer all butchered and packaged and in a freezer.
Day two with only 3 guys with tags we decided to all hunt in a similar area but split out to opposites sides of a mountain road. Things happened fast as I bumped a deer up out of a bed less than 100 yards from the road. Shortly after that I could hear another deer blowing from the other side where the other guys had headed. I slowly poked along through the woods trying to keep myself between the deer I had got up out of the bed and the one(s) I heard blowing as I figured they'd try to get together.
A few minutes later I spot a deer right around the same time it spots me. We have a short stand off facing head on at 30-40 yards. She's giving me a few head bobs trying to make me out. I have my cross hairs on her neck but I'm hesitant to take the shot knowing I only have one and I'm standing without any support. I lower the gun for a second to look to see if there are any other deer with her hoping there may be a buck and come back up on her as she starts to turn just enough to give me a quartering to shot. She took a few bounds and piled up.
This time it was only a 150 yard drag back to the road. Again we had her all butchered and in the freezer in time to watch the Patriots later that afternoon.
Over night it had cooled off and the last couple tag holders went out for one last go of it the next morning. No luck for them but buck sign was starting to show up a little more. After that we packed up and started our drive back home.
