Ahhh, yes, the season just keeps getting better and better......(reference to my adventures above and in the Modern ML forum). On Weds., went out with my cousin to a little farm we hunt that's owned by his uncle. Now, I was up pretty late Tues., and then my 9 year old got up at 2 AM puking his guts out, so I got back to sleep about 3:30 AM. Got back up at 5 AM, drove 35 miles to meet my cousin.
Got out to the farm, and was set up on a hillside at 7 AM. I was TIRED. I laid back on the hill, got a good head rest on my fanny pack, and proceeded to doze/hunt.
The hill is steep enough that you can lay down flat, yet still see 90% of the area. Now, my cousin and I are somewhat notorious for dozing while we're out, and we both keep saying that one day, the other will just start shooting without warning to scare the crap out of the other one.
I had just blown on a grunt tube, then closed my eyes again, when about 10 minutes later, Gary says "Big buck! Big buck! Down in the creek!" I sit up, getting ready to say "That isn't funny, butthole."
Then I see the buck too. Gary's standing up by this time, watching the deer through his scope....I blow on the grunt again, and the buck jumps up toward us, then right back down the hill. I keep telling Gary "Shoot! Shoot! He's getting ready to bolt!" Gary still has his gun up, the buck finally runs off through the creek and back into the timber. I got my gun and found him in the scope, by now he's about 80 yds or so out and going fast. I toss a shot at him, already knowing that I don't have a prayer of hitting him.
I ask Gary why he didn't shoot, the damn thing was only about 40 yds from him when he stopped at the grunt call. Gary just kept saying, "I wasn't sure of the shot".... I keep telling him that he needs to practice offhand shooting more, maybe now he'll do it. I also told him "That was your one chance this year, next time, I'm not waiting for you to shoot, I'll just take the shot and be done with it."
I didn't shoot first, I feel that whoever actually spots the animal should get the first shot...just the way I am. It wasn't a big buck, looked like at 8pt, maybe 15"-16" wide, Boone and Crockett score would have been less then 125". BUT, and a big but, it was big enough for Gary to mount on the wall, which is what he's hunting for. I wouldn't have mounted it, I'd have just put the rack on a plaque.
Oh well, we'll see how it goes next time!
