The rifle season is now over, and we sit back and look at what could have been.
Oh well, two button bucks are better than nothing.
Highlights.
I dogged, with no dogs, out my wife's first deer.
I was coming over a bump in the ridge, when I hit fresh tracks, very fresh. Trying to behave like a hound I let out a series of loud howls and yelps designed to let the deer know the chase was afoot. Immediately I heard the punching of frozen leaves by pointy feet, very close. I knew I was within fifty yards, but well above my wife's position, so I shut up so the deer would not know where i was, and I squatted down to try and see into the cedar swamp below me. The punching of leaves continued, seemingly back and forth.
The deer were trying to decide where I was to go around me, as they did not want to cross the old road my wife was on.
BANG!........... BANG!
I waited a few minutes, and could no longer hear the punching of leaves. I descended the hill and went out to my wife. I know I got him she said. He went back in where he came from. I turned towards the bush I had just come from. There in a heap, not twenty paces from where he had been shot was her first little deer.
The shot a 240 grain Hornady Hollow point, had broken a leg, passed between two ribs, taken the top off the heart, and exited between two ribs. The exit hole was three inches long. The trees, and the road were painted heavily with blood, and pieces of the heart were found on the road. Distance was 60 yards.
Me, over the course of the week I saw seven deer.
No shots.
The most memorable incident: I was watching a low area, with a lot of very thick scrub at the edge. I heard a moose coming through the bush, with it's typical ground shaking trot. I saw first very long legs, then a patch of.. what in the world? Brown?? Maybe an elk? Cool, they are new in the area ($25000.00 fine for shooting). I raised my rifle just in case, as he approached the only open spot in that very thick area. Just before he got there, he swapped ends, and gave me a view of a huge white tail, and a glimpse of a heavy rack. You can imagine my thoughts at that point. He was gone in an instant.
Reports of several monster bucks were rampant amongst the other camps. Huge tracks were seen, and at least one deer estimated at 14 points.
Rubs, clearly from deer, were found, that looked like moose raking, but low to the ground.
Rubs on 6 inch trees, that were two feet long and the width of the tree.
I'm going back with my bow this weekend.
If any of the guys are reading this, give me a call if you want to go.
