Well,...I had my mentored hunter with me Monday and not a single buck passed thru our hunting area. Saw only three does. He was all fired up to shoot his first buck, but that will have to wait again until Saturday. I took tuesday to hunt for myself, and being I didn't have any in the freezer yet, I was prepared to shot a doe if I had to. After I took the boy to school, it was just before 9:00 when I entered the top of the woods down from my house. Twenty five minutes or so later I was still hunting my way toward a few fellow hunters, one of which was a youth. Isn't it funny how deer can materialize out of thin air, because that is what happened. After standing in a spot for around 5mins and glassing, I failed to notice the ones right in front of me. Well at least they were heading in the right direction, toward the youth. I figured on setting up in the creek bottom in case they circled around,....boom....I heard the shot but saw nothing. Then in front of me moving up hill and to the right I see two good doe. Must have been my lucky day because suddenly they turn and run across the hill in my direction. I watch were the first passes through, and found a clearing to shoot. I wait for the second to trot into place and stooped it in its tracks with a mouth grunt. BooOOM goes my Prohunter Muzzleloader, and after the smoke clears....Boom I hear again from near the youth. What the heck! Can't figure that one out so as I'm reloading the two doe have run up hill and as I finish reloading, I see only one doe return and hurried away. Good sign. So I walk the 90 or so paces to where I shot to and see a whole lot of blood. Another good sign. I meet up with the youth hunter who took a 4 point, good for him I say, too bad my son wan't with me today I think to myself, and finish trailing my doe. Best luck of the day, she was piled up 25 feet from the road in a brushpile. Across the road is my house. Not a far drag at all. Weighed in at 95lbs at Fredericktown Deer Shop. The second shot I heard was the youth hunter finishing his 4 pointer. Of the 12 other hunters I hunt with No one saw a shooter buck. 4 points on one side, and none took a doe. Times are getting bad in this area. Where most everyone tagged out the first day with decent bucks. I'm happy I got one in the freezer.
I spent the afternoon up Quebec Run and saw only two other hunters. One I spoke with said the first day was heavily populated with orange. I saw 6 doe no buck. Not sure where we'll go Saturday.
Stay safe.
Jerry
