Sometimes no matter how much you try, still things go wrong;) I have some sad hunting stories, starting early bow season in Sept I setup my stands, mock scrapes to get bucks in the area looking for doe's...for the most part this method works well, I was hunting local in Bedford had a nice buck coming to my day dripper, I saw him twice during bow season, too far for a bow shot, then the season came into shotgun season, I was prepared, I was using my trusty scoped rifled 1187 3 1/2 mag that I sighted in early season, using remington copper sabots, nice sabots, they cut through deer like butter, One day it was raining a sleeting out, I said to my self that buck will come out, thinking knowone is hunting out there, accept me of course, so here I am standing at my stand, freezing my ba*ls off;) trying to stand still, and suddenly I look up the ridge, and there is that nice buck, he was a 12 pointer and a very big mature body, well over 200 Pd's, so I slowly pull up my 1187 scope him in at sixty yards, I put the cross hairs behind his shoulder, while he was eating and heading to the scrape, I should of waited till he was closer to me but got over excited and could not wait, I took the shot, in tern the buck kicked his back legs like a mule and then ran across me into the thick and turned and ran back from where he came from, I never thought to take another shot, for the most part one shot one kill for me, not this time, I figured he would be in the valley laying dead, I tracked him in the snow, no blood, that bothered me really bad, needless to say I missed him for some reason, So after me and my brother searched the woods finding nothing, I tried the shotgun just to see if she was on, fired two shots at thirty yards, shots were seven inches low, I was so pissed off, don't know why, I never bumped it, So I sight back in within two shot I was back on Mark, What a shame I missed that beautiful buck, Oh well at least I did not wound him;) I guess if I waited till he got to the scrape, even being off that much I would of still hit vitals at twenty yards, but seven inches at sixty yards is like a foot low:( I have not seen that buck since, just his tracks, went nocturnal I guess, crap happens, So I started seeing many doe's and it was bucks only, so I decided to take my bow so I could take a doe if I had the chance, good table fair,so I also strap my 454 Casull revolver with me in case I see the buck from a further distance than my bow can shoot, I'm heading to my stand on the backside of a big swamp, I get about twenty yards of my stand still stalking at all times, I look to my right and there is a nice doe feeding, I ready to draw and hear a snapped twig to the right of the doe and there is a nice six pointer, nice wide rack,big broad beam and he is checking me out, I would not move or look up at him, stayed still for ten minuets, while the buck was stomping the ground to get me to move and jerking his head back and forth, I started working my revolver out of my holster little bye Little,almost got it out, and the buck blows and runs and pushes the doe away as well, they only went maybe fifty yards behind a big blow down, It was exciting for sure, but never got the shot either, I kept my cool and did a big circle around them to maybe get a shot, I had the revolver in my hand waiting for the buck to step out, I see movement coming to me, I get ready at aim, The doe walks out looking right at me, not the buck:( it was bucks only using a firearm;) The buck made the doe tern and follow him across the brook to loose me. Oh well so far my whole season has been this way, weird, but I guess thats why they call it hunting LOL, I'm still trying to score, rifle season ends this weekend, maybe once things calm down I can bow one, I have till the 15th here in NH for the bow season, I will cross my fingers, I can't say I'm not putting a good effort into it, I Hunt everyday after work weather permits and hunt the dusk hunt, I work four days a week and then I have Friday-Sunday to hunt full time, I'm trying not to get frustrated, and keep my hopes up, and keep patient.
Ok this tops the cake, just happend last weekend, don't laugh too hard guys, Sat I went hunting at my spot in Bedford, took a good friend, we had bows and I had my revolver as well, we still stalked the ridge, I pushed a nice buck out to my friend, he said he never could get a good shot, too much brush were he was, oh Well, so the next day, I head to the same spot, I'm in my stand before day break, still stalked all the way there, and did not jump any deer along the way, so I decide once I get to my stand to take off the release for my bow and pull out my revolver, due to I was near where there was a few good scrapes near bye, I looked across the ridge and I could see movement, I watch this spot for twenty minuets, finally I see a flag flicker, Now I know its a deer, but is it a doe, well I was sure the way it was reacting it was a buck, so I stayed with the revolver SRH 454 Casull, After watching the movement for a while he finally came out and exposed himself, sniffing the ground,he was at the , most likely the scent I spray my bottom of my boots with estrus as I walk to my stand,as long as I know there is a doe in heat in area, here he comes, he gets around sixty-five yards and stops, terns broadside and looks up the ridge, here is my chance,a beautiful 200 plus pound buck. I take a good purchase on my revolver, put my sight at a 6O'Clock hold on his shoulder and let it rip, The buck jumped and only walk a few steps still staring up the ridge, so I aimed again and fired another, he still don't move, still he looks up the ridge, I fired four more shots emptying my revolver, then he starts walking up the ridge, jerking his neck as he walks, now he is like hundred yards and out of my sight for a shot,I did speedload in case he came back, I can't believe I did not nail him, but that is very far for a revolver shot without a scope or a shooting sick,just open sights, if I only brought my scoped 1187 shotgun LOL...
No matter what I do it has not worked out, Oh well thats hunting, as of now Its bow season only, rifle is over as of last Sunday, maybe I will get lucky and the nice ten pointer will slip again, where I'm hunting there is many doe's thats why I was taking the bow for the primary weapon, due to it is bucks only using a rifle or anything other than a bow...I will stick with it and hope something gives before it ends the 15th. I will try to stay patient, just sometimes no matter what you do or how much you try, you still fail ;)Still having a lot of fun hunting in the field, better than anything else I could be doing right!. Take care all and good luck hunters. Just to let you know things don't just happen to you
. Aim small hit small. RAMbo
