2016/17 Bambi whacking thread.

[JB62]

Went out tonight. Weird night, first time all year did not see a deer. Had a specific one looking for but did not see a thing.

 

[newmuzzleloader]

You probably dont like me....I got sucked into the whole snow plow tracker thing...

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As long as you're not the idjit who blew snow all over my truck TWICE last yr. as I was clearing a T turn around I got no beef with ya. The tracker is fine but people have to realize it takes time to run a route even if all we're doing is salting. It'll take 2- 2 1/2 hrs just to drive all my roads spreading salt.

 

[lazarus]

Hunting Nanticoke. Nothing yesterday. Today I bumped a couple of Sika and no chance on them because of the snow (took too long to pop the scope covers and take it off safe). Tracked them quarter mile and then they disppeared in to the fields. Followed a few other tracks and didn't see anything. Gave up at 12. Too cold. Too much snow. No real chance of bagging anything jumping it.

As iced up as my AR got, mag popped loose with only a little effort and round came out of the chamber. I loaded two FMJ just to see and it fired them both off, though it didn't lock open on the empty mag (mag release was iced to hell).

 

[HogCommander]

And I though I had a cold hunt this morning! Today was one of the few cold days (16 degrees this morning) out of the year here in San Antonio but no snow of course

 

[kstone803]

Hunted last night but saw nothing but an albino squirrel. May get out tomorrow AM.

 

[lazarus]

And I though I had a cold hunt this morning! Today was one of the few cold days (16 degrees this morning) out of the year here in San Antonio but no snow of course

Yeah it was about 20F, 6" of snow from 5am-12pm while I was out hunting and sustained 15mph winds with gusts up to 30mph. I was amazingly warm, which is a testament to the layering I've worked up, but I did manage to get wet (gloves and hat, slightly damp pants). If I had to sit for a long time I would have been in a bad way for the damp.

Mostly just exhausting getting shoved around by the wind and crunching through the snow. I probably hiked around 5 miles total following tracks, still hunting in to hemlock clusters and hiking that friggen half mile to and from the parking and the woods. With a 10lb rifle (9lbs of rifle and scope, 1lb of snow and ice), 12lb pack and 12lbs of clothes and boots. Plus blinding snow, howling snow when not within the tree line.

Actually not that upset about it. Had a bit of fun and at least I saw some deer and it was RIGHT where I though I might see some. Just pissed at myself because I was just reaching for my tripod seat to sit under a hemlock to keep a little snow and wind off me to watch for deer for a little while when the first one bolted from behind a fallen hemlock 30yds away so I was an extra second or two slow popping my scope covers, safety and getting on target. Waited about 10 seconds and no shot as it ran straight off behind the hemlocks the ONE small area that wasn't open woods for 200yds around. So I put it back on safe and closed the rear scope cover to walk a few yards to the side to see if maybe it had hung up a short distance away (and no coat my scope in snow)...and then the 2nd one took off.

If it just wasn't snowing I would have had the scope covers off and almost certainly a good shot (and with snow probably an easy track).

Oh well. The simple fact is, I didn't have a shot in the end, doesn't matter the reason.

Also a lesson learned that in those conditions it is hard to snap shot a bumped deer and irons probably wouldn't have helped. Mine were filled with snow and ice and I couldn't keep them cleared easily.

 

[jeepin13]

Sat out for a few hours this morning in Harford. Feet froze through boots and 3 pairs of socks. Nice steady snowfall and a little breezy. Didnt see anything but a few squirrels and 4 people trespassing on my buddys land.

 

[BigCountry14]

Sat out for a few hours this morning in Harford. Feet froze through boots and 3 pairs of socks. Nice steady snowfall and a little breezy. Didnt see anything but a few squirrels and 4 people trespassing on my buddys land.

4 eh? What part of Harford? Seems to be a running theme these days.

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[ChrisD]

4 eh? What part of Harford? Seems to be a running theme these days.

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I had an encounter with a trespasser on our lease late firearms last year. We also had a problem with someone from an adjoining property damaging ladder stands on our lease and hunting on us this year. Had to get DNR involved on that one. in Hazzard Co.

I was out this evening, saw 27 deer, two were bucks. One small spike, and one that had shed one side. With that many deer, I'm sure there may have been a buck or 2 that has already shed. Nothing I wanted to take a shot at, as I have a few in the freezer.

 

[BigCountry14]

I had an encounter with a trespasser on our lease late firearms last year. We also had a problem with someone from an adjoining property damaging ladder stands on our lease and hunting on us this year. Had to get DNR involved on that one. in Hazzard Co.

I was out this evening, saw 27 deer, two were bucks. One small spike, and one that had shed one side. With that many deer, I'm sure there may have been a buck or 2 that has already shed. Nothing I wanted to take a shot at, as I have a few in the freezer.

This year ive had pictures of two guys in a side by side and a random guy in camo (who got lucky, i was out, just in a different stand). Then two nights before christmas i saw a light on my back ridge, by the time I got out, they were gone.

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[deerslayer]

Hunted the field at my lease last night and had 30+ deer in the field, fourteen of which were bucks. There were a few nice ones but not the trophy I was looking for. About fifteen minutes before last shooting light a HUGE ten came into the field, he was high and wide with really big tines, a real trophy. He was about 200 yds. out and was not working his way any closer staying on the field edge. As I was losing light I took the shot with my scoped .308. When I fired he jumped up in the air and ran towards me stopping about seventy five yds. out presenting me with an easy second shot. I pulled the trigger and nothing happened as this idiot had not chambered another round and as I tried to do so he took off towards the wood line. My trophy was gone and so was my pride. I thought I might have hit him but I found no trace of blood and a long search of the woods where he entered turned up nothing. Also when he stopped and presented me with the easy second shot which this bonehead failed to execute I could see that there was no exit wound which I feel a .308 would certainly make. I've taken some nice bucks this season but this guy would have easily dwarfed them. Hope to see him tomorrow evening but I doubt I will, wish me luck.

 

[BigCountry14]

Hunted the field at my lease last night and had 30+ deer in the field, fourteen of which were bucks. There were a few nice ones but not the trophy I was looking for. About fifteen minutes before last shooting light a HUGE ten came into the field, he was high and wide with really big tines, a real trophy. He was about 200 yds. out and was not working his way any closer staying on the field edge. As I was losing light I took the shot with my scoped .308. When I fired he jumped up in the air and ran towards me stopping about seventy five yds. out presenting me with an easy second shot. I pulled the trigger and nothing happened as this idiot had not chambered another round and as I tried to do so he took off towards the wood line. My trophy was gone and so was my pride. I thought I might have hit him but I found no trace of blood and a long search of the woods where he entered turned up nothing. Also when he stopped and presented me with the easy second shot which this bonehead failed to execute I could see that there was no exit wound which I feel a .308 would certainly make. I've taken some nice bucks this season but this guy would have easily dwarfed them. Hope to see him tomorrow evening but I doubt I will, wish me luck.

Ugh thats rough man. Keep at it. You might fet another chance

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[CaptChaos]

Well I had some real fun in the snow and cold this morning. Got out later than I should have to find snow on my truck and driveway and it just got worse when I got to my stand. It was snowing like crazy and after about a half an hour in the stand the strangest spike I've ever seen comes hauling ass down the hill to my left. By the time I adjusted my hood and got a good look he was coming straight at me. Just as he's about ten yards away I am able to get the gun up and look through the scope--sheer white. "Shit!" The scope had not only collected a bunch of snow but ice as well. As I'm sitting there frantically trying to a clean ice and snow off of the scope with a gloved finger he stops five yards away with half his body behind the oak tree next to me and looks straight at me. Still trying to clean the scope I look down at the gun and he runs back up the hill away from me and stops about 30 yards away behind some holly on the side of the hill. I waited a couple of minutes and he started moving again but the scope was really fogged up. I let one fly as best I could and he took off running full speed, tail down and stumbled a little bit. Then I lost him over the hill. I waited 45 minutes and got down but by then it had snowed so much-I estimated 1-2 inches-that I not only couldn't find any blood, I couldn't even find a single track so I have no idea which way he went when he crested the hill. I looked a good bit but I couldn't find any sign of him.

I have never seen a spike like this before. He only had two points but they were raked back like a mountain goat or something and each antler was really thick. My guess is he was relatively old. The body wasn't huge but the antlers were really thick.

This has been one really frustrating year. I haven't had a single shot at a doe (which is the vast majority of what I see every other year) and I haven't seen a single deer in any afternoon/evening hunt. This buck was the first deer I've seen in the woods since opening day of shotgun in November.

 

[11B20]

Buck

My son took this buck yesterday afternoon. He was very happy after sitting out in the cold all day.

 

[j_h_smith]

Woohoo. Congrats!!!!!

 

[ChrisD]

Nice buck!

 

[jeepin13]

Jarretsville. Its behind a buddys house. Small piece of land. Before sunrise, I saw a flashlight headed towards the other stand. I sent my buddy a text asking if anyone else was coming and he said no. Guy must have seen the glow of my phone on my orange vest. When the sun came up he was no where to be found. Had 3 guys that have permission to hunt the property behind his walk through about 8:00am. Feet were frozen by about 9:30 and I got down. Thinking of headed back out tonight but the 15-20 MPH wind have me thinking I will be the only thing out. Oh well, last day of firearms and I havent shot anything this year.

 

[lazarus]

Well I had some real fun in the snow and cold this morning. Got out later than I should have to find snow on my truck and driveway and it just got worse when I got to my stand. It was snowing like crazy and after about a half an hour in the stand the strangest spike I've ever seen comes hauling ass down the hill to my left. By the time I adjusted my hood and got a good look he was coming straight at me. Just as he's about ten yards away I am able to get the gun up and look through the scope--sheer white. "Shit!" The scope had not only collected a bunch of snow but ice as well. As I'm sitting there frantically trying to a clean ice and snow off of the scope with a gloved finger he stops five yards away with half his body behind the oak tree next to me and looks straight at me. Still trying to clean the scope I look down at the gun and he runs back up the hill away from me and stops about 30 yards away behind some holly on the side of the hill. I waited a couple of minutes and he started moving again but the scope was really fogged up. I let one fly as best I could and he took off running full speed, tail down and stumbled a little bit. Then I lost him over the hill. I waited 45 minutes and got down but by then it had snowed so much-I estimated 1-2 inches-that I not only couldn't find any blood, I couldn't even find a single track so I have no idea which way he went when he crested the hill. I looked a good bit but I couldn't find any sign of him.

I have never seen a spike like this before. He only had two points but they were raked back like a mountain goat or something and each antler was really thick. My guess is he was relatively old. The body wasn't huge but the antlers were really thick.

This has been one really frustrating year. I haven't had a single shot at a doe (which is the vast majority of what I see every other year) and I haven't seen a single deer in any afternoon/evening hunt. This buck was the first deer I've seen in the woods since opening day of shotgun in November.

Sorry to hear that. My buddy and I had the same snow/ice issue. Me I had scope covers closed to keep that from happening and it slowed me down too much. My buddy didn't have scope covers and when he bumped a deer he couldn't see crap through his scope and it disappeared before he had a chance to clean off the lenses.

Snow and especially hard blowing snow sucks. Unless you've got a Texas tower and a propane heater. Then bring it :-)

 

[BigCountry14]

Finally brought one in with me tonight. As frustrating as this year has been, it almost got even more so. After seeing a bunch of deer off in the distance and one little one up close, I had three decent size ones come in to me. I picked the biggest one, and squeezed off a shot when she was about 20 yards out. To my surprise she didnt go down. Bullet hit the shoulder and she ran across the deep ravine on my property. I was a bit shocked she was still standing and had to pop off a second shot. Went down right away. I seem to be putting all of my shots a little low this year. Normally never have an issue. I did manage to recover one of my slugs from her, cant imagine withstanding a hit from it.

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[j_h_smith]

Congrats on a great picture of an expanded bullet....