It seems I have not been able to be very competitive this year......I think we've shot the serious dinks out.
Despite my best efforts, here is about all I've done...so far.
I caught this fellow in the field on Friday after T-day, busy feeding, and waited until legal time to shoot. I was on my way to a stand, but dropped my pack and watched him. Boom, out went the lights. It's a spike, but way too spikey for this Top-Tier group.
The bullet went in on the other side, but his body angle meant a raking shot, and yes, it did nick the paunch....yuck.
After that, I didn't have a shot until yesterday. Hard to shoot deer at the house, I reckon. My buddy Charlie and I had went afield a couple of times, but nothing seemed to be happening, at least for me.
Until yesterday.
I decided that since it was Saturday, and the Hunt clubs on the adjoining properties were going to be out in force, I'd sit in a stand. We don't use dogs or drive on our little patch of land, so ambushing the access points would seem to work.
It did.
I got busted in the dark on my way to my stand site, and that got me enthused for the possibilities for the day. By full light, I was up in a tree and ready to go.
I heard 4-wheelers moving about 0730. The whooping and hollering started across the river about 0800(actually a large creek, easily crossed by wading) and moved towards where I had heard the 4-wheelers stop. This went on for some time, some amount of shooting in the distance but nothing close by.
So I figured I'd change tactics.
I let my guard down, becoming totally not ready to shoot, with my rifle resting at my side. I began to play around with my gps to keep me entertained. Then:
I heard a snap, looked down, and two bucks were walking towards me. 15 seconds later both were on the ground.
The old guy in the lead got it first. Good heart shot and he pumped blood like he had an unlimited supply. That blood all over the belly is from the pumpage.
I knew it was a good shot, so I immediately focused on Junior. Apparently, he was a sucker for a bleat, because that stopped him in his tracks. My .308 dropped him in his tracks.
I shot him from behind in the center of the back, so he dropped instantly. I hadn't seen where the other one went, but he wasn't hard to find....He's the white spot in the center-top of the pic.
I am probably losing credibility as a dink-shooter, but I'm rooting for Jwalls' grandson anyway.
The group I hunt with (Four of us) has decided I get Barney Fife status....I am only allowed one bullet.