October snowstorm hunt

Brent, Chris, and his son Connor and I changed out camping plans out is Western, MD because of the impending winter storm warnings.  Glad we did!

I had plans to hunt local, check the weather in the morning and if it was raining I would use the Muzzle loader rifle for does.  If it was snowing I would bring the bow in order to shoot a buck.

It was wet snow so I headed out with my bow while Brent headed to the top of his hill spot with his Muzzle loader. 

The conditions were just brutal!  It was wet and very cold.  Large wet snowballs would slide from the leaves still on the trees and go right down your shirt.  COLD SPLAT!

At first light I did see a big bodied deer on the trail ahead of where I was set up about 60 yards away….too far and too quick but there were deer.  Then about 20 minutes later in the direction that deer went I heard clashing antlers again….the third time now in subsequent hunts in this area.  I may have to find me some rattling antlers and try them.

 

The wind was bringing down branches, including one from the poplar tree I was in!  Eventually, I got cold and worried about the increasing wind and got down to walk around.   I did see another doe running full speed through the entire length of visible woods with nothing chasing it??  It never stopped and passed me about 50 yards full speed.

 

Meanwhile, Brent had a spike buck nearby, and finally got a chance at two does….his cap went off but no boom.  The deer stayed and he reloaded another cap….bang…..missed high he thinks in the adrenalin rush. 

He wanted to keep hunting so I walked back to the truck and loaded up my ML.  If I was walking I may carry the gun.  I was warmer moving around but still was nearly hit twice by large branches crashing near me….one hit me with splinters!

I did a slow drive all the way around Brent’s treestand…no luck.  We braked for lunch and shot the ML on the way out….or tried to.  Both caps failed…too wet.  Lesson learned.  Change caps when it is that humid out about every hour.

After lunch we headed back into the woods and it was more of a light traditional snow blowing instead of splatting down.  We bumped a deer at the field edge...there were tracks everywhere…it looked good.

After waiting a bit to see if that doe we kicked would circle, I headed down into my area.  I spotted two does just getting up from their beds in the bottom near the meadow.  They shook off and I caught the movement.  I tried to sneak in closer but they kept ahead of me enough to not allow a shot as I was not real confident with my range lately….probably about 70 yards.  Eventually they went off the property lines. 

I set up but the wind kept swirling around.  I was on the ground this time with my stool, ML, and poncho to keep the wetness down. 

Brent radiod me with a dejected voice, "Two does just came by and my cap didn't go off again".  Oh well. 

I saw a group of 3 make their way towards the meadow a short time later.  I got set cocked the hammer and waited for them to get a little closer and more in the open.  I could tell the lead animal was a big doe.  They were moving very carefully but I had them coming into a clearing for about a 65 yard shot.  I was just about to touch the hair trigger when the lead stopped and got rigid….stamped her foot and immediately turned back the way she came at a full run.  They winded me.  Swirling wind….amazing how quickly they reacted.  No shot.

I adjusted my position about 50 yards downhill on the meadow edge to keep the wind effect down and settled in again.

Right as darkness was coming on I saw a tail twitch and a deer moving toward me.  It was hard to see if it had antlers or not until it got about 40 yards away because of the encroaching dusk.  It looked like it had full grown girth.  I saw no bone.  It moved broadside and I just barely touched the hair trigger when the rifle went off. 

 

I was kinda disappointed when I walked up and saw it was a yearling fawn.  Very small.  I bet it was the same one I photographed from my stand a last week.  Poor guy will make a good meal or two though.  We were kinda glad we had something to butcher after such a brutal time in the elements.  It was a very hard hunt for both of us.  We counted later 10 deer sighted throughout the day. Not bad.

We decided to sleep in Sunday although it would have been a legal hunting day with the bow on private land.  I put an entire hind quarter in the crock pot for my company luncheon today.  Should be very tasty.