RICKADY
11-19-2020, 12:49 PM
Good day to all. My hunting background is not very long, after riding shotgun or should i say driving for my son and friends on their hunting trips, they convinced me to get my core and pal, at 51 i was stoked to start hunting as most are when we first get our gear and tags. Challenged the core test at the BC sportsman show at Tradex in 2017, been reading the manual for a year, passed 98%, few months later took the Pal course in Yarrow with Brian Cummins, great teacher and super nice guy, passed 98%.
Being self employed i wasn't able to plan weekend getaways or week long hunts, although we got a few in the first years. So i've mostly done day hunt's as time permitted, i was focused on close to home, region 2, picked an area and started to learn it, mostly solo. Some had said to get out of region 2 and hit 3 or 8, well that just didn't work for me with not enough time.
Retirement came this year in the early part of October, so lots of time now to focus on my weekly day hunts. Trail cam up, got a few pic's finally a few weeks back, not much to work with except times of day and only doe pic's.
Been on HBC learning what could to help with my quest, lots of great info on here just got to weed passed what i'm not interested in.
So took yesterday to put some knowledge to work, out early in my morning spot putting boots on to go for a hike, 20 yards away a doe pop's outta the bush looks at me and then back into the bush, i tried not to pay to much attention to her so as to not scare her off, second boot on and 2 more doe's pop out and they keep looking back in the bush where they came from. Me thinking there might be a buck following these ladies, they stroll passed me at 15 yards without any concern about me. So hang out for half an hour, nothing, got into the bush for good look, nothing, ok going for the morning hike.
Came across some large buck prints in the sand and checked them carefully, they were fresh for sure as the rain hadn't ruined them yet, followed those until they went where i couldn't. Oh well afternoon spot might be better.
Back to truck, heat and eat some chilli and off to where the trail cam picked up some action. I wanted to be there for 3 pm, getting close at 10 minutes to 3, just thru the old growth and into this spot it's raining hard and i notice deer butts sticking out from behind the trees at 40 yards, stop, put truck in park and leave it running, doe's don't seem to be bothered with my arrival.
OK i'm thinking for the second time of the day, might be a buck in there, open door and grab rifle load clip, get one in the chamber, safety on. Slowly take a few steps toward them, they just kept eating, few more steps and i still can't tell how many are there. A little further down the road i spot another doe has jumped outta the tree's onto the road, then....... a buck jumps out after her, a nice 2 point and he's hot after the doe, i'm in plain view and i just didn't move.
They both made me but wind was in my favor and i just kept still as they came closer and joined the other doe's in the trees, ok good so far i thought and didn't want to screw this up, take your time i said to myself, buck fever has kicked in. The buck turns sideways and would have been a perfect shot but i didn't want to bring my rifle up and have him see me move, patients.....
The doe's keep eating, the buck is high on the smell of one of them, then he's spooked and goes for 5 or 6 bouncing leaps, i didn't want him to take right off so i let out my best "bleet bleet", he stops and see's the does are not following him, then into the bush, i figure he's gone.
I slowly walk past the doe's in the trees now and go past where the buck went in, slowly worked my way 20 ft into the bush, can't see bucky anywhere, so i just kept watching the does at 25 yards, then the buck moves, yes he's still here, i don't move as the doe's come even closer to me.
The forest floor is pure moss and very quiet to walk on but i dare not move as the buck and i have some sight lines. Doe's slowly work their way to the roadside and some better eat's, after a few minutes bucky slowly starts to move out toward them, he's behind 3 large fir trunks and that's my chance to get into sitting position for hopefully a steady shot.
I take the safety off, first time iv'e done that in the field, buck fever getting worse but i somehow manage to stay calm. The buck takes a few more steps, stops right sideways at 25 yards in between 2 tree's, i raise my gun look thru the dialed back scope, cross hairs on him, lower my gun for a second and question myself, it's any buck so i'm good, do i have a good shot, yes, is my shot safe in the direction i want to shoot, yes.
Pull the scope to my eye, crosshairs lined up again, can i do this alone, yes i can, breathing under control, gently pull the trigger, BOOM shot goes off and pull my head away from the gun to see the buck walking quickly to the other side of the road, except i could see wear i hit him, perfect shot right behind the shoulder mid body, he makes the bush as i scramble to get out almost touching one of the doe's as i ran past, doe's never moved after the shot. I make to the other side where bucky went in and it get's thick real quick, can't see him, take a few step in and notice some twigs moving, there he is, down 20 feet in the bush, wait a few moments and go check on him, he's done, wow i couldn't believe how that all went. From the time i first spotted the doe's butt's to finally pulling the trigger was just over 10 minutes, a long 10 minutes.
Ok back to the running truck 40 yards back, cancel my tag, move truck up and back into a mound for easy loading, grab the knife and got him ready for the ride home.
I get home guns and backpack in hand and set them down, grab a cold beer and sit down, wife looks at me with a grin as always, did you get anything, i don't say anything, reach in my pocket and pass her the emptied 270 shell, she looks up and smiles, yes love and i did it solo.
Want to thank my wife for being supportive of my new passion, my son's for the encouragement to get my hunting credentials.
What an awesome trip it was and to get that hard first one.
Tried several times to post pic's here before, but i just not getting it, someone give me a hand with that, Thanks.
RICKADY
Being self employed i wasn't able to plan weekend getaways or week long hunts, although we got a few in the first years. So i've mostly done day hunt's as time permitted, i was focused on close to home, region 2, picked an area and started to learn it, mostly solo. Some had said to get out of region 2 and hit 3 or 8, well that just didn't work for me with not enough time.
Retirement came this year in the early part of October, so lots of time now to focus on my weekly day hunts. Trail cam up, got a few pic's finally a few weeks back, not much to work with except times of day and only doe pic's.
Been on HBC learning what could to help with my quest, lots of great info on here just got to weed passed what i'm not interested in.
So took yesterday to put some knowledge to work, out early in my morning spot putting boots on to go for a hike, 20 yards away a doe pop's outta the bush looks at me and then back into the bush, i tried not to pay to much attention to her so as to not scare her off, second boot on and 2 more doe's pop out and they keep looking back in the bush where they came from. Me thinking there might be a buck following these ladies, they stroll passed me at 15 yards without any concern about me. So hang out for half an hour, nothing, got into the bush for good look, nothing, ok going for the morning hike.
Came across some large buck prints in the sand and checked them carefully, they were fresh for sure as the rain hadn't ruined them yet, followed those until they went where i couldn't. Oh well afternoon spot might be better.
Back to truck, heat and eat some chilli and off to where the trail cam picked up some action. I wanted to be there for 3 pm, getting close at 10 minutes to 3, just thru the old growth and into this spot it's raining hard and i notice deer butts sticking out from behind the trees at 40 yards, stop, put truck in park and leave it running, doe's don't seem to be bothered with my arrival.
OK i'm thinking for the second time of the day, might be a buck in there, open door and grab rifle load clip, get one in the chamber, safety on. Slowly take a few steps toward them, they just kept eating, few more steps and i still can't tell how many are there. A little further down the road i spot another doe has jumped outta the tree's onto the road, then....... a buck jumps out after her, a nice 2 point and he's hot after the doe, i'm in plain view and i just didn't move.
They both made me but wind was in my favor and i just kept still as they came closer and joined the other doe's in the trees, ok good so far i thought and didn't want to screw this up, take your time i said to myself, buck fever has kicked in. The buck turns sideways and would have been a perfect shot but i didn't want to bring my rifle up and have him see me move, patients.....
The doe's keep eating, the buck is high on the smell of one of them, then he's spooked and goes for 5 or 6 bouncing leaps, i didn't want him to take right off so i let out my best "bleet bleet", he stops and see's the does are not following him, then into the bush, i figure he's gone.
I slowly walk past the doe's in the trees now and go past where the buck went in, slowly worked my way 20 ft into the bush, can't see bucky anywhere, so i just kept watching the does at 25 yards, then the buck moves, yes he's still here, i don't move as the doe's come even closer to me.
The forest floor is pure moss and very quiet to walk on but i dare not move as the buck and i have some sight lines. Doe's slowly work their way to the roadside and some better eat's, after a few minutes bucky slowly starts to move out toward them, he's behind 3 large fir trunks and that's my chance to get into sitting position for hopefully a steady shot.
I take the safety off, first time iv'e done that in the field, buck fever getting worse but i somehow manage to stay calm. The buck takes a few more steps, stops right sideways at 25 yards in between 2 tree's, i raise my gun look thru the dialed back scope, cross hairs on him, lower my gun for a second and question myself, it's any buck so i'm good, do i have a good shot, yes, is my shot safe in the direction i want to shoot, yes.
Pull the scope to my eye, crosshairs lined up again, can i do this alone, yes i can, breathing under control, gently pull the trigger, BOOM shot goes off and pull my head away from the gun to see the buck walking quickly to the other side of the road, except i could see wear i hit him, perfect shot right behind the shoulder mid body, he makes the bush as i scramble to get out almost touching one of the doe's as i ran past, doe's never moved after the shot. I make to the other side where bucky went in and it get's thick real quick, can't see him, take a few step in and notice some twigs moving, there he is, down 20 feet in the bush, wait a few moments and go check on him, he's done, wow i couldn't believe how that all went. From the time i first spotted the doe's butt's to finally pulling the trigger was just over 10 minutes, a long 10 minutes.
Ok back to the running truck 40 yards back, cancel my tag, move truck up and back into a mound for easy loading, grab the knife and got him ready for the ride home.
I get home guns and backpack in hand and set them down, grab a cold beer and sit down, wife looks at me with a grin as always, did you get anything, i don't say anything, reach in my pocket and pass her the emptied 270 shell, she looks up and smiles, yes love and i did it solo.
Want to thank my wife for being supportive of my new passion, my son's for the encouragement to get my hunting credentials.
What an awesome trip it was and to get that hard first one.
Tried several times to post pic's here before, but i just not getting it, someone give me a hand with that, Thanks.
RICKADY