doubled
09-06-2011, 08:43 PM
This past weekend was spent in our usual spot up on the Connector. We have our core group and every year we gather in Camp DD for the Labour Day weekend. This is a tradition that has grown each year. The "older" boys get to fish, line up their guns, practice shooting and hunt with bows while the "Young Guns" get to play with the rifles.
Austin got a four point muley (his first deer) last year on that weekend. Not only was he pumped for his chance to add to his totals but his good buddy Colton was joing us for the weekend.
Opening morning arrived and the alarm went off at 4:30. I have to admit that I was not overly impressed with getting up that early not being able to hunt myself but I wanted to see the Young Guns in action and brought my camera along.
We headed to our pre-picked spot only to see that somebody had beat us to it. WTF, opening day youth season and we are fighting for spots already - not good.
We decide to walk the bottom part of the block and head down away from the road. The weather had definitely turned the day before and it was chilly so that was good to see.
15 minutes in we run into four whiteys - unfortunately they saw us just as we saw them and they bolted. The first buck was a nice big four point followed by two more four points that were considerably smaller. We could not tell what the fourth was but it did not matter as they made considerable distance before Austin could get ready.
I thought to myself that that was a good sign so we decided to angle along the block to be able to see more of the area. As we rounded the next knoll, Bob (Austin's dad) and I instantly see a deer in the middle of the block - it was BIG. I knew it had to be a buck and once it turned you could see it's antlers even at 360 yards. It started to move away and I told Austin the yardage every 50 yards as I had my range finder locked on it. I also had to convince him not to shoot as it was too far for him and his 270. He did not like that too much but in the end we all thought that was the right call.
Now I knew we were into a good area and all senses were on alert. We thought about pursuing the big buck but it was a huge block and all we would do would be that we pushed this thing and never see it again. We decide to come back later for another chance that it may poke his head out again.
We continue to angle along the side of the block and a few minutes later see a muley doe staring at us from 90 yards down wind. We got Austin up front and ready and sure enough, the doe had some friends. There was another doe and a two point. Austin lines up on the buck and then the doe walks directly in front of it. That buck never knew it but his little girlfriend saved his life. By the time she walked away, the buck had turned and backed away from us. We decided to make another play on it and circled around - sure enough we run into them again but this time they made their way to the edge of the Christmas trees and they did not give up a shot. I told Austin it was a sign that it was not meant to be so we decided to head back to the quads as it was getting later on.
We head back for brunch only to stop and watch some more muleys and whiteys in separate groups on our way to camp. Another smaller buck presents itself but Austin passes it up as he wants a bigger deer and it was opening morning after all. Even though we did not get our spot that we wanted, it was pretty good morning - 13 deer and eight of those were bucks.
We lounged around camp and headed out for the evening checking out some new areas as they had logged the heck out of it that year. We did not see much that night but the hopes were still sky high.
That night was spent celebrating the youth season opener and our final group camping trip so a few drinks were tipped in the process. I was not in shape to join them the next morning as my bed and wife were much more comfortable than 3 degrees and a cold quad ride.
Day two arrives and Bob and Austin head out bright and early. If there is one spot that we call "our spot" it is Zipper hill and sure enough, the boys hit that up to see what it going on. Not 50 yards up the hill, they run into a good buck on the treeline and Bob instructs Austin to close the distance and hunker down on a stump in front of him. Austin follows his dad's instructions to perfection and is rewarded with a broadside shot. The 270 barks and the buck instantly hunches up and takes off. A second shot is fired seconds later as the buck enters the treeline and all is quiet.
Austin has his second buck of his life and his biggest to date.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/IMG_0990.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/IMG_0989.jpg
Short video
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/th_MVI_0986.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/?action=view¤t=MVI_0986.mp4)
Cheerleaders
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/IMG_0984.jpg
To be continued....
Austin got a four point muley (his first deer) last year on that weekend. Not only was he pumped for his chance to add to his totals but his good buddy Colton was joing us for the weekend.
Opening morning arrived and the alarm went off at 4:30. I have to admit that I was not overly impressed with getting up that early not being able to hunt myself but I wanted to see the Young Guns in action and brought my camera along.
We headed to our pre-picked spot only to see that somebody had beat us to it. WTF, opening day youth season and we are fighting for spots already - not good.
We decide to walk the bottom part of the block and head down away from the road. The weather had definitely turned the day before and it was chilly so that was good to see.
15 minutes in we run into four whiteys - unfortunately they saw us just as we saw them and they bolted. The first buck was a nice big four point followed by two more four points that were considerably smaller. We could not tell what the fourth was but it did not matter as they made considerable distance before Austin could get ready.
I thought to myself that that was a good sign so we decided to angle along the block to be able to see more of the area. As we rounded the next knoll, Bob (Austin's dad) and I instantly see a deer in the middle of the block - it was BIG. I knew it had to be a buck and once it turned you could see it's antlers even at 360 yards. It started to move away and I told Austin the yardage every 50 yards as I had my range finder locked on it. I also had to convince him not to shoot as it was too far for him and his 270. He did not like that too much but in the end we all thought that was the right call.
Now I knew we were into a good area and all senses were on alert. We thought about pursuing the big buck but it was a huge block and all we would do would be that we pushed this thing and never see it again. We decide to come back later for another chance that it may poke his head out again.
We continue to angle along the side of the block and a few minutes later see a muley doe staring at us from 90 yards down wind. We got Austin up front and ready and sure enough, the doe had some friends. There was another doe and a two point. Austin lines up on the buck and then the doe walks directly in front of it. That buck never knew it but his little girlfriend saved his life. By the time she walked away, the buck had turned and backed away from us. We decided to make another play on it and circled around - sure enough we run into them again but this time they made their way to the edge of the Christmas trees and they did not give up a shot. I told Austin it was a sign that it was not meant to be so we decided to head back to the quads as it was getting later on.
We head back for brunch only to stop and watch some more muleys and whiteys in separate groups on our way to camp. Another smaller buck presents itself but Austin passes it up as he wants a bigger deer and it was opening morning after all. Even though we did not get our spot that we wanted, it was pretty good morning - 13 deer and eight of those were bucks.
We lounged around camp and headed out for the evening checking out some new areas as they had logged the heck out of it that year. We did not see much that night but the hopes were still sky high.
That night was spent celebrating the youth season opener and our final group camping trip so a few drinks were tipped in the process. I was not in shape to join them the next morning as my bed and wife were much more comfortable than 3 degrees and a cold quad ride.
Day two arrives and Bob and Austin head out bright and early. If there is one spot that we call "our spot" it is Zipper hill and sure enough, the boys hit that up to see what it going on. Not 50 yards up the hill, they run into a good buck on the treeline and Bob instructs Austin to close the distance and hunker down on a stump in front of him. Austin follows his dad's instructions to perfection and is rewarded with a broadside shot. The 270 barks and the buck instantly hunches up and takes off. A second shot is fired seconds later as the buck enters the treeline and all is quiet.
Austin has his second buck of his life and his biggest to date.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/IMG_0990.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/IMG_0989.jpg
Short video
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/th_MVI_0986.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/?action=view¤t=MVI_0986.mp4)
Cheerleaders
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/doubled66/IMG_0984.jpg
To be continued....