First-light

Army looked great last night winning the Championship! Sorry Navy not your year again! Go Army beat Navy. Most of my family is going to the game I couldn't make it. That's Teddi with her arm up at the game last night!

Crazy!!!!!!lol

Why we do it. Yesterday 25 degrees 20 mph winds I take a sit on this ridge looking down at this beautiful spot. Didn'see a deer but I saw everything else to keep my imagination full until dark!

Totally see that. If that shot traveled through might of been just a lot of blood. I guerss I have to take into consideration its a dead deer and the body cavity probably is sagging a bit also. Thanks for chiming in always respect your knowledge.

Wow that is awesome. 1 setting on mine they are good but don't last long.

Steve the hole was high enough on the deer that if it went through would of hit vitals. That is a good question about my gun. Since shotgun days I always used this gun. I do have a Marlin 35 that is spot on. After this episode the old Gal (1187) stays on the rack. Used that gun for about 35 years. Out comes the 35 on Friday! I appreciate everyones comments. Looking forward to maybe shooting a coyote or two over that deer.

I have Muddy electronic hand warmers. They work pretty good. I think I get an hour or so out of them.

I am still baffled at what happened. The first shot I took actually hit the deer dead on. Why it didn't run I have no idea. Second shot was the gut shot. I still think it was broadside but whatever. So I go to hang a trail cam by the deer and see a bullet hole in its left front leg. Dragging the deer back must of exposed it. The slug entered but did not pass through leg. My neighbor whose property the deer died on said the Browning BXS slugs suck. Could of easily hit bone and stoped the slug. You can see by the pictures shot was perfect ( Steve where are you) but never penetrated body cavity. 80-90 yards 12 gauge Remington 1187 Browning BXS slugs 1600 FPS 1 oz. I'm going to leave it there. It's not everyday I shoot that far and maybe those slugs do suck. Should go back to Lightfield slugs ton of knockdown power but they are no longer producing ammo. Check out the picts and fire away your thought and then we can bury this one.

The older one does well with tracking. I really should of taken him with me.

Well the plot thickens. I just go up to my cornfield to move the deer to then hedgerow so I can put a camera on it. I find a bullet hole in the left front leg. I did not see it yesterday and if youy look at my picture you dont see one. It is claer as day but the thing is it didn't go trough leg. It should of but didnt. It would of killed her on the spot. Also she didn't run after my first shot just stood there. Could crows made the hole??? I would think they would be pecking at the ass end. I'm going for a walk will take a picture and you guys tell me what?

Thank you brother!

Last night I had to take another look at the land I was searching. I gave it one more try this afternoon. We used google maps to help find my brothers deer so I went back to that. Wish I did it sooner. My neighbor has this tangled mess with a pond in the middle. This is the sanctuary. He does not allow hunting in there. Probably 20-30 acres. This includes a big pond. Pond is mostly in the middle. There is a funnel of woods that can get you around to the backside. The opposite side is a corn field. I felt the deer may of went through the funnel and bedded back there. I went back there this afternoon and in 10 minutes found her. Unfortunately the coyotes did also. I took two shots at this deer. 1st missed 2nd hit her. I swear she was broadside to me at 80 yards. I guess she wasn't. My second shot hit behind the shoulder(where the snow is) and traveled through the guts and out in front of back leg. I can't make up that angle in my mind she was broadside, I just don't get it. We all have shot deer in the guts. They find the nearest safe place and bed down. This doe went 300 yards until she found her resting place. I even backed out after finding the first bit of cover for two hours the night of the shot. She never bedded down. All the blood in the pictures was from her mouth. Both holes were clogged with stomach debris. She was a mature Doe with a lot of strength. Feel free to add your thoughts. I don't like losing one like this, not a good feeling but may we all learn from it.

No offense taken, known you a long time. Yeah it happens and I guess when you have a large population of deer and a bunch of hunters odds are your going to wound 1 or 2. It's not a perfect sport shit happens to all of us. I'll tell you this I looked for 7 hrs I would bet on it most would of looked 15 minutes. My shot my responsibility to retrieve the animal. As for the past I think we post more about misses than wounding them. lol

Well it didn't work out. Went back to last blood and could not find anything else. We did have some snow melt today may of had a role in it. Put 7 hrs in looking still disappointed though.

Thank you, I always have to give it my all when I wound something. I think another 3 hrs tonight should put an end to this one way or another. Yes Gold would be great! Thank you!!!

Guys thanks for your thought. Started at 7 last blood. We had light fluffy snow last night it covered the blood but still was able to make out tracks. Followed wrong set for 45 minutes. Came back and started again. My brother said to brush away the new snow and BAM blood. Followed for another 50 yards finding blood as I brushed away snow. Had to stop to get to work. Good thing is Ill be back at it at 2 pm. These temps not worried about deer spoiling. It's tedious work and have to go real slow. Good news in the direction she was headed I heard crows. I have found deer this way. Just hope the yotes didnt find her also. Report back tonight. FL

Unfortunately we got an inch of snow and expecting a few showers this morning. I marked last spot hopefuly she is not far. I'll look 7am to about 8:15. Again I can pick it up after work from 2-dark.

Took a ride through a road in Roscoe where I had a house years ago. Down the road is 15,000 acres of state land. This place was packed 30 years ago. Plenty of room to park trucks and RV's off the road. When I drove through those palces don't exist anymore. The forest has grown right up to the road. I don't know what hunters do with their vehicles. Its a shame the DEC doesn't maintain those spots to hunt or hike.

She sure is going a long way and not even bedding down. I thought that was odd?

I'm back from tracking. She is leaving decent blood she went into really thick stuff so I backed out until the am. Just puzzled at the blood trail. Hit site blood and some hair nothing great along the first 100 yards blood every 5 feet or so multiple drops slight spray. When I came back it seemed she started to bleed more. In fact I had blood on both sides of the track and on some weeds. It seems like at times good blood then it slows down. Thoughts on it? Ill be back out at 7 to take up the trail. I can look until 8:30 then have work but will come back in the afternoon.

Took a shot at a Doe tonight around 4:30. 1st shot she didn't move 2nd shot ran. It was about 80 yards. Found her tracks and blood. Not a lot of blood but every 5 feet or so there were drops and at times multiple pin drops. She probably went about 100 yards. Snow made for easy tracking with blood along the way. This picture is the most I had in the 100 yards. The rest was pin size drops but like I said multiple ones. She took me to the field crossed it into some heavy cover. Thought I heard her in there and backed out. This is the same area my brothers deer ran to that we found the next day. I backed out at 5:30 going back up at 7:30. Wish me luck!

Yeah we have some on camera.

We try to introduce as many kids as possible up here. Had a 14 year old get his first buck. Here is something to ponder. I'm leaving my place to my two Daughters, I'm 61 and need a will. One hunts the other doesn't but has shown interest. I will have in my will that the cousins that hunt up here all still get that right when my kids own the place. Again in place I want my Niece and her husband have right of first refusal if the kids decide to sell. I want hunters here. I don't think my girls will sell but you never know.

My Brother and I were in tree stands from 6:45 until 11:30 AM. We dressed for it. We each saw a small Doe and were happy in the end and sort of patted ourselves on the back for hanging in so long. I think it was 26 degrees with a 10 mph wind. Had a great Brunch 1 hr nap and was back at it by 2:00! Up again at 4:30 ready and able!

We saw a few small ones. Neighbor pushed his property today we were in the right stands for it. They only shot a small doe. Usually a few deer are taken on this drive. Tomorrow another day.