Early Antlerless Season (Gun before Bow)

[AuburnNYC]

It would be interesting if a cold front came through and I didn't have to buy a separate tag for it.

I have a lifetime license and they still try to figure out ways to get me to buy more tags ha.

Edited August 20, 2022 by AuburnNYC

[wolc123]

I am really looking forward to getting out there on September 10th.   We ought to be just about out of ground venison by then.  

I got the last of my shotgun zone deer guns sighted in good today, a couple of blinds placed, and shooting lanes trimmed.  
 

I am going to pull a coon trap that I had in my back corn plot tomorrow, and try to minimize my presence back there, until September 10.  I have been driving back to check that trap every day for the last couple weeks.

Hopefully, the does will be very well acclimated to the blinds and trimmed shooting lanes by then.  
 

I just need to decide on what gun to take.  I am leaning towards my T/C Omega 50 cal ML for several reasons: First, I have no intention on trying for a double, even though I have two dmp’s tags.  It will be warm and there is only room for one in my deer fridge.  
 

Second, the old Redfield wide field 2-7 scope on that ML is much nicer than the new Leupold/Redfield 2-7 on my Marlin 512.   Third, I have at least 4 times as much ammo (bullets, powder, primers) for it and it costs at least 4 times less per shot. Fourth, it kicks a lot less.  Fifth, I am very confident in it, having already killed a deer with it on January 1st of this year.  
 

The downsides are not having two quick follow-up shots, like I get with my Marlin 512, or four even quicker ones like I get with my Ithaca 37 16 ga or Remington 870 12 ga.  It is also just a smidge more of a pain to clean (I use T7 powder).  Cleaning has got way better, since I started using Traditions foaming bore cleaner and a bore snake.  

 

 

[Enigma]

Just finalized the schedule for a trip down to my buddy's place in 3M for the 17th and 18th. So heck yeah, I'm in! It's also early bear in that wmu so I'll be double dippin'. Pics are from said friend. And for the record I wouldn't shoot the piebald fawn. I'd shoot his momma though . . .

[wolc123]

This is the one I am after on the 10th.  Check out those back straps.  Her fawn looks to be plenty big to make it on it’s own after she makes the trip to deer Heaven (my family’s food supply).  

 

That would be a 20 yard shot from the blind I moved yesterday.

 

[wolc123]

My primary target doe was in the corn plot two days ago, 3 hours before sunset, along with her half-grown fawn.  I brushed in my pop-up blind, 20 yards off the corner of that, a few days prior.  Hopefully, we will have an east wind after September 9, so I can hunt from that.

If the adjacent ground is dry enough this weekend, I am going to try to plant a couple acres of wheat/clover by that 2 acres of corn.  There is no doubt that the corn is the preferred browse right now though.  
 

The only thing that might top that, is if I can find about 10 pounds of soybean to throw in with that wheat/clover mix.  Hopefully, I can find some between Tarrytown and Wolcottsburg, on my drive home across the state today.  Deer will walk thru white oak acorns to get at fresh sprouting soybeans.  
 

My plan is to stay out of that area completely after planting that, until we get an east wind, between September 10 and 18.  

Edited August 26, 2022 by wolc123