2015 HuntingNY Muzzleloader Harvest Thread

[WNYBuckHunter]

Post up pics of your 2015 muzzleloader season deer here!

Only pictures with the associated story will be allowed in this thread. If you want to congratulate someone, please do it by clicking on the "like this" button for the post. There will be no exceptions.

Feel free to start a new thread if you wish to have comments in addition to posting the photo / story here.

[BBDEric]

Got this doe on the last day in the poring rain. Of course come out of woods the sun comes out....

[Lawdwaz]

Well heck, I never saw THIS thread! 

 

Although I've posted about this deer already, I may as well give this thread some life.

 

 

 

I did kill my buck this year with the ML but that was in the "regular season" and has already been posted in the "gun season" harvest thread. 

 

The doe above was shot last Saturday afternoon in Lima.  I hunted the morning and it was by far the coldest day I've hunted in a while.  IIRC it was about 25 degrees and a 20mph+ wind out of the west.  I pussed out and opted for a box blind.   I saw a young 10pt and a doe but couldn't get a clear crack at her.

 

I stuck it out until 10am or so then went to a another spot to mooch around and see how much sign I could see in the fresh snow.  Never saw a deer and the tracks were sparse, putting it mildly.

 

I was back in a box blind but not the same one as the morning hunt by 2pm.  At 4pm a doe and a couple fawn stepped out.  I thought I'd have a gimme but all of a sudden they took off on a trot across the field.  Fortunately they stopped and I re-positioned to another window (!) for the shot.  Bang flop.

 

As I walked up I thought I shot the wrong one, seems I have the darnedest time sometimes when shooting doe.  Once they're on the ground they don't always look as big as I thought. 

 

I snapped a quick pic with the phone then gutted her then hoisted her into the truck.  (Yes, another perk to the box blind is the drive-up capability.   And yes, she was a very nice sized deer, probably at least 2.5 years old and loaded with fay when I butchered her Tuesday.  I'd GUESS, 110 lbs or so.  maybe a touch more.

 

I had a couple brutal drags this year and two I could drive to.  I'm happy to take the good with the tough!

 

PS, sorry for the grainy barn pic; I used the self timer on the phone with the camera propped up on the seat of the wheeler, it was cold as heck, the deer was spinning on the hoist and I wanted to get to the house for whiskey to knock the chill out of my bones.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Lawdwaz

[stoneam2006]

Didn't see this post I think I put in in rifle harvest thread....

Anyways after a stalk and miss sat in the snow ended up connecting on this nice doe Sunday 140 yards dropped right there. Jumped her walking in from truck she ran uphill stopped to look back at us gave me just enough time...buddy connected on a wounded button buck 30 min later good day to be in the snow.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[wooly]

12-19-2015

Edited December 25, 2015 by wooly

[turkeyfeathers]

12-17-15 Also shot a decent six and a big doe the day before Thanksgiving with the muzzle loader This doe and about 11 or 12 more came ripping out of the dark pines below me. Still don't know what spooked them. Only had a split second to react. May have been buck(s) in with them but no time to check. I verbally bleated after picking out the biggest body I could see in that split second. She locked up literally under my stand. Quickly got the scope on her. She went about 10 yards Took off top of heart and pretty sure both lungs. Mile drag as a crow flies , fun. 2 hours later thru blow downs , brambles , beaver swamp and creek I had her to the car. Believe me that dragging two that other day really sucked. They'll all taste all that much better though. Tipped around 110 hours during gun and muzzle loader season in the woods. Just love my ml. I've killed more deer with it than both my slug guns.

And dang Wooly , a fine buck and great photo as always. Wish I would have had a chance to wear my snow camo

[Otto]

Here is my muzzleloader deer, my first. I came home from work early and only had about a half hour of daylight left. In my hurry, I jammed up the gun while loading, so I had to clean out the breech and reload. The same thing happened during gun season last year when I shot my buck and I told my wife on my way out the door that it was a lucky sign.

Walking down to the field I saw four deer and tried to sneak down for a shot. I got about half way there and spooked them. I decided to wait out the remaining twenty minutes of daylight in a tree stand, hoping they might return to feed. Two minute sit and this four pointer walks out about sixty yards away. One shot and he went right down where he last stood.

Given the poor gun season, I was very happy to harvest this deer in the late few days of the season!

Edited December 26, 2015 by Otto

[Zem18]

12-20-15

My buddy cancelled on me last night so we didn't go to his club for the morning. I called another buddy and him and his dad were heading to the 100 acre woods, so I asked what time should I meet them as I wanted to get a crack at the doe I saw yesterday. They were meeting early to shoot the $h!t at like 630am. I told them I'd be there by 7am.

I rolled around the corner and my lights hit them in the face and it was 7:01. I got out and we chatted for a few as I got the rest of my gear out. Then a clue other guys pulled up so we decided to see where everyone was headed and make a plan for some pushes. We were going.g to sit for a bit and then a few would move to certain areas to see if we could get some moving. It was almost shooting time so we headed to our spots. I walked approximately 50 yards and headed down an old logging road, just like yesterday. It was extra crunchy this morning so I was going as slow as I could.

As I rounded a corner, I could see down into a small flat at the bottom of the hill. I scanned it back and forth for a minute and did not see anything so I kept moving forward. I took 5 steps and looked straight down to the bottom and just to the right of the logging road there is a deer staring up at me. I get it in the scope and it is not huge, but will be a great eating deer for some guys I know at work. I try to settle the crosshairs on her but I am shaking like a beech leaf on a windy day. I took a few deep breaths and tried again. Man I was all hyped up for some reason and could not get steady. If I moved to the closest tree, the deer would bolt. She turned her head away from me and I dropped to one knee.

Now she turned to look back up at me after I had knelt down. I was able to take a few more breaths and get the crosshairs settled and I squeezed. As the smoke cleared, I saw her tip over, and another deer that had been behind her, behind a tree, darted off towards my buddy and his dad. I wasn't in the woods 10 minutes and it was over. Was nice to see some deer moving through the woods naturally this year during gun season rather than chasing ones that have been pushed and pressured.

I have a few guys at work that love venison and do not hunt. They also don't have a lot so I have been looking for a larger deer to split amongst them. I decided it was now or never this morning and wanted to get them something, so size didn't matter.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Zem18

[ants]

 

Last Friday 4pm. after 2 years of tag soup..Ill take it.. Im very lucky…...