Well, haven't had a very good bow season this year if you measure a season by the number of deer seen on stand. Was hoping that all changed on Saturday with the opening of muzzleloader East of the Blue Ridge. Joined some fellow board members for hunt on Saturday and had my opportunity. At 9:00 a.m., along strolls a very nice 8 pointer with very ivory horns. It's a shooter and I ready myself. At 80 yards, I take the shot while he is broadside in the sun with his head down standing completely still. When the smoke clears, the deer is still walking and coming right at me with no sign of being hit or spooked. I dig out my reloader from my pack quietly (read here: UNPREPARED) and get the powder in the barrel. Not wanting to risk trying to dig out my T handle (read here: VERY UNPREPARED), I attempt to seat the bullet with just the ramrod and darn near poked a hole in my hand doing so. Amazingly enough, I get the bullet seated and the deer is now 20 yards from the base of me tree. As I'm pulling out the ramroad oh so slowly, I catch the end of the rod on the crown of the muzzle and it makes a slight clinking sound. Game Over! The deer immediately looked up at me, turned and trotted away 20 yards. I stick the ramrod in my mouth, cap the rifle and get the scope on him, he blows at me and trots away tail down very stiff legged. I can see through the scope that he has not been hit. Good news is, a clean miss. Bad news is...no venison for the freezer and no pic for the board. Had a very enjoyable and eventful remainder of the day, but no other close calls. Deer: 1 Dale: 0. The thread during spring gobbler comes to mind about the things you really want to work on this season. PATIENCE! PATIENCE!

Man Dale... I hate to hear that! Don't sweat it man, you'll get him next time!

Hate that you missed him! Don't worry though, there will be another one.

Make that two that got away! TScott and I headed to the national forest for an afternoon hunt on the season opener of West of the Blue Ridge Muzzleloader. Our plan was to hunt the back side of a large 8 year old clearcut along the terrain break where the laurel covered ridges meet the clearcut. Figured the does would be using this area and given the time of year, well, where the does are the bucks are surely to follow. TScott was set up overlooking a draw and a saddle. I was high in a tree overlooking two ridges and hollows and the edge of the clearcut. It was a windy afternoon, with the only game spotted by me one little chiipmunk. That all changed at that magic time just before dark. I caught a glimpse of a doe running out of a hollow right for me. She never slowed as she ran right under my tree and into the clearcut. She wasn't alarmed, so I knew she had to have a buck trailing her. Two minutes later, here he comes down the same trail at the same speed. It's very near dark and I get him in the scope, but he is right on top of me and moving fast. He stops under my tree, so close the scope is blurry. I wait for a good quartering away shot as he walks by my tree and right down the trail of the doe. He stops 10 yards from the base of my tree and I squeeze the trigger. SNAP . He stands there. I try to get another cap on and in the process look away from the deer. When I get the gun capped and look back up, he has vanished. Two minutes later, another doe meanders down the same trail, but it is dark now and even if a buck followed, I would not be able to shoot. Back at the truck, I fire two more caps and the gun still doesn't go off. I'll be dissassembling the gun today. Very unlike a Knight to not discharge on the first attempt. I can tell you the antlers were outside the ears, but it all happened so fast that I didn't count points. Deer 2. Dale 0. The bad guu guu continues. I'll be perched in a tree all day tomorrow in hopes of kicking this monkey! Good luck to all.

Hang in there Dale. Don't you just hate those times when nothing seems to go right. This may be a year when you down a real monster, then you will soon forget all those bad luck times. It will probally happen when you least expect it. Hope you get one Monday.

As soon as I heard the snap last night my stomach sank. I hated that happened bud! You will get him though, I know it!!!

The area Dale was hunting has a good buck in it. Dale and I found this shed along with this gobbler above his stand location this past spring.....



(six points on this half of the shed, one was almost eaten off by vermin)


Good luck to you tomorrow, hope you find the buck that owns this ol' shed.

Don't get down Dale Sounds like you and TScott have did your homework and it will pay off. Nice gobbler picture!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep after 'em Dale... it'll all come together soon! Good Luck!

I feel you pain Dale. I've had that sort of thing happen to me before (like this past Saturday) and all I can say is to keep after them. One will make that fatal mistake and that monkey will be looking for a new home again.

Dale sorry to hear that and I hope that things will pick up for you.

Third times the charm! Hang in there.
Keep em Gobblin!
Struttinbird

Well, the monkey is on the loose! Friday evening I took a 100lb doe from a winter wheat field loaded full of deer. Was a fun hunt with some fellow board members who simply spoiled me beyond belief! This was my first hunt from a shooting house and man will that make you one lazy hunter! Now...can you say waterfowl!

Way to stay after it. I knew that you were going to kick that monkey to the curb. Congrats!!

way to go Dale