jscusmcvet
Explorer
Happy to report my first buck of the season. Gun season in eastern NC started last Saturday. I had to work for the morning and had a cousin's son's 1 year old bday party to go to for lunch. On the way home I told Ann I would like to head out for a little hunting time. We live on 45 acres and lease an adjoining 60. A mix of hardwood and open fields. I usually hunt some of the streambeds in the hardwoods. We have purposely stayed out of the section of property we hunt this summer and early fall. Instead of corn piles, etc... we are trying to let it go and let the deer grow accustomed to freedom to roam.
I left out plenty early, about 4:30. I take the back way from the house, past the barn, across a stream and up a ridge line to an old dirt road that separates my 45 from the 60 acres. I had an eye out but was just making time down the road. I was maybe 5 - 10 minutes walking from the house. I came abreast of a tiny thicket with several bushes and one tree. To my surprise, when I was directly next to it, a buck popped up and sprinted out across a former hay field. It has not been planted in a couple years so it is quite overgrown. I dropped my gear, chambered a round and moved around the little thicket.
I picked him up in the scope (Pentax 3x9, lightseeker... great scope) He was going away from me at full bore. I tried to time his leaps and when it seemed right, fired. I was confident of a hit. I circled around this 20 acre field and struck into the brush at an angle that would intersect with his angle of travel. A few minutes later I found him, not yet into the woods. Still glassy eyed and apparently just expired. A beautiful buck, 7 points, decent size. Not a monster at all and maybe one some of you would pass up, but I was happy to have him.
Best part was the shot. I paced it off and the shot was approx. 150 yards, I shot from the off hand, while the deer was running away. USMC marksmanship in action :wings: (or lucky...) The round entered the top of his back, through the backstrap, severed his spine and came to rest higher up in the neck. Winchester Silevertip, great expansion. Remington 700. One of my best shots ever, I think.
Wife has been processing meat all day. She ground 16 pounds of meat from the shoulders alone. Happy to have the freezer getting refilled. She is vacuum sealing this year before freezing this year and feels that will help the meat stay fresh longer.
10 minutes into my season. Can't wait to get back out again.
John
I left out plenty early, about 4:30. I take the back way from the house, past the barn, across a stream and up a ridge line to an old dirt road that separates my 45 from the 60 acres. I had an eye out but was just making time down the road. I was maybe 5 - 10 minutes walking from the house. I came abreast of a tiny thicket with several bushes and one tree. To my surprise, when I was directly next to it, a buck popped up and sprinted out across a former hay field. It has not been planted in a couple years so it is quite overgrown. I dropped my gear, chambered a round and moved around the little thicket.
I picked him up in the scope (Pentax 3x9, lightseeker... great scope) He was going away from me at full bore. I tried to time his leaps and when it seemed right, fired. I was confident of a hit. I circled around this 20 acre field and struck into the brush at an angle that would intersect with his angle of travel. A few minutes later I found him, not yet into the woods. Still glassy eyed and apparently just expired. A beautiful buck, 7 points, decent size. Not a monster at all and maybe one some of you would pass up, but I was happy to have him.
Best part was the shot. I paced it off and the shot was approx. 150 yards, I shot from the off hand, while the deer was running away. USMC marksmanship in action :wings: (or lucky...) The round entered the top of his back, through the backstrap, severed his spine and came to rest higher up in the neck. Winchester Silevertip, great expansion. Remington 700. One of my best shots ever, I think.
Wife has been processing meat all day. She ground 16 pounds of meat from the shoulders alone. Happy to have the freezer getting refilled. She is vacuum sealing this year before freezing this year and feels that will help the meat stay fresh longer.
10 minutes into my season. Can't wait to get back out again.
John
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