2016 Hunting Thread

Where were these when I was looking for them in the spring and fall? These are huuuge (yuuuuuge?) birds.
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Took a shot on a doe this morning...followed her tracks for over an hour and got lost. Two hours late for work and nothing to show for it...man do I feel like an idiot.

This was the only deer that's come close enough in my first two seasons of hunting...i called her in with a can call using my mouth to make the bleats on the large hole. she can in nice and quiet...very cautious and sketched out. I let her come in a little closer, about 50 yards or so. she came out from behind a large tree and gave me a perfect broadside shot while she was totally motionless. Took the shot and she took 4 or 5 good leaps through the mountain laurel and then booked it toward the same direction she came from. Probably bled out somewhere.

Anyone else have a 'one that got away' story?
 
Dakar652 said:
Took a shot on a doe this morning...followed her tracks for over an hour and got lost. Two hours late for work and nothing to show for it...man do I feel like an idiot.

This was the only deer that's come close enough in my first two seasons of hunting...i called her in with a can call using my mouth to make the bleats on the large hole. she can in nice and quiet...very cautious and sketched out. I let her come in a little closer, about 50 yards or so. she came out from behind a large tree and gave me a perfect broadside shot while she was totally motionless. Took the shot and she took 4 or 5 good leaps through the mountain laurel and then booked it toward the same direction she came from. Probably bled out somewhere.

Anyone else have a 'one that got away' story?
Click to expand...

Did you have a blood trail?
 
dropride said:
Did you have a blood trail?
Click to expand...

Not that I saw, but my buddy came to retrace my tracking (when I had to go to work) said he saw blood about 2 hours after my shot was taken in a laurel patch the tracks lead into. I was in such a haze when I was following the tracks, I could barely contain myself...let alone look for anything aside from hoof prints. I can't imagine I missed the shot...I was using my hornady sabots in front of 150 charge pyrodex triple seven...a sure shot from my TC Impact. I was hitting bull's-eyes at 100yds with my Simmons shotgun scope last season with the same load. I suppose it's certainly POSSIBLE though ...and I'd even prefer if I missed at this point so she'd be there again tomorrow for me to give another shot at her.

Guess my next step should be to see where my rifle is impacting from a similar height of my tree stand?
 
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Dakar652 said:
Guess my next step should be to see where my rifle is impacting from a similar height of my tree stand?
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Had you sighted it in before this season of were you just going off where it was hitting last season? Not to be a smart ass but this is really something you do before shooting at an animal. Your impact point on a 50 yard shot from 20 feet up a tree should not even be noticeable as opposed to not being 20 feet up a tree.

Again I am not trying to be a smart ass but I'm baffled on how you can follow tracks in the snow for an hour and not know if there is a blood trail. Finding and following blood is the first thing to do (after waiting some time of course) on an animal that did not drop and you did not see it go down within sight.
 
If your buddy found blood you should be back out there trying to find more. If you know where it was standing there will usually be hair on the ground if you hit it.
 
Agreed - if you found blood you have to pick up the trail. Bang out of work if you have to. That's the price you have to be prepared to pay if you hunt before work. Also agreed that hunting rifles need to be re-sighted prior to EACH season. They can get banged around in the safe or whatever... But we owe it to the animals whose lives we're taking to make sure our equipment is square. Really - that's the least we can do.

Also not trying to be a wise ass... Just saying we have to live up to a minimum code of ethics. Making sure we do all we can to recover an animal, making sure our equipment is square, making sure we only take ethical shots that are within our ability, making sure we're well practiced with our weapon... etc...

Don't take that smoke pole out hunting again until you get to the range and make sure it's on point. But track that animal first... You let it go overnight it's going to be coyote food. However I would still look for the carcass tomorrow too. If you find it after the coyotes do then hang your tag on it and move on. If after 2 full days of searching you come up empty then I think you've done all that can reasonably be done to try to find it. Next get to the range and try to determine what went wrong. Make sure you're rifle is square. Once all that's done then take up the hunt again of you still have tags.
 
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ThePreBanMan said:
Agreed - if you found blood you have to pick up the trail. Bang out of work if you have to. That's the price you have to be prepared to pay if you hunt before work. Also agreed that hunting rifles need to be re-sighted prior to EACH season. They can get banged around in the safe or whatever... But we owe it to the animals whose lives we're taking to make sure our equipment is square. Really - that's the least we can do.

Also not trying to be a wise ass... Just saying we have to live up to a minimum code of ethics. Making sure we do all we can to recover an animal, making sure our equipment is square, making sure we only take ethical shots that are within our ability, making sure we're well practiced with our weapon... etc...

Don't take that smoke pole out hunting again until you get to the range and make sure it's on point. But track that animal first... You let it go overnight it's going to be coyote food. However I would still look for the carcass tomorrow too. If you find it after the coyotes do then hang your tag on it and move on. If after 2 full days of searching you come up empty then I think you've done all that can reasonably be done to try to find it. Next get to the range and try to determine what went wrong. Make sure you're rifle is square. Once all that's done then take up the hunt again of you still have tags.
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+1

- - - Updated - - -

I'm going out this Fri. 10F. Who's with me?
 
Still have three more Saturdays to hunt ML. Nice. This has been a great year so far. My small group of buddies and I took 4 deer altogether, all on the Cape. Two bucks, two doe. I shot the larger doe, one buddy shot the smaller doe, and one other shot both the bucks on different days (of course he's the one who's been hunting for less years than the rest of us, but good for him.) If we get anything at all during ML, it'll be the icing on the cake. I've got more venison in the freezer than I know what to do with. [smile]
 
bdb said:
Had you sighted it in before this season of were you just going off where it was hitting last season? Not to be a smart ass but this is really something you do before shooting at an animal. Your impact point on a 50 yard shot from 20 feet up a tree should not even be noticeable as opposed to not being 20 feet up a tree.

Again I am not trying to be a smart ass but I'm baffled on how you can follow tracks in the snow for an hour and not know if there is a blood trail. Finding and following blood is the first thing to do (after waiting some time of course) on an animal that did not drop and you did not see it go down within sight.
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My pride slightly bruised, but one experience wiser...I have to admit I made a mistake. Before even looking at the replies to my post, I decided that instead of hunting this morning, I owed it to the animals I'm hunting to check my zero from last year. So, I went to WP&R and punched some paper.

Results are as follows from 84 yds (never really understood the odd yard ranges at WP&R, but it's just as well):
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First shot was WAY low and left...adjusted up and right for my second shot (high and right)...back left for my third shot for the one almost dead center...and not pictured was my fourth shot in the 10 ring just above the bullseye.

In light of my new findings, and also my roommates admission that what he saw could very well not have been blood (I think he was trying to make me feel better about missing, but in turn made me feel guilty for having 'killed' an animal I couldn't effing find)...I'm gonna have to go ahead and say that luckily I may have missed my mark completely yesterday and that doe is still running around out there (probably less some excrement, however).

In response to ME not being able to find blood in the snow...about 75% of the area I tracked was wetland...no snow, and VERY challenging to follow tracks. Realizing I should have known at the AOI where there was no hair/blood, that I probably just missed...once again...total noob mistake.

Before you roast me too hard, please realize that I have had no one teaching me anything about hunting...my dad never hunted, and any of the kids I grew up with that hunt wouldn't accept me into their little clique they've had since we were kids. I hate making excuses for myself, but I'm at a loss for how 'off' my 'zero' was from last year.

I will admit that my biggest fear getting into hunting, was that I would injure an animal and cause unnecessary suffering. This is not something I take lightly, as I value all life.

For the record, I appreciate all the responses here, and if I hadn't come to the conclusion myself already to check my zero...I would be following all your advice here and swallowing my pride just the same. Thank you.

This was an honest mistake, and one that I will not make again. I will sleep better tonight...and tomorrow I'm going to get back out in the woods a little wiser.
 
Well, at least now you know that your zero was off. Sounds like a good learning experience and as you say you don't have a mentor so learning the ropes does take a little longer. Hopefully you get another shot this year to connect, good luck!!
 
Dakar652 said:
Took a shot on a doe this morning...followed her tracks for over an hour and got lost. Two hours late for work and nothing to show for it...man do I feel like an idiot.

This was the only deer that's come close enough in my first two seasons of hunting...i called her in with a can call using my mouth to make the bleats on the large hole. she can in nice and quiet...very cautious and sketched out. I let her come in a little closer, about 50 yards or so. she came out from behind a large tree and gave me a perfect broadside shot while she was totally motionless. Took the shot and she took 4 or 5 good leaps through the mountain laurel and then booked it toward the same direction she came from. Probably bled out somewhere.

Anyone else have a 'one that got away' story?
Click to expand...

Go find the effing thing. Call in to work. You have the responsibility to go the distance to dispatch/recover your kill. Did you find blood and hair?
 
You have no business being in the woods until you know what the hell you are doing.
Reality. Not trying to be a dick.
 
I don't think anyone wants to roast a newbie. Not too bad anyway. But some folks can be a bit more direct and to the point with their thoughts. So - you're going to have to take a ribbing here on NES from time to time. It comes with the territory. I try not to come across like that. But it's hard to convey tone via text on a screen. I was a newbie not all that long ago myself. People here generally will help you along as best they can. Sportsmen are a dying breed. Your continued involvement and ethical commitment are essential to the continuation of the tradition. As long as you commit to doing things the right way (read - putting in the work) folks will help you along... After all if this were easy - everyone would be doing it.

Just bear it in mind that when you're afield that what you do represents us all. You'll make mistakes. It's what comes after that matters most. If you conduct yourself in a less ethical way - it reflects poorly upon us all. Some here are going to find offense in that. I believe we all should actually.
 
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I'm brand new to hunting. Had no luck this year. Saw a couple but didn't feel like I could get a clean shot off. New as I am though I know that if I injured a deer I'd be out there for at least 2 days looking for it.

It's my understanding that everyone (or at least very many) hunters lose an animal. Everyone makes mistakes. It's only ok though if you do everything you can to find the animal and learn from the mistake.

In this case I think our friend knows to check his zero every year (at least, and honestly you should probably be actually practicing at the range with the thing beyond just zeroing) and that he needs to put more effort in to recovering a lost deer. No need to pile on him, I think he gets the message.
 
Fixxah said:
You have no business being in the woods until you know what the hell you are doing.
Reality. Not trying to be a dick.
Click to expand...

Everyone starts somewhere. No one goes out into the woods hunting for their first time as an expert and many people don't grow up hunting. I'm just now getting into it at the age of 35. No one in my family hunts so I didn't grow up being taught by a wise woodsman dad and uncles. I'm out there figuring it out for myself in the hopes that if I can become proficient at it I can pass it on to my son. I do get your point though. I'd say you have no business taking a shot unless you've met some minimum requirements (like making sure your gun is zeroed and learning at least some basic tracking skills).
 
I won't hunt deer before work. No effin way. Either I have the day off or I don't.

Duck on the other hand, oh hell yes. My blind is on the edge of an abandoned cranberry bog only a few miles from my work. I don't need a dog, decoys, calls, or a boat to hunt and easily retrieve ducks there. Just the gun, a pair of waders and patience until the quackers come in at early light. And they pretty much always come in as long as I don't pressure the hell out of that area, which I don't.
 
JHBlaze I started at your age too. I'm 40 now and have a few years under my belt. But this year is the first year I really feel like I'm putting the prices together. Got on some good deer this year. So keep at it man and you'll get there. Whitetail is a tough game to hunt. You have to love the struggle and work required to be successful.
 
jhblaze1 said:
I'm brand new to hunting. Had no luck this year. Saw a couple but didn't feel like I could get a clean shot off. New as I am though I know that if I injured a deer I'd be out there for at least 2 days looking for it.

It's my understanding that everyone (or at least very many) hunters lose an animal. Everyone makes mistakes. It's only ok though if you do everything you can to find the animal and learn from the mistake.

In this case I think our friend knows to check his zero every year (at least, and honestly you should probably be actually practicing at the range with the thing beyond just zeroing) and that he needs to put more effort in to recovering a lost deer. No need to pile on him, I think he gets the message.
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I disagree with you on very many lose an animal. That is completely the wrong attitude. That attitude contributes to taking a shot tbat is "iffy". It's your responsibility not only to the animal you hunt BUT ALSO OTHER HUNTERS to be very....very.....confident you are taking a good solid shot within your abilities and the equipment you are using. I suggest dropping that notion that many lose animals. No.......sorry.....the ethical hunters don't.

And while we were on the subject of hunting before work......only if you have sick time in the bank. Period. You need to have time to track one no matter what.
 
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whacko said:
I disagree with you on very many lose an animal. That is completely the wrong attitude. That attitude contributes to taking a shot tbat is "iffy". It's your responsibility not only to the animal you hunt BUT ALSO OTHER HUNTERS to be very....very.....confident you are taking a good solid shot within your abilities and the equipment you are using. I suggest dropping that notion that many lose animals. No.......sorry.....the ethical hunters don't.

And while we were on the subject of hunting before work......only if you have sick time in the bank. Period. You need to have time to track one no matter what.
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If you really believe you won't lose a deer at some point you're being ignorant or you haven't hunted long enough.
 
I haven't lost one in my 5 years of hunting - thankfully. But - I've also passed on 10 yard broadside shots on nice animals I wanted to shoot as there was a twig in the way. I believe conducting yourself in such a way greatly reduces - but doesn't eliminate - the chances of losing an animal. That said things can happen but we need to do all we can to minimize that. Equipment failures, etc.. But let me give another example where it's on us.... When it gets close to the buzzer seeing those small branches gets tough - so you need to real in the range you take a shot out to. You may be able to drill the bull's eye all day at 20 yards while at the range under ideal conditions midday... but from a stand in the woods with 10 minutes left in shooting hours - 20 yards isn't a shot I'll take in most circumstances. Unless I'm shooting into an open area - which of course is not where the deer will be.
 
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DTucK said:
If you really believe you won't lose a deer at some point you're being ignorant or you haven't hunted long enough.
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You should go back and read my post again. You completely misunderstand what I'm saying.where did I say NEVER. Ethical hunters don't lose MANY animals is what I'm saying. If you rean my post again that's exactly what I said. I'll save you the trouble here it is:

"I suggest dropping that notion that many lose animals. No.......sorry.....the ethical hunters don't.

So........ yeah it may happen.

But.......the other poster made it sound more on the lines of......"yeah the shit happens very often.....so....". With that attitude your an ass hat that needs to find some other pass time.

That's the difference.
 
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