Slow season so far

Well the hunting last year was great with 2 large does down. This year its slow, so far I have taken 1 small doe. It was a 60 yard shot using a 12 Gage with a ball sight [loaned my scoped to a friend with poor sight] the Doe was standing behind some brush and a downed tree only her head and throat were showing clear, the shot took her dead center just under the chin, she dropped in her tracks. Please note here, that I practice shooting with the three guns I use to hunt with, standing, kneeling and sitting at least 3 times a week for 2 months before season starts, so I was confident of the shot. Bucks are scarce here, I have only seen 1 so far and that was at night. The season here is 1 month for guns and Cross bows [ Cross bows were just made legal to use last year, gun season only] People here think the deer herd will be wiped out by using Cross bows that they have some magic power that will give you too much of an advantage in bow season. Hope to get a buck this year, still a few days left.

Nice practise routine, congrats on the slick head.

Crossbows or the new archery bows aren't much different in accuracy or power. The antis just don't have a clue. I hope your fill all your tags but if it is like here the weather is to warm and the bucks aren't moving as past years (on my cameras). The group I usually hunt with got skunked in the rifle season but black powder season is coming.

An update on my hunt. I was out [a while back now] Things were slow so I tried rattling with code red out as an attractant. I was on a skid trail in a Bomba [small circle of brush] made with spruce and pine sitting on a lawn chair. Rattled a small series of three sets 2-4 mins apart, wait 1/2 hr repeat, 4th try I see movement through the bush of course its the thickest part near me, now this deer is only about 30 ft away but can't see what it is. I waited for days [well that's what it seemed to be] it eventually came out 10 ft away a small spike, but big and fat, he stuck his head out first, nose up, lips out and sniffing hard. I lifted my gun real slow waiting for him to come out more but he turned and saw me like I said in another post he turned inside out and swapped ends and was gone. I did try a hail Mary but I missed [took out a tree] I thought xxxx, xxxx, xxxx, xxxx'. I was going to pack it up but stayed out, Waited about twenty mins went back to rattling, did the same as before. I tried for about 2 hrs then said hell I give up, Looked around everywhere but behind me because that's where the house is and not much cover, stood up and Pheeeve, pheeeve, snort, turned and saw a way bigger buck lots of gear but from behind I could not see how many. Dam, I hate it when I mess up, back to Hunting class, rule 3 always look every time at every place a deer could be before moving.

Don't beat yourself up. Who hasn't done that? I remember one year on my first day hunting an area I went in and made a "Bomba" (ground blind). Once inside I noticed that I had some shrubs in one of my shooting lanes. I went out with some clippers and cut them down but one was to large for the clippers. I always carry a pruning saw in my pack and was sawing the larger shrub when all hell broke loose. A large 10 point buck came smashing through a group of balsams in front of me. I stood up and he hit the brakes and slide on the bedrock to within 10 feet of me. We just looked at each other for 20-30 seconds neither of us knowing what to do. Guess what my rifle was in the blind. I made a dash for it but was not in time. All I saw was tail going over the ridge. Lesson learned!!!

Entertaining stories guys.

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