the beauty of muzzle loader season is that there are so few people on the prowl for deer in that bitter cold.
the ugly part is trying to sit in the deep freeze long enough to make the sit pay off.
My buddy Joe hunted in Bagely, MN to close our muzzle loader season.
we woke up saturday morning to find -12. we were out before daylight and stayed out until 9. it was -17 at that point.
I sat for 45 minutes on a high chance trail -crossing area. no dice. I made my way to the south field to sope out the edges on the north side of the field for browsing/bedded deer. they had been there and their were beds up the ying yang, but no deer.
I turned north to head cross country, hoping to catch something un-aware.
the packed snow was loud and squeaky. so I chose to stick to the deep untouched snow.
that was the ticket for quiet, but it took its toll on a body. I could navigate it alright, but it was a lot more exhausting.
I crossed a slew strip onto another piece of high ground. this was like coming in the back door to yet another bedding / browsing area.
we haven't touched it all season.
there weren't a lot of tracks, but there were enough to make it interesting. as I made my way out from the lower hardwoods area coming from the swamp, I tried to be careful not to announce my pressence to the world, but it was so cold ever twig I encountered had a nice SNAP to it.
this area I was coming into is a meadow type area, with scattered jackpines about 20-25 feet high. add in some intermitant buck brush with open areas on a rolling terrain and you get the picture.
as I made my way into the meadow area, having given up hope that I might slip up on something, I was content that I would likely kick something out past my hunting partner.
as i was climbing the first slight hill, I was absolutely shocked that thirty yards away was a doe, no two deer, the first doe was moving up the opposite side of the hill towards me!
I imediately dropped to my knees and ready my self for a certain shot.
I was turned perfectly, the hammer was back and I waited..
and waited..and waited...nothing.
I peeked up a little to see what was the hang up and I could just see her ears twitching.
ok, I thought, I've been through this before, it's a matter of waiting the deer out til they advance on their own.
while keeping tabs on her position I figured I also had better try to judga how many more there were so I knew how many sets of eyes ears and noses I need to account for when I went for the kill shot.
I could see the second deer tugging on the jack pine boughs and another deer moving brush, so that made three...but then, yet another set of legs coming from under the jack.
as it made it's way out i could see the snow covered face and the RACK!!
that big beautiful RACK!!
it too was white with snow and about an eight point!
holy smokes....naw...holy $hit!! is more like my expression.
I just could not believe that I stumbled on these deer like that and they had absolutely no clue I was sitting over the hill thirty yards away!
keeping my cool, I decided it was still my best chance to remain low and just barely peek over the knoll to keep tabs on them so they didnt come out where I did not expect them.
there must have been another deer that came in or they crossed each other or something, I could'nt quite tell, but I lost track of which one was the buck for a moment.
I thought it was the one on the right and all I could see was deer head stuck up in the boughs nibbling away. by the time I realized it was the buck once again, I could tell now through the buck brush that it was now looking right at me!...NO!
yep sure as it was -20 degrees, he did a couple head bobs to try to make me out.
he can't possibly know I'm here??!!
the wind is going crossways and my profile is just alowing me to see the tops of their heads through the brush. after the third head bob, he instantly spun and bounded out of sight, dragging his harem with him
never to be seen again
I keep thinking back to something I could have done differently.
I could have taken a head shot, but I really did see that doe heading my way and I did believe I would get a good solid chance at the buck.
if I would have stood, he would have been gone before I could have gotten the gun up.
I believe I did every thing I could have outside of taking a risky shot. that's not my style.
I like a nice solid shot.
no, I just think it was yet one more way to torment me with the one trophy that has eluded me for thirty years.
I'm good with it.
it was cool to actually slip up that close to them.
I will get another crack at yet another buck and I will either get him or not.
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Topic: Freezing Cold Sitting in a Tree......Video Added (Read 13565 times)
