2011 Shotgun Season

[TheMadCatter]

Well, today was TOUGH! Our group was out pushing 'till 11am then they gave into the weather. However my Dad and I didn't so we headed down to Page Co and I sat while my Dad sat in the pick-up sleeping. Well, I saw 3 Does and things were going SLOW I mean SLOW. I ended up almost shooting a 160s class 10pt my Dad was right there watching. Saw him standing in a field, got out of the pick-up and jumped the fence. He was bedded with a Doe then they took off. Only had a butt shot, rather not take it because we're pushing that place tomorrow and I hope we see him again. Well, anyway sometime in that entire mess I got bored and snuck around awhile in the woods. Saw two white things 250 yards off, I thought to myself "Hmmm, looks like antlers...no it's just sticks" I walk within 50 yards and oh! Sheds. For the day our group had shots at about 20+ Does 10+ Bucks. I shot at a nice Doe but missed and then two other guys missed. We saw this nice 10pt run out onto the tracks and over the hill where two guys were posted. He got him, I'll post a few pictures of the day. Our group got...1 Buck. They passed 5 small Bucks. Hope the rest of you guys had a good day if you went out! Praying for you guys.

My Dec ATL!

A skull in a tree...

The 10pt...

 

[hawkjosh22]

I shot one doe today, saw a small buck this morning but let it pass. Nothing else as conditions were absolutely chit. Hopefully tomorrow will be awesome!

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using IW

 

[beararchery]

That first picture got me excited for shed season!

 

[Dustin DG]

Today was tough. Lots of does seen but passes on all. Saw a 1.5 fork buck but passed on him too. A member of the group shot a nice 4.5 10pt at about 8 am and we spent the rest of the day lookin for it but never found it. If only he could have shot it after the snow fell would have been easier to track. We lost the blood trail twice then picked it back up but no dice on the recovery. Good luck to everybody rest of the season.

 

[bugs11]

I participated in an anterless only park hunt today. Talk about miserable conditions. Good thing I picked up a set of Stearns rain gear years ago. I sat in a tree stand and the Stearns gear kept me dry, the pants got torn up a bit by the briars when I dragged the nice doe I shot out.

At 9:30 a pair of young ones came by about 50 yards out in the timber. I had decided that with the crappy weather the first anterless deer, regardless of size, was going down. I had to kneel down in the tree stand to get onto the deer. When the lead yearling stepped into a good opening I let fly a round. The deer hunched up like it had been heart shot and I thought my hunt was over. Well I get down and find where the deer had been standing; no blood, just some white hair. I trailed them a ways, still no blood. I concluded I had just grazed the underside of the deer. I went back to the white hair and looked towards my stand. About 10 yards away was 2 inch sapling almost completely cut into. I never saw the sapling though my foggy, wet scope. Back in the stand I go.

11:30 a big doe comes by with triplets. They stop out in the thick timber 75-90 yards out. I get on the doe through all the limbs and branches. I think I can sneak a slug through all the clutter. Boom! Doe just stands there. Boom! Doe turns around, decides maybe this isn't the best patch of timber to hang out in and trots away towing her triplets with her. Ten minutes later a real nice 8-pointer saunters by.

12:15 another nice doe comes by about fifty yards out, but she is moving fast, not running, but walking fast. I bleat a couple times to get her to stop. Just as I'm about to squeeze off the shot, she bolts straight away from me.

1:30 here comes a doe picking her way through the timber. She's far out 80-90 yards, but in an area that's clear of brush, not too many trees either. I see where she is headed, I pick out a good clear lane, the rain has stopped and I've wiped my scope clean. I steady the shotgun using my sling and wait for the doe to step into the lane I've chosen. Soon as she presents, I line up the crosshairs on her shoulder and slowly squeeze the trigger. I see her front go down and she lurches forward out of sight. The slug took out both shoulder, she didn't go more than 20 yards. I had quite the time dragging her out, good thing it had quit raining. She'll make for some good eating.

Good luck to everyone with a tag left to fill. Shoot straight and stay safe.