LYON
PMA Member
I started a new thread a couple months ago about my wife and I building a new house. We moved in the weekend before thanksgiving and have much left to do, but we're in. Its been great living in the country again. Been way too long that's for sure. I find myself CONSTANTLY looking outside for any form of wildlife. Deer almost nightly on the neighboring farm, geese were on the pond behind the house every morning and night for most of the fall, we even had five Swans that were frequenting the pond as well, coyotes slinking across the pasture are not uncommon either. I watch out there so much that I received a "why are you always looking outside?" from my 5 year old daughter. So, needless to say, I'm loving it here! But this evening it got even better!
Back up about a month. I was working on some siding on the garage one evening and my brother had to run up to our house for something. When he got here, we noticed some deer on an adjoining farm and could tell that one was a buck. No clue how big it was so we jumped in the truck and ran down the road to check it out. We got close and pulled up the binoculars and realized it was a very nice, big bodied buck. A fairly wide, good mass 8 point with a busted G3. We both said man that would be a tough deer to pass on and watched it run over the hill with the does it was with.
Fast forward a couple weeks and we've been noticing an increasing amount of deer wandering up into the field right by our house at night. The main area we normally see deer is on a farm to the north. Immediately across the fence line to our south (less than 100 yards from the house) is a wildlife refuge. The refuge is about 1/3 timber, 1/3 grass and 1/3 crop ground. The crop ground is rented and the renters have to leave about 2 acres of crops in every year as a food source. So naturally as the food source dwindles to the north, deer start congregating in the refuge to finish off what is left in there. Most of the deer I've seen near the house have been after dark but I'm still always watching.
This afternoon I wasn't able to get out hunting in a spot I wanted to so I opted to do some cleaning in the garage and a few other odds and ends outside. Around 4:30 or so I noticed that there were a couple deer out in that field to the north like they normally are. I went about my business and checked that field every 5 minutes or so just to see how many more deer joined. About my fourth check, I was on the north east corner of my house and I was looking out north at those deer. As I was watching, I spotted a deer's head just cresting the hill in my field about 200 yards out. I saw it was a buck so I ran back and grabbed my binoculars which were in the garage and went back to look. Sure enough it was that 8 point with the busted G3. Our living room in the upstairs is on the north east corner of the house and my wife was sitting on the couch right by a window on the east side. So I tapped on the east window and told her to look out the north window. She and our two oldest were up there at the time. Not positive if I was going to shoot the buck or not, I went back to my garage (SE side of the house) quick and grabbed my muzzleloader from my van which was conveniently in there from a little drive my kids and I had taken about an hour earlier. As I was getting my gun, still debating on whether to shoot or not, my 3 year old popped his head out of the house into the garage and said "Daddy, shoot him!". That pretty much settled it for me. Got my gun out, primer in, and the buck stopped and started watching something in my direction. I was on the opposite side of the van, not sure if he saw me move through the window or if he was watching the dog that was by me, or if he was watching my kids moving around in the windows of the house. Whatever it was, he just stood there watching so I eased up and laid the gun across the roof of the van and let it rip. I didn't have time to range him but I'm guessing he was about 150 yards out. He immediately started running south right at the house and turned back to the north at about 100 yards. He went about 250 yards or so further and crashed. The kids were on cloud nine being able to watch the whole thing take place from the house. We all loaded up in the pickup and drove down in the field to get him.
I had my brother come up to help me load him, he's a big sucker. Not sure on age but I'll check the teeth tomorrow and see what I can tell. I'd guess 4.5 minimum.
Sorry for the crummy pics. All we had were our phones and it was getting dark. I may take a couple more tomorrow.
One with my daughter and niece.
Not ready to be tagged out yet, but now I can start getting ready for sheds!
Back up about a month. I was working on some siding on the garage one evening and my brother had to run up to our house for something. When he got here, we noticed some deer on an adjoining farm and could tell that one was a buck. No clue how big it was so we jumped in the truck and ran down the road to check it out. We got close and pulled up the binoculars and realized it was a very nice, big bodied buck. A fairly wide, good mass 8 point with a busted G3. We both said man that would be a tough deer to pass on and watched it run over the hill with the does it was with.
Fast forward a couple weeks and we've been noticing an increasing amount of deer wandering up into the field right by our house at night. The main area we normally see deer is on a farm to the north. Immediately across the fence line to our south (less than 100 yards from the house) is a wildlife refuge. The refuge is about 1/3 timber, 1/3 grass and 1/3 crop ground. The crop ground is rented and the renters have to leave about 2 acres of crops in every year as a food source. So naturally as the food source dwindles to the north, deer start congregating in the refuge to finish off what is left in there. Most of the deer I've seen near the house have been after dark but I'm still always watching.
This afternoon I wasn't able to get out hunting in a spot I wanted to so I opted to do some cleaning in the garage and a few other odds and ends outside. Around 4:30 or so I noticed that there were a couple deer out in that field to the north like they normally are. I went about my business and checked that field every 5 minutes or so just to see how many more deer joined. About my fourth check, I was on the north east corner of my house and I was looking out north at those deer. As I was watching, I spotted a deer's head just cresting the hill in my field about 200 yards out. I saw it was a buck so I ran back and grabbed my binoculars which were in the garage and went back to look. Sure enough it was that 8 point with the busted G3. Our living room in the upstairs is on the north east corner of the house and my wife was sitting on the couch right by a window on the east side. So I tapped on the east window and told her to look out the north window. She and our two oldest were up there at the time. Not positive if I was going to shoot the buck or not, I went back to my garage (SE side of the house) quick and grabbed my muzzleloader from my van which was conveniently in there from a little drive my kids and I had taken about an hour earlier. As I was getting my gun, still debating on whether to shoot or not, my 3 year old popped his head out of the house into the garage and said "Daddy, shoot him!". That pretty much settled it for me. Got my gun out, primer in, and the buck stopped and started watching something in my direction. I was on the opposite side of the van, not sure if he saw me move through the window or if he was watching the dog that was by me, or if he was watching my kids moving around in the windows of the house. Whatever it was, he just stood there watching so I eased up and laid the gun across the roof of the van and let it rip. I didn't have time to range him but I'm guessing he was about 150 yards out. He immediately started running south right at the house and turned back to the north at about 100 yards. He went about 250 yards or so further and crashed. The kids were on cloud nine being able to watch the whole thing take place from the house. We all loaded up in the pickup and drove down in the field to get him.
I had my brother come up to help me load him, he's a big sucker. Not sure on age but I'll check the teeth tomorrow and see what I can tell. I'd guess 4.5 minimum.
Sorry for the crummy pics. All we had were our phones and it was getting dark. I may take a couple more tomorrow.
One with my daughter and niece.
Not ready to be tagged out yet, but now I can start getting ready for sheds!
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