Rained pretty much all day today. Decided to still hunt some bedding areas in the timber, as it is a rare day that I can walk in such places without each step sounding like I'm walking on a bag of doritos. A bit of background noise with the rain and water dripping off the trees helps as well. Caught several bucks up for a snack, in the smaller openings in the timber. Two were shooters, and we saw each other at the same time. They were much faster than I.
I crossed a clearing to a new area and was about 80 yards into it when something looked out of place. It took me a few seconds to realize I was looking at antlers. The face and ears became clear in a moment. He was 30 or 40 yards out and hadn't seen me yet. I slowly raised the rifle to find my scope was too wet to see anything through. I'd wiped it dry several times, but even trying to be careful to keep the rain off the glass... failed. I slowly lowered the rifle, wiped the glass with my thumb, raised it, took aim, and "click!". Damn! I've had a couple of miss fires of late (new Wolf spring was ordered last week). I'm thinking this buck is going to blow out of there any moment, while I slowly lower the rifle and, as quietly as I can,cycle the action.
I discover that it wasn't a misfire. Some idiot had forgotten to chamber a round. Who still hunts the thick stuff without a round chambered!? I slowly chamber a round and start to raise the rifle up. He is finally getting the sense that all is not quite right and slowly stands up. He is quartering toward me. As I am settling the butt into my shoulder he turns and looks at me and I fire. The image in the scope was still pretty rough, but I took out the far shoulder. He ran down hill about 60 yards and stopped broadside. Another round through the lungs puts him down.
Always has been a goal of mine to stalk and kill a buck in his bed in the timber.
I crossed a clearing to a new area and was about 80 yards into it when something looked out of place. It took me a few seconds to realize I was looking at antlers. The face and ears became clear in a moment. He was 30 or 40 yards out and hadn't seen me yet. I slowly raised the rifle to find my scope was too wet to see anything through. I'd wiped it dry several times, but even trying to be careful to keep the rain off the glass... failed. I slowly lowered the rifle, wiped the glass with my thumb, raised it, took aim, and "click!". Damn! I've had a couple of miss fires of late (new Wolf spring was ordered last week). I'm thinking this buck is going to blow out of there any moment, while I slowly lower the rifle and, as quietly as I can,cycle the action.
I discover that it wasn't a misfire. Some idiot had forgotten to chamber a round. Who still hunts the thick stuff without a round chambered!? I slowly chamber a round and start to raise the rifle up. He is finally getting the sense that all is not quite right and slowly stands up. He is quartering toward me. As I am settling the butt into my shoulder he turns and looks at me and I fire. The image in the scope was still pretty rough, but I took out the far shoulder. He ran down hill about 60 yards and stopped broadside. Another round through the lungs puts him down.
Always has been a goal of mine to stalk and kill a buck in his bed in the timber.
