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Deer Hunting Saga

Here in Alabama we have a three and one half month deer season. The limit is a buck and a doe a day with a three buck season limit. This discussion will be a running commentary on my hunting experiences this season.

Our bow season opened Wednesday, Oct. 15 and will run through January. The gun season opens Nov. 22 and will also run through January. Until gun season opens I will be hunting with my crossbow. My bow hunting will be done from either my 17 foot ladder stand or a ground blind

Here is the view from my ladder stand.

Here is a view of my ground blind.

Here is the view looking out of the ground blind.

Wednesday, October 17

I was in my ground blind at 1:30. (The blind was in a different spot then.) Two does came up to the fence just before dark but didn't cross over. As last light was fading three does came out about 25 yards in front of me. One of them I could see well enough in the scope to shoot but didn't.

Thursday, October 18

I hunted from the ladder stand. I was in the stand at 3:00 PM. At 6:00 I could see at least three bucks in the brush a hundred yards away. There could have been four or five but it was hard to tell because they were moving around in and out of my sight. So for two days of hunting that made eight deer sighted.

Friday, October 19

I didn't hunt. Instead I cleared some brush that was obstructing my view from the ladder stand. I also moved my ground blind to its current location, as shown in the picture. I should see more deer at the new location. I will hunt from the ladder stand tomorrow. I don't hunt on Sunday.

Monday, Oct. 20

Wasn't able to hunt Saturday. I hunted this afternoon. Was in my blind at 3:00, hunted til dark. Didn't see any deer, only a couple of squirrels. I did hear a coyote howl not too far away. I didn't get any pictures of deer in my game camera today either. I did get this picture of a coyote this morning. That and hearing the one howl this afternoon is probably why I didn't see any deer today.

I wish I had been in my blind at 7:45 this morning. You can see it on the left edge of the picture. It would have been about a 20 yard shot.

Tuesday, October 21

Went hunting this morning. Was in my blind by 6:00. Saw three does at 8:00. They hung around on the wrong side of the fence for about 20 minutes. At the closest point they were about 50 yards away. If they had been out in the open with a standing broadside shot, I would have tried for one. So in four days of hunting, I have sighted 11 deer.

Thursday, October 23

Hunted this afternoon from my ladder stand. Saw no deer.

Saturday, October 25

Hunted again from my ladder stand in the afternoon. Saw no deer. Unusual to hunt and seen nothing two consecutive times in this area.

Tuesday, October 28

Was in my ground blind at 3:00 PM. For three hours saw nothing. Looked like I was going to be skunked for the third time in a row. Would be extremely unusual for where I hunt. But suddenly right at 6:00 PM, there was a big doe standing broadside to me at about 20 yards. I had seen or heard nothing, but there it was. (Can deer just materialize at a spot?! LOL) I raised my crossbow to take the easy shot but before I could get lined up on it, it turned around and trotted off. I might have made a small noise as I raised the bow or maybe it caught a whiff of my scent. Anyway that makes 12 deer sighted while hunting. Still no kill.

Tuesday, November 4

Hunted this afternoon. Saw no deer.

Monday, November 10

Hunted this afternoon. Saw one. Too far away for a shot. Have now seen 13 deer while hunting.

Tuesday, November 11

Hunted this morning. Saw no deer but did see a white squirrel and three wild turkeys. Also heard the coyotes howling.

Thursday, November 13

Went hunting this morning. About 7:00 a doe came out. She gave me a standing broadside shot at about 40 yards. Not a bad shot for a crossbow. Can't really say why but for some reason didn't shoot. A few minutes later its fawn came out. Kinda glad I didn't shoot. Have now seen 15 deer.

Saturday, November 15

Since muzzleloader season opens Monday, I took my muzzleloader to the range to sight it in. The first shot was dead on for windage but about three inches low. Adjusted the scope up and fired again. The second shot was dead on for elevation and about 1/4 inch right. Loaded up and fired again. Third shot enlarged the second hole slightly. Bring on a nice buck!

Monday, November 17:

Muzzleloader season opened today. I hunted this morning. Saw no deer.

Went again this afternoon. Got into shooting house a little before 3:00 PM. About 3:40 four deer came out and almost immediately saw a coyote near them but going away from them. The deer were edgy but didn't bolt. In a few minutes eight does and fawns were out. At 3:55 something did spook the deer and all of them bolted. About 4::10 saw two more deer briefly. Couldn't tell if they were bucks or does. About 4:20 a four point buck came out. I let him walk. About 4:30 this nine point buck came out about 140 or 150 yards from me. I could see he was at least a six point so I shot him. He would have been an eight point but he had two brow tines on his left antler.

My muzzleloader is a .50 caliber. I shoot a 250 grain .45 caliber saboted Shock Wave bullet over two 50 grain 777 pellets. The bullet went in his left shoulder and made about an inch and a half exit hole on the right side. He went about 35 yards and went down.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on October 17, 2014 at 20:12

Well that looks pretty good Charles!

Permalink Reply by Bob Robinson on October 17, 2014 at 20:59

Great looking ground you hunt. I am a little envious as I am not able to hunt last year or this year due to being a caregiver. I grew up hunting but I mainly still hunted which I enjoy and was fortunate to be sucessful most of the time. Most of the land I hunted has since been sold off in smaller parcels and some is now National Forest lands. The deer population has since been drastically reduced by coyotes, too liberal seasons, and excessive timber cutting. The area has very little crop areas, mainly grazing for sheep and some cattle, so very hard on herds when mast crops fail.
My son has went to mainly stand hunting with bow and has great sucess. He now hunts in different part of the state that is mostly private lands with lots of agriculture and there seem to be plenty of deer.
I had best go now, but may you have a great season!!

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on October 18, 2014 at 0:20

Thank you Bob. I am fortunate to have this place to hunt. I live in town but a friend of mine at church has a farm and lets me hunt on it. It is only five miles from my house and has a lot of deer. I am the only non family member allowed to hunt on it. The owner's son and grandson also hunt on it. I have put up two shooting houses that I will hunt from when gun season opens. I have also created three salt licks to help draw in the deer.

I understand about being a caregiver. I have to work my hunting in around taking care of my wife. I have to hunt morning or afternoon. I can't hunt both or all day. I can't leave her alone for more than a few hours at a time.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on October 20, 2014 at 20:42

Charles,

I imagine that coyote is the reason you have not seen them considering you have been seeing so many.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on October 20, 2014 at 22:46

I just wish I had been in my blind when that coyote was there. It would have been an easy shot.

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on October 21, 2014 at 17:45

Charles, your ground blind looks just like mine. I have a ground blind and a ladder stand at each of my spots. I'm a bit disabled and having the option of using either stand helps on bad days. The type of woods I hunt looks so much different from yours. I like a ground blind for other reasons also. I am able to bring other people with me and a wrong move on their part is concealed. It's great for bringing the young hunters with you. Another good advantage is it helps hold in your human scent. Not to mention, having a roof over your head, in case of rain. Good luck, my friend.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on October 21, 2014 at 18:28

In addition to my ground blind and ladder stand, I have two shooting houses. I will hunt out of them once gun season opens. The landowner's son and grandson also hunt out of them. You can see one of them in this picture. It is the little green outhouse sized building on stilts above the coyote. It is 75 yards to where the coyote is standing. The coyote is standing in a salt lick.

Robert Burris said:

Charles, your ground blind looks just like mine. I have a ground blind and a ladder stand at each of my spots. I'm a bit disabled and having the option of using either stand helps on bad days. The type of woods I hunt looks so much different from yours. I like a ground blind for other reasons also. I am able to bring other people with me and a wrong move on their part is concealed. It's great for bringing the young hunters with you. Another good advantage is it helps hold in your human scent. Not to mention, having a roof over your head, in case of rain. Good luck, my friend.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on October 21, 2014 at 18:33

With that number hanging around yours will come along

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on October 21, 2014 at 18:58

When you see game while hunting it makes it a very enjoyable outing.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on November 11, 2014 at 9:52

Didn't see any deer this morning but did see a white squirrel and three wild turkeys. Judging by its size it was a fox squirrel. I have seen several fox squirrels with white faces but this is the first all white squirrel I have seen.

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on November 16, 2014 at 9:00

My neighbors had a good shot at at least one this morning, I never saw it but beleive it was a buck. Much warmer here this morning, at or near 31F so who knows. Expecting about an inch of snow later today which will help tracking for sure.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on November 16, 2014 at 11:29

I'll be hunting tomorrow morning. Supposed to rain all night but change to light snow shower around 5:00 AM. Temp should be about 35 but feel like 25 because of 15 mph wind. But my shooting house should block most of the wind from me.

BTW main body of this discussion has been updated.