MuzzleLoader Season Opens Saturday

[10-Ring]

19 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

The two buck limit, deer hunting t.v. shows, or something have seemed to finally change the mindset of a lot of hunters here. It seems most of us are now passing up the year old bucks we used to shoot. This is resulting, at least in my area, in some nice mature bucks walking around. I used to think "well, if I don't shoot it, he'll be popped as soon as he tops the next hill". So did most everybody else.

I had the same mentality, eventually I had to switch to "if he dies it won't be because I killed him."  I know a lot of people around here shoot whatever, and my camera footage shows it.  I'm on 42 acres in Wilson County surrounded by farms and Corp of Engineer land.  Ran cameras all summer, I have two 4 pointers and two spikes running around here, a couple of lone does, and a bunch of fawns.  There is a bruiser I've seen across the road and I found I couple big rubs in a thicket.  I'll leave the little ones alone and maybe they will stay here where they are safe for now.

[10-Ring]

Wow, just after my last post I see the silhouette of a deer in some heavy brush to my left.  I bleat and it shows itself at 20 yards giving me a nice neck shot.  6 pointer I haven't seen before.  Spread right inside of the ears, and a pretty rack.  I decided to let him walk.  First deer I've had the chance to pull the trigger on in three solid days of hunting.

[10-Ring]

I finally connected.  That big ole doe stepped out at 3:01.  The Hornady FPB 300 grain .50 did remarkable.  The deer was dead before it hit the ground at 70 yards.  I had been running powerbelts in my .45 and did not like them at all.  Of the last 5 deer i shot with that load 4 ran over 100 yards.  I got this CVA Wolf .50 and really like it.  Trying to find the right load to make my .45 a 200 yard gun.

Edited November 10, 2017 by 10-Ring

[martin5]

Congratulations to your daughter kahrman!! Greg that's a nice buck! Maybe I'll get another one in the morning. I haven't seen a deer since my 8 point.

[gregintenn]

Roasts, tenderloin, and hamburger meat are in the freezer. Jerky strips are marinading. Either I don't do it right, or there's a lot of work in processing a deer.

[gregintenn]

Deer are really moving this morning. Sadly, I'm at work. Good luck everybody!

[rugerla1]

I had a doe come in at first shooting light. Hung out for a couple minutes and eased on out. At 7:00 a decent 7 pointer came in. Never stopped walking so I couldn’t get a real detailed look at his rack so let him pass. Hope he wasn’t bigger than he looked haha. Anyway, doesn’t matter but he’ll live another year if he makes it on neighboring properties. Wife had to work today so had to come out at 9 to watch my daughter. Would have been a great all day sit in this weather. 

[RED333]

We had 4 this morning in the front yard, one big doe, one smaller and 2 were yearlings.

[Sunfish]

They were moving Saturday Morning but it warmed up and the wind put them down again. A spike ran under my stand with about 2 inch horns and a Doe saw me and quartered away into a thicket. Heard several shots early but none after 9:30. Buddy shot his second spike Buck that was chasing the Doe that I saw. 92 pounds Field dressed. The natural selection thing is out of whack in Smith Co. I suspect a lot of bucks are being checked in as does on line and being home butchered. Some of the shots I was hearing in the distance were centerfire and two close together for a muzzleloader. The old way of checking them in was not broken and in my opinion they should go back to it. The TWRA is anything to make a buck now days.       

[gregintenn]

I've always noticed a big difference in size between Smith county deer and those in Sumner and Macon counties. Years ago there were very few deer here, and TWRA reintroduced them. I wonder if the Smith county deer came from a different place.

[10-Ring]

5 hours ago, Sunfish said:

They were moving Saturday Morning but it warmed up and the wind put them down again. A spike ran under my stand with about 2 inch horns and a Doe saw me and quartered away into a thicket. Heard several shots early but none after 9:30. Buddy shot his second spike Buck that was chasing the Doe that I saw. 92 pounds Field dressed. The natural selection thing is out of whack in Smith Co. I suspect a lot of bucks are being checked in as does on line and being home butchered. Some of the shots I was hearing in the distance were centerfire and two close together for a muzzleloader. The old way of checking them in was not broken and in my opinion they should go back to it. The TWRA is anything to make a buck now days.       

I suspect that you are correct that a lot of little bucks are being checked as does, and a lot of people are using centerfires right now.  I don't know if going back to the old way would help or not, I'm thinking those people probably just wouldn't check them at all.  I sure do like the convenience of being able to check them on my phone, but I see it doors open up opportunity for dishonesty.  

[quietguy]

1 hour ago, gregintenn said:

I've always noticed a big difference in size between Smith county deer and those in Sumner and Macon counties. Years ago there were very few deer here, and TWRA reintroduced them. I wonder if the Smith county deer came from a different place.

I used to hunt in Smith County back in the mid to late 80's, and we had a lot of deer and some decent bucks but they were always smaller bodied than the deer in counties a little farther west.  

[rugerla1]

 Boys and girls, I haven’t seen a dadgum thing today. I’ve been hunting ladder stands all year but grabbed my summit viper this morning. Man I love this climber! I grabbed my .308 and my .300 blackout rifles this morning and will probably head up to Stones River range around 1oclock if nothing happens here. Might as well get my rifles sighted in for next weekend. 

[bersaguy]

My 11 year old grandson bagged his first muzzle loader buck yesterday!  A funny story....lol. It was about 9 AM and he was actually asleep in the stand and the buck woke him up snorting. He was up a tree about 20 feet and the buck was about 10 yards away and could smell him but could not see him so it snorted and woke Logan up. It took Logan a few seconds to realize what was going on and the deer began to walk away. Didn't spook but was headed towards a thicket so Logan hit his grunt and the buck stopped and and turned he got the shot and bagged an 8 pointer. I am suppose to be getting pictures of the deer today but I will probably have to remind Justin, his older brother to send them. Logan called me all excited about hs first Muzzle Loader deer.

[KahrMan]

Only saw one deer this morning. Right at 8am I had a nice 8 pt come in. I thought he was going to walk right to me but veered off and never offered me a shot. 

Lots of squirrels running around this morning. 

Edited November 12, 2017 by KahrMan

[gregintenn]

2 hours ago, bersaguy said:

My 11 year old grandson bagged his first muzzle loader buck yesterday!  A funny story....lol. It was about 9 AM and he was actually asleep in the stand and the buck woke him up snorting. He was up a tree about 20 feet and the buck was about 10 yards away and could smell him but could not see him so it snorted and woke Logan up. It took Logan a few seconds to realize what was going on and the deer began to walk away. Didn't spook but was headed towards a thicket so Logan hit his grunt and the buck stopped and and turned he got the shot and bagged an 8 pointer. I am suppose to be getting pictures of the deer today but I will probably have to remind Justin, his older brother to send them. Logan called me all excited about hs first Muzzle Loader deer.

Great story. I can't wait to see pictures.

[bersaguy]

1 hour ago, gregintenn said:

Great story. I can't wait to see pictures.

Me too!! From what I have been told by my son it was a big deer.

[gregintenn]

There was a BIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGG buck behind my house chasing does when I left for work this morning. For some reason, I was thinking muzzleloader season ended last Sunday evening, and bow season resumed from Monday morning until Friday evening. If I had known muzzleloader was still, open, I'd have been late for work. Now that I know, he 'd better not show his face again!

I made pictures with my phone, but you can't tell anything about him in the pics.

Edited November 14, 2017 by gregintenn

[rugerla1]

I’m back at work till Thursday. Then I’ll be in a tree super early. Almost scared to check my cameras because I may see a buck I’ve been after hanging out while I was at work lol