BrentD
Well-known member
This drum roll is going to wear out the drummer. I don't know that I can hold my breath much longer either, and my toes and fingers are aching from being crossed for so long...
2020 late muzzleloader season
- Thread starter Gellar
- Start date
Gellar
Well-known member
Conditions: 31 degrees, ice fog wind: calm switching to the SSE
I talked to my dad last night and he was going to come to my place to hunt today, but didn’t know what time he’d be here. It’s about 1.5 hour drive for him.
The kids kicked me out of bed around 4 so I started tinkering in the garage. At 5:30 I texted my dad to see what his plans were. He was just getting on the road north. Even know I knew what time he’d be here I wasn’t ready. It took me 20 minutes or so to get my gear together and we were off. Our first spot I would walk down a ravine that started at the truck and made a 90 degree turn before coming together with the ravine that my dad would be in. The wind would be good for both of us and if either of us bumped a deer it would either go to the other hunter or to the ravine we planned on hunting in the afternoon. After about 3 hours of still hunting we came together and the only deer either of us saw was a doe in the last 10 minutes before we met. We hiked back to the truck for a snack and to regroup.
for our next hunt I would stay where we were at and my dad would drive about 2 miles on the road, but only a mile as the crow flies. I was planning on following an old road bed to where it came out of the ravine and met with the road that is in use now. My dad would be waiting strategically to intercept any deer that I may bump. As soon as I got in the woods sign was everywhere. It was a thick cedar hillside and the deer were bedding in them out of the elements. As I zigged and zagged through the woods I caught movement on the other hillside. I put the binoculars up and saw it was a good sized doe, there was actually 2. Suddenly the desire to harvest an animal came on me and I decided if I could get within range of one of them I would. I moved down hill as the deer kept feeding uphill and I had a tree picked out I needed to get to in order to have a shot at one of the does. As I was about 25 yards from my spot the does became weary, after a minute or two they began to feed again and I started to sneak again. But they were still on alert and my game was up with these two. I finished my walk and found my dad in the spot where he had missed a buck 2 years prior when we did this same hunt. He hadn’t seen anything so we hiked out to the truck. My dad decided he was going to head for home so he brought me back to my house. I grabbed my warm clothes and took off.
it was about 3:45 when I got to where I park at. I was ready to go and started walking immediately. I got hunkered down and the wait began. I was watching a corner of a field on public that is next to public that does not allow hunting. Around 4:45 I was starting to get nervous because I hadn’t seen anything when a small doe bolted by from my backside, and in my wind. It was strange and I still don’t know why she did that. No other deer came out of the woods. With just a minute or two of shooting time left I stood up and started walking out to get a look at an area I couldn’t see, but the deer like to come out there too. Sure as shit, I look up and there’s a deer standing there right on the edge of the field. I could see he was tall; he didn’t even need a second look. He was onto me of course and staring head on at me. As I brought the gun up I figured he must of been 70 yards away. I lined the ghost ring up with the front sight and squeezed the trigger. The buck did a 180 and was obviously hit but not down. He’d went into the timber which was not open to hunting. But, in Iowa if you shoot game on land you are legally hunting and it runs onto neighboring property you don’t have permission for or in this case land not open to hunting you can retrieve it, unarmed taking the most direct route! There is blood, lots of blood and I am feeling good but I need to hike out to put my gun in my vehicle and then come back. I get to the parking lot and text my wife and my father in law. My wife has the kids so she’s no help, but my father in law will get his stuff and be right down to help! I tell him to take his time, I’d listen to the rest of the Iowa State vs Oregon football game on the radio. When he gets there the game is in hand for the cyclones so we begin our tracking. After about 50 yards the blood runs out with only a speck here and there, but tracks in the snow are easy to follow. Another 50 yards of barely any blood and all of a sudden it was like the flood gates opened. I didn’t think he could go much further with the amount of blood he was losing. As we were about to step across a log, there he was! Under the next log!
I talked to my dad last night and he was going to come to my place to hunt today, but didn’t know what time he’d be here. It’s about 1.5 hour drive for him.
The kids kicked me out of bed around 4 so I started tinkering in the garage. At 5:30 I texted my dad to see what his plans were. He was just getting on the road north. Even know I knew what time he’d be here I wasn’t ready. It took me 20 minutes or so to get my gear together and we were off. Our first spot I would walk down a ravine that started at the truck and made a 90 degree turn before coming together with the ravine that my dad would be in. The wind would be good for both of us and if either of us bumped a deer it would either go to the other hunter or to the ravine we planned on hunting in the afternoon. After about 3 hours of still hunting we came together and the only deer either of us saw was a doe in the last 10 minutes before we met. We hiked back to the truck for a snack and to regroup.
for our next hunt I would stay where we were at and my dad would drive about 2 miles on the road, but only a mile as the crow flies. I was planning on following an old road bed to where it came out of the ravine and met with the road that is in use now. My dad would be waiting strategically to intercept any deer that I may bump. As soon as I got in the woods sign was everywhere. It was a thick cedar hillside and the deer were bedding in them out of the elements. As I zigged and zagged through the woods I caught movement on the other hillside. I put the binoculars up and saw it was a good sized doe, there was actually 2. Suddenly the desire to harvest an animal came on me and I decided if I could get within range of one of them I would. I moved down hill as the deer kept feeding uphill and I had a tree picked out I needed to get to in order to have a shot at one of the does. As I was about 25 yards from my spot the does became weary, after a minute or two they began to feed again and I started to sneak again. But they were still on alert and my game was up with these two. I finished my walk and found my dad in the spot where he had missed a buck 2 years prior when we did this same hunt. He hadn’t seen anything so we hiked out to the truck. My dad decided he was going to head for home so he brought me back to my house. I grabbed my warm clothes and took off.
it was about 3:45 when I got to where I park at. I was ready to go and started walking immediately. I got hunkered down and the wait began. I was watching a corner of a field on public that is next to public that does not allow hunting. Around 4:45 I was starting to get nervous because I hadn’t seen anything when a small doe bolted by from my backside, and in my wind. It was strange and I still don’t know why she did that. No other deer came out of the woods. With just a minute or two of shooting time left I stood up and started walking out to get a look at an area I couldn’t see, but the deer like to come out there too. Sure as shit, I look up and there’s a deer standing there right on the edge of the field. I could see he was tall; he didn’t even need a second look. He was onto me of course and staring head on at me. As I brought the gun up I figured he must of been 70 yards away. I lined the ghost ring up with the front sight and squeezed the trigger. The buck did a 180 and was obviously hit but not down. He’d went into the timber which was not open to hunting. But, in Iowa if you shoot game on land you are legally hunting and it runs onto neighboring property you don’t have permission for or in this case land not open to hunting you can retrieve it, unarmed taking the most direct route! There is blood, lots of blood and I am feeling good but I need to hike out to put my gun in my vehicle and then come back. I get to the parking lot and text my wife and my father in law. My wife has the kids so she’s no help, but my father in law will get his stuff and be right down to help! I tell him to take his time, I’d listen to the rest of the Iowa State vs Oregon football game on the radio. When he gets there the game is in hand for the cyclones so we begin our tracking. After about 50 yards the blood runs out with only a speck here and there, but tracks in the snow are easy to follow. Another 50 yards of barely any blood and all of a sudden it was like the flood gates opened. I didn’t think he could go much further with the amount of blood he was losing. As we were about to step across a log, there he was! Under the next log!
Addicting
Well-known member
Congrats!
Mudranger1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2010
- Messages
- 2,892
Bruiser! Congrats
GlockZ
Well-known member
Nice buck! Thanks for sharing your adventure!
HighDesertSage
Well-known member
Well done! I am heading out to battle the fog this morning! You ever see a black bobcat? I saw two yesterday, it was cool.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Very nice! Patience pays, apparently 
Nick87
Well-known member
Awesome buck! Beautiful country you get to hunt in up there!
Gellar
Well-known member
We are starting to get more and more bobcats. I’ve never seen a black one though. You live in an area where they are legal to harvest, correct? Would you if given the opportunity?
Last edited:
Gellar
Well-known member
The Driftless Area is a well kept 4 season secret, but the word is spreading!
Gellar
Well-known member
Thank you, your patience and hard work payed off too this fall!Very nice! Patience pays, apparently
Gellar
Well-known member
Thanks for following, good luck on your adventures!
Gellar
Well-known member
Thank you! Good luck on your adventures!
Gellar
Well-known member
Thank you!
Gellar
Well-known member
Thank you!
Gellar
Well-known member
Than k you!
Gellar
Well-known member
I’m not sure what this deer was doing? Enjoying the beauty like I was I guess?
Nick87
Well-known member
Not too familiar with Iowa side but the wife and I spend as much time as possible (not a lot) on the wisconsin side.
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