So, headed out at o-dark-30 knowing I'd have to trapse through the leaves to get to my stand. Spent 30 minutes walking about 70 yards up a hill to the stand and made it without spooking anything. Got to the stand and headed up. Once atop, I hung my gun and pack, only to have my jacket fall of my pack and hit the ground. Down the ladder I go, get to the bottom, put on my jacket, and head up the ladder a second time. Four rungs up here he/it comes. Down the hill and stops, by my estimation because it is quarter-moon black, at 15-20 yards. I hug the ladder and try to be invisible. I can hear him feeding, brushing branches every once in a while, and have a good idea of where he is standing based on the lay of site. So, after a few minutes, and with my gun up top and 15 minutes to legal shooting time, I started easing up the ladder. Made it to the top and thought I was home free. The only thing left to do was turn around, sit, and ease the camo burlap down over the shooting rest. Well, that was all it took. Off he/it went blowing, then stopping, He milled around a while, blowing to beat the band, and finally headed back up hill. Never had enough light to see him/it. But, still had a great morning. Ended up seeing a small buck feeding, another buck dogging a yearling while the mother doe and the sibling tried to stay out of the way but close, and then had one blow as I headed down the ladder at the end of the morning sit.
Now, here's a question for the gang. While dealing with all the activity this morning, I got this cell cam photo in a plot on the other end of my property. The stand for this opening is approximately 70 yards to the left of the buck in the pic. This Ridge is bounded on both sides and one end (pretty much where you see the trees) by 800 foot deep ravines. And the camera is mounted on the near woodline. Knowing muzzleloaders tend to not leave much of a blood trail, and knowing the type of terrain you might have to recover this deer from, who would take the shot on this buck? Why or why not? And where would you aim?
Now, here's a question for the gang. While dealing with all the activity this morning, I got this cell cam photo in a plot on the other end of my property. The stand for this opening is approximately 70 yards to the left of the buck in the pic. This Ridge is bounded on both sides and one end (pretty much where you see the trees) by 800 foot deep ravines. And the camera is mounted on the near woodline. Knowing muzzleloaders tend to not leave much of a blood trail, and knowing the type of terrain you might have to recover this deer from, who would take the shot on this buck? Why or why not? And where would you aim?