We'll see?

[Guest Wes]

Next time I see this 10 pointer or his 2 10 point buddies, I hope it is while looking through my scope.

Photo on a Blackberry from the front porch of my friends house in the Kenora area. I leave tomorrow to do some hunting Fri.-Sun.

It should be a fun weekend if past trips are any indication.

[Guest Wes]

Well, he lives to breed another year. I did however get him in my cross-hairs...

The weekend started out on a bad note. Self inflicted of course. Not 5 minutes from the road where we can turn off #1 I got clocked at 114 kms. So I have a $115 fine and 3 demerit points. Darn V8 anyway.

Friday morning hunt goes unsuccessful for the whole party. We go back for breakfast and run into town to pick up our surplus Doe tags. After our return we had to inform the other 2 that the limit is only 1 extra per person this year. So the other 2 also had to run into town. My buddy and I headed for the fields. I hunker down in one of 2 spots I was working this weekend. 45 minutes go by and no signs. I radio over to my buddy to let him now that I was moving to the other spot. Not 2 minutes after arriving at my new spot a very large Doe walked out. I quickly dispatched her and radioed for clean up on isle 5. I am not going to post a photo because the depleted uranium shells, I was apparently using, made a pretty large and very gruesome hole. I didn't think a 130 gr .270 could do that.

We quickly dragged her back to the shed and went back out. The other 2 guys downed 1 more doe on their way back from town. So pretty good day so far.

The evening hunt was quiet. I had a small buck present himself but did not go into my safe shooting lane. This is farm land and there are houses around so we really have to know the land and be on the ball. Anyway I glassed him and he would have been a shooter but not that night.

Saturday morning hunt was fun. We push a section of bush and were successful at getting another very large doe to run into a .30 06 payload.

We leave 2 back to deal with this animal and head out to the fields. I go to the spot where I saw the small buck the night before and wait. 45 minutes go by and out walkes big daddy. He was down wind of me but did not catch my scent. He was more concerned with the large doe he was hanging with. This buck was a giant. The 10 pointers on the mission had nothing on this guy. What a beautiful animal. I glassed him for 5 minutes before he walked into my safe shooting lane.

Thump thump, my heart was racing! I was steady as a rock. The crosshairs on the vitals and squeeze.......BANG!

I don't think I ever saw such a good Neo (The Matrix) impression. He jumped 5 feet in the air and was off running. I thought for sure I had him dead to rights. I sat back and let him go figuring he was going to go into the woods and expire quietly. I call in the cavalry and then go looking. I first went to where he was standing. No blood. I start doing circles in the area to look for signs. Nothing! I see his tracks so I follow him. My buddy, who was standing point just in case he did come out, radios over that the buck was on the run and moving fast. There were 2 of us covering the exit trails so I wasn't too worried. There is a reason why this animal was so big, much smarter than us humans. He never did come out. My number one priority now was to determine if he was hit. I walked his track for 3 hours and did not find 1 drop of blood or hair. Nothing! I even went back the next day and combed the area to try see any signs. I clean missed this guy. How? I feel bad for missing but I also feel very good for missing instead of wounding.

During our search we pushed his doe out 10 feeting in front of our apprentice hunter who was able to dispatch his very first deer. WOW! you should have heard the radio chatter then. He was very excited and we were thrilled for him.

It turned out to be another good weekend and we filled 5 out of 8 tags. I still have a Doe/Buck for 13 so I am not done yet.

To hit is history, to miss is mystery.

[Guest stumped]

Well, he lives to breed another year. I did however get him in my cross-hairs...

The weekend started out on a bad note. Self inflicted of course. Not 5 minutes from the road where we can turn off #1 I got clocked at 114 kms. So I have a $115 fine and 3 demerit points. Darn V8 anyway.

Friday morning hunt goes unsuccessful for the whole party. We go back for breakfast and run into town to pick up our surplus Doe tags. After our return we had to inform the other 2 that the limit is only 1 extra per person this year. So the other 2 also had to run into town. My buddy and I headed for the fields. I hunker down in one of 2 spots I was working this weekend. 45 minutes go by and no signs. I radio over to my buddy to let him now that I was moving to the other spot. Not 2 minutes after arriving at my new spot a very large Doe walked out. I quickly dispatched her and radioed for clean up on isle 5. I am not going to post a photo because the depleted uranium shells, I was apparently using, made a pretty large and very gruesome hole. I didn't think a 130 gr .270 could do that.

We quickly dragged her back to the shed and went back out. The other 2 guys downed 1 more doe on their way back from town. So pretty good day so far.

The evening hunt was quiet. I had a small buck present himself but did not go into my safe shooting lane. This is farm land and there are houses around so we really have to know the land and be on the ball. Anyway I glassed him and he would have been a shooter but not that night.

Saturday morning hunt was fun. We push a section of bush and were successful at getting another very large doe to run into a .30 06 payload.

We leave 2 back to deal with this animal and head out to the fields. I go to the spot where I saw the small buck the night before and wait. 45 minutes go by and out walkes big daddy. He was down wind of me but did not catch my scent. He was more concerned with the large doe he was hanging with. This buck was a giant. The 10 pointers on the mission had nothing on this guy. What a beautiful animal. I glassed him for 5 minutes before he walked into my safe shooting lane.

Thump thump, my heart was racing! I was steady as a rock. The crosshairs on the vitals and squeeze.......BANG!

I don't think I ever saw such a good Neo (The Matrix) impression. He jumped 5 feet in the air and was off running. I thought for sure I had him dead to rights. I sat back and let him go figuring he was going to go into the woods and expire quietly. I call in the cavalry and then go looking. I first went to where he was standing. No blood. I start doing circles in the area to look for signs. Nothing! I see his tracks so I follow him. My buddy, who was standing point just in case he did come out, radios over that the buck was on the run and moving fast. There were 2 of us covering the exit trails so I wasn't too worried. There is a reason why this animal was so big, much smarter than us humans. He never did come out. My number one priority now was to determine if he was hit. I walked his track for 3 hours and did not find 1 drop of blood or hair. Nothing! I even went back the next day and combed the area to try see any signs. I clean missed this guy. How? I feel bad for missing but I also feel very good for missing instead of wounding.

During our search we pushed his doe out 10 feeting in front of our apprentice hunter who was able to dispatch his very first deer. WOW! you should have heard the radio chatter then. He was very excited and we were thrilled for him.

It turned out to be another good weekend and we filled 5 out of 8 tags. I still have a Doe/Buck for 13 so I am not done yet.

To hit is history, to miss is mystery.

Good hunting to you Wes. We missed out on large bucks, but we got a couple this year. A fork and a three point. There will definitely be good eating this year. We still have two doe tags left, but we are just going to do easy hunting, not hard like we were earlier. If we get another one great if we don't there is always next year.

Good luck to you and congrats to your apprentice

Stumped

[Guest Beamer]

Way to Blast em Wes, too bad about the big guy!

Beamer