Well fellers I know I haven't been around much but it's huntin' season! Anyways, on with the story. Sparks..aka The Traveling Gnome arrived here in Pa. this Oct 15th. to join me for our early deer season. This year he had his .54 Lancaster. He actually found it much cheaper to ship it to Pa. than to carry it on board the plane. ($64 vs. $120) On Fri. Oct. 16th. we did some running around picking up supplies and doo-dads and then spent the evening catching up on the years events since he was here last. Sat. was Opening Day and it dawned (?) with a downpour of rain, gusty winds and 37 deg. temps....just ducky weather for flinters. Long before daylight we traveled to Boss Chucks farm and Sparks clambered into the ladder-stand I'd set up for him a week prior. And it rained,,,and rained...and rained. Then it got colder! We could see snow laying on the Tuscarora Mts. to our west but he does not deter easilly. He did have a buck and doe come running past but was unable to get a shot at the doe and bucks aren't in season. I was hunkered down in an area that deer seem to avoid for whatever reason and saw nothing..until I was heading out at dark. Arrrghhh! There in the corner of the field, as I exited, was a group of 5 deer calmly feeding in a low area. Drat! I tried to sneak past them as it was too dark to shoot but spooked them and headed for the truck. On Sun. we dried clothes and rested. Monday morning we went back out before daybreak and again Sparks buck ran laps around his stand and I saw squat. During the lunch break I snatched up my climbing treestand and belted it to a tree nearest the area I saw the deer and we prepared for the evening hunt. And that's when it got exciting! More to come...Audie..the Oldfart.

I arrived at the climbing stand at 4p.m. and ratched myself up a smoothbarked tree to a height of about 6ft. where visability seemed optimum and locked in the stand as best I could. The weather was much more tolerable this day. At 6p.m. I spied movement on t'other side of the field and yonder they came!! 3 yearlings, one middlin' sized doe and 2 puddy good sized doe!! The yearlings appeared to be leading the parade so I lay Carol Anne (my L. Day .62 Dutch smoothbore) on the left side of my tree and aquired the sight and awaited their arrival safe in the knowledge that they'd take the same path thru the open field as they did on Sat. Yeah...right. Them stoopid yearlings decided to walk in on the trail I came in on and promptly all 6 deer were standing directly under me less than a barrel length below. Repositioning was not an option at this point so I just closed my eyes and held to the tree...until the lower part of the stand slipped from the tree and nearly deposited me on their backs. Then they left. I was heartbroken and after reattaching the lower part of the stand waited for nightfall and cursed my stupidity and not allowing for such an entrance. And then...it happened! Directly out in front of me at a considerable distance in the approaching gloom there walked a fat fine doe, head down and feeding...unaware of my presence even after all the scuffling and nose-blowing and muttering!! By now it was 6:30 p.m. and night was fast approaching...and she was a puddy long shot away...for a smoothbore with no rear sight. But I had a good rest agin' the tree and she was standing still. And he who does not make the attempt will never succeed. I rocked back the cock and swung the brass front sight to the top of her shoulder and swept back the trigger. From the corner of my eye I could see the pan ignight and the sound of ignition soon followed. Even at the time I noticed how the sight was quite easy to pick up and let me mention something I've not heard before. I believe that the barrel being still bright and shiney may have aided in me being able to aquire an acceptable sight picture as it was reflecting what little light remained. I wonder if this might be one reason why the oldtimers left them bright and shiney? Hmmm?? I may rethink my notion of browning this barrel. Now...where was I? more to come of course Audie..the Oldfart..

Ahh yes..the shot. Even as I heard the sound of the shot and smoke and flame billowed from Carol Annes bore I saw the doe drop to the ground in the distance. She lay there attempting to rise several times as I reloaded and it did not suit me well that she was struggling so. I have seen on too many occassions deer get back up and run. And her suffering did not set well with me. And so now reloaded I came down from my perch and approached her quietly and dispatched her. And then I knelt to give thanks and apologize that she had to see her antagonist so close. A later autopsey revealed that the .590 ball propelled by 65gr. of 3fg Goex had broken the near shoulder, hit the bottom of the spine and then broken the offside shoulder. I am somewhat dissapointed that the ball did not exit and was not recovered. Perhaps I need to increase the charge a bit. Sparks later confirmed that the distance of the shot was 27 yards with his lazer range-finder. Unfortunatly it was too dark for photos in the field and I decided not to include a photo of her hanging in the cluttered garage. I will say that she was one of the larger doe I have shot in recent memory. Next up..the rest of the hunt. Audie..the Oldfart..

The remainder of our week it was much more tolerable weather. Sunny and in the high 70's with little wind. Since I had used my tag I went squirrel hunting on the other end of the farm while Sparks continued to try and shoot a doe. He had one scant oppertunity when I drove a section of pines and multiflora rose but they popped out and scattered before he could raise his gun. Another time he perched in the climbing stand (where I shot my doe) and a doe tormented him from afar until too late to shoot and then walked almost under him! During the afternoon lull we hunted squirrels together and Sparks did get a fat one with a little persuction 12ga. shotgun I loaned him. On the last day, Sat., it was raining again and we sat down at Camp RedBeard and saw 4 deer but no oppertunity to shoot prevailed. And thru it all Sparks nevber lost faith, never wimpered or bitched. He hunted till the last light of the last day in fair weather and foul. He'd traveled from Boise, Idaho, spent a good sum of money and left his hearth and wife for a week and yet left with regret. Not at not having killed a deer..but knowing it will be a year perhaps until we can hunt together again. He is a fine sportsman and I am honored to call him my friend. Shortly after his arrival back in Boise I recieved a package in the mail. It was a fine gift from my friend of merino wool longjohns of such quality I have never seen before. Thank you my friend though there was certainly no need. Lost now in my thoughts...Audie..the Oldfart. P.S. I shall attempt to include a photo of a brace of squirrels and Carol Anne in ending.

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Way to go fellers.

Fiddlesticks

It was a gas!

I did discover that "Hickory Airlines" neither pressurizes nor heats their cabins. While hunting with Audie, I threw a few hickory nuts in the hunting pouch. Last year I was careful to get a couple without holes in them, but not this year. I shipped them and the shooting bag in the belly of the plane with my luggage. Whatever environmental conditions the hickory nuts were subjected to at 38,000 feet is what the hickory worms experienced. Consequently, they all crawled out of the nuts and found the shooting bag in the same condition. I think one was alive-or at least freshly dead--when I cleaned out my shooting bag the next day. I found four more worms in the bag the following day...probably crawled out the same day but I didn't see them.

I'm glad Hickory Airlines is not a carrier choice on Travelocity...but I bet their rates are rock bottom...and they serve meals, albeit hickory nuts.

Sparks

While at Audie's, we were fortunate enough to talk with Crossfox and Hombre del Bosque Leon. It was great hearing from both of them. Hombre continues to enjoy his sub-tropical work environment; Crossfox is back home and sounds good.

Sparks

Sounds like a good hunt, anyway.
Sparks, you must hunt in Ideehoe too, right?

Dick

Pretty much given up on muzzleloader deer here.
And I have yet to hunt them w/ a cartridge gun.

Maybe I'm not holding my mouth right, but I seldom see deer when I hunt here...we have decent populations, and I might see some during the season. But shots at less than 70 yards are hard to come by, at least for me.

So I mostly hunt birds here. I am open to going on a good deer hunt...although the last 'easy' hunt w/ para medicine man almost killed me and my joints are still recovering.

Sparks

Hey: That's why you hunt with a Paramedicineman. And we did see 1 deer and, what was it? 27 Elk? (at 300 + yds)

quote:

.although the last 'easy' hunt w/ para medicine man almost killed me and my joints are still recovering.

Don't feel too bad, I took my sons in law out after the same Elk herd, I had the younger one (23) puking in the bushes (literaly) and with the other I ended up carrying both packs and his rifle too.

Audie,
Great to hear your story. Congrats on drawing blood with Carol Ann. I bet the meat will taste mighty good. Sorry I couldn't be there.

Sparks,
What some guys will do to entertain themselves. BBRRRRRRR! Glad you were able to do it. Glad to hear you got both ways without loosing any equipment.

Great to talk with you both at the Homeplace.

Hombre del Bosque