Every year I go to Virginia to hunt my Granddad's land with him, my Dad and my Son during the early muzzle loader season.
I flew out of Austin on Thursday morning and arrived to cold rainy weather. All of our stands are ladder stands or climbers so Dad and I decided to sit on the back porch and talk instead of in the cold rain. Granddad said "I'm going to my stand". Granddad's "stand" is the front porch as it is no longer safe for him to be climbing trees. This is the same porch that we sight in our rifles from and he sits at the shooting bench until he gets cold, then goes inside, warms up a bit and heads back to the porch
. It over looks a 2 acre food plot which attracts quite a few deer. While Dad and I are talking out back, Granddad's Muzzle loader booms! So we head around to the front porch and he tells us where the deer was when he shot and where he ran into the woods. I walk over the hill and there is his buck laying just inside the treeline!
My son drove up from Birmingham and got there late Thursday night. Friday morning after our sit, Dad arrives back at the cabin and sees a buck headed over the ridge out back. After a short stalk, he puts a great shot on a 6 point.
Saturday morning was opening day of bear season. I decided to hunt a stand at the end of Deep Hollow, (appropriately named because of the very steep and high sides) because I had seen a lot of bear sign there. It was a beautiful morning, cold and crisp 18 degrees, I was just enjoying the morning when things got exciting! at about 8:00 I heard something coming off the hill to my right about 150 yards away. Easy to hear because there was no wind and the leaves on the ground were piled high. I watched intently that direction for about 10 seconds before seeing a bear coming toward me. I tried to get on him for a shot but he was moving too quickly through the trees about 90 yards away. Then he dropped into the laurel choked bottom of the hollow where visibility is is next to nothing. I felt exhilaration and disappointment at the same time, having missed my opportunity. I kept watching where he disappeared for several minutes. Then I saw movement on the edge of the laurels, a quick look through the binoculars confirmed, it was him! He started up the very steep bank at about 100 yards and I dropped him! I Looked at my watch and saw it was 8:14. After reloading and watching him for about 5 minutes, I thought I saw his head move so I shot him again only to find out later it wasn't necessary (better safe than sorry).
My son didn't get a deer or a bear this time but had a great time hanging out with the old guys with a few days off from school. I'm feel very blessed to still be hunting with my 84 year old Granddad, my Dad and son! Pics to follow.
I flew out of Austin on Thursday morning and arrived to cold rainy weather. All of our stands are ladder stands or climbers so Dad and I decided to sit on the back porch and talk instead of in the cold rain. Granddad said "I'm going to my stand". Granddad's "stand" is the front porch as it is no longer safe for him to be climbing trees. This is the same porch that we sight in our rifles from and he sits at the shooting bench until he gets cold, then goes inside, warms up a bit and heads back to the porch
. It over looks a 2 acre food plot which attracts quite a few deer. While Dad and I are talking out back, Granddad's Muzzle loader booms! So we head around to the front porch and he tells us where the deer was when he shot and where he ran into the woods. I walk over the hill and there is his buck laying just inside the treeline!My son drove up from Birmingham and got there late Thursday night. Friday morning after our sit, Dad arrives back at the cabin and sees a buck headed over the ridge out back. After a short stalk, he puts a great shot on a 6 point.
Saturday morning was opening day of bear season. I decided to hunt a stand at the end of Deep Hollow, (appropriately named because of the very steep and high sides) because I had seen a lot of bear sign there. It was a beautiful morning, cold and crisp 18 degrees, I was just enjoying the morning when things got exciting! at about 8:00 I heard something coming off the hill to my right about 150 yards away. Easy to hear because there was no wind and the leaves on the ground were piled high. I watched intently that direction for about 10 seconds before seeing a bear coming toward me. I tried to get on him for a shot but he was moving too quickly through the trees about 90 yards away. Then he dropped into the laurel choked bottom of the hollow where visibility is is next to nothing. I felt exhilaration and disappointment at the same time, having missed my opportunity. I kept watching where he disappeared for several minutes. Then I saw movement on the edge of the laurels, a quick look through the binoculars confirmed, it was him! He started up the very steep bank at about 100 yards and I dropped him! I Looked at my watch and saw it was 8:14. After reloading and watching him for about 5 minutes, I thought I saw his head move so I shot him again only to find out later it wasn't necessary (better safe than sorry).
My son didn't get a deer or a bear this time but had a great time hanging out with the old guys with a few days off from school. I'm feel very blessed to still be hunting with my 84 year old Granddad, my Dad and son! Pics to follow.
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