I decided to make a last minute swap of scopes on my long guns and my trusty H&R Ultraslug ended up with an old used 1x4x20 Leupold. I was running out of time to get everything sighted in but made it by an indoor range late Friday afternoon and was able to throw some lead down range at 50 yds. 4 shots later I was ready to go. It really likes the Hornaday SST's in 2 3/4" 12 ga
I planned to take the whole family out to camp Friday night so I could get an early start, nope, daughter was taking the SAT Saturday morning. Somehow talked my wife into taking care of all that and let me roll out to camp by myself. We had so many things going on, I couldn't get out Friday night. Oh well.
4:30 am Saturday I roll out from the house, make it to the tree @ 6:00 am on the dot. Fog was heavy and low to the ground, hard to see anything. Wasn't there 15 minutes and a 4pt walks in from the north. He's 20 yds out from the feeder when a pine cone drops, you would of thought someone shot him, he took off like his hair was on fire, didn't stop till he ran back into the head. Never to be seen again. For the next 3 hours nothing is moving at all and I am about to call it a morning and go grab some breakfast.
At 9:15, this guy comes rolling in from the south, head down, on his way to get somewhere. Put the scope on him at a distance and thought he was a big 4pt missing brow tines. Kept watching him and he's headed for the feeder. The wind had picked up and was blowing from me to the feeder, I figured once he got there I would be busted. True to form, he arrives at the feeder, throws his head up in the air and looks right in my general direction. At this point the scope is on him, I see the crab claw, confirm he meets our 5pt or better minimum requirement and fire. He was quartering towards, jump and ran after the shot right at me. I loaded another round and watched as he stopped within 20 yards. I put the scope on him again just as he starts to wobble and drops to his knees. Within a minute rolls over and stops moving.
I have had some deer shrink once they have hit the ground over the years, this one however got bigger. I was surprised to walk up on a solid 9 pt, threw him on the scale and weighed in at 120 lb even. A great way to open gun season here at the lease.
