Gulf Coast Kicks Butt

After a fifteen hour trip from San Antonio to Vanleer Tennessee we walked in the door and noticed the East Coast crew left behind a scope (new) and a shirt tail.

 
 Too bad.  We'll try not to make that mistake. Just 2 from the Gulf  Coast crew will be making the trip this year, but we acquired another team member in Tennessee.   A bright young man by the name of Dustin, who, in his own words said,  he wanted to be on the winning team.  We'll take him.  Check out the shirt he wore on the second hunt.  I have no idea where he got this shirt but this kid will fit right in.

You can read about my first hunt, a couple of articles down.   Saturday afternoon  we went out and didn't get anything and it's not because we didn't see anything, because we did.  I saw several deer but Murphy's law came into play.   It seemed the deer kept coming from the opposite direction I had my rifle aimed at.   I didn't want to spook them and give my location away so I let them walk.   One doe passed behind me by about 6 feet,  walking up the holler in Mark Johnsons direction.

Sunday was a great day for the team.   Dustin saw a buck but unfortunately missed.   Yeah he lost a shirt tail and it will be hanging in the shed.   Maybe next time Dustin.  Sunday evening we tried new locations.   I went just past the barn at the old homestead place and set up about 10 yards on the hill.   It's a perfect view towards the old, now knocked down house and the hill behind it.   You can also see up the holler between the house and the hog pen, and I was hoping to take a long distance shot with my .308.    You can also see quite a ways up the hill behind the old hog pen and also up the holler to the right of the hog pen.    Jay, Mark and Dustin continued past me towards the pine thicket on the hill.   I was set up to shoot left handed and Murphys law came into effect again.   A nice 8 pointer came down the hill to the far left of the old house.   I couldn't get turned around in time and it crossed the creek and went left past the old barn and out of sight.

Since I was now set up to shoot right handed it wasn't 5 minutes from the time I saw that buck pass by when I saw 3 does come off the same hill behind the old house.   They angled down the hill towards the left which put them in that clearing by where the East Coast crew cut those downed trees before the barn.    I couldn't get a clean shot so I waited.    Sometime later I heard Mark's canon going off.  Twice.


He later told me he was standing next to a tree and some dogs had wandered up the hill and were barking at him.   He said while he was trying to scare the dogs off two does walked up the hill so he shot the first one and as it went down the second one just stood there looking at it so he shot the second one also.   He then said once he fired at the does with his 30.06 the dogs took off in a hurry in the opposite direction.   The Gulf Coast team was now 1 buck (8 pointer) and 2 does in the game.

It wasn't long after Mark fired that while I was set up ready to shoot a deer coming from my left, Murphys law came into effect.   A small 8 pointer came walking down the road about 9 yards in front of me from the far right.   With my rifle pointing to the left I reached for my Glock that was laying on my backpack.   The buck heard me as my hand reached my thigh so I froze as it looked at me.    The buck went back to eating and was now directly in front of me within 9 yards and that's when I noticed it was the same one that came down the hill earlier.   Apparently it had circled around me and was now standing on the road in front of me.   At this point it turned away from me and was getting ready to jump the creek in front of me.    I knew he was at an angle that I could use my rifle so I quietly raised it and fired probably at the same time he was going to jump and he landed in the ditch.   The Gulf coast team was now two bucks (16 points) and 2 does in the game.  

Tuesday we went out again and that morning Mark said he was hunting the same pine thicket he had shot the two does when he heard a grunt sound coming from down the hill.   He said he got his grunt caller and gave it a try and it must have been just over a minute that he saw this buck (4 pointer)  pictured walking towards him.  The Gulf Coast team just stomped the East Coast team with 3 bucks for a total of 20 points and 2 does.   Good game boys, and we'll see you next year.   Until the next hunt.   Stay safe.

What happens in Tennessee stays in Tennessee

I know you guys (East Coast Crew) were trying to be as safe as possible especially after last years run in with the Warden for not having your orange safety vests, but really, did you have to leave your safety orange purse their also!   Maybe it's required in South Carolina for hunters to have safety orange PURSES but not anywhere else.   Must be some kind of new MAN purse or a new style of backpack, I don't know.

East Coast crew Report on their hunt

Looks like the East Coast crew knocked down a few deer during the muzzleloader season in Tennessee.  Here's their report.







Well Marc, the East Coast gang arrived last Friday (with alot of blaze orange accessories due to last years most unfortunate Wildlife Officer encounter), three hunters in the bunch this year and we are off to a good start. Sunday Morning, Gary and I left out for our stands at 0-dark-thirty. After a couple of hours, we returned to find Charlie on the front porch with a cup of coffee and a big grin....it turns out he woke up around 0700, walked down stairs walked out on the front porch and less than a minute later he dropped a doe in the woods just behind the driveway (the same place I believe the Gulf coast gang missed a couple in 2010, something about a window sill not being level). The blast of the 50 caliber muzzle loader woke Malissa up a little early for church that morning, but we got one in the cooler. Yesterday evening, I let 7 does walk betting that they would be followed shortly by a nice buck and my gamble paid off, I dropped a nice 8-pointer in his tracks about 20 minutes on Oh yeah, that'll work.

Ya'll did a great job.   Good hunt.

I bet you can't do that with your six pack abs!!!

I had a fantastic time hunting in Tennessee this week and the weather cooperated with us (it was cold), allowing us to catch part of the rut.   While sitting in the woods I had plenty of time to think, (yeah that’s dangerous for me), hence this article.   

It’s always good to be in great shape when your hunting since you might actually hit something which would require you to then drag your kill.   That is at least until your all terrain vehicle arrives.   But that’s not what this story is about.  It’s about your six pack abs versus my keg of a gut, and actually since I’ve been gradually losing weight, it’s a baby keg.  

This is what I’m talking about.   Several times while sitting on the ground my rifle was pointing off to the left since I was shooting with my right hand.   It just so happened that I had several deer approach from my right side and there was no way of turning with my rifle without spooking the deer.   I am one of the lucky shooters that can shoot either right or left handed so I decided to shoot left handed, which means my rifle would cover everything on the right side of my shoulder up to in front of me.   Well guess what?   It seems like a memo was sent out to all the deer and they started approaching from left.  Like Jay said, Murphys law.  So I decided to go tactical on the deer.  I always carry my Glock 23 (40S&W), and came to the conclusion if I laid the gun on a backpack next to me it would be within reach so I could pick it up and shoot.   That would seem to work until one doe crossed the creek coming right at me and walked within 6 feet of me and she continued to walk right behind me up the hill.  Every time I inched towards my Glock she would look at me and we would stare at each other.   

So I went back to the think tank and came up with another idea which seemed to work.  Instead of placing my handgun on the backpack next to me I noticed when I sat on the ground my stomach was touching my upper thigh and it would be a good resting place for my handgun.   It was lodged in between my lower stomach and my upper thigh and it wasn’t going anywhere.  A perfect fit.   I’ll bet you can’t do that with your six pack abs.   It should be noted that if you are grossly overweight I really don’t think it’ll work, since you might lose it until of course you stand up.   

It’s a technique that with practice even Santa could use since he has to be politically correct and very careful going through places like New York, D.C., and Commiefornia.    As long as he doesn’t move around in the sled too much and Rudolph keeps him out of too much turbulence, it’s possible for him to be  tacticool.        Stay safe and see you on the next hunt.

P.S.  Seriously folks don't try that unless you're a trained professional like me.   Later