Larry A. Smail's Blog

   Those of you following this site have noticed how I have expressed concern over vision issues. I am concerned as well for I have little information to  make decisions as to what to do next. Low light and nighttime vision is poor. Nighttime driving with my new glasses creates starburst imagery with everything that either is lit up or shines. I seem to see well just walking about, but sometimes clear focusing with my camera is observed to be lacking once I see the final photo. Sighting on firearms is very poor. I have issues focusing on the sights and the deer.  Having stated all of these issues my self-confidence was in need of boosts.

This morning I was to “dog” or push the woods for my cousin, Donnie and my step-father, Bob. I grabbed my 62 caliber smoothbore named Jeremiah to carry. This firearm has a front sight only and is much like a shotgun. The barrel has no rifling hence a smoothbore. Jeremiah is capable of sending a nice chunk of lead out of the barrel. However, because of the lack of rifling the accuracy suffers quickly. (Rifling: consists of a number of grooves or riflings cut into the inner barrel of a firearm. This rifling creates a spin on the lead ball or bullet which helps in accuracy and distances.)I have always tried to shoot forty yards or under, but I have taken some deer with this flintlock at yardages up to around 60 yards.

Close-up of Jeremiah. The powder horn was one of my creations.

I am a dog! My task was to push areas for deer. The second drive found about 8-9 deer very low along a creek. I was walking along a wood line to get into position to begin the push. when I saw the deer. they began to move out and I soon saw around six deer going up the hill across the road. I hoped some others moved around this side of the hill and would work along towards the kinfolk hunters.

  I started into the woods slowly and soon noticed a deer walking along. I watched intently as the doe began moving diagonally towards me. The doe

Coyote track

stepped behind a large tree and I hunkered down with flintlock in aim and cocked. She stepped clear of the tree and began moving broadside and the thirty to thirty-five yard shot was true. The doe expired very quickly with a heart shot. I felt redeemed some as I felt a little confidence return to my old bones. I gave thanks for the event and quickly tagged and removed the entrails. The drag was about three-fourths of a mile on snow.

The others saw some deer, but no shots were offered. I continued pushing until about noon.

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 I hunted all day in the cold teen temperatures and wind. I mean all the day with no breaks for lunch or getting warm.  I pushed in the morning hours for my step-father, Bob. I saw a lot of deer.

At one time I noticed a deer pawing the ground at over a hundred yards. The deer bedded down. I could see other bedded deer, too. The woods conditions are still

Old Jacob my fifty caliber flintlock.

crunchy due to single digit temperatures and not enough snow to insulate the leaves and ground. I crawled on my knees and occasionally scratched at the leaves. I made the distance to about ninety yards before the deer began standing. they weren’t overly alarmed hence the slow walk over the hill. Bob saw the eight deer, but the distance was too long for a shot.

I saw two does moving along and I waited. later, once I realized they weren’t going to come my way I tried a stalk. I saw the one doe at about fifty yards and raised the flintlock and decided to not shoot since everything wasn’t focusing well.

I almost went home around 1:00, but that urge to hunt pushed me along. Good thing that urge did for I was still seeing deer. I watched a doe go downslope behind a fallen wild cherry tree. The doe saw me but stopped anyway. I watched for a bit and lost the deer visual. I eased downslope when I saw the deer farther down the hill. This doe worked along and began a slow feed towards me, but very slow.

As I watched and waited a legal buck walked past her at about fifty yards. The rack appeared to be about 16 inches across. The right antler had the three points up making it legal. The buck walked behind the down cherry tree as well.  Later, Two more doe showed up with him. There must be good food supply for they fed for a long time. I was behind a tree for over two hours often shivering. The buck walked below me again and bedded down.

The doe below me appeared close. I elected to wait to about thirty-five yards before shooting. Upon shooting the doe flinched and walked a short distance and stopped. I couldn’t see a hit, but I knew the shot connected. The doe laid down. Amazingly, the buck remained and the other two deer continued eating. After a wait I began approaching the doe I had shot. She jumped up and went a short distance. The next shot finished it. The time was 3:50 P.M.

The bedded buck.

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Friday, January 6, we had a woodland covered with about one and a half inches of snow. However, the  temperatures were frigid. The morning began with in single digits. Fortunately, the morning was calm. Unfortunately, for me the winds began picking up about mid-morning. I’ll explain later.

I walked some trails first thing in the morning just to get a feel as to how the deer had moved over the night hours. Along these trails I saw coyote and fox tracks. The only deer tracks I saw had much snow in them hence they had been in the area prior to midnight for the snow had quite around that time. Walking would be noisy in this snow. All leaves underneath the snow were frozen and each step sounded like compaction and crunch.

I continued to walk and upon entering a field tracks became numerous and that would be the norm for the rest of the time I hunted. Eventually, I approached a round top area where seeing around can be good. I would see four deer walking along, but out of range. I observed these deer until they had walked to my extreme left. I caught a glimpse through the brush of the lead deer turning left. I knew what I needed to do! I backtracked quickly and set down on a log. if those deer maintained the direction they should walk to me. The increasing wind was hitting me on my left side. Sometimes I felt it more directly upon my face.

A total of about ten minutes elapsed when I first noticed deer movement. Here they come! The lead deer was about forty yards when she stopped and turned to her left. I could see the alert mode. I wondered what alerted her. There was enough limbs that I couldn’t shoot. In a moment she backtracked and was out of view. It was then I noticed the change in wind upon my neck. I actually talked internally that the deer was going to be mine! Things can change fast! I saw a flock of turkeys and a number of squirrels.

  I quit the area and went to visit my mother and Bob. I went behind the homestead to an area covered with goldenrods and brambles and briars. I saw three deer moving along the side of the hill. I trailed them and found they had crossed into posted property. I saw three more deer and they did the same thing. I decided to call the hunt.

Turkeys gotta eat, too!

Today, the 7th, found the very same conditions…single digits and increasing winds as the day went along. Also, the snow was still very noisy to walk on.

I moved into the woods to watch. Very cold to remain immobile for much more than half an hour. I was easing along and I noticed the hind quarters of a deer about 130 yards away. There would be five deer total as they went into a patch of green briars. I moved along hoping they might change their course and come towards me. They did.

I had Old Jacob up against a tree. The lead deer was moving along and within range. I cocked the hammer and the deer stopped abruptly upon hearing the sound. I was trying to align the site, but a tree of about eight inches or so in diameter lined up with the deer’s front shoulder. The deer was looking for the source of the sound. I began checking the rearward deer for a shot. A moment passed and the deer turned back the way they came.

I employed a circle movement to try to intercept them. I failed. The deer went an incredible distance for an annoyance they didn’t identify…ME! I quit about 1:30 to head home. I saw eight deer today. Squirrels wre setting tight this morning.

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The three deer were hanging tight as I stalked them. I moved to about 70 yards and I could see the eyes upon me. I decided to do the shot.

The morning was dark and gloomy. It was a mixture of rain and heavy wet snowflakes. The sites seemed fuzzy as I pressed the flintlock against the tree. I shot and the three deer took off to high ground. The deer I shot at seemed to have slight difficulty with a leg as it ran. I hurried to check for signs of a hit. NOTHING! I moved quickly along the trail and never once did I see any signs. Was the deer hurt from the earlier deer season.? Did the doe receive a hit via a vehicle since the road wasn’t far?

I spent three hours zig-sagging around the hill sides and eventually on the flat on top. NOTHING! I was perplexed as I tried to go over the morning’s event. Later, I came across a deer bedded tight. Was this the deer? The doe was about thirty yards from me. However, a log of about seven to eight inches in diameter lay across the deer at about a 25 degree angle. I could see the eyes, crown of the head and ears above the log and some of the body below the log. I aimed and the hammer drifted quickly across the frizzen. Spark and smoke occurred, but no bang! Bye Deer!  The doe exited quickly and seemed 100% normal.

I placed more pan powder in the pan and tried again. Spark and smoke once again was the result. I debated to pull the ball wondering if moisture had flowed down the barrel. I decided to add more pan powder and force some through the vent hole. BANG! I moved to the jeep and cleaned the gun. I removed and dried the lock and wiped the barrel interior dry and loaded up. Off again to search for the deer. This time I crossed a road in case she traveled in that direction. I found nothing.

I would see one more deer, squirrels and a flock of turkeys before quitting due to leg pains. Tomorrow, I have the joy of going to the dentist to have, probable, implants. I broke one of my frontal teeth off almost to the gum line. The number two tooth on the right side. Fun time I am sure! By the way, for my journal notes, I am still coughing. Will this be a deer less year for me?

Winds were gusting today. Tree tops were swaying violently and limbs falling.

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