Larry A. Smail's Blog

Things were not going very well. I was sanding in the garage and upon stopping the sander I could hear something in the basement. I investigated to see water shooting up from the hot water tank. I immediately shut down the water and called for plumbing assistance.  I could not obtain their services until December 26th. (Lucky for us we had water stored  here for such emergencies and I “fetched” water from the creek for flushings!) I would missing the opener of the flintlock season.

We did, however, have some quality time with family on Christmas Day.

Deer feeding site.

Today, along the road in the area I hunt I could see a buck in the pre-dawn light.  He would be crossing into the area I would be hunting in a short time. I mentally decided I would  be hunting for buck only until 9:00 A.M. I had plans in the afternoon so my day afield would be short too.

I passed up on two bedded deer and watched another walk below and bed down as I was sneaking along. The deer didn’t see me. I shot this deer with the camera. Suddenly, a deer bolted and stopped into the field. A buck appeared out of my range and with that classic head down proved his intentions. He was chasing the doe. They crossed over the road again.

Bedded deer.

I circled around and spotted four more deer bedded in a deep ravine. I was about forty yards from them. They were all doe and they remained until the one noticed the camera being pointed at them.

I worked along a hillside and had a few more deer sightings. I spotted an owl flying through some pines. Two deer walked out of some tree tops and passed me. I failed to shoot. The time was 8:45 A.M. I began to walk up a slope and I saw these two deer again. There was a lot of feeding activity so I knew more deer needed to be close. I saw a place where a buck had pawed his scrape out again from snow.

I approached a small round top area and saw two deer jump up at point blank range. The one went to my left and the other bolted to my right. The one on my right stopped and was wondering why it had bolted. The deer didn’t see me. It had reacted to the deer that had seen me.

Old Jacob and the doe.

The 58 yard shot was true and I found the deer 70 yards farther along. The time of the shot was 9:05 A.M. The mile long walk would be reality now. The snow cover made the drag easy. I saw five more deer as I closed in towards my vehicle. In total I had about 26 deer sightings with some being the same deer I am sure. I am now out of tags and will be “dogging” for my step father, Bob and my cousins.

Tomorrow will begin in a somber tone. We will be attending  a friend’s memorial service. Randy Tost had passed away earlier this month.

Laurie and I will be spending time with her family later on.

I was a little late entering the woods this morning. We had a fresh coating of snow, but not very much. On top of the snow some light freezing rain had fallen over the nighttime hours. I cleaned off the drive and decided to head off to the woods to hunt for an antlerless deer. Our venison supply was extremely low.

I entered the woods after 8:00 A.M. and immediately saw fresh deer and turkey tracks.  I later saw 10 turkeys at two different times over the next hour or so. I saw two deer before I was 50 yards from the road. My still hunting approach allowed more sightings.

Old Jacob and the deer

My 50 caliber flintlock, affectionately named “Old Jacob” was itching for a hunt. (The muzzleloader’s name was given in honor of Delaware War Chief, Captain Jacobs who lived in Kit-Han-Ne in the 18th century.)

Thoughts of my friend’s passing surfaced from time to time. He would have loved this story!

I had hunted for about sixty minutes when I spotted a deer stand up among the fallen tree tops. The deer was 40 yards or so and allowed me a limited, but doable, target. Somehow my shot went low and entered in the brisket area. A non-fatal shot. Never-the -less, I owed the deer a complete follow-up.(This is one of those unfortunate scenarios that occasionally happens while hunting, especially with a flintlock. I may have had bullet deflection from a limb.)

I trailed the deer for about another hour seeing it once. I encircled a very brushy area and spotted a deer laying. When I felt confident it was the same deer I cocked the flintlock and the deer jumped up and took off. Obviously, this deer was in good shape!

Later, I circled around in the direction to where I had watched the deer go. I walked an old gas well road to try to catch a view of the deer. I looked to my left and saw a bedded deer about 15 yards from the road’s edge. The site was very thick with tree tops and briars. I couldn’t shoot because I wasn’t sure if this was the same deer. I continued moving quietly along until I spotted the deer’s tracks crossing the road. I knew this was the same deer now.

I eased back and once I had spotted the deer again I picked an opening and shot. The time was 10:15. What a chore removing the deer onto the road where dragging would be easy.

I had about 12 deer sightings and saw several squirrels in the short time of my hunt. A great morning indeed.

Tomorrow I will be butchering. Randy this one is for you!