What hunting god did I tick off

[TheFishinPollock]

Well , ok . Kinda funny and frustrating.

After 9 buckless years tonight was the night. I just didn't know that there was a different plan.

For 7 of those years, since I shot my first ever 8 pointer



I never saw a thing but doe's. Last year, with the new APR in place I see my first buck. A spike. By now I'm not thinking this is funny anymore and have started to have a discussion lookin at the sky about " Who did I pee off 8 years ago?" Needless to say I went totaly deerless that year.

Fast forward to today. 9 years later to the DAY I shot my only big buck 8 point.

Been sitting a farm for 3 days. Saw a few , saw a spike.



With the wind howling I decide to hunt at my house. A meager 4-5 acres on a vacation type lake.It is only 1500 feet to the road around the lake. Now all this property behind my house and my neighbors is basicly a cedar swamp with small ridges seperating the wet areas. Pretty tight shooting to say the least.



After trying to kill myself splitting wood all day I grab my BP, a 2 year old optima that has yet to be bloodied, and head for my little popup in a cedar bush carrying my mini heater. ( yea it's damm cold and I'm a sissy )

I get all set, it's early so what the heck. Have a smoke, take a 20 minute eye relief excersize. Wake up and it is 40 minutes later, about 5 ish. Opps.

Look out 20 paces and there has been deer moving across the shooting line. Of course there was, whyyyyy whould they do it when I'm awake??

By now it's getting dark and almost time to boogie the massive 500 feet back to the house.

Start zipping up the side window and BLAM!!!!!!!!!! There he is . One of the biggest 8 points I have ever seen. Nice rack, outside the ears, long tines. He comes marching in with some sorta purpose and starts to attack a scent wick I have out with hot girly girly smell on it. He dosen't even notice me sticking the gun out the window, zippers moving, chair squeaking. Take a good aim, pull the hammer back................. nothing. The damm hammer won't cock!!!!!!!.

Try it again. Nothing. By now he's lookin right at the blind and rather nervous. My brain is going about 50 miles a minute with " What the hell do I do now??" Ok pull the hammer back, ready myself , let it go and ..................NOTHING!!! It won't even pull back far enuff cock. Now he's turning and not running , but he's getting the hell outa there.

I give it 20 minutes, he dosen't come back . So I sneek out as quietly as a dejected hunter can be.

I get back to the house and start to inspect it. Shove the bullet and 2 pellets back out of the gun. Grab the old breech plug ( I left in cleaning solution for the year by mistake. Hence the new plug) IT works with the old one! Grab the new one, put it in , wrench it down . It now works!

Turned out that thumbtightening the new one didn't seat it properly. DOH!!!!!!

Missed my first nice , legal buck in 9 years all due to a 1/4 inch of a turn of a breech plug!

Worst part is. No one has informed me still......... of who I ticked off!

[YpsiBass]

For a guy who can't ever seem to catch a break, this seems like something you should check before you leave the house!  At least there are plenty more deer to kill before the end of the season.  You'll get another chance 

[Mojo]

Ohhhh Richard, one who hunts truly understands his dejection.

Now, as a hunter, I know 98% of the reasons a buck, a big buck, throws the flag and you lose him, ,.... Is human error. Over and over, it's the dumb little mistakes that bust you 98% of the time. It HATE the little 2 % mechanical issues that stop a nice harvest, and I know how you feel !

To minimize that 2 %, one should be shooting more than a week before opening day. I go 3 times to the range, practice offhand, kneeling, leaning, and most important, loading just one bullet, close your eyes, open them and squeeze a round in 2 seconds.

Of course I've raised my scope on a buck and because it's snowing, daaaa, I couldn't see him because there's 1 inch of snow in my scope. Another time, I saw a big 8 point, head down, walking, oblivious to me.  I didn't wrap my shoulder strap ( once you learn to wrap, it brings your stretched arm locked to your gun and locks your elbow which reduces gun
sway). I also didnt drop to a knee. I missed the biggest 8 point I ever aimed at. 80 yds broadside. Clean miss.

I've never seen a big buck in 6 years since. So i feel your pain bro.

We always have meat, every year my son and I get a doe, but, theres a blank spot on my wall.... And Fishing Pollack, I've practice that knee drop, steady shot so that I never shoot
unsteady again.....

Ps: get you butt in the woods, move your blind, cause that buck is coming back through your neck...... Pattern that big boy, and good luck.

Mojo

[Got Fish??]

Way to go, it's good to see someone got a chance to harvest a nice Michigan buck.

[TheFishinPollock]

The picture of the 8 point is from 9 years ago. Last time I shot a buck Got Fish


But on the upside today

I had a issue with  needing a bathrrom close this morning......... so I opted out of going to the farm to hunt ( 2nd picture) and went out back of the house today ( picture 3)     

Sat there for no more than 20 minutes, almost got busted.  I was having a very fast half a smoke with the side window all the way open, letting in a ton of light, and notice where there were 3 trees, now there are 4 ??    Then the 4th tree moved, it was a doe's leg.  Made sure she didn't have yearlings with her , and BLAM.     She is about 2.5 mabye 3 years old.   Not huge , but venison in the freezer. Specialy after it went empty last year.

[Mojo]

There it is ! Good job ! Meat first, horns next.....

[Firefighter Jeff]

  Not a hunter but interesting story and pics Matt.  Thanks for posting.   

[TheFishinPollock]

(forrest gump voice)      He goooot shooooooott