Bonus Gun Weekend - Dave Scores!

Dave came out Friday night and Joan and I arrived Saturday morning.  After Dawn gave up her last foster puppy to a new home, she and the boys made it out Saturday night.  On the Saturday evening hunt, Dave shot a nice doe with about 15 minutes of legal light left.

Dave said he shot her and she ran out of the field below the hi-rise stand.  We couldn't find any sign at all.  We searched by flashlight in the woods just off the field and we still didn't find any sign.  We decided to take a drive down on the lower atv trail.  We got out and searched and were just about to give up.  As I was walking back to the Ranger, she was laying right beside the trail.

It turns out that Dave shot her right in the heart with a 245 grain powerbelt bullet from his muzzleloader.  She ran straight downhill over 100 yards and we never did find a blood trail.  She was a healthy doe and tipped the scales at 110 pounds field-dressed.

A healthy looking doe like the one Dave shot.

There must have been quite a bit of rain out here - the pond is full for the first time in months.  And the ground is really wet.

I hunted the barn stand and had this small doe directly under the stand for 30 minutes or more.  I let her walk since my freezer is already full.

On Sunday morning, Dave hunted the ladder stand.  He had this Golden Retreiver come clear out the area.  Leo and BB will probably recognize this dog.

I hunted the hi-rise on Sunday morning and had another small doe out in the field.  At about 9:00 I got down to try a drive toward Dave's stand.  A big buck had been bedding there earlier in the season.  No luck - nothing moved.

After experiencing the comfort of the stands in Texas, I scrounged in the basement and found this chair.  It now lives in the hi-rise.  The pigeons have found that stand again.

A couple of views from the hi-rise.

After breakfast, the boys wanted to go hunting with their Dad.

They hiked down to the valley stand and probably stayed for about an hour.  They did see a couple of fawns off in the distance.

I got the message to come pick them up and we did a little touring.

The boys were impressed with the buck rubs on the pine trees.

Here's a few of the trailcam tour photos.  Dave was planning to take his doe home and skin it in the driveway.  That may cause some trouble from the homeowners' association - Dave may get some complaints from the President of the HOA - his wife, Dawn.

 Total tally so far at the farm this year - one buck, 4 does, and one button buck.