Muzzleloader Season Finale

Leo and Todd came all the way from FL and hunted the entire four day season.  They faced some weather adversity but still had some opportunities.  I had one tag left so I decided to hunt one evening in order to have more of the fields covered.  It was extremely windy and nothing was moving.  At last light a doe stepped out and I took it to insure that they has some meat to show for their trip.  It turned out to be another button buck.

 Leo tutored Todd on his first field dressing experience.

 Hanging it in the barn for this process is about as good as it gets.

 Todd did do some of the dirty work...

 ...and came away looking like a serial killer.

 The final morning was 15F so they got a good taste of winter hunting in OH.

Todd had one shot at a doe from the pond stand and he missed.

On the last evening, Leo had his hunt ruined by a dog in his field in power hour.  There were six does in another field so he tried a stalk.  He had a missed off-hand shot at last light.

We did send them home with the button buck and some elk meat from the freezer.

 I previously had an issue with somebody getting into the gut bucket.  I suspected coyotes.

I left it in front of a camera this time and found out it was a neighbor's black lab.  He pretty well cleaned out the bucket.

 I'm sure he was welcomed when he got home.

 Leo did pick up his mount of the buck that he took last year.

 Dave and family stopped by to visit one day.  He got a chance to drive my Christmas present.

 I managed to get the forks off, the bucket on and...

 I played around a little bit in the mud.  Mostly I just moved big rocks around to get used to the controls.

 My muzzleloader is back in commission after getting the correct breech plug part.  I was missing the front o-ring on my old one.

Another deer season is over.  One buck and four does taken this year (two of them button bucks).

I might try for a coyote or fox in the coming weeks.

We really need to do something about the domestic dogs ruining the hunt - can't believe people let their dogs run during gun season.