• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Team 10 Thread

My snake bit season continued today. This is opening weekend for muzzleloader here in Michigan. I made the 2 hour drive to the area I camped when bowhunting and I set up this morning overlooking a grove of beech trees that have been pawed up pretty heavy. Snow is very patchy right now, more patch than snow. I was in a single tree that was easily 2' in diameter. At 9:00 I saw a deer out about 150 yds away walking towards me. At about 125 yds it looked right at me and ran sideways to me about 40 yds. I'm thinking how did that doe pick me at 125 yds in this tree. Well it stopped in a clump of trees that gave me more cover so I pulled up the muzzleloader and scoped it . . . .not a doe . . .a buck . . . and a nice one at that. He's a 10 point with 6-7 inch tines and a 17-18 inch spread. Not big mass but a truly respectable northern Michigan buck nonetheless.

He continues to work his way toward me obviously scent checking under the beech trees for does. As he closes the distance to 50 yds and cuts across in front of me I step around the tree and onto my stick so I can use the tree as a rest. He's closing but there's just too much beech scrub in the way for a clean shot. The buck finally continues on into a hole about 40yds dead broadside. I put the crosshairs right behind the shoulder and touch it off. He drops in place like I turned his lights off. Laying there he kicks twice and then remains motionless. Sweet! I hang up the muzzleloader and dig out my phone. I text my daughter "Tagged Out". I glance back, he's still laying motionless, eyes open . . .I'm sure he's done. I start digging out my rappel rope and my phone buzzes. My daughter want to know what I shot. I start to return her text and I hear a noise. The buck is standing on his back legs but can't get his front legs under him. He kicks off and does a back flip only to land on his back again. He struggles to his feet and starts to hobble but falls after 10 yds. CRAP!!!!!. Why I didn't reload the muzzleloader? . . . he's supposed to be already dead . . . he hasn't moved in like a minute and an half. I'm digging in my pockets for a second load as he finds his feet again. He runs, hunched up with his feet close together and obviously hurt, back the way he came. I take note of the last tree he goes by as he leaves my sight. I load up the muzzleloader and rappel down kicking myself for not reloading immediately.

On the ground I make my way over to where I last saw him. One small patch of blood about the size of half of a dollar bill is all I can locate. I back out, call my local buddy who's not hunting this morning and ask him if he's up for a track job. At this point I'm still sure he hasn't gone far but better to wait and call in some reinforcements. After all, he's not going anywhere.

I had left my pack and platform in the tree so I walk back to it and climb back up to retrieve them. Then I pack all my gear back out to the truck and shed some clothes. My buddy shows up after about 40 minutes and we make our way in to the woods for what we're both sure will be a short tracking job. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Over the course of next 4 hours we track this buck mostly by his footprints in the leaves that had been compacted by the now melted snow. An occasional drop of blood confirms we're still on the right track. He never bedded once and appeared to only have paused briefly twice by the blood sign. By my HuntStand app we track the deer 586 yds to the last drop of blood we were able to find. After 4 hours my buddy had to call it quits due to some honeydo tasks he'd promised to get done. I spent the next 2 hours walking around in the potential bedding areas in the direction he was headed hoping I'd either find him or bump him again. No luck.

I'm still completely confused on what happened at the hit. The initial reaction was exactly my expectation. I was sure he was done. His getting back up after that length of time being completely still also took me completely by surprise but I was still pretty sure I'd find him within 150 yds. Where I shot him there's a blood spatter out the back side that appears to be where the bullet passed through. I also have no idea idea why the blood trail was so sparse. I'm still dumbfounded.
 
Dang.. what a story and heartbreak for you. Must've been the shock from the bullet that temporarily paralyzed him. Maybe shot was high enough and close enough to spine to create temporary paralysis..

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
 
boyne bowhunter said:
My snake bit season continued today. This is opening weekend for muzzleloader here in Michigan. I made the 2 hour drive to the area I camped when bowhunting and I set up this morning overlooking a grove of beech trees that have been pawed up pretty heavy. Snow is very patchy right now, more patch than snow. I was in a single tree that was easily 2' in diameter. At 9:00 I saw a deer out about 150 yds away walking towards me. At about 125 yds it looked right at me and ran sideways to me about 40 yds. I'm thinking how did that doe pick me at 125 yds in this tree. Well it stopped in a clump of trees that gave me more cover so I pulled up the muzzleloader and scoped it . . . .not a doe . . .a buck . . . and a nice one at that. He's a 10 point with 6-7 inch tines and a 17-18 inch spread. Not big mass but a truly respectable northern Michigan buck nonetheless.

He continues to work his way toward me obviously scent checking under the beech trees for does. As he closes the distance to 50 yds and cuts across in front of me I step around the tree and onto my stick so I can use the tree as a rest. He's closing but there's just too much beech scrub in the way for a clean shot. The buck finally continues on into a hole about 40yds dead broadside. I put the crosshairs right behind the shoulder and touch it off. He drops in place like I turned his lights off. Laying there he kicks twice and then remains motionless. Sweet! I hang up the muzzleloader and dig out my phone. I text my daughter "Tagged Out". I glance back, he's still laying motionless, eyes open . . .I'm sure he's done. I start digging out my rappel rope and my phone buzzes. My daughter want to know what I shot. I start to return her text and I hear a noise. The buck is standing on his back legs but can't get his front legs under him. He kicks off and does a back flip only to land on his back again. He struggles to his feet and starts to hobble but falls after 10 yds. CRAP!!!!!. Why I didn't reload the muzzleloader? . . . he's supposed to be already dead . . . he hasn't moved in like a minute and an half. I'm digging in my pockets for a second load as he finds his feet again. He runs, hunched up with his feet close together and obviously hurt, back the way he came. I take note of the last tree he goes by as he leaves my sight. I load up the muzzleloader and rappel down kicking myself for not reloading immediately.

On the ground I make my way over to where I last saw him. One small patch of blood about the size of half of a dollar bill is all I can locate. I back out, call my local buddy who's not hunting this morning and ask him if he's up for a track job. At this point I'm still sure he hasn't gone far but better to wait and call in some reinforcements. After all, he's not going anywhere.

I had left my pack and platform in the tree so I walk back to it and climb back up to retrieve them. Then I pack all my gear back out to the truck and shed some clothes. My buddy shows up after about 40 minutes and we make our way in to the woods for what we're both sure will be a short tracking job. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Over the course of next 4 hours we track this buck mostly by his footprints in the leaves that had been compacted by the now melted snow. An occasional drop of blood confirms we're still on the right track. He never bedded once and appeared to only have paused briefly twice by the blood sign. By my HuntStand app we track the deer 586 yds to the last drop of blood we were able to find. After 4 hours my buddy had to call it quits due to some honeydo tasks he'd promised to get done. I spent the next 2 hours walking around in the potential bedding areas in the direction he was headed hoping I'd either find him or bump him again. No luck.

I'm still completely confused on what happened at the hit. The initial reaction was exactly my expectation. I was sure he was done. His getting back up after that length of time being completely still also took me completely by surprise but I was still pretty sure I'd find him within 150 yds. Where I shot him there's a blood spatter out the back side that appears to be where the bullet passed through. I also have no idea idea why the blood trail was so sparse. I'm still dumbfounded.
Click to expand...
Oh man! I’m so sorry. What’s your MZ load? I’ve had multiple marginal hits with my muzzleoader now. I’m so sick of it that I’m springing for a smokeless conversion so I can get more velocity and use better bullets. We had a guy here that shot his deer, texted everyone buck down, walked back to get his 4 wheeler and when he got back deer was gone. No blood trail. Just gone. Freaking muzzleloaders!
 
boyne bowhunter said:
My snake bit season continued today. This is opening weekend for muzzleloader here in Michigan. I made the 2 hour drive to the area I camped when bowhunting and I set up this morning overlooking a grove of beech trees that have been pawed up pretty heavy. Snow is very patchy right now, more patch than snow. I was in a single tree that was easily 2' in diameter. At 9:00 I saw a deer out about 150 yds away walking towards me. At about 125 yds it looked right at me and ran sideways to me about 40 yds. I'm thinking how did that doe pick me at 125 yds in this tree. Well it stopped in a clump of trees that gave me more cover so I pulled up the muzzleloader and scoped it . . . .not a doe . . .a buck . . . and a nice one at that. He's a 10 point with 6-7 inch tines and a 17-18 inch spread. Not big mass but a truly respectable northern Michigan buck nonetheless.

He continues to work his way toward me obviously scent checking under the beech trees for does. As he closes the distance to 50 yds and cuts across in front of me I step around the tree and onto my stick so I can use the tree as a rest. He's closing but there's just too much beech scrub in the way for a clean shot. The buck finally continues on into a hole about 40yds dead broadside. I put the crosshairs right behind the shoulder and touch it off. He drops in place like I turned his lights off. Laying there he kicks twice and then remains motionless. Sweet! I hang up the muzzleloader and dig out my phone. I text my daughter "Tagged Out". I glance back, he's still laying motionless, eyes open . . .I'm sure he's done. I start digging out my rappel rope and my phone buzzes. My daughter want to know what I shot. I start to return her text and I hear a noise. The buck is standing on his back legs but can't get his front legs under him. He kicks off and does a back flip only to land on his back again. He struggles to his feet and starts to hobble but falls after 10 yds. CRAP!!!!!. Why I didn't reload the muzzleloader? . . . he's supposed to be already dead . . . he hasn't moved in like a minute and an half. I'm digging in my pockets for a second load as he finds his feet again. He runs, hunched up with his feet close together and obviously hurt, back the way he came. I take note of the last tree he goes by as he leaves my sight. I load up the muzzleloader and rappel down kicking myself for not reloading immediately.

On the ground I make my way over to where I last saw him. One small patch of blood about the size of half of a dollar bill is all I can locate. I back out, call my local buddy who's not hunting this morning and ask him if he's up for a track job. At this point I'm still sure he hasn't gone far but better to wait and call in some reinforcements. After all, he's not going anywhere.

I had left my pack and platform in the tree so I walk back to it and climb back up to retrieve them. Then I pack all my gear back out to the truck and shed some clothes. My buddy shows up after about 40 minutes and we make our way in to the woods for what we're both sure will be a short tracking job. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Over the course of next 4 hours we track this buck mostly by his footprints in the leaves that had been compacted by the now melted snow. An occasional drop of blood confirms we're still on the right track. He never bedded once and appeared to only have paused briefly twice by the blood sign. By my HuntStand app we track the deer 586 yds to the last drop of blood we were able to find. After 4 hours my buddy had to call it quits due to some honeydo tasks he'd promised to get done. I spent the next 2 hours walking around in the potential bedding areas in the direction he was headed hoping I'd either find him or bump him again. No luck.

I'm still completely confused on what happened at the hit. The initial reaction was exactly my expectation. I was sure he was done. His getting back up after that length of time being completely still also took me completely by surprise but I was still pretty sure I'd find him within 150 yds. Where I shot him there's a blood spatter out the back side that appears to be where the bullet passed through. I also have no idea idea why the blood trail was so sparse. I'm still dumbfounded.
Click to expand...
I’m at home cursing and crying for you!!! I hate when I make the shot and I am sure I got him, only to lose him to tracking. I would be beside myself. Better luck on the next one though!
 
philsanchez76 said:
Oh man! I’m so sorry. What’s your MZ load? I’ve had multiple marginal hits with my muzzleoader now. I’m so sick of it that I’m springing for a smokeless conversion so I can get more velocity and use better bullets. We had a guy here that shot his deer, texted everyone buck down, walked back to get his 4 wheeler and when he got back deer was gone. No blood trail. Just gone. Freaking muzzleloaders!
Click to expand...
Its an inline muzzleloader. I use 2 pyrodex pellets (100 grain total) pushing a .44 caliber, 240grn jacketed hollow point out of a sabot. Fact of the matter is though at 40yds it should have, and apparently did from the sign at the impact sight , push the bullet clean through him.

Accuracy with this weapon hasn't been an issue in the past, I think its as accurate as my deer rifle based on previous shooting unless I somehow managed to bump the scope somewhere. I just can't imagine where I hit him that produced the desired result of dropping him in his tracks only to have him get up after several minutes and run off leaving such a marginal (and lengthy) blood trail. Bottom line is I should have reloaded immediately regardless. If I had I would have had ample opportunity for a follow up shot.
 
boyne bowhunter said:
Its an inline muzzleloader. I use 2 pyrodex pellets (100 grain total) pushing a .44 caliber, 240grn jacketed hollow point out of a sabot. Fact of the matter is though at 40yds it should have, and apparently did from the sign at the impact sight , push the bullet clean through him.

Accuracy with this weapon hasn't been an issue in the past, I think its as accurate as my deer rifle based on previous shooting unless I somehow managed to bump the scope somewhere. I just can't imagine where I hit him that produced the desired result of dropping him in his tracks only to have him get up after several minutes and run off leaving such a marginal (and lengthy) blood trail. Bottom line is I should have reloaded immediately regardless. If I had I would have had ample opportunity for a follow up shot.
Click to expand...
I hear ya. That is my exact MZ load as well. I have either been having penetration issues and/or a pass through but no bullet expansion issue and thus a very poor or no blood trail. Hence the smokeless mz forthcoming. Hate that for ya Boyne.
 
If it makes anyone feel better. I shot my very first (and hopefully last) 1 point today. About 75 yards from my tree right at sunrise what I think is a huge doe walks out. Bang flop. Let her sit for 2 hours in case anything else comes. Didn’t see anything else. Got down to dress and flipped “her” over just to discover 1 spike on the opposite side. The antler on the side facing me had been broken off so I thought doe all the way. Funny thing is this one point weighed in at 150 pounds on my scale!
00F008FC-0E00-44D4-A173-6BA4D496253B.png
C3DC82DA-80F0-4EC5-9B39-519B15594D1A.png
 
philsanchez76 said:
If it makes anyone feel better. I shot my very first (and hopefully last) 1 point today. About 75 yards from my tree right at sunrise what I think is a huge doe walks out. Bang flop. Let her sit for 2 hours in case anything else comes. Didn’t see anything else. Got down to dress and flipped “her” over just to discover 1 spike on the opposite side. The antler on the side facing me had been broken off so I thought doe all the way. Funny thing is this one point weighed in at 150 pounds on my scale!
View attachment 58233
View attachment 58234
Click to expand...
Man where are you at that you can hit so many doe or spikes? We are only allowed to take 2 and even then it’s only allowed during archery unless you’re on private land which allows doe the third weekend of November
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
Man where are you at that you can hit so many doe or spikes? We are only allowed to take 2 and even then it’s only allowed during archery unless you’re on private land which allows doe the third weekend of November
Click to expand...
I skrewed up my back this week/weekend so I didn't go but I'm planning on hunting at least 1 day next weekend at blanding...does,bucks,hogs,and turkey..... U welcome to come along
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
Man where are you at that you can hit so many doe or spikes? We are only allowed to take 2 and even then it’s only allowed during archery unless you’re on private land which allows doe the third weekend of November
Click to expand...

I live in a magical place called middle Tennessee (Nashville area) where we have an insane over population of deer. We are allowed to kill 3 antlerless deer per day throughout our nearly 4 month season. Any spikes less than 3 inches count as antlerless. My family does not buy a single ounce of meat in any given year unless we are eating sushi (cuz I suck at fishing).
 
My daughter and I made the trip back to the camp area this morning for some further searching. We grid searched for about 3 hours in the direction he was headed in a mild snow storm (a little better than an inch an hour) hoping to find him in a bed either alive or dead. I did manage kick a buck up to her from a bed but the bed had no blood in in it. I had high hopes when he first got up because it was less than 15 yds from me in a beech thicket when it hopped up.
 
I was able to send one to freezer camp today
761874cb26d448ba06df0c06c57a6798.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
boyne bowhunter said:
My daughter and I made the trip back to the camp area this morning for some further searching. We grid searched for about 3 hours in the direction he was headed in a mild snow storm (a little better than an inch an hour) hoping to find him in a bed either alive or dead. I did manage kick a buck up to her from a bed but the bed had no blood in in it. I had high hopes when he first got up because it was less than 15 yds from me in a beech thicket when it hopped up.
Click to expand...

That really sucks
I’m sorry to hear that happened


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Weldabeast said:
I lived in goodlettsville for a couple years....I can confirm there's tons of deer and giant turkeys.

@philsanchez76 u ever been to bledsoe park in Gallatin? Cool place to go see lots of deer
Click to expand...
You’re right about the turkeys! My brother in law tagged out on his own property in Goodlettesville last season. I’ve not been to Bledsoe but I believe it would be loaded with deer!
 
Weldabeast said:
I skrewed up my back this week/weekend so I didn't go but I'm planning on hunting at least 1 day next weekend at blanding...does,bucks,hogs,and turkey..... U welcome to come along
Click to expand...
Sounds like a plan to me. Sunday work for you? I have a concert on Saturday
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top