Great seeing my buddy Tommy!
Finally opening day got here. Deer movement had been heavy all week with cooler temps after a big cold front last week. We watched the deer numbers go up every day early and late but the forecast looked to slow things down. A dry front was predicted for Saturday and sure enough it got here hours before shooting time.
I headed up to the mountain which is where you will find me every opening day to see if I could air one out. The wind was blowing but not bad, 10-15 mph, but I saw no deer on the way in which is not a good sign there. Sure enough nothing came through so at 8:30 I tried a fawn bleat and barely had time to set it down before a big doe and yearling came barreling in. They stopped at 25 yards but I could only see the little one and they wandered off up the hill giving me no shot.
That afternoon I went back in and saw one doe in a 3 hour sit. This is a spot that is full of deer and to only see 3 all day means something was up. Oh well we are just getting started. Stopping at a check in station I saw 1 good 8 point that had just been taken right up the road but that was it. A slow start here in the mid state.
I might slip over to check a new property this afternoon to see what I can find.
Good luck to all the Volunteer State hunters this year. Good luck and be sure to wear that safety harness.
Tommy aka @ghost1066 rattling in some Tennessee big bucks during the deertour.
Deertour Tennessee with Tommy.
Tommy and I set up in a thick creek bottom this morning. The fog was thick.
Tommy crossed a creek to get to his ground blind but I stayed on the other side because I didn’t have rubber boots on.
I set up the top portion of my Lone Wolf hand climber on a tree at ground level. This allowed me to use my 2 camera arms. Perfect setup.
Tommy was 10 yards in front of me. About 7:40am, 3 does come in about 40 yards. They caught Tommy’s movement as he waved to me.
They were blowing for like 5 minutes.
About 20 minutes later, another doe comes out at 34 yards and here’s me cough. Dang! Tommy turns and gives me a look.
5 minutes later, a deer with it’s head down comes in at 50 yards. I see Tommy pick up his muzzleloader, turn on both cameras even though all I see is him cause of the fog.
He raises the gun, and boom goes the dynamite. He stands up in a plume of smoke and I ask if he got it. He said either yes or no, no in between.
Then he signals that it was a big buck.
He says come over as he’s laying right there.
I get up to find spot to cross the creek. As I move he yells stop. He reloads and shoots again. Boom!
The deer is walking away. What the?
I get across the creek and then see him bounding off through the thick stuff.
What the?
We go to where he shot and fund nothing. No sign. At all.
How is this possible?
We give him time as we start to think it was a guy shot.
But can’t believe how he would drop, lay there ad if he’s dead and then get up and walk away.
The second shot was a miss btw.
We looked everywhere for sign. Nothing.
The theory we have is that he shot the buck between the spine and vitals and shocked the deer right in it’s tracks. After he got over the shock of the .45 caliber bullet, he made off like a ghost.
That’s deer hunting.
PS – Tommy shot the muzzleloader at 50 to see if it was off and was right on.
Now it’s time to pack up and drive to Arkansas to hunt w/ Allen.
Thanks for an amazing time Tommy. You are aces.
