Well, now that Thanksgiving is over and all the deer are in the freezer, I can take some time to talk about the 4 most amazing days I have spent in the woods!
This will be quite long but it was quite the adventure! I drove out to my folk's house on Tuesday morning. I dropped off Rhys in Townsend Vt and continued on arriving at my folk's at noon time. I had the itch to hunt so bad that I unpacked my gear and loaded the .260. I went out through the horse pasture and jumped a buck out of his bed. I could not get a clean shot but had him in the scope. I knew that if I killed a deer that afternoon, I would screw us up and we would not be able to leave on time the following morning. I went back in the house.
I went to bed around 8pm but I could not sleep. I was up at 2 and watched deer hunting on TV until my folks got up. We drove to Derby Line Vt where a friend met us to follow us up. We made the 10hr trek northeast and arrived on the Gaspe Penninsula where we would spend the night. Our flight was due to take off at 9am the following morning. Again, early to bed without any sleep.
We arrived at the airport and were delayed 5hrs due to dangerous weather on the island. Pops was pretty upset! We ended up taking off and arrived on the island around 2pm. We had a 2hr drive to camp and would not be able to shoot our guns that night. In the morning we had an early start and were able to check our guns before we went out.
The spot we were hunting was a 2hr wheeler ride into. We saw many deer on the way in including a big rack 8pt that no one could get a shot at. Our guide and the 4 of us, met up and made a plan. My folks were to hunt high on the river while the 3 of us would go down into the river bed and hunt. We split and made our way down into the river. My friend and I saw a 3pt that we both passed on.
This is where the story gets good!
My friend was about 100 yards behind the guide and I was about 200yds back behind my friend. The theory was, the deer would see the guide and pay attention to him. My friend would then be presented for a shot. Well, I was taking up the tail and noticed a deer that was on the other side of the river. I put the glasses on it and instantly noticed it was a big deer but I could not see antlers. I took three steps back and that is when I saw one antler! It was huge! I put the deer in the scope and did not have a rest. I steadied and fired. The deer came unglued and took off! I put another round in the gun and started across the river to see the buck running toward my buddy and he took a shot, but missed. I cotinued to the spot the deer was at and found a bed but no hair. The 3pt then jumped right over the top of me and scared the crap out of me. He stood 10' from me but I did not shoot it. A little bit of tracking and I found some blood on the snow from my buck.
We both saw where the deer went into the woods and we both marked it. I took the track while the guide and my buddy circled around to see if my buck came out of the woods on the other side. All of a sudden I heard a shot and a rack buck ran right up to me about 30' away. I could see blood coming out of the deer on the shoulder and told my buddy I was going to watch his deer die. His deer went out of sight and we regrouped. We took his track and I spotted his deer again. He fired and the deer took off.
I picked up my track and found my deer bedded down but all I could see was one eye and an antler. I chose to back out of the woods and let him lie. We then decided to leave both bucks alone and would come back in a little bit to check. The guide wanted to check another spot with the other guy so I took a stand near the two bucks to watch if one of them came out. About 15 minutes on stand, a buck came out. I watched it for a bit and there was no signs of this buck being wounded. I cranked my scope up to 9x and took a broadside shot at 50 yards. The deer took off and went straight up a cliff. He made it to the top and went down, all the way down. He rolled and tumbled about 150' down this cliff and stopped almost at my feet! This buck turned out to be a 5 pointer
My first 5pt with the cliff in the back
We loaded up my buck and continued down the river. We saw a doe running as fast as she could toward us. Right behind her was a nice rack buck! My buddy nailed him and it turned out to be a nice 10pt!
We then went back to where the other two bucks were to track them. It was early in the morning still and we knew we had time enough to not rush these deer. We followed up one deer and found it bedded on the inside of some spruce on the edge of the river. That buck turned out to be my buddy's 8pt. I did not get a good picture of this buck but it is the one on the front of the wheeler.
We picked up my track and found that my buck had got up and left the country. We tracked him for 3 hrs and found 4 beds, each with less and less blood. There is no doubt in my mind that this buck will live. He went up through the nastiest stuff you could imagine. He went over 1 mile and we saw him one more time.
We were running out of time and we still had a 2hr ride back. On the way back, it was snowing hard! It was a deer hunter's dream. We rounded a corner and about 110yrs out I saw a buck with antlers visable to the naked eye. I knew I had 3 days left to hunt but I wanted to spend a day each with my mom and dad. I then loaded my gun and rested it on a spruce. The deer took a jump and I fired hitting him in the heart. He went 20 yards and piled up!
This buck turned out to be another 5pt.
So my buddy and I were both tagged out on the first day.
The guide had not had anyone tag out on the first day this year, let alone two hunters in the same day.
The guide wanted this pic:
So with the guns put away and the three of us still amazed by the day's events, we upped the pace to catch my parents. We caught up to them and my father had a buck on his wheeler.
I cut my father off so he would only see the buck on my front. He thought that was pretty neat until I pulled forward and he saw my second buck. Then I pulled right in front of him so my buddy could pull up. My father saw his 8pt and shook his head. Then my dad spotted the 10pt on the back. My father called us some pretty colorful names that are along the lines of "you game hogs."
So we all were happy. We got to the meat house and exchanged the stories. As it turns out, my mom was the only one in our group to not shoot a deer that day. She had her chances but passed because they were not the shots she wanted to take.
At the meat house: L to R: My two 5pts. My buddy's 10pt. My father's 4pt. My mom with my buddy's 8pt
The next day, my buddy and I asked if we could tag along with my folks. They were ok with it and we went out. There were 60+km winds and it was snowing hard. It was honestly blizzard conditions. We were not out very long when we spotted a buck. My mother settled the crosshairs and down the buck went. I blew out my back dragging the buck.
We saw 25 deer before we were called in because of unsafe conditons. While at the lodge, I had all I could do to move and spent 2hrs on the floor.
The conditions cleared and we went back out. Right off the bat, my father downed this 7pt at about 80yrds with a Savage 99 with a 2x scope! My dad is now tagged out!
We loaded that deer up and continued hunting. 45 minutes later, we spot a rack buck. My mother raises her gun and is getting blown pretty hard and she could not keep the gun steady. The buck takes off, and makes about 7 jumps and POW! Down he goes! My mother shot that buck on a dead run and flopped him!
The deer was trying to get up and I ran up to him. I grabbed him by the horn and the wrestling match began. I pinned the buck down and he was later dispatched.
Now my mother is tagged out!
If you look at the right side of the neck, just below the white patch, you can see the exit hole!
My folk's with their final two deer.
This hunt was seriously amazing!
My folks came out to NY for Thanksgiving with Laine and I. My mom helped me cut one deer and Laine helped with the other!
And to the best end to such a trip....My first Thanksgiving with Laine! What a meal!
Some other pics that I took while in the woods deer hunting:
