2025 documenting hunts / another Ben series
- Thread starter BenP
- Start date
duckhunt
Well-known member
Good luck.
So conclusion after those 2 hours of cats claw misery, pretty sure based off the blood color, the height on trees, how she stopped in one spot and there was three puddles and then back tracked and turned a different direction there was very little blood and spaced out long distances through grass that should have picked up blood off her easily. So pretty confident I hit her low and on the leg maybe.
There were 7 deer out there and I ranged them at 130 yards. Then they played a little and moved out further and I didn't range them and didn't think to compensate the added distance that was probably 145-150 yards. With my slug gun that's a 2" drop.
Bummed about it but confident it was not fatal. If you have ever experienced cats claw then you know what terrible fun my brother and I just went through.
There were 7 deer out there and I ranged them at 130 yards. Then they played a little and moved out further and I didn't range them and didn't think to compensate the added distance that was probably 145-150 yards. With my slug gun that's a 2" drop.
Bummed about it but confident it was not fatal. If you have ever experienced cats claw then you know what terrible fun my brother and I just went through.
I've been thinking about it and I have talked a little to some on here about my struggles but it really bothers me this year that I had my first turkey that I hit and couldn't recover and now a deer.
I've always struggled with deer hunting because I was not a good rifleman. I had a hard time squeezing the trigger and would just yank it like I would a shotgun at ducks and missed a lot of deer in my early years. I have put a lot of focus into my trigger pull and I ended up hyper fixating on that this evening that I didn't even think about the deer moving further out from when I ranged them.
I have one more day to hunt deer on Thursday but I'll be honest, I'm struggling even thinking about going back out hunting.
I've always struggled with deer hunting because I was not a good rifleman. I had a hard time squeezing the trigger and would just yank it like I would a shotgun at ducks and missed a lot of deer in my early years. I have put a lot of focus into my trigger pull and I ended up hyper fixating on that this evening that I didn't even think about the deer moving further out from when I ranged them.
I have one more day to hunt deer on Thursday but I'll be honest, I'm struggling even thinking about going back out hunting.
I don't know anyone who has an actual tracking dog. There are dog hunters but they are trained to be turned loose in a pack to run deer out not to find a shot deer, and where this place is at those people don't have permission to be, landowner doesn't like dog hunters.
Just did a search and everything turned up online is for the middle to western part of my state. Even the drone people listed were on the western side and over 4 hours away.
The doves have been all in the field behind my house and the two oldest have been wanting to hunt them. I set a make shift blind up on the ditch and Jonah went out this afternoon and got his first dove with his Christmas present BB gun.
Says he wants to roast it over a fire so guess that's how we are going to cook it.
Says he wants to roast it over a fire so guess that's how we are going to cook it.
Friend texted me and asked if I wanted to duck hunt today. With last year being the first year to not kill a duck since I started duck hunting and not going out once yet this year, I was happy to tag along.
Was a slow morning with not a lot of ducks but what did come in is a first for me. The beautiful spoonbill, looks like I have to get the scalpel ready to mount this one.
Was a slow morning with not a lot of ducks but what did come in is a first for me. The beautiful spoonbill, looks like I have to get the scalpel ready to mount this one.
Went with my brother for a swamp hunt this morning. None of the ducks wanted to come in where we set up so after a while it because a lets explore the beaver swamp. Come up on some woodies and did a sneak on them and water swatted three drakes.
People may not think it's cool to water swat but stalking a bunch of ducks is hard, I get to pick out the drakes easier, and no pellets in the breast.
People may not think it's cool to water swat but stalking a bunch of ducks is hard, I get to pick out the drakes easier, and no pellets in the breast.
duckhunt
Well-known member
I think the Drake wood duck is the most beautiful duck there is.
The drake wood duck, drake shoveler, and drake Baikal teal (even though I'll probably never shoot one) are my favorite, and the Brant is my favorite goose.
I have put it to take off this Thursday and Friday, so hopefully will be able to get out and finish off the last three days of duck season on a good note, it's already been better than last year.
After that squirrel and rabbit goes to the end of February which will close out this season. Unless some snow geese decide to show up, that goes to March I believe but doubt I'll get out to hunt them if they do show up.
Oldest is ready to buy a .22 with the money he has saved up and the 2nd child wants to buy a Stevens .410 so need to get that in the works.
After that squirrel and rabbit goes to the end of February which will close out this season. Unless some snow geese decide to show up, that goes to March I believe but doubt I'll get out to hunt them if they do show up.
Oldest is ready to buy a .22 with the money he has saved up and the 2nd child wants to buy a Stevens .410 so need to get that in the works.
Well waterfowl season is a wrap unless some snow geese show up.
Went solo this morning to the swamp, when I got there I could hear some cows in the cow pasture where we hunt at and I knew some might be close to calving so I decided not to go next to them and shoot causing stress. Plus the water was froze there anyways and I would have to try and keep a hole open.
Went across the beaver dam and there was some open water there and in hindsight I should have just hunted there but wanted to get to a pond on the other side where I know ducks are. Problem was that others had the same idea and came from the other side. Ended up with pellets raining on me and didn't care for that. So went back across the swamp and jumped up probably over 100 wood ducks from that hole at the beaver dam.
Sat for a while and had some come in but not close enough. So went on and decided to look at the river in front of my house and there was absolutely no ducks to be seen which is odd. There are almost always bufflehead or ruddy ducks trading the middle.
But there were some swans and Canada geese, no swan permit this year but can harvest a single goose. So snuck through the woods and made it to a tree on the bank and waited for the big flock to push by and was able to take out one in the back of a smaller flock. Also my wader right leg has a major hole and was full of water going to retrieve.
Went solo this morning to the swamp, when I got there I could hear some cows in the cow pasture where we hunt at and I knew some might be close to calving so I decided not to go next to them and shoot causing stress. Plus the water was froze there anyways and I would have to try and keep a hole open.
Went across the beaver dam and there was some open water there and in hindsight I should have just hunted there but wanted to get to a pond on the other side where I know ducks are. Problem was that others had the same idea and came from the other side. Ended up with pellets raining on me and didn't care for that. So went back across the swamp and jumped up probably over 100 wood ducks from that hole at the beaver dam.
Sat for a while and had some come in but not close enough. So went on and decided to look at the river in front of my house and there was absolutely no ducks to be seen which is odd. There are almost always bufflehead or ruddy ducks trading the middle.
But there were some swans and Canada geese, no swan permit this year but can harvest a single goose. So snuck through the woods and made it to a tree on the bank and waited for the big flock to push by and was able to take out one in the back of a smaller flock. Also my wader right leg has a major hole and was full of water going to retrieve.
