Ohio early ML season
Oct 28, 2009 4:02:51 GMT -5
Post by rossman40 on Oct 28, 2009 4:02:51 GMT -5
Shooter and me planned a hunt starting last year for the Ohio early ML season. So last week me, shooter and a friend of his headed for the Wolf Creek Wildlife Area which is in the Wildcat Hollow Primitive Weapons Hunting Area, one of the three areas for the early ML season. None of us had ever been there before so it was a map and aerial photo recon till opening day. The area looked ideal with plenty of pipeline and clear cuts plus good number of parking areas, a 100yd range and a primitive camping area (free). We concentrated on a area that looked to give a number of good spots within a 1/4 mile of a parking area and did not require marching up and down hills (at least the big ones).
Seen tons of deer Sunday evening when it was cold but then it warmed up opening day and the deer went to sitting tight. The morning was kinda of a recon and hunt and I found the area I originally selected was full of hunters so I went to plan "B". After seeing evidence of how the deer were moving I selected a point over looking the uphill side of a draw with cover that went thru a clear cut. Monday evening I watched a medium size doe approach thru the clear cut and kept looking for any deer (maybe a buck) that might be with her. She was by herself and at a little under 70 yards looked like she was going into the treeline and she gave me a broadside shot so I took it. At the shot she actually ran towards me to about 35yds and I could actually see the hit about 3" above the elbow. She went into the woods so I reloaded and waited a few minutes then went down to the area where she was at when I took the shot. When I got to the area I heard her jump and go up the hill. Very little blood, a couple of drops here and there but enough I could track (me part indian). So I circled around and came up the hill on a trail and picked up the blood sign (picking up a few drops of blood on red maple leaves is tough), I came to a fork in the trail and assumed she went away from me. After about 100yds down the trail and no sign I came to the realization that I was "circle jerked". At the fork she turned back and basicly circled around to almost the point of the shot and was gone.
As far as the shot when we stopped for bullets they were out of 250gr bonded SWs (I used most I had on hand to sight in) so I picked up a box of the regular SWs. Being pushed with 42gr of N110 set off by a CCI 209M and with a RCR I'm suspecting the regular SW fragged on me and I didn't get the penetration into the boiler room. I only had a couple of bonded left but that is what I loaded with after that.
Tuesday evening and the last hours of the hunt for me another doe (smaller this time) gives me a exact repeat of Monday evenings setup to within 10 feet. It was a small one but I wasn't going home empty handed. I took that shot and pretty much the same, reloaded and waited then checked the area of the shot. With the bonded SW there was hair and chunks of lung on the ground, fairly good trail which kinda faded but she only ran about 20 yds and was down, kinda high double lung shot. You have to wait for the chest cavity to fill up before you get a major blood leak but by then they are usually down.
I hate wounding deer but there was a lot of that going on, lot of "hunters" slinging lead. I feel kinda bad being the only one of the group to even get a shot but there is next year. As far as just getting a small deer, it's very tasty, wasn't much to drag and after all anybody can hit a big deer, you got to be a good shot to hit the small ones.
Seen tons of deer Sunday evening when it was cold but then it warmed up opening day and the deer went to sitting tight. The morning was kinda of a recon and hunt and I found the area I originally selected was full of hunters so I went to plan "B". After seeing evidence of how the deer were moving I selected a point over looking the uphill side of a draw with cover that went thru a clear cut. Monday evening I watched a medium size doe approach thru the clear cut and kept looking for any deer (maybe a buck) that might be with her. She was by herself and at a little under 70 yards looked like she was going into the treeline and she gave me a broadside shot so I took it. At the shot she actually ran towards me to about 35yds and I could actually see the hit about 3" above the elbow. She went into the woods so I reloaded and waited a few minutes then went down to the area where she was at when I took the shot. When I got to the area I heard her jump and go up the hill. Very little blood, a couple of drops here and there but enough I could track (me part indian). So I circled around and came up the hill on a trail and picked up the blood sign (picking up a few drops of blood on red maple leaves is tough), I came to a fork in the trail and assumed she went away from me. After about 100yds down the trail and no sign I came to the realization that I was "circle jerked". At the fork she turned back and basicly circled around to almost the point of the shot and was gone.
As far as the shot when we stopped for bullets they were out of 250gr bonded SWs (I used most I had on hand to sight in) so I picked up a box of the regular SWs. Being pushed with 42gr of N110 set off by a CCI 209M and with a RCR I'm suspecting the regular SW fragged on me and I didn't get the penetration into the boiler room. I only had a couple of bonded left but that is what I loaded with after that.
Tuesday evening and the last hours of the hunt for me another doe (smaller this time) gives me a exact repeat of Monday evenings setup to within 10 feet. It was a small one but I wasn't going home empty handed. I took that shot and pretty much the same, reloaded and waited then checked the area of the shot. With the bonded SW there was hair and chunks of lung on the ground, fairly good trail which kinda faded but she only ran about 20 yds and was down, kinda high double lung shot. You have to wait for the chest cavity to fill up before you get a major blood leak but by then they are usually down.
I hate wounding deer but there was a lot of that going on, lot of "hunters" slinging lead. I feel kinda bad being the only one of the group to even get a shot but there is next year. As far as just getting a small deer, it's very tasty, wasn't much to drag and after all anybody can hit a big deer, you got to be a good shot to hit the small ones.
