The PA deer rifle season started out somewhat different this year when one of my favorite hunting partners scored on a nice buck in archery season. My nephew BJ (PAHUNTER21) decided to hunt the opening of rifle season in North Carolina with some friends since he had no tags left for PA. I was sad that we wouldn"™t hunt together. I filled a doe tag in archery season and still had a buck tag and a doe tag left. Our small family hunting party of 5 had now dwindled down to 4. At one time we had 10-12 family members that hunted the first day of rifle season in McKean County. I am very fortunate that my 84-year-old father-in-law still hunts with us and from a ladder stand at that.
We followed our regular routine upon arriving at the camp Friday afternoon. Saturday set up tree stands, Saturday night relax and reminisce, Sunday morning sight the rifles in once again. Sunday night relax, reminisce, pack lunches and tell stories about the big one we hoped to get the next day.
Over the weekend we all talked about BJ, how proud we were of him for his nice archery buck and how much we missed him. As he had no cell phone coverage we wondered how he was doing in NC and hoped he got yet another buck.
Monday morning we again followed our routing and rolled out of bed at 4:00, at the farm at 5:45 and on stand at 6:45.
Monday morning was nothing like the past 2 years where the temps were around 0 degrees and a foot of snow. This year I actually sat comfortably in my stand with out constantly wiggling my toes and trying to keep warm. We had a temperature that started in the high 20s and reached 40 by the day was over. Very unusual and no high winds either.
7:15 I heard the first group of deer about 30 seconds before I saw them. They all ran above my stand in a thicket too far for me to identify if they were bucks or does. 5 does came past me after that at about 100 yards. I saw one single doe after that. Our family policy is not to shoot does until after your buck tag is filled or until after Tuesday morning. I let all the does pass. A few minutes after 9:00 I heard the shuffle of leaves. As I looked to my left where the sound came from I watched 2 does come into view, a few seconds later a 3rd deer appeared and I saw horns and big ones at that. The does stopped directly in front of my stand at 40 yards and looked back at the buck. The buck stopped behind 2 trees and I froze, not wanting to spook the does counting on the buck to follow the does. Sure enough, he stepped out and followed in their tracks at a trot, I picked up my .270 and picked my spot. As he stepped into my crosshairs, I squeezed and he went down"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦. and he got back up. As I chambered another bullet in, he stumbled as I squeezed another one off. After 2 shots with what I thought were great shots he disappeared from my view at 100 yards. Needless to say he should have went down on the first kill shot but he didn"™t know it. I found him just out of my view.
Here are the final results:
At 1:40 I scored on a doe with a shot at 60 yards that dropped her in her tracks.
BJ, I wish you would have been here!!! We missed ya.
Back from McKean Co. 9 pt. w pics
