Success, Finally. This may be a little long winded. Last night we went out and my buddy got a shot off at a deer at about 75yrds w/ 1m left of legal shooting time. He wasn't really positive about the shot, but he is a good shot, so I was almost positive at that range, that deer should have been nailed, he has a nice inline w/ a good scope sighted in only two weeks ago, and he was dead on at 100. We looked for 15-20m for blood, and decided it was going to get cold enough, and we would come back first thing to look for it.

Well, since we were already comming back, we figured we may as well try for the first half hour (Both our wifes had a church activity at 9 this morning, so it was our hides if we weren't back in time). So we figured 1/2 hunt max, then get down and we had a good 1:15 m to find the other deer. Well we were in the stand 45m before legal, and we were hunting together (It's a small place, and we have two big stand which can fit two guys each). We had asmaller deer walk out, and come right in 5m after legal.It was at a salt lick we had only 30yrds away, andthe more we looked at it, it was probably 100lbs. My buddy decided totake it. Shoots, and off it runs. Figured there was no way on earth he missed it. not 5 m later we had another small deer come run by our stand, I heard it, then saw it as it ran past. I made a "blah" sound, it stoped, and I let one fly. I then saw it run off. I'm thinking to my self, what's w/ these muzzleloaders, we can't knock one down. We wait 10m, and get downthinking we will look for the one from last night, then go look for the two we shot this moring.

Well, we get down, we were both reloaded, but I did not have a cap in. We walked 40yds, and then we spotted another deer, this was decent size. She spoted us first, and walked off kinda quick. We stalked towards it, as we had a hill between us, and then we spoted 4 more. They were blowing and spooked, so we gave them 5m and they headed off. Oh well, time to go back to looking for these deer. Don't forget, were on a deadline, and it's already like 7:45, and we need to be on the road by 8:30 max, and we have 3 deer possibly shot we need to track. We decided to split up, and we had walkie talkies. I went to look for the deer we shot this morning, and he went to look from the one last night. Well I looked for sign right around the salt lick, then where the deer left the field, and entered a trail (I knew which trail because it's only 70yrds from the stand. And I can't find a drop of blood. So I went over to look where I shot at my deer at. I look around where it was, and where it went into the hedge row, and I can't find a thing. By this time, it's 8:05, and I radio my buddy and ask him if he's spotted anything, he's found nothing. Needless to say, I'm getting worried.

Just then, I find sign, small blood drop, I start following it. Drop here, drop there, not a whole lot. It's kinda dark too, so I'm worried I gut shot it, as I did rush my shot.Follow the trail another 20yards, and there she was. She was small too, but it's meat for thefreezer, I'm not going to complain. I didn't get a deer last year either, soit was nice to get the skunk off(This was already our 5th hunt this year too). So I radio my buddy, andtell him I'm goingback to look for his. It's 8:08.He hadn't seen a thing yet, still looking hard for the one from last night. Well Ifinally found one drop of blood where his deer entered the woods,I was starting to wonder whether he had hitit. I follow the trail for about 30 yds, it's headed right for my deer, and it's really thin. A dropevery 4-5 foot, but just a little. I lost it not 10ft from my deer, and that's when I scratch my head. I radio my buddy, he hasn't seen anything,sowe agree thathe should join me and look for the one he shot this morning. Were pretty confident he missed the one from last night cleanly as we found absolutly no sign.

As he's walking up, he radios, you have 3 deer comming for you. I radio back, does me know good, I don't have my gun, it's by the stand. I tell him I'll try to push them back towards him. I couldn't see them yet, so I started moving towards were I though I needed to go to push them back to him, then I spotted them, and I was in bad position, and they got by me. Oh well, we have no time for this anyway's, were getting close to being in a lot of trouble. Did I tell you his wife had to be there to help set up? Yeah, that kind of trouble. Well he finally makes it to me, and it's 8:20, and we really need to get a moving. We follow the trail moving one sign, after another, and follow the trail probably 100 yrds. It did get better as we went on, but not like a blood bath or something. We come to a area where it was obvious the deer had laid down and It's 8:25. I get on the cell phone to warn the wife, and just then I spot the deer 20 yrds away. Yes! We bust you know what, and have the deer gutted, and in the car on our way home by 8:40. That was a rush. They are not trophies, but it was a great hunt, and the pressure of the time really added to the excitement. It was one of those hunt's you will never forget, and I just found out my good buddy is moving away this comming summer, so this may be one of our last horahs.