It was a COLD thirty-seven degrees at 5:45 this morning when I left my toasty little camp to begin the 500 yard walk to my closest food plot.

Now I know most of you guys are already laughing when I say it was COLD. But dammit, that weather front came through last night and the Northwest wind was a steady twenty m.p.h., gusting to thirty or more. It was COLD I tell you - at least in the wind.

If it weren't for the fact that I would be sitting in a enclosed 4'x4' box stand with a window facing a small food plot to the West, I wouldn't have even bothered trying to hunt. Didn't really expect any deer movement in that wind anyway. But we're just starting to see the beginning of some rut activity, and you never know when a horny buck will be roving.

I was carrying the second Sinful Sister, my scoped TC Renegade with its .50 caliber Green Mountain Long Range Hunter barrel. She was loaded up with 95 grains of GOEX FFFg under a 250 grain Gold Dot in a Harvester sabot. As is my normal practice, she was capped and had a folded up patch over the cap and the hammer resting on the patch cushion.

Because I was protected from the wind, it was comfortable in the stand when first light broke at 6:15. The swaying pine trees weren't whispering - they were shouting. Finding one pleasant aspect, I decided the angle of the wind permitted me to fire up my pipe with no chance of being winded from the plot. So I broke out a book I'm about halfway through, fired up my pipe, and got back to the mystery at hand while glancing out of the window at the end of every page to see if any deer was foolish enough to be out there where the bitter wind was rippling the clover.

Glancing up at 7:20, I caught a doe and yearling entering the plot. To my surprise they began munching the greens less than sixty yards out. They even seemed less alert than normal. The squeaking of the trees and occasional falling branch didn't bother them at all.

I watched them feeding for a good ten minutes, glassing the momma doe with my binoculars attempting to judge her age and size. I figured her to be no more than two and a half, and in the 85 to 90 pound range.

Now our club rules allow each member to take two does and I already have my first, a 112 pounder. I wanted something over 100 pounds for my second one. But we haven't been seeing a lot of deer so far this year so I decided to go ahead and shoot her, then spend the rest of the season seeking a shootable buck.

I eased the .50 out of the window, c0cked the hammer, set the trigger, and waited for the perfect shot to present itself. It wasn't long before she was broadside with both front legs stretched forward. I was steady as a rock as I gently touched the front trigger and got a muffled plunk! I had forgotten to check to make sure my folded safety patch had fallen from the breech when I c0cked the hammer. Even with a full fall of the hammer the folded patch prevented the cap from igniting.

The deer didn't even notice. I took a breath. c0cked the hammer again (the patch fell off). Set the trigger. Took another sight picture. Then smiled to myself as I unc0cked the hammer thinking "honey, this is your lucky day".

They scarfed up my clover and wheat for another fifteen minutes and drifted off into the woods. I read my book and smoked my pipe for three more hours and never saw another deer. The wind was getting worse so I headed back to the camp, packed up and headed home. All in all, an enjoyable hunt.

Any Day in the Woods Hunting is a Good Day Semi. Ni Chuckle here, we've ALL been there. COLD, you finally got a Taste of it huh. Well Tomorrow here starts the first Day of our Late ML Season, were about to get the Snow Storm that has Pounded the Mid West. High Winds, Lake Effect Snow and Sub Zero Wind Chills, with another 18" of Snow ecpected.
So tomorrow when Im on stand I'll be thinking of you and how I'd like to have you here to experience what Cold is, and you wont be smoking a Pipe you'll be freezing you Butt off and Praying for the Sun to set so you can leave, and not even care of a Deer Shows because it's Too Cold to even Field Dress Him.....OK Im gonna Chuckle
I Always like your Reads Semi, Good Luck with the Second Doe and Buck!
(BP)

That is a very nice writeup. Good on you Semisane: It takes a lot of self control to do that.

My ex brotherinlaw had a similar thing happen to him in utah on a muzzy hunt, the exception was his cap had fallen off on the stock he made to get within range lol, 50 yds. i had spotted the deer 2 mulie bucks feeding. i waited and waited for him to return expecting to help him drag a buck.he returned cussing up a storm and said those bucks didn't hang around when that hammer hit lol.this was back when the Utah M/L season was in november and it was cold really cold.sounds like fun.just a side note i watched my brotherinlaw miss a 28" 4x4 2 days earlier at 100yds.the little town we were hunting in had a big buck contest going on and we were 10.00 bucks in the jar.he would have won easily.we all nick named him dead eye, he missed for various reasons 5 bucks and went home empty handed..

We have a wind chill of -34º and dropping. And your upset at it being 37ºs. Well I guess that is normal. Although I am sure, to YOU that is cold. We would be out enjoying the warm weather.

That was a good read Semisane. Sometimes letting one walk is not so bad. It makes you feel good.

semi;that was a nice read.some of my very best days hunting do not include pulling the trigger,the cold,well heck,i'm sure some folks up in alaska's interior or northern canada chuckle over what i think cold is............karl

Nice story Semi...It always amazes me on how people differ when it comes to how they hunt. We purchased a Badboy buggie XT this year to cut down on the noise and are scent control freaks. And here you are pipe in hand reading a book. It just goes to show people that theres more than one way to kill a deer. As for this cold weather it sure seems the mid west is taking one A**whippin this fall. Maryland had enough last year hope it misses us this year.
Chuck

Nice story. And a good day in the woods for sure.

nice story semi.


for the record, I do have an good chuckle on some of your post.

Geez, we had a very similar day! Just felt good to be out, huh? Colder & snowing here at present; the local ski hill opens for the season fulltime tomorrow...