Virginia muzzle seasons here
 

Good Luck to all who are going out tomorrow......
im hunting with a 50 cal knight wolverine ....loaded with 100g pyrodex p and 245 g shockwave.

Oh yeah...can't wait for the morning! But I woke up today not feeling so well. It won't stop me from going, but I don't want to get worse and mess up my season!

Hunting with a T/C Omega, 300gr Speer DeepCurl, 110gr Blackhorn 209, and CCI 209M primers. Here's hoping to put the smack down on something special!

Good luck to everyone who is finally getting out in the woods for the first time this season!

7.62Nato, How do you like the Blackhorn 209 powder?





I'm using a TC Omega, 245 grain XTP in front of 100 grains of 777. Good luck to all and be safe!

I know and I can't wait. But I have to help my wife get a deer before I do. She just started hunting last year and I got her on a nice little 7 ptr last year she missed. She is a good shot at the range, but on deer she takes too much time. With bucks, you don't have time. Fortunately that same buck came out the next evening and I dropped him with my .30-06. :D

So this year I have to really get her on one. My goal is to get her enough confidence so she can hunt from the blind in the field and I can go to my stand in the woods. Then we will have more area covered.

She is using a TC Encore Pro Hunter and I am using a Knight Revolution. Both with 100 gr Pyrodex pellets, Hornady SST 250 gr bullets and Pyrodex shotgun primers.

Good luck everyone. Post pics if you get one.

This is the first season that I have not gotten at least one deer with my Xbow, so I am definitely looking forward to BP opening season tomorrow. I think the bucks are starting to search out the does so things should be picking up. I was sighting in my Traditions Pursuit this past weekend and the trigger mechanism quit working on me. It has a horrendous trigger pull anyways. I shot three rounds and then the firing pin stopped setting off the primer. I knew I would not have enough time to get it fixed and back to the range, so I bought a CVA magnum wolf, switched my Leupold over from the Traditions and dialed it in on the same day. I am using the same set up which is a 250gr Barnes TEZ loaded with 110gr of BH209 and a CCI 209M primer. I am going to have the traditions fixed and then have it for a spare gun. Good luck to everyone!

good luck to everyone tomorrow. i hear we are in for some serious wind tomorrow also, not really sure how to set up or which stand to sit in with this wind we are expected to see tomorrow. just hoping that the weather man will be wrong again

VAHunter - I love it the BH209. Not swabbing between shots at the range is a big deal for me, and BH209's non-hydroscopic properties are another HUGE plus. Last year I had the unfortunate experience of having the same load in the gun for 7 straight weeks (read - no deer to shoot at and did lots of hunting) and it went bang when I fired it after the season closed.

Ohboy - Aren't they calling for 11 mph winds? That's not so bad, IMO. If you can't stand being in the treestand, it's a perfect time to get down and still hunt. The wind will help conceal your movement and your sound.

If any of you haven't checked out the Blackpowder subforum here, I suggest you do so. Lots of knowledgeable folks there, and lots of quirky banter. And the subject of BH209 comes up, oh...I dunno...just about every day. :D

I'm so pumped and looking forward to the next three weeks. I've got a great season lined up and have been anticipating this all year long. I have the next three weeks off and the guys I hunt with have finally found that overhunting certain stands is not the way to go. So our great stands will be great when they are supposed to be. I talked my brother in law into trying hunting this year and he is pumped and taking a few weeks off with me. My goal this year is to get him a deer. If you read my sig line, I'm hunting with the Savage ML-10. It's one of the only ML's that will allow you to shoot smokeless powder along with a real .45 or .50 Caliber bullet. Every deer I have ever shot with that gun has never ran more than 20 yds, it is a pure DKM. OK, enough ranting. Good luck everyone.

VA

Can't get out until Monday but I have M-W off so I'm excited as well. I broke down and bought a new BP rifle this summer and can't wait to fire it at a live target! Good luck everyone getting out on Saturday!

Weather report looks good. I like a little wind in my face while hunting. I'm hunting down in Henry county.

Good luck to all Va hunters in the am........i'll be out in Bedford County with my summit viper climber, T/C Omega, 105grs loose pyrodex select an a 250gr Barnes xpander........let the smoke roll....and plz be safe..

Here we go................................

Ok Folks, how did everyone do today?

I saw 17 (14 does and 3 bucks) and got 2! One was a buck with 4 points on one side and 4 (and a nub) points on the other; about a 16 inch spread. He was not huge, but looked really good. This is a better than fair buck for these parts. Although, I have seen some huge deer in the pre-season and post season, I have yet to see anyone around here take one of these big boys. The second one was a BIG doe; she was huge!

I took them with a CVA Accura (ver. 1), 100 grains Pyrodex, and T/C Surefire Sabots (230 grain). Yup the cheapies! The doe was shot at 25 yards and the buck at 35 yards. In both cases the shot was a pass through. The doe ran about 40 yards before crashing. I didn't see the crash, but I did hear it. The buck dropped in his tracks. He thrashed for about 30 seconds then it was "good night Irene!" I probably could have shot two more, but I was not looking forward to processing deer all night long.

It was an awesome day! The weather was cold, but not bitter. The sun came up and all was well.

This report comes from Lovettsville,VA.

smoked a 4 pt in central virginia with Accura (V1), 90 grains 777 pellets, .240 XTP. Such a great shooting rifle with this load. Early AM before the wind started. He had his nose to ground moving swiftly. I'm 4 for 4 with this setup and load. Hope to do it again this week, I need to dust off the Omega Z5 and pop one. I love shooting that gun as well.

Saw four does......seemed like they were everywhere. Hunted in a stand til 8am then stalked some. with the wet leaves and wind, it allowed me to get close to three. No harvests......gotta get back out soon....

Saw 2 does and 1 button head.

I underdressed (it was WAY colder than I thought it would be!!) so I only lasted till 1100. Saw a doe (no shot) and a forkhorn that passed under my stand that I let pass.

Hunting with an Omega X7 with 110gr BH209 and Speer DCHP .44 cal 240 grain.

I shot a big six pointer yesterday. Came in with his nose to the ground cruising. He had a broken point and an ear ripped right down the middle from base to tip. Definitely some pre-rut fighting and chasing going on now.



Mitch

Stuck indoors with a cold or something. Hopefully, Tuesday I will be out for blood. LOL!

I got my wife into deer hunting last year and she missed a nice little 7 ptr one evening with here TC Encore Pro Hunter. Fortunately I got that same deer the next evening with my .30-06. :D

Saturday evening we were at it again in a different area near my FIL's where a farmer has put in a nice rye field. There have been sightings of a nice 8 and 10 ptr there. We setup a blind along the fence where we could cover most of the field. Her dad sat in the upstairs window of an old house nearby to watch. He has never deer hunted with his daughter (my wife) and wanted to watch.

We watched 2 does trickle out of the woods and browse around. One doe was skittish and left but the other browsed for 20 minutes or so. Soon after it left, 2 more crossed the fence about 75 yards from us but they seemed nervous about the blind and quickly went back the way they came. I haven't had deer react to my blind before so I don't know what happened.

Finally, just before the sun hit the horizon, a nice 6 ptr stepped out. I am guessing he was a 6 as I never scoped him. He came directly out of the direction of the sun so he was hard to see at first. He worked his way around about 75 yards away and stood broadside. I told my wife to shoot when she was ready. She doesn't know what happened, but she missed again. :( I thought for sure she had him this time. I got him in the scope of my Knight as he ran and I grunted as he hit the woods. He stopped and gave me a shot at about 125 yards, but my wife wasn't ready for me to shoot so I let him go.

My wife was really disappointed and upset that she let me and her father down but we have both missed deer and will miss again someday. Her dad was really excited just to see her get a shot. But she really enjoyed the hunt and said it seemed like one of those hunting shows I am always watching. :) How often do you get to sit in a blind and watch deer move in and out of the area and then get a shot? For me, not too often so I really enjoyed it.

I put the blind up in the field near my house and expect that she will get another shot in the coming weeks. I certainly hope so because I have to get her a deer before I can get one for myself. ;)

Long story on how I got this guy. But will give the quick cliff notes. He was my #1 hitlist for bow season. first time in the woods with my smokepole and he shows up in the daytime. But I was on the ground walking out to leave and jumped a doe. I flanked her and was actually after her. Never knew he was there. I was using my call to make her think the bush she just saw move was a friendly bush. :biggrin: He was hot and bothered and called him in with my tru talker to just a hair over 20 yards, and there was loud bang. Curiousty killed the buck.

I actually slept in for the morning hunt and didn't order my license till 2pm. Shot him 3 1/2 hrs later.

Wow, sounds like a few of you had a great day! Congrats on the bagged deer.

I hunted all day Saturday in a climbing stand at Pocahontas State Park. The wind switch directions on me after the sun came up (was perfect before then), so I think that screwed up my hunt. Had a nice, wide buck come in from behind me (downwind) and turn around and trot off the other way (tail down). A couple hours later had a very big doe come in from behind me and run up the treeline with her tail down as well. She was only 5 yards behind me but never had a good angle and she moved thru there very quickly. I think they both winded me but not to the point where they were spooked…just enough that they didn’t want to be around. I saw a really nice buck (looked like a 10) on the wood’s edge of the hollow, but he never came in.

Next time…

Keeper,

That's a good looking buck!!! Congrats!!

VA

Thanks guys. I am now in search of the new #1 on my hitlist.. If I get a chance to take him I will. Got a bunch of younger bucks on the property but want to see what they turn into in a few yrs. Got plenty of doe also and some nice mature doe that will fill my meat needs.

I am not a horn hunter, but figure I would give them little guys and girls a chance to at least live 4 or 5 yrs. Have let my fair share pass on this property, I like deer hunting but want something to hunt next yr also. :)

Saw 3 foxes, a dozen squirrels, 7 does, a coyote that I tried to shoot but he was running. I hollared at him & he stopped 80 yds. out but was behind a bunch of brush, turns out that it was a good thing I didn't have a shot as I took a nice 11 pointer 30 min. later at 10:30 a.m. dogging 2 does that should score in the mid-130s.

Great looking buck. Good to hear things are starting to heat up! I'm off starting on the 10th of November and don't have to be back to work until the 21st. With the full moon, I plan to try some midday hunts....can't wait!

We need pics.