Thanks fellas....and Awright Pappy I will try to keep the story short BUT, as y'all know, that's awfully tough to do with any hunt'n, fish'n or using a knife(Randall) story. Perhaps we need another thread like...."Long Winded Fish'n, Hunt'n, Knif'n Stories."
My hunting education began with still-hunting skills.....learning to walk as silently as possible, about 15-40 steps, melt into a tree, listen & look...repeat. The days always begin sitting in pitch dark until 30-45 mins. past grey and end similarly....in reverse....always entering & leaving in darkness. It's worked well for my enjoyment in the forests. Never knew it'd absolutely be that way at this age, can't stand to sit or stand long but slow walking's great....& I'm thankful.
First started handgun hunting in '95, TC's, a Ruger 44, & a S&W 629 (love that gun). This is my first time with my new Glock 10mm. Both it & the Smith wear red-dots so that I KNOW anything the dots on out to 100 yd. is going down hard....& my preference is inside 60-75.
Saw nothing at dawn except crows & started walking when they started gathering.I'd walked over 5 spread out, very fresh (pawed & wet) scrapes, watched 7 does & one 6" spike during the day without spooking any. Circled downwind & back to where I could sit on my rubber lawnmower inner tube (ahhhh), back against a loaded white oak, 50 mins. before dark, between the two freshest scrapes; daypack with sweatshirt & "stuff" (all soft & quiet) across my knees for a soft/solid pistol rest.....all comfortable, and.......Nodded dead out. Woke with a start 4 mins. later to watch a larger (body & rack; HUGE) buck than I nailed eating acorns between 100-125 yds. out....in woods & brush. Grunted him, noticed & could care less & slowly fed further & further away. I'm so glad I still feel my heart & adrenaline go up.
Sleepy no more, 15 min. until dark, pretty sure I was done, spotted through a greenbrier thicket this moving pile of brush on my buck's head. No possible shot & feeding around....getting darker....decided to grunt. His head popped up, looked directly my way & started walking steady at me.....kept straight on until 50 yds. out, head-on. Had held green-dot on him ever since first sighting....whistled....he turned broadside, faster walking, whistled again, he froze, perfect heartshot & dropped, kicked, down. I stepped off 43 steps to see shot through buck. The 10mm (180 gr. Nosler JHP;9.7gr. Blue dot) performed great with zero steps, quickly downed deer. The two knives used in the woods also did great (as usual); grandpa's Treebrand stockman for the privates & glands & the Perry Miller supplied #8-Old Style to open him up & roll out the innards.
Thank God for the two strong young bucks with 4wheelers only a phone call away who both say they "owe me forever."
Apologize for the length, BUT, this was the short version. I hope we all get to read others' stories & see pics. Darn.....forgot to add knife pics. Later??