MCgunner
Member
What a BEAUTIFUL morning! God blessed us with awesome weather, high 50s, clear sky. The moon is a declining half moon and was out. Didn't have to use my head lamp to walk to my ladder stand out back.
I settled in and pulled the gun rest down as I'm shooting a crossbow. About 15 minutes before dawn, I'm hearing movement behind me, then I see an adult deer, believe it was a buck, might have been that shooter 8 point, but I couldn't see it well enough to see horns in the shadows of the trees in the moonlight. I mean, he was just below my stand, me 12 feet over him. He hopped some brush and moved on. He's been coming out in the evening after 7, so maybe he'll be back this afternoon.
So, I sat there enjoying nature to the max. I need to get back there and chase squirrels more. Squirrels were everywhere. There was one on the tree next to me about 15 feet away trying to make out what I was. I was in my leafy camo with my face mask/boony hat on. I had my little NAA .22 in my pocket and could have laid him out with it. It would have been my first squirrel with that gun. I've taken a half dozen or so rabbits with it and numerous night time pests over the years, but never a squirrel, but being the prime time of the morning for deer movement, I didn't bother. I just sat there and watched him. There were squirrels in trees all around me, some out in my woods barking, amazing what you'll see if you sit still for long enough. LOL Even saw a rabbit hop across the fence about 50 yards off. Lots of rabbits out there. The owls were talking, crows flew and had I had a shotgun, I could have killed a half dozen of 'em.
Anyway, it was SO nice out this morning, even though I didn't score, I thoroughly enjoyed it and had to post. I love this place, don't have much of it, but it is just FULL of game. It's like sitting in church marveling at the creator's handiwork when I'm back there. Didn't have to fire up the thermocell, either, skeeters weren't that bad. I did learn that I don't wanna use that gun rest. I can rest my elbow on the hand rail of the seat on the stand and get REAL steady and with the gun rest out of the way, I can move a LOT easier. Had that deer come by after light, I couldn't have maneuvered on it easily enough. He was probably 10-12 feet away. I'm going to go to my backyard range and see where I need to hold at 10-15 feet. That could be some good info right there if I get THAT close and can shoot.
So, not only did I enjoy the morning, but I learned something. This was my very first day on stand with a crossbow. I'm deadly off hand out to 40 yards with the thing, not sure why I thought I needed the gun rest. LOL I mean, I don't intend to take a shot past 30 yards, anyway.
I settled in and pulled the gun rest down as I'm shooting a crossbow. About 15 minutes before dawn, I'm hearing movement behind me, then I see an adult deer, believe it was a buck, might have been that shooter 8 point, but I couldn't see it well enough to see horns in the shadows of the trees in the moonlight. I mean, he was just below my stand, me 12 feet over him. He hopped some brush and moved on. He's been coming out in the evening after 7, so maybe he'll be back this afternoon.
So, I sat there enjoying nature to the max. I need to get back there and chase squirrels more. Squirrels were everywhere. There was one on the tree next to me about 15 feet away trying to make out what I was. I was in my leafy camo with my face mask/boony hat on. I had my little NAA .22 in my pocket and could have laid him out with it. It would have been my first squirrel with that gun. I've taken a half dozen or so rabbits with it and numerous night time pests over the years, but never a squirrel, but being the prime time of the morning for deer movement, I didn't bother. I just sat there and watched him. There were squirrels in trees all around me, some out in my woods barking, amazing what you'll see if you sit still for long enough. LOL Even saw a rabbit hop across the fence about 50 yards off. Lots of rabbits out there. The owls were talking, crows flew and had I had a shotgun, I could have killed a half dozen of 'em.
Anyway, it was SO nice out this morning, even though I didn't score, I thoroughly enjoyed it and had to post. I love this place, don't have much of it, but it is just FULL of game. It's like sitting in church marveling at the creator's handiwork when I'm back there. Didn't have to fire up the thermocell, either, skeeters weren't that bad. I did learn that I don't wanna use that gun rest. I can rest my elbow on the hand rail of the seat on the stand and get REAL steady and with the gun rest out of the way, I can move a LOT easier. Had that deer come by after light, I couldn't have maneuvered on it easily enough. He was probably 10-12 feet away. I'm going to go to my backyard range and see where I need to hold at 10-15 feet. That could be some good info right there if I get THAT close and can shoot.
So, not only did I enjoy the morning, but I learned something. This was my very first day on stand with a crossbow. I'm deadly off hand out to 40 yards with the thing, not sure why I thought I needed the gun rest. LOL I mean, I don't intend to take a shot past 30 yards, anyway.