Saw no deer within range during the regular season. The only one way out across a marsh way too far to shoot for me. All other deer had been at night.
Late ML season opened a week ago and since I was seeing a few doe, yearling and fawn on camera late in the day, I decided to get a ML license (I carried a ML the entire regular season to no avail).
So today at 3:20 I was in my stand watching a trail to the north. A little before 4 I thought I saw a flicker of movement through the thick 3 year old Aspen. A little after 4 I saw 2 young deer moving my direction through the trees. I got my rifle up, pointed that direction and cocked, then waited. Finally the closer one came to the edge of a gap in the trees about 15 yards away and I fired. Both took off, but the one I shot at was not moving normally. I got out of my stand, reloaded and went to where she was when I shot. It was snowing but would be no trouble following the blood trail, it was like a non-stop spray from a garden hose out to the right of tracks. She did not go far, just 73 yards, but unfortunately down my steepest hill to a tamarack swamp in the corner of my property. I slid my way down tree by tree and found her a short distance out onto the flat swamp bottom.
Evelyn the .54 jaeger had done the job. The .530 RB with .020 neatsfoot lubed patch driven by 80 gr FFg went in the right side of her neck and out the left side, just nicking the front shoulder muscles. Must have cut the artery to spray blood like she did.
Small but will be tasty.
