N Ga Mt Deer Hunt- Opening Day Blackpowder

Finally made it out to do some deer hunting. Got back to our place in the N GA Mountains Thursday. Missed the whole month of bow season this year. I spent Friday morning scouting the better part of our 30 acres. Last time we were here in August I was encouraged by more sign than what I’ve seen the past couple years. Unfortunately all that activity appears to have dried up. Couldn’t even find any fresh rubs. Picked a likely spot and hung my stand.
Settled in to my stand at 6:40 this morning with my muzzle-loader. The squirrels kept me on my toes from first light until about 8:00 when I saw some movement. Spent the next 15 minutes watching 8 turkey work on by about 40 yards away and moving up to the toward the top of the ridge. At about 8:45 I saw movement about 70 yards away at the top of the ridge. Looked like 3 or 4 coming from the WMA adjacent to our property line. Woods are pretty thick, no leaves have dropped yet, and I had limited clear shots as the moved parallel to and along the top of the ridge. Couldn’t get a shot off though because the couple times I had them in my sights they were silhouetted against the sky beyond the ridge. Didn’t want to risk missing and sending lead over the top of the ridge. After a few minutes one of them must have seen me moving around trying to find a position to get a better shot. They blew a few times and then bounced off back toward where they had come from. One may have been a spike or small 4 but I never raised my binoculars. Headed back to the cabin at about 11:00 after seeing no more.
Got back in the tree at 3:30. At 5:00 I saw another, this time moving West to East along the same ridge. I had the same problem though and was a silhouette against the sky. I was about 70-80 yards down the side of the hill. No safe shot...
Climbed down about an hour before sundown and moved my stand up the hill. Will try again in the morning. Hoping it isn’t raining because I’m not as dedicated as I used to be...

 

Woke up about an hour before my alarm and checked weather. Looked like rain would hit right about sunrise... almost went back to bed. Missed a month of hunting season already so decided to tough it out and go. Rummaged around and dug up the hood for my coat. Could hear rain on roof by the time I got out of shower. Almost got back in bed.
Light rain stopped as I was hiking to my stand but the wind picked up. At least I wouldn’t be sitting in the rain but I rarely see deer on windy days either... At 7:30, legal shooting light but sun not quite up, I was hearing an odd click/chirp sound. As I’m turning my head to figure out where the sound is coming from I turned right to look toward the ridge and see something big coming right at me. I say “$hit” as I bring both arms up to cover my face. A huge owl gliding in expands his wings as his lower body swings forward toward me, stopping mid-air about 6’ from my face. Wings started flapping while it sort of hovered there for I’m sure was much more brief than it seemed, then turned right and landed in a tree about 15 yards away. While it stared and bobbed its head at me I dug around trying to find my phone to take a pic. About the time I pulled out the camera it took off and glided down the hill for something I suppose now looked tastier than my nose. I had one a few years ago come in to a tree right next to me and then fly from one tree to the next as he circled me and checked things out. Never had one come so close that I thought half my face was about to be peeled off though.
The rest of the morning was uneventful and I didn’t see any deer. No deer for the afternoon hunt either. Still blowing 8-9mph. Hopefully it will die down by morning.

 

I’m just enjoying some cool weather for a change.

 

Well, still at it and still no success. Have been out each morning this week with the exception of Wednesday.
Monday I had one walk by me less than 20 yards away but was only 7:20 and still dark in the thick woods. Unmistakable sound of deer caughtiously moving through a step or two at a time. Never could make it out. My friend the owl was back and sat it a nearby tree watching me for a while.
Tuesday I saw nothing but my buddy the owl. He flew to several nearby trees watching me and then made it to one 10 feet away. I even waved my arms back and forth in front of me and he just stared. Maybe trying to convince himself that he could take me.
Thursday at about 8:40 I had one come in behind me from the North-East but I didn’t see or hear it until it started blowing at me. Must have seen my movement. I had just sat back down after peeing... I knew I should have held it a little longer... Aaaagh! Earlier I watched my buddy the owl knock a squirrel out of a tree and roll around on the ground with it. Flew back to a branch and repeated tackling the squirrel about 3 more times. Each time squirrel would be left on ground but never running far or getting in cover. Then in the middle of that the owl sees me and stops paying attention to the squirrel. Weird. Decide to move my stand back down the hill and over toward the edge of a laurel thicket that has always been a good spot with them crossing through from different directions.
Friday I’m in my new spot and waiting quietly by 6:30. At 7:40 one came out 30 yards above me and angling down toward me. Could hear it but not see. Then I saw legs. Moving extremely cautious. One step and would wait a long time and kind of tap foot a few times at each step. Never saw body or head after 10 minutes of slowly moving only about 10 yards it was about to be in a clear broadside shot. Wind was blowing from NorthWest and it was North of me. Hadn’t moved a muscle or made any noise and all of a sudden it blew and ran up the hill to the NorthEast. It stayed there blowing and carrying on for about 15 minutes, slowing moving away until I didn’t hear it any more. Couldn’t figure out how it had seen me and then 5-10 minutes later I heard something on my opposite side down the hill below me. Another one coming straight up the hill... it must have spooked the first. It also was very cautiously moving up South to North. I lined up and was going to have another broadside shot at about 30 yards once it moved another 10 feet. Still couldn’t see head. Finger on trigger and then a huge branch decides to fall out of a tree behind me! Deer spooks and runs back down hill in to the thick stuff. aaaaaagh! 30 minutes later I see another coming straight toward me from the west. Still in thick stuff. Before it gets to a clear shot it turns 90 degrees and heads straight up the hill. Can’t get a shot. Several minutes later I can see two of them right at the top of the ridge about 100 yards off. Too many branches to make out what they are... I figure the first one changed directions to meet-up with the other at the top of the ridge.
At least it was an active morning and had my heart pumping good. I’ll give it one more try this afternoon with the smoke pole. Then it’s the back to buck-only when firearm season opens Saturday. Or I can carry my bow and have the either sex option if I can get one close enough.

 

It’s fun just getting out and relaxing in the cool weather watching the critters. I do need to put at least one deer in the freezer this year though.
I came down at 7:10 this evening. Right when I put my foot on the ground I saw movement about a 100 yards off toward my cabin. I watched for a few minutes and eventually saw a tail go up and one go bouncing off over the hill. Not sure if it had already moved East past me in the thick stuff below me, or was coming West. Even if it was coming toward me it would have been too dark for my old eyes to see by the time it got in range. Spot I’m in really only gives clear shooting lanes of 30 yards. I can see a little farther in most directions but any shots would be through brush or branches that I won’t do. Probably why I’ll just go back to carrying a bow for this spot.