Great day to practice for the Bowling Pin Shoot

Hi,

The weather has been unseasonable warm the past few days.  I took advantage of it, and went shooting Wednesday.

Bowling Pin matches begin in March.  I cannot wait : )  I've had a lot of fun at the matches, and I've met some very nice people. There are several ladies from a local shooting club that show up for most matches.  It is fun to discuss weapons, shooting techniques, optics, and hunting with them.
 
My shooting on Wednesday was very good.  I could only hope my time on the pins will be as good as it was in practice.  I was taking down 6 plates with the .22 Ruger in about 4.05 seconds.  The 9mm is a bit longer because of the recoil and having to reacquire the target after each shot.  I was running around 10.45 seconds.  There is just something intimidating about shooting in front of a group and with the timer person standing next to me, that makes me nervous. I think about what I will feel like when I miss, what the crowd may say, things that don't really matter but they play on my mind.   Then I think too much about some of the things that do matter like will I bring the gun up quick enough when the buzzer goes off, will I assume I hit a target and move to the next, then come back for any I miss. All kinds a thoughts in a split second that hamper my speed.

I've decided in this years practice to do drills on the first shot.  I have my husband call out the ready command and beep, I raise the gun from the ready position and shoot the first target.  Then repeat until I feel comfortable, and ready to shoot with out all of other cluttering thoughts.  Muscle repetition is what I hear this is called. We'll see.

I'll let you know how it goes after the first match of 2013.
Taker care, good shooting and good hunting.
M.

A little bit of target shooting

Hi,

Hunting season is over!

I was out this morning in the fog and mist to pistol shoot.  I need to start practicing for the Bowling Pin matches that start the second weekend in March.  I shot a .22 cal Ruger SR22.  Very nice.  I was happy with my shooting at the metal plates.  I am practicing on speed of shots between targets.  Moving the gun to the next target, bringing the gun under control after a shot (which is very easy with a .22 cal) and shooting accurately.  Later I will work on bringing the gun for the ready position (barrel on the table) to the first target, acquiring the target and shooting.  This motion is where I find I need the most work on, which will being down my overall time.  I will have to decide which of my .22 to use for the matches.

I also shot my husbands newest revolver.  The 7 shot .357 S&W.  It is very accurate.  I had a good time shooting it single action.  When I tried the double action pull, I felt that the trigger sat to far forward.  My finger did not sit fulling on the trigger pull.  Bruce had no problem with the double action and was kidding me about my complaint.  Well!  he's got a bigger hand, what can I say??  Plus it is his gun.  I am not worried.

Take care, good shooting and good hunting.
M.

Last day of the deer season

Hi;

Well the final day of deer hunting for us arrived last Saturday.  The weather was a little warmer than I might have liked, but okay, no breeze and partly cloudy.  We got to the property around 2 pm.  I went off to the front woods and got up in the stand. I've seen deer in this area almost every time I've been hunting there.  Unfortunalty today was one of the off days.  I did see plenty of squirrels and a fox.  Nice looking bushy tailed red fox.  My season ended this year with a good size doe, a 4 point and a really nice 8 point buck.  I am very happy with my success this year.

My husband took his dad to two spots to hunt today.  First was at a creek bed with lots of bramble and cover.  As they walked to the spot, there was a deer.  Bruce pointed it out to his dad.   Jim saw it, then raised his rifle.  He could not find the deer in the scope.  The deer walked off.  Frustration!  Later they moved over into a cow field with several islands of trees and bramble. They got within 30 yards of the island they wanted to stand in when Bruce saw a big doe in that island staring at them.  They stopped.  Jim could not see the deer.  Bruce is trying desperately to point out the deer, yet not make to much noise or movement.  The deer is broad side to the two of them, head turned to watch them both.  Again, Jim could not get the deer in the scope of the gun.  That was it for Jim's hunting season.  No deer.  We are going to have to figure out why Jim could not see the deer in the scope, so he can be ready for next season.

My husband had a really good year.  He took 6 does and 3 nice bucks.  He's happy.

We were able to give venison to many friends and to Hunters for the Hungry, plus stock our own freezer for the next year.

Now I will be working on my trap shooting and bowling pin shooting.  The trap team shoot starts in April, and the monthly Bowling Pin shoot starts in March.  I am looking forward to both.

Take care, good hunting and good shooting,
M.

Not many hunting days left this season

Hi,

We are still trying to get my father-in-law a deer.  A few days ago we tried again.  My husband took his dad to a location where we have seen deer every time we've been there.  He was standing right beside a thicket. We expected the deer to come up or down the small valley to his right.  Bruce left Jim and walked over to where he wanted to hunt. I went to the front woods hoping to kick up a few deer and have them run Jim's way.

Bruce on his walk to the tree stand did kick up several deer, which ran towards Jim, but no shots were fired by Jim. Bruce got up in the tree stand and settled in for the afternoon.  Around 4pm 3 yearlings and 4 big does came into Bruce's view.  The little ones played around while the big ones bedded down.  Bruce could just see the head of one of the bedded deer, the rest were out of sight.  So, he waited. This was the same location that Jim had hunted four times this year.

In the mean time, I jumped up one doe which ran to the fence on the property line.  It would have been about a 160 yd shot, which I could do, but I just knew the deer would run onto the neighbors property where I would not be allowed to retrieve it.  I watched as she turned away from me and trotted down the fence line out of sight.  I found a nice tree to stand by and surveyed a small valley and hill side about 100 yards inside the tree line of the woods.  Nice spot.  Now I just waited for the big one to come by.

Bruce's deer finally got up and started milling around, then walking diagonally right to left, away from Bruce.  While he was waiting for them to get up, he ranged the bedded deer.  They were about 130 yards away.  Bruce watched the first big doe walk through a clear spot.  The second doe walked into the clear spot.  It was a bit bigger.  Bruce shot and it went straight down. Nice shot!  Now for the surprise. The third doe walked right by the dead doe.  It did not look at the dead doe, it did not run from the sound of the shot, or have any reaction.  It was as if Bruce had not shot at all.  Then the three small deer came prancing by the downed doe, and they did not care that the doe was lying there.  Very odd.  The bunch of deer did not run until Bruce was down out of the tree stand and started walking over to the doe.  Of course they ran in Jim's direction.

Jim did not see any of those deer.

I talked to Bruce on the radio to find out what he shot.  Knowing he had a big doe down, let me feel okay about not shooting a doe today.  We are giving this deer to a friend.  About 10 minutes after talking to Bruce, I had three deer come by at about 80 yards. An okay size and two small does.  I put the binoculars on them to verify that they were or were not shooters today.  In my opinion they get to live another day.  I was surprised to even see them as they came from Jim's direction.  I thought he surely should have seen them and shot.  But, no, he did not see them.  Oh well.

Jim did see three does.  He watched them for over half an hour, just willing them to step on our hunting property.  They must has some sixth sense, because they would come close to the property line, then turn. They'd come back and turn again. He soooo wanted them to cross over the line.  What a frustrating day.  Reminds me of my last hunt were the deer just would not cross over the line.

We have one more hunting day this season.  I'll let you know if Jim get a deer this year.

Take care, good hunting and good shooting.
M.

Fun on the ATV

Hi,

We were at our property for a few days this past week.  Mainly we were there to cut trails for our ATV.  Several months back, in full summer mode, we cut some paths in the woods. Starting with the easy routes first.  Over the summer, for the first time ever, many weeds sprung up in the woods.  This was due to much more sunshine reaching the ground after we had timbering done. We really did not want to wade in waist high thick weeds to cut trails.  You know, snakes, poison ivy and other bad things lurks in that kind of stuff.  Now that the growth has died back we got in there and cut some more trails. It was a lot of work, cutting downed trees that were in our way, moving limbs, and clipping the small trees, but it's done and we have our first nice trail to ride on.

Of course, after cutting trails, we spent a few hours hunting deer.  In this particular county it is still bucks only.  I saw 6 does.  My husband saw 5 does.  They were fun to watch as they meandered around looking for acorns.  They were in no hurry.  I had many minutes to watch them as they came into sight then walk out of sight.  No bucks!  Well, with all the work we wanted to get done on the ATV trails I guess that not shooting a deer is okay.

My husband (tongue in cheek) has called me "Lead foot on the ATV".  As you will see in the attached video, I actually run through the woods pretty slow.  Someday I may get used to the ATV and really rip up the trails. Until then I am happy putting around at my own slow speed.  At the beginning of the video Bruce had to locate me, then he followed my ride on the ATV.

Enjoy the video.

Take care, good hunting and good shooting

M.

Still trying to get a deer for my father-in-law

Hi,

Both my husband and I have taken several deer this year, but my father-in-law has yet to get one in the cross hairs.  Yesterday we went hunting at the farm.  Over the past several weeks when we have arrived at the farm we have seen deer in the cow field, all the other fields have horses in them.  Any way, my husband took his dad over to the cow field, hoping to get a shot.  They walked over from our parking spot, through some woods, then on the high side of a horse field, edging up to the cow pasture.  The fence line of the cow pasture is thick with bramble, small trees, and good cover.  They crossed over into the field.  At that point there were no deer to be seen, so they were going to set up in the cover and wait.  The cows had a different plan.  Upon seeing people ie; food providers, they all came over to where the guys were standing.  The cows could not be persuaded to move. After 10 minutes of this nonsense, Bruce and Jim moved on to another area of the property.  Jim staked out a triangle of woods, very near a pond.  But, again, no luck for Jim.  No deer today.

I saw about 12 doe's on my walk through the woods to a tree stand.  Carefully I edged up to a tree to use as a rest, and cover.  I had to wait for the deer to cross over to our property before I could shoot.  After 45 minutes of watching, glassing and waiting, the deer finally ambled off deeper into the neighbors property.  So, my luck was not good today.  Same could be said for my husband.  He jumped up a heard of deer, which ran away for him through thick stuff, never to be seen again.

The weather was perfect, the moon phase was perfect, the deer were not cooperating.  Just another day of enjoying the great outdoors, not a bad consolation prize at all.

Enjoy, good hunting and good shooting.
M.

Almost a 4 point Whitetail.

Hi
Yesterday, in the wind (25mph) and cold I, my husband and father-in-law braved the elements in an afternoon hunt.  We figured that the deer would be bedded down and hanging tight due to the wind.  So, a few drives might kick up some deer.  The first drive, my husband walked through some brambles along a creek and into a thicket area.  Jim and I were standing at the other end of the thicket.  There were no deer there after all.  Which we found unusual because it is a very good place for deer to be bedded, and we've seen them they earlier this season.  Oh, well.  On to another spot.  As Jim and I were walking to the fence were we would meet up with Bruce, Bruce kicked up several deer, very near the area he had just walked through.  The deer are really sitting tight. I saw the deer (Jim did not), but they were to far all and running at full tilt.
Bruce met up with us.  Jim went over to his usual spot for the last 2 hours of the day.  Bruce and I planned on walking in the woods, close to where Jim was.  The plan was for us to kick up deer and hope that they would go by Jim.  We only saw one doe, and it did run over to where Jim was.  You know how deer can change direction on a dime.  We never heard Jim shoot, so we assumed the doe did not make it as far as Jim's stand.
At that point there was about an hour left until sunset.  I got up in the same tree stand where I shot the muzzle loader and took down an 8 pointer.  I thought it felt lucky to go there again.  Bruce walked up the the front field to see what was going on there - nothing - then he got up in the tree stand where I shot my doe on the opening day of muzzle loader.
About 40 minutes into my stand hunt a deer came walking down the hill to my right. It was browsing, and it was on next doors property.  Because it was walking slowly I was able to set up some lines of sight where if the buck came through that path I would have a clear shot.  I waited.  It started to veer off behind me and to my right.  Once the buck was behind several trees I had to stand up and turn around.  This left me without a rest.  I am a pretty good shot without a rest, so I was not concerned.  The buck crossed over on to my hunting property.  It jumped a fallen tree and started walking at an angle toward me, then turn to my right.  At this point I had a very good opening to take a shot at it's lower right shoulder.  One shot, pow, and the deer went straight down.  I was so happy.  I was even prouder of my shot, right where I placed it!  Now the hard part, gutting and dragging.

Once Bruce was in his tree stand he only saw 1 squirrel.  Over all though he saw a total of 15 deer.
Jim, again, saw nothing.  We really need to work on getting Jim in front of a deer.

I'll let you know what happens.
Take care, good hunting and good shooting.
M.