Holiday Muzzleloader season

[Wolc123]

Who’s going on December 26 ?

 

I’v got all (7) days off of work and I can’t wait, with a buck tag , (3) 9F dmp’s, and an antlerless only bow/ML tag left to fill.  I don’t think there are many bucks left around home, with all of those that my neighbor had on his trail cam pictures, now confirmed slain.  
 

He saw (3) small antlerless deer and missed a big doe (he thinks) on Tuesday night, so hopefully I’ll get a crack at one of those thru the week.  Size of an antlerless deer is unimportant to me.  

I’m planning on (4) hunts, down at my buddies southern tier camp, from Friday evening thru Sunday morning.  He’s got lots of good standing corn down there, tons of does, and a 5 point and a spike buck still hanging around.  I’d be very thankful to fill my antlerless only or my last buck tag down there.  
 

I’ll also hit my parents, at least a couple more times.  They have been seeing a single deer out on the plots over there, every few days.  Not sure if it’s a buck or a doe, but that won’t matter to me, for a while anyhow.  
 

Our meat supply is ok right now, but I should be able to squeeze at least one more average sized deer into our freezers, and my brother in law would certainly appreciate one or two.  He raises beef and makes great jerky with a 50/50 beef venison mix.  
 

I’m planning to hunt all (7) days of the Holiday season or until my (5) remaining tags are punched (slim chance of that happening).  I’m thankful that it looks like there is a bit of a warmup coming next weekend, which will make it a little more comfortable out there.  
 

It will also be nice to have  that above freezing weather, during that week, so that I can do a raw power-washer euro of the 8-pointer that I killed on Tuesday (along with hopefully a 5-pointer or spike from my buddy’s camp).  I’m not sure if he’s 2.6 or 3.6, but I’ll be able to tell, after I blast off the scull.  
 

After I shot that one this Tuesday at sunset, I reloaded, before I went after it.  I removed the breech plug and pushed that load out of my Omega last night.  I want to start the Holiday season with a fresh load.  

I’m sticking with my Omega, at least until my 2nd buck tag is filled. It hit within 3/4” of where I wanted it to, on that 8-pointer at 120 yards, on Tuesday.    After that, I’d like to try and get an antlerless deer with my old Traditions “Fox River 50” sidelock.  I’ve never managed to bring down a deer with that, but I did decapitate a grey squirrel, that showed up one evening at sunset.  
 

That was back before in-lines and scopes were legalized.  It’s got some nice fiber optic open sights on it and holds a pretty good group at 50 yards with 75 grains of T7 and a green sleeved pistol bullet.  
 

I’ll probably hit my trailer park stand, over at my parents, one more time with my crossbow also.  It’s too close to the double wides to use a ML.  It’s been several years since I’ve got a deer with my crossbow.  I missed the 8-pointer that I blasted on Tuesday night with it, on the last Sunday of crossbow season, in early November.  
 

Im now thankful that I missed him then, because I would have needed to skin him right away and get him into my deer fridge with the temperature in the 70’s.  That works but is a pain, compared to just hanging them hide on in our insulated garage for a week, where he is right now.  Thankfully, Jesus guided my bolt into a corn stalk, which deflected it safely away from him, back in November.  

The holiday ML season is my second favorite time to hunt deer, exceeded only by the early antlerless gun season.  The best thing about the Holiday season, is getting to hunt on weekdays, without having to use too many vacation days.  

Edited December 21, 2024 by Wolc123

[The_Real_TCIII]

Me

[Wolc123]

58 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Me

Are there many bucks left down your way ?  
 

We had a couple of real good ones running around up here this year, but they’ve both cashed out now, along with lots of the smaller ones.  This one bought it on the west side of our block on the last week of gun:

 

This “monster 7” caught an arrow across the road and about a half mile east the same evening his cousin up above got his picture taken, but was not recovered that night.  It was found by the hunter’s mom, while she was out  riding her horse a month later, with nothing left of it but the spine and head:

Edited December 21, 2024 by Wolc123

[Larry]

Yep big ten and a couple of eights and big does I'm just going to hunt behind the house I have to go out at least once I still have a charge in my muzzleloader 

Edited December 21, 2024 by Larry

[Rob-c]

Not the 26 , i have to work 26-27th but then off till the second . 

[Robhuntandfish]

I will probably get out . Not on the 26th as I have to work but prob the weekend.  Like Larry said I've still got a charge in and might as well go once at least and then shoot it off.  

[Swamp_bucks]

I’ll be out, just going to need to really check to make sure I don’t take a shed buck 

[mowin]

Looking forward to it.  Bucks are off limit.  I've got 3 tags.  Hopeful for at least one more.  

Probably have 14+ tags between the entire crew of us.  I'm predicting 6-8 does hitting the ground. 

[Wolc123]

16 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

I’ll be out, just going to need to really check to make sure I don’t take a shed buck 

What’s your worry ?  I think if they shed by January 1, they are likely too weak to survive the winter anyhow, so they would be good ones to take out while you can.  Better you eat them, than coyotes.  
 

 

[GreeneHunter]

I'll be heading out along with my Son ... Crossbow in hand !

[Chef]

I'll be out on the 26th with my son 

[Swamp_bucks]

31 minutes ago, Wolc123 said:

What’s your worry ?  I think if they shed by January 1, they are likely too weak to survive the winter anyhow, so they would be good ones to take out while you can.  Better you eat them, than coyotes.  
 

 

If they have a chance to survive then I’m going to let it walk.  I’ll take a doe for the extra meat if it comes down to the end.  Not enough bucks around here to take a shed buck on purpose unless it’s visibly wounded or sickly. If it’s an accident and I didn’t ID it enough it is what it is.   That buck that shed early may be a buck I want to chase next year if it survives.  They are pretty hardy so I think many make it even if they shed early.

[mowin]

1 hour ago, Wolc123 said:

What’s your worry ?  I think if they shed by January 1, they are likely too weak to survive the winter anyhow, so they would be good ones to take out while you can.  Better you eat them, than coyotes.  
 

 

Won't survive?  That's not even close to accurate.  How are they too weak to survive.  If anything, they have a greater chance at survival because they are strictly in the eating mode, not chasing, which would expend more energy. 

We generally see few dropped bucks during the holiday hunt. We do everything we can to avoid shooting a dropped buck. 

[Wolc123]

42 minutes ago, mowin said:

Won't survive?  That's not even close to accurate.  How are they too weak to survive.  If anything, they have a greater chance at survival because they are strictly in the eating mode, not chasing, which would expend more energy. 

We generally see few dropped bucks during the holiday hunt. We do everything we can to avoid shooting a dropped buck. 

It just seems to me that early drop is a good indicator of weakness based on evidence that I’ve seen and read of.  Not sure if it was this site or the other one, where someone posted a picture of “mercy kill” unicorn buck that they killed during the recently ended late ML season.  That one had one shriveled up back leg, and an obvious severe leg injury.   The remaining antler fell off, when it hit the ground, after taking his shot.

If thats not weakness then I don’t know what is and I think it pretty much helps prove my point.  What evidence do you have that indicates that early drop is not an indicator of weakness ? 
 

 

Edited December 21, 2024 by Wolc123

[mowin]

14 minutes ago, Wolc123 said:

It just seems to me that early drop is a good indicator of weakness based on evidence that I’ve seen and read of.  Not sure if it was this site or the other one, where someone posted a picture of “mercy kill” unicorn buck that they killed during the recently ended late ML season.  That one had one shriveled up back leg, and an obvious severe leg injury.   The remaining antler fell off, when it hit the ground, after taking his shot.

If thats not weakness then I don’t know what is and I think it pretty much helps prove my point.  What evidence do you have that indicates that early drop is not an indicator of weakness ? 
 

 

A injury to a deer is one thing. Very common for those to drop early.

A dropped buck is not necessarily injured.  The loss of testosterone causes shedding.  No hot does, the testosterone drops.  I've watched dozens of dropped bucks over the years.  It's easy to tell a injured deer from a healthy deer. 

Show me proof a healthy buck is more likely to die from weakness if shed in late December.