Finally! Shaman Scores a Buck

For the first time in a week, the Shamanic Dream Team went afield this morning with reasonably good weather. From Sunday to Friday it was cold (about 15 degrees below normal) and wet. Along the way we have had to face rain, drizzle, graupel, freezing rain, driving rain, snow and sleet. We had to evacuate deer camp on Thursday after an ice storm knocked out the power and threatened to close the roads. The second Saturday of season found us pretty well wet and demoralized. Angus got called into work. SuperCore has barely seen a deer. I had seen a few, but nothing I wanted to shoot.

I have been hunkered down at Midway most of the week. It at least affords some protection from the biting wind– oh, did I mention the wind? Yeah, we had wind too. I have been leaving a good deal of my gear out at Midway just so it wouldn’t get wet going back and forth.

This morning, I slogged out to the blind, peeled the mud off my boots and then bundled up. It was 38F– warmest it has been in days. I was able to open up both sides of the blind for a change; I’ve been leaving the north window closed to fend off the wind. The first hour was a complete nothing.

I had a cup of coffee around 0800 and settled back in. No sooner had I sat back down when a doe came up on the east side of the blind and snorted. She was so close she sounded like she was inside the blind. Normally, I would have been upset. I saw this as a good sign. This was the best action I had experienced all week.

I had just put my coffee cup down when I spied the buck. Normally, I would have glassed him a bit before making up my mind, but at this point I figured anything beyond a spike was fair game. He was looking my way, but I still got the Mauser From Hell up and jacked in a load. I had seen a 4 pointer on Sunday and let him pass by me at Hollywood. I was beginning to regret that decision.

Last year, if you remember, I found out too late that the original safety on the old K98 worked, but not so easily with a gloved hand. Fumbling with it caused me grief on a nice doe out at Hollywood. I have been carrying the MFH almost exclusively this season, but rather than risk another foul-up, I’ve been leaving a cold chamber. The buck lost interest in the blind just as I got a round of 8mm into the chamber. I put the barrel out the window and took aim.

I barely felt the new Timney trigger as it broke. At 130 yards the 175 grain roundnosed Speer hit the buck in a perfect high shoulder shot. I expected him to run into the woods, but instead he just disappeared. A second or so later I saw a hoof come up above the grass. There was no need to cycle another round.

I radioed SuperCore, who was out at Jagende Hutte. He offered to drive out with the S-10, but I told him to continue hunting. After checking the buck out, I walked back and got the Silverado and the L-E-Vator and slid my way back out through the buck. By the time SuperCore finally made it in at 1100, I had him dress out and hanging.

We dropped the deer at Lennoxburg, stayed around for coffee and pie and then drove back. We’ll both be back out this afternoon.

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