An aggressive family and work schedule conspired to only provide me with a couple of crabbing opportunities. However, both of these (and both in October) were quite fruitful. One yielded a half bushel, the other a full bushel of nice heavy jimmies. Of course I shared the bushel of jimmies with my favorite crab eating buddy, my 84 year old neighbor Pat Dowling.
So as October faded into November, and November was uncharacteristically chilly on the few days I could get away, I turned my focus toward deer hunting. As I had shifted my deer hunting efforts to Somerset County a couple of years ago, I had finally settled on a location in the Dames Quarter area that I knew was holding a lot of deer that were at least visible at sunset and also perhaps at sunrise. This was public hunting area and part of the Deal Island management area. I'm sure these grounds sustained a lot of pressure on the first day of season and maybe on the 2 Saturdays afterward, but experience told me that it was only lightly hunted during the week. Additionally I knew that if i hunted the far corner of this property that I would have it all to myself, since it was probably about a 1/3 mile walk from the vehicle. No problem for me- I had bought a deer cart last winter and was prepared for a long drag if necessary. So, I hunted this area Monday through Friday of the first full week of season. Actually, Wednesday I had to return home for a family obligation- so I lost a day in the middle. Hunting out of ground blind, the "Out House", I took a shot the second evening at a doe within easy reach for my new scope, around 75-85 yards straight away. Actually I shot twice, and using my new shooting stick. Well, not only did I miss target both times, I also managed to have the scope come back and smack me in the nose both times. The flip-open cap was sitting wrong on the scope and both times it gashed me in the nose. Rather funny to anyone who may have witnessed this, but I believe it broke my nose again for about the 4th time. Not to mention, earlier in the day I had hunted in a another location and missed an easy shot straight on 40 yards at a small doe. So now I no longer trusted the previously trusty 30-06 with my new scope, which I thought was accurately sighted in. The scope gave a nice clear bright picture at sunset, which is why I bought it. It just wasn't set right.
With no opportunity to fix the scope alignment this week, I took advantage of my trip home on Wednesday and picked up a gun that I had recently gotten from my Dad's collection, an old WW I Rock Island Arsenal M1903. The 1903 had been set up for hunting, with a bi-pod on the front stock, and scope that, while not expensive, had a ridiculous amount magnification. Problem is- #1) I had never fired this weapon and had no idea of its accuracy, and #2) I had not fired a bolt-action rifle in over 20 years. Sometimes you just gotta go with what you have, and so I did. My friend Mo had given me a deer earlier in the week, which I skinned and butchered. So, even if I failed I wouldn't be without venison. But I was sure hoping to make a kill shot and supplement this. Thursday rolled around, and having spent the night back in Millsboro after getting in late, I didn't get back into the field until Thursday evening. Having packed the Out House up and facing no more rain the next 2 days, I decided to just sit on the bucket in a sheltered spot. Thursday afternoon was bright and sunny, and the deer never did move before dark. So knowing that I had to return Saturday for my son's birthday, Friday was my last chance to score. Friday morning brought nothing, although it was a nice overcast day. Actually I did see some deer an hour before sunrise, as the full moon had the field lit up enough to see with the scope. Friday afternoon was now my last chance. It was a gorgeous afternoon, right around 50 degrees, mostly cloudy, and no wind to speak of. I sat on my post at 2 pm, not expecting to see anything until almost 5pm. At 3:30 I was caught totally off guard to see a doe pop out of the woods to my right (everything previously had come from my left). I was able to gather myself enough to squeeze off a shot at around 100 yards, which I could have sworn connected. However after a half hour search yielded no blood, I returned disgusted to my perch. Now in the final hour of the season, I decided to play sniper (this was a sniper rifle after all) and I set up on the far end of the field where the deer had been coming out, on the ground and on my belly in the prone position, with the bipod legs extended. At 5 pm a deer came out of the woods almost right behind my legs, about 25 yards away. I had to sit up and rotate 180 degrees in order to face it for a shot, which spooked it back in the woods as expected. Now 5:13 pm, dark outside and me fully disgusted, I decided to call it quits and packed up my back pack in order to depart. As I was doing so, I caught site of a doe coming out of the woods near the location of the 3:30 pm deer. I couldn't believe this. It was so dark that it would be a tough shot no matter what. So, I got into a good steady kneeling position and was able to get the deer in the cross hairs of my scope. I squeezed off another shot and the deer absorbed the hit, collapsing about 10 yards further out into the field. And while this was admittedly the smallest deer I had ever shot, I was nonetheless satisfied. I had shot plenty of big bucks in the past and knew that I would someday have another chance to do the same. Also, the meat was the finest I had ever cut off of the body of a deer, light-colored and almost veal-like.
And so, my hunting for 2012 came to a close. The 1903 was in fact accurate enough to make a kill at 100+ yards, and it was such a good shooting weapon with no recoil that I will return to using it again. And between now and next year I will get my Remington 30-06 shooting straight again. I may get hunting again January 4-5, depending on the weather. Will have to eat some venison first, my freezer if full of venison, fish, soft crabs, and oysters.
