Deer season started here last weekend and so I went out last Saturday morning before sun-up and got to my favorite spot. Two guys parked in the turn-off (they didn't know it was reserved for me) I talked to them to see where they were headed, they said they were going to drive up farther along when the sun came up (road hunters I suspect). So I took possession of my hill. Never saw a thing. Sun was shining after an early fog, all quiet and nothing in sight.

This Saturday it was raining and I thought it might be better pickens. Got my Vietnam era Army surplus poncho out and headed for my spot. Again 2 other guys parked in my spot, talked to them, they said they were goin up my hill. Told them I was goin up there too but would compromise and use a trail farther back. Got my backpack on they drove off! Sweat! So I put my poncho on and headed up the hill again. I love that poncho, it can cover my backpack and my rifle and me and all is cozy. Two hands free for climbing too. I saw nothing at first so I found a spot to get situated in that provided some cover and stood in the early morning rain for a few hours.

Finally saw some movement, I had to crouch down to see under a tree branch and through some sticks. It was a group of about 4 deer, I put my scope on them and they were well hidden, I saw one face me, looked like an older graying buck but I never had a clear shot. Too many sticks between us. They moved on up into heaver cover along a trail so I had to move to see them better.

Spooked them, they hopped in all directions, phooooey! Well I had been on my hands and knees with the gun out in front of me gettin plenty of rain by now and I was wonderin how I got so wet, and my poor 30-30 with it's wooden furniture very sorry looking. My poncho it turns out had lost it's water repelling rubber lining over the years. Last year I treated it with a spray on stuff that didn't do it's job and the poncho was now like wearing a wet sheet. It could protect my gun from the rain but not me, I was soaked and getting cold.

After finding a better rain suit to wear I went out this Sunday and the rain was heavier. My parking spot was vacant (that's more like it) Only saw a couple does. I brought along my 30-06 with plastic furniture, after a chore with drying out my 30-30, I figured the plastic was made for this. Only thing is I have no way of keeping it out of the rain like my trusty (not so trusty) poncho. The rain goes right past the bolt and into the magazine. I need duct tape or something I guess... No rain forecast for next week so that's cool but are the deer going to come out to play?

waiting in the bushes
Suz

try slinging your rifle upsidedown muzzle forward under your offside arm with the sling over your shoulder muzzle slightly down. it works well as the water runs off not into the stock.

if you want bucks, try a wet-poncho-party...


BTW, I like your story. It's much better than mine. I had no rain, a lot of doves but a realy off-day: I think I shot more than 30 times and could only collect 1 or 2 doves. Didn't understand what happened, only got feathers most of the time, think doves did wear somekind of protection...
And I was not the only one with this problem: with my friends we were 5 in total, devided over 3 spots nearby and all together we harvested 19 doves, I guess that's about 10 shots for every dove, which is not at all normal!
Next Saturday hare and faisans opens... let's hope we have had the worst, so it can only improve.

Hey Suz:

Our gun season doesn't begin till next weekend (muzzeloader), so I figured to get in a little bow hunting. Went to favorite tree stand and after shedding a few layers of clothes (it's in the 70's here) went to lean back against the tree and completely missed it and promptly fell about 20 feet. Would gladly trade being wet for a broken arm.

Aloysius wrote:

if you want bucks, try a wet-poncho-party... BTW, I like your story. It's much better than mine. I had no rain, a lot of doves but a realy off-day: I think I shot more than 30 times and could only collect 1 or 2 doves. Didn't understand what happened, only got feathers most of the time, think doves did wear somekind of protection... And I was not the only one with this problem: with my friends we were 5 in total, devided over 3 spots nearby and all together we harvested 19 doves, I guess that's about 10 shots for every dove, which is not at all normal! Next Saturday hare and faisans opens... let's hope we have had the worst, so it can only improve.

I've done the same thing dove hunting in the past. Have come up with a solution you may want to try. It's cheap, fun and almost as productive. Take a full box of dove shotshells, wrap it up tight with camo duct tape. Go out to the dove field. When the first dove flies by, throw the whole box at him. Now go pick up the box, go to the nearest shade tree and have a cold beer. Congratulate yourself on a great dove hunt and all the money you saved. Save the camoed box of shells for the next dove hunt. Works for me.
OB

Suz, good story! Here's what I've been using >> store.colemans.com/car...rrency=USD

Omi!! Hope you heal up quick! Now about those safety harnesses they sell for tree stands... When I first started using a tree stand I didn't wear a harness. I fell asleep in the stand one day and woke up as I rolled out of it! Luckily I was able to grab the rail and hang on. I went out and bought a harness right away.

Suz...Here's what Elvis is discribing. This works well. It gives you almost instant rifle to shoulder when you grab the forearm and pull it forward. The rifle will swing right up with a bit of practice. It does have one draw back. You have to watch that you don't ground the muzzle into the dirt or rocks. You will note that I have the wide end of my sling at the butt stock of the rifle.


He is a handsome dude ain't he?

Heh.

What bushmaster is describing is great for wet conditions, but make sure you have some form of gun cleaning kit on the off chance you stumble and sink that barrel into the mud... not that I've had experience like that before or anything /blush


-DallanC

Suzanne wrote:

waiting in the bushes Suz

That there's the trick. Keep at it and and it will happen, then you can post some pictures here!


-DallanC

Pumpkinslinger:

Yep, as a matter of fact I do have a harness now and it will accompany me any time I head skyward.

Suz:

A trick I have used over the years when it was raining was to sling the rifle like Bushmaster says, but I also put a small balloon at the muzzle end to keep brush, mud, etc out of the barrel. The balloon is small enough that it does not interfere with shooting at the target.

Thanks for the reminder Ominivision1. Forgot that.

Just think Suz. You even get to pick your favorite color.

I always put electrical tape on the muzzle when hunting. Even when carrying the gun muzzle up you could still collect a twig or bug that might cause you a problem. I read once about a guy blowing up a rifle because a "mud dauber" had started building a nest in the muzzle.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_dauber

Bushmaster wrote:

He is a handsome dude ain't he?

Bushy, can't tell. This is one of the first pictures you've taken that didn't include your boots!

[/quote]a "mud dauber" had started building a nest in the muzzle.[quote]


Man he was standin too long in one place with too much camo on!

Thanks for the great ideas guys. We use finger cots at work, they should fit a barrel perfectly. I'm sure I'll get a condom joke or two. Yeah yeah I was doin the inverted carry but the rain goes everywhere, I'm going to look into Pumpkin's poncho. Is it nylon with rubber lining? I bought a cheapo a few years ago from Cheaper Than (youknowwhat) and it was plastic and the head hole was too small. I actually had to rip the darned thing open to use it. I use it to sit on now, it's too noisy to wear. It's hard to find one very large, like the one I have. It's so (almost) perfect, I can cover a stadium with it and even pee discreetly (with a devilish grin).


Daubed
Suz