It is not too early to be thinking about and preparing for Maine deer hunting season, now mere weeks away. In fact, depending on the rest of your schedule (work, family, football), you might be running a bit late!
UPDATE: Here is the link to 2017-2018 Deer Hunting Season
Check Maine.gov for more information. Hunting in Northern Maine, where the beasts grow huge to outlive the winters, is a bucket list experience for any hunter. Good luck to you.
{{cta(‘cee43545-f7b7-4b6d-b066-a4d78029ffac’)}}
100s of acers at your disposal at the beautiful Camp Katahdin. Call us to learn more about rates and available dates: 800-621-8203 or write us a note at info@campkatahdin.com.
And Now, a Word of Warning:
Prepping for “The Season” under pressure has all the potential to screw up the otherwise Best Time of the Year. Giving yourself ample time to do all the right things is essential. As Ben Franklin (or was it Waste Management) famously said “Haste makes waste”. No one wants to have some silly mistake be the reason a trophy isn’t adorning your wall.
I write from experience…
My Record Potential Trophy Deer
Some years ago this month (I’m still trying to forget), I acquired a hunting cabin surrounded by 25,000 acres of private forest. Dropping by the new digs after the closing was the first time I spotted the 10 point monster dining out with a date on a ridge behind the pond and across the ravine.
This was the closest thing I’d ever seen to a Real Live Record Potential Trophy in all my years (32) of hunting deer from Maine to Louisiana. If he – or they – were aware of me some 200 yards away on the edge of a clear cut, they couldn’t have cared less; I’m sure they had Other Plans. I would see them around the neighborhood most every weekend up to Opening Day.
This Big Boy was largely responsible for a now mandatory upgrade from my vintage Winchester 94 30-30. While that little thunder stick had been responsible for many great venison dinners, this year, with this deer, on this topography, I determined (see also “rationalized”) more firepower was required!
Firepower
Actually, I just had my tongue hanging out for this beautiful Winchester 70 Featherweight 30-06 my gun guy had waved at me! In addition, I had him mount a new Leopold Gold Ring 3X9 VariX scope. The old 94’s iron sights at 200 yards was ify at best. With my marksmanship skills, that meant “impossible”.
Of course, I needed to get to the range and zero in my new rig. This is where “things” started to go wrong. Work, life and football had done their thing so I was now in “Haste” mode.
The day before Opening Day, everything was packed and ready – except for the Sighting In part. On a gray, damp, miserable day, I left work after lunch for the range. Parking at the shooters benches on the 300 yd course, I put up a target on one of the 100 yd frames, hustled back to the bench and unwrapped the 70 and a box of ammo.
I was really feeling the pressure of getting this done, get back home, load the jeep and drove the 4+ hours to the new camp. It was mid-November and getting dark earlier and earlier. The overcast skies didn’t help.
With the prescribed 3 rounds in the magazine, I cranked the Leopold up to 9X, settled in and squeezed. Squint as I might, in the bleak light I could not make out where in the black the rounds hit. Another jog to the target only to find one round in the upper right hand corner neatly piercing Made In USA.
Damn! I thought my gun guy had at least boresighted this thing. Back to the bench, out with the tool kit and adjust the Windage and Elevation dials Left and Down. Re-load 3 more rounds. Fire. NOTHING! Now I’m not on the paper AT ALL! WTF?!?!?
Boom Boom Boom
I didn’t have the time or talent to figure out what was wrong. In a panic, I jumped in the Jeep and hauled ass back to my gun guy. It was getting seriously late for shooting light.
I burst into the shop and fairly yell the problem. The gunsmith has left early. The guy apologizes profusely, says he can do the boresight. Just as he is about to start, he breaks out laughing. What’s so damn funny? The gunsmith had mounted the scope turned incorrectly. The Windage and Elevation knobs were incorrectly positioned. No wonder I wasn’t even on the paper. #&%!$@@!!
Remounted correctly and borsighted, I set a new land speed record back to the deserted range. With my nearly pristine target still in place, I whipped out the Model 70, 3 more rounds, scope cranked to 9X the target was brighter than with the naked eye. Boom Boom Boom – all neatly in the 8 ring. Damn! Just call me Carlos Hathcock!
Don’t miss our next blog post. Hit subscribe at the top of this page to receive new blogs straight to your inbox.
Camp Katahdin is a luxury hunting lodge that sleeps 15, set on acres of beautiful land, nestled in Northern Maine, near the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains and Mt. Katahdin. Hunt, ATV, Snowmobile, Hike, Bike, the Adventures are endless for your unique group.
Click here to see more information on our 3 rental properties
{{cta(‘cee43545-f7b7-4b6d-b066-a4d78029ffac’)}}
