Monday November 29th, was the start of New Jersey's muzzle loader season. Dave and Bill were the first to fill their tags on opening morning each killing a 5 pointer. The temperatures were unseasonably high and after christening the new game pole they were off to the butcher shop after letting their deer hang for all of about 20 minutes.
Dave and Bill with their bucks.
The next morning Charlie arrived after his morning sit with this nice 8 point buck in the back of his pickup. We hoisted him up on the scale and he weighed out at 122 pounds.
Charlie with his Deer
This buck was bedded with a doe in a small wooded piece between farm fields. Jimmy's cousin Al did a soft push through the piece jumping the buck with his doe and the both ran right to Jimbo's position. Jimmy killed this buck with a perfect shot to the heart from his Thompson Center Encore muzzle loader as he was at full stride breaking out of the wood line into open ground.
Jimmy's deer dressed out at 162 pounds.
Jimmy with his Buck
Here is another picture of the same deer from a year earlier.
Later that evening on the same day November 30th, I got a call from my friend Rob who told me to meet him at the check station because he got one. I showed up and Rob had this eight pointer hanging on the scale upside down so I took it down and hung it right side up for better picture angles.
Robs buck tipped the scales at 161 pounds.
Rob with his buck.
The early muzzle loader season in New Jersey is an exciting time because the rut is usually still strong and there is a lot of potential for killing nice bucks that haven't heard the sounds of gunshots and started running for their lives. Every year we see some beautiful buck taken during the early season.
Steve killed this six pointer Christmas eve. This buck didn't have a huge rack but he was a stout deer weighing in at 136 pounds.
Steve with his Muzzle loader buck.
