Muzzle Loader 2011

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

On the way back from the check station we saw a big buck hanging at our buddy farm and pulled in for a closer look.   Jimbo had killed this 20" wide eight pointer on a 2 man push late in the morning.

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 are a few trail camera photos of Jimbo's buck from a couple of mile's away earlier in the season.

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.

Extended Bow 2011

           Extended bow season is believed by many to be the most exciting time to hunt whitetails in New Jersey.  The 2011 season proved it to be quite true.  New Jersey bow hunters were blessed with nearly ideal conditions for deer hunting.  A few cold snaps really kicked the rut into full swing and the buck were moving steady and frequently.

        Jay was the first this year to fill his extended bow tag putting the smack down on this long tined 8 pointer the evening of Sunday, November 13th.   This buck was coming straight into Jay while he was hunting a field edge.  The deer, sensing that something was amiss, quartered away hard and prepared to vacate the premises.   Jay knew that it was now or never and let his arrow loose from his Mathews Switchback on a 30 yard shot.  The Crimson Talon broad heads did a number on this buck slicing through four ribs upon entry and eventually making an exit through his chest. 

This buck weighed in at 129 pounds respectively.

Jay with his buck

              Jays deer had nice long tines and a nearly a 16 inch inside spread.   The buck green scored 125 7/8" and hopefully after the 60 day waiting period retains enough inches to qualify for The New Jersey Outstanding Deer Program.

           Two night later, on Tuesday, November 15th, my cousin Nicky scored his first buck when he arrowed this 3 pointer from his back yard ladder stand set up.   Nick had been watching several different buck coming into his corn pile on his trail camera but was having a hard time getting them to show up during shooting time.

Nick enjoyed a clean kill and recovered his buck after a 100 yd tracking session.

Nicky's deer weighed in at 103 pounds.

         Two more nights later Andy managed to take his first buck of the season.   Andy is an accomplished bow hunter who has managed to tag out early in the last two consecutive years during the earn a buck program.   This year during early bow he filled his earn a buck tag on the first morning.  The next shot opportunity he was presented with was on what appeared to be a huge y buck with a double throat patch.  On account that he couldn't clearly see the brows on that buck and the institution of the three point rule in many zones this year, Andy fore went taking the shot.   Little did he know that he wouldn't see much more than spikes and button bucks for the next six weeks.   

     When this 109 pound seven pointer came into bow range on the evening of November 17th, he seized the opportunity to fill his extended bow buck tag.  Andy made it happen with his Mathews LX compound bow and Rage 3 blade broad heads.

Andy's deer had a distinctive split g-2 on its left antler.

Here is a trail camera photo from my dads camera of Andy's buck a month prior to him killing it.

      Gary killed this nice 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer Thursday November 24th on a mid day spot-and-stalk.   It was a rainy afternoon when Gary spotted this buck bedded in tall grass tending a hot doe.   He stalked up to the buck to withing 20 yards and upon him standing up Gary let loose a bolt from his Excalibur Phoenix tipped with a  Vortex Pro Extreme 125 grain  broad head.  The bolt hit its mark and the buck expired after a 20 yard run.  

     Garys buck dressed 121 pounds.  I assisted him in skinning and quartering his deer.   Upon skinning him out we discovered extensive gouging and bruising on his back and right side that we speculated was sustained from another buck while most likely fighting for the doe that he was tending.

This deer was Gary's first with a crossbow.

Just as extended bow season was wrapping up for the year Carl killed this wide nine pointer with a crossbow on the morning of Thursday December 29th.  This buck came into Carl's set up traveling with a spike.  

Carl's buck had an impressive outside spread of 21 inches.

He survived late into the season and surely bread many does. 

Here are a few trail camera pics that my dad captured over the course of this season of Carl's buck.