Whoever said it was better to be lucky than good could appreciate what happened to me saturday afternoon. Ive been working 2pm-10pm so I hunted mornings of both weeks of the muzzleloader season trying desperately to get a buck. Saturday was to be my last chance at a buck and I had high hopes because I had been seeing a bunch of skinheads near camp and a beautiful 10 point that was out of range. I sat in one of my best stands along the bog until noon and saw absolutely nothing. I went back to camp and cleaned up and closed it up for the year. I pulled out of there around 2 oclock and spun over to say hi to mom and dad. I had no intention really of hunting anymore but dad convinced me to sit for the remaining hour or so in his stand beside his 16 acre field. They had been watching does all year long and rarely a buck would show up. So, I did walk down and climbed up in the stand and laid my muzzleloader on the seat. I began glassing the field because dad told me that the deer always come out on the other side and work their way towards the stand. I was there about an hour and it was getting dusky but still legal shooting time. I heard something behind me and I just turned my head to see a deer comin and it was already 50 feet from the stand! He was like a ghost! I never heard that deer coming throught the snow and pine needles. It was walking down the tractor road and coming to the field. I was CAUGHT big time! I never heard him coming and he now was on top of me and muzzleloader on the seat! I reached down ever so slowly while he was walking and got the gun in hand and eased the safety off but he got to my track where I had walked in and he stopped at high alert and didnt like it at all. I was so close to him…....he was about 20 feet from the base of the tree. I thought for sure he was going to bolt. I didnt move a muscle for about a minute but I had the barrel pointed right at him and I began thinking that if he made a move to run I could barrel shoot him and still get him. My dad was watching the whole thing from his window 400 yards away. He couldnt believe there was a buck right under the tree and I hadnt shot him yet. He finally heard something that caught his attention away from the tree and turned his head. I raised the gun to my shoulder and peered through my scope…..........son of a $#*$ Im on 9X !! All I could see was brown fur. I couldnt believe I messed this up so bad. Finally I opened my other eye and looked down the barrel and knew I was on his front end anyways. I looked through the scope one last time and fired. He went down right there, got up and ran off crashing through the pines. I looked down on the snow under the tree and knew the bullet found its mark. I called my wife and told her I just shot my buck and it was literally the closing minutes of the 2010 season. As luck would have it, I hit him in the neck and he bled out within 100 yards. Dad came down with the truck and we had to drag him about 50 feet. I still cant believe I was so lucky! I will never forget my ghost deer!
Thanks guys, that deer really capped off a memorable season. Is it wrong for a hunter like myself to feel bad for our quarry? I mean, I am having a hard time getting out of my head that if that deer was 5 or 10 minutes later he would have made the season. I have killed many deer over the years but I have never felt this before. Am I the only one who feels this?
I feel it EVERY time I shoot a deer. I always tell them I am sorry,always. But then I fire up the grill and I remember why I shoot them. That and the fact we have way to many of them and we as true conservationist’s as opposed to trophy hunters must keep the deer herds at a level that will keep them healthy and not allow them to over browse and end up having mass die offs due to starvation along with all the disease that comes from over population. Remember most of the predators that did this job for us are no longer in their traditional ranges at least in my part of the country so it is up to us to fill the void.
Great deer, and a heck of a story. I have had the same feeling from time to time about killing an animal, but as long as it was done ethically, and with respect for the animal, there is nothing to be concerned.
Thanks again guys. Liberty, you explained it great and I feel alot better after you and Chris posted. I think I wouldnt have felt that way if it was mid season but I just kept playing it over in my head at the timing of the whole thing and it was starting to get to me.
Last week I froze my butt off in my stand 2 mornings at below zero temperatures and today it was pushing 60. This weather has been ridiculous! My deer was hanging in the garage since Saturday evening so with the warm temps I had to butcher my deer after work today. I got quite a bit of meat off him and I just dropped off 20 pounds to a local italian guy who makes the best sausage around. I mix 1/2 and 1/2 deer and pork. Ive got 30 pounds of sweet sausage and 10 pounds of hot sausage coming in a few days.
Oh, my deer had zero and I mean zero fat on him! He must have been having a good ole time with the does.
SWEET!!!!!!!!! loved it!! sometimes i miss the huntingi use to do but with the way they clear land around here i had to give it up!! you keep it real!!!
Thanks for the inqurey Maine guy. I started out my hunting season in New Mexico on an archery elk hunt in early Sept. Had a great time and made some new friends, but blew a shot at a nice five by five bull. I pulled the bow back and was aiming at him at about 40 yds. as he was moving to my right. As I was kneeling down I couldn’t bend enough at the waist to keep my draw and the damn bow went off. I shouldn’t have had my finger on the trigger but, anyhow the arrow hit high in the neck with only minimal penetration. Okay let’s hear it, here we go again. ( I hope this doesn’t turn into what happened last year on the forum about my last elk hunt. Let’s just let it go and I can take and deserve what ever the “master hunter” and other hunters who never make mistakes have to say!) I’m scheduled for rotator cuff surgery in three weeks and hope to get the strength back by next Sept. Stronger even. We saw the bull again and the arrow was gone and he was still chasing the cows so there was no harm done, except for my ego. I could only shoot at this same bull being I was on a private ranch hunt. Of course the wind blew 30 and 40 miles an hour for two days. Finally on the last evening after having a small 7x7 come by that I had to pass on,, we saw this bull again, but ran out of shooting light before he could close this distance for a close enough shot. I had bought a new bow and turned it down to 60#, getting more kinetic energy than my old bow, but still couldn’t handle it. I learned several things at least. Don’t never kneel down, and shoot a bow that you can handle in all situations. The Dr. assures me I am not too old to be able to build my arm back up after the operation. You know there is a whole lot of things that have to go right in archery elk hunting. That’s why there is a thirty percent kill on them. I should be three for three with Folsom Outfitters, so I am satisfied with them. He wasn’t too hard on me, but still uncandidly honest. If you know what I mean.
I killed a nice doe in Oct. with my bow, but haven’t gotten a shot at a buck yet, bow or gun, or muzzle loader. Archery season is still open and they are forecasting 53 degree temps next week. I’ve moved a couple of stands right into the bedding areas, and am still hopeing. They aren’t moving much.
Looks like you are doing all right. Nice buck. You’re an inspiration about not giving up. I already had paid my down payment for this next elk hunt last year- luckily- so I might as well try it once more. I think I will use this hunt as an incentive for this rehab. I had the left shoulder done while I was still working, and it wasn’t much fun getting over it. I guess I’ll leave the morphine IV in this time till the nurse takes it out.
Hope you and all the other forum members had a good CHRISTmas and will have a good 2011.
Ron,
First of all its good to hear from you. You have my admiration and you have always been informative and candid on here. After last year Im surprised you tell your story about your elk, but to me, thats just being honest and why I admire you. You certainly have had your share of bad luck havent you? Elk hunting is a bonus, you need to get yourself healthy so you can stay in the game, (thats what I tell my dad). I am sure you have the drive to come out of your surgery and work to get back to shooting your bow. The good thing is time heals all wounds and you have plenty of time to get at it. I wish you luck with your surgery and keep us informed how youre doing.
I know we have talked in the past about butchering deer and if there is a foolproof way to make them tender. This year my deer hung from its back legs for 2 days, and he eats very good. I think it is just dumb luck that he is tender (like the dumb luck I had when I got him). I had 20 pounds of him ground into sausage with pork and stuffed into links and that is absolutely wonderful to eat. As a matter of fact, if I had known it was going to be that good, I would have had more done up. I think I might be on to something here for the future.
Well, for me, hunting season is over and we have about 18 inches of new snow on the ground so it looks like its going to be a long winter up here. Maybe we will have a January thaw and knock down some of this snow. The deer herd cant take another bad winter so close to the one we had 2 years ago.
Anyhow, hope you had a nice X-mas and you have good luck in 2011.
Thanks guys, that deer really capped off a memorable season. Is it wrong for a hunter like myself to feel bad for our quarry? I mean, I am having a hard time getting out of my head that if that deer was 5 or 10 minutes later he would have made the season. I have killed many deer over the years but I have never felt this before. Am I the only one who feels this?
Mike,
I get a little choked up every time I harvest any animal that swims, walks, or takes flight. It is a truly spiritual experience. Could go in-depth, but I think you’ve already got it. Rifle season opens again tomorrow, and I have one doe tag left. I’ll be out in the afternoon, because the low tonight will be -5. Supposed to warm up to 12.
