This year my mission was to see that my Wife and Son both had opportunities to try for a buck, I myself could be on the back burner for a while....
Opening morning I headed up a ridge with my son, explaining to him that I just wanted to watch everything I could on both sides, "just to see". (Mama's got morning sickness bad and can't ((Won't!))go!).
We sat under a couple of smaller pine trees, next to a clump of aspens, concealed in the shade, and comfortable.
After a bit a doe walks out on our left, about 40 yards away, completely oblivious to our presence, then after around 12 minutes about 8 more deer walk out on our right, only a bit further out, maybe 200 yards.
As I'm attempting to twist around a bit to have a look, around 15 yards to my right 4 more deer start crawling through the aspens right next to us.
This got my heart pounding a bit, was worried about getting spotted, but they headed out to the same field that the others were in, thats when I notice a buck out in the field with all the does...
I tell that boy of mine that ain't a bad little buck, but he wants to wait for something bigger...and a bit farther out (the little *censored*!), these deer had moved to around 130 yards out from our stand. I tell him again it ain't a bad little buck, and he askes me if he should shoot it, I said "sure", and he does.
Just that simple too. No buck fever, no worries, no nuthin. Shot it sitting with his .243 at 130 yards, and hits it right where I tell him to.
It runs up the hill a bit, then as its tail starts to wringing, goes down behind a big rock pile.
I got some great pics of it in the field, but all I got is the 35mm, so you guys will have to settle for the digital images my wife took back at the farm!
One of the guys said to put the rifle in the antlers...notice the one case with the missing bullet?
That was opening morning, Saturday the 13th around 10:00 am.
The Misses didn't get her chance till Sunday, just before dark.
She made a nice shot on one dirrectly through the heart at 110 yards. Af first she fired, then suddenly asked if she missed, but I was watching through the binocs and noticed right away after the deer's first jump, blood pouring out like somebody was emptying a pitcher, FAST. Never seen blood come out of a deer so fast, it was kind of crazy. And he just stood there while it happened, kinda spraddle legged.
Wife started to cry, she felt bad, and was begging me to finish him off, but I told her "just wait a second, nothing I can do, he's already dead", then he fell over, shook a bit, then was still.
Told her remorse was part of hunting, and after a bit, she dried her tears, and the excitement set in....AND THE WORK, and it was getting late.
Well, my job is done for them...now I got 'me' to worry about...but heck-e-darn, won't get to go this coming weekend, I gots to butcher up some deer! Dang me if she didn't get me again!