Halloween deer!

[bknilvr00]

The beginning of this write up starts not at the gate for the deer spot. But at work, this morning. Managed to run into a friend of my dads, and bs'd with him about hunting for awhile. After his dirty words about me not using my multi season tag I had drawn, it got the wheels turning...

Being a new father, and my lovely wife being a stay at home mother, hunting kinda gets brushed to the side. I had taken a trip for a week during archery season, but after some near, and not so near misses, I had failed to fill my tag. So after returning from the trip, work became priority. I had taken the week off unpaid, so I needed to offset the lost pay. So I got into work mode, and have been working as much as I can, in pursuit of the almighty dollar.

Back to this morning. After talking to my dad's friend, it had restarted the ember of hope and excitement. I know alot of folks who have filled their tags on halloween, and those deer seem to be special for some reason or another. So now I'm stuck at work, thinking about hunting. I know where I want to go. I know its the last day of modern firearm. And I also know thats its a borderline typhoon outside. I decide that I've already ruined my day by having to wake up to go to work at 5:30, so getting soaked in the rain might be a great way to finish out the day.

I communicate with the wife my intentions. She has plans to trick or treat family with the young one, but decides that I'm better off running around alone, in the woods, on halloween, in a rainstorm. With her being the "responsible" adult and also the one in charge, I'm in no position to look this particular horse in the mouth.

After getting to the gate, I have a few options. Walk, walk, and...walk. I could set up somewhere, but its raining, windy, and like 3:00 in the afternoon. So walking it is. Now here is the part where something awesome happens and spot this deer off like 1000 yards or something silly. Negative. No such awesomeness for me. I  walked for about a half hour down one road, walked back to the main road. Walked about another 15 minutes up a side road, turn around and head back to the main. As Im passing an overgrown road, I realize I'm looking at a face. All I saw was the contrast between his nose and the light spot on his neck. His size nearly saved his life, as my sluggish mental capabilities deemed him a doe. Then I spot the spikes on top of his head. This just doesn't seem right, as I had never seen a buck, in the field, while hunting for deer. (Except on my earlier trip to the eastside. Saw my first muley bucks.) While my brain was slow on the uptake, his was slower. He just stood there, all of 40 yards away, giving me the blank stare. So I shoulder my rifle (30-06), and pull the trigger. He doesn't run, doesn't drop, just hobbles off about 20 yards. I lose sight of him for a few seconds at a time, till I eventually see him keel over.

While he is only a spike. He is my first deer. First buck. First animal harvested with a rifle. And it's on the last day of modern on halloween. While I am elated at actually harvesting a deer. It has done more for me than putting meat in my freezer. It has validated what I do, to myself. I have put it many hours, and many many dollars into the pursuit of these animals. After a while, doubt creeps in. If you make a bad shot, or several, the doubt grows. And as time creeps along, you think of mistakes you've made, and ones you dont want to make again. You are your own worst enemy. More than the animal itself, weather conditions, whatever variable you can think of

 But now its over. I can relax. I've harvested a deer.

[hollymaster]

Little spikes taste the best. 

[Bigshooter]

Congrats to you.  My dad and I have been together on Halloween when one of us has killed a deer many times.  I was actually with my dad today when he killed his Halloween buck.

[Blacktail Sniper]

  Nice eating critter right there!!

[Lucky1]

 
Sweet! Good job. Good eats.

[lokidog]

Nice!  You've got to start somewhere.   

[tgomez]

Good job on a nice buck. Hunting is for the meat anyways and spending time with loved ones. My first buck was a 1x0 whitetail. Young ones eat better, and antlers collect dust! Welcome to the club, Congrads.

[TheSkyBuster]

Well written story,  great job and thanks for sharing.  Any blacktail buck is a trophy in my opinion.    Enjoy that meat 

[timberghost72]

Awesome job and good story. 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

     Give me one day to hunt blakies each year and it would be Halloween!

[bracer40]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[rfhd69]

Nice job!  That's what hunting is all about

[h20hunter]

I got to see this lil buck on the hunters way home. Fine animal and healthy as could be. Just got home from getting him all cut up. Now, not only has Mitch gotten the bad juju off we both know more about butchering than we did yesterday. Nice job buddy.

[bknilvr00]

Just some pictures from this morning. In no particular order.

[pd]

That there is some seriously delicious meat.  What a wonderful story, and a great ending.  Yes, that monkey-on-your-back can get really heavy.  Not only your first deer, but you cut it yourself, too.  Journeyman Hunter!