8 Days From Almost Gave Up to First Deer

[chandler]

After seven? years of dabbling I had just about given up on this hunting thing. Rarely saw any deer, and saw way too many people. I almost posted on here before the season asking you folks to talk me out of giving up. I didn't even buy my license until Oct 20th.

Having never had any family or friends growing up that hunted, it was up to books, and the internet (a lot of this site) and what field time I could manage to try and figure this out. Still I'm sure this was more luck than skill, but I'd like to think I've learned a few things of the last few years.

Tried somewhere new this year, because where we had been going got overrun with people last year. Went out last weekend with my buddy and just saw a dad and kid head in slightly before us, then I saw a couple orange dots way off in the distance on Saturday and nobody on Sunday, much better than the previous couple years. Didn't see any deer but lots of sign, and tons of bear sign (seems like they should have been running around all over the place with as much as we saw). Still wasn't super excited about things on Saturday and headed home pretty early. I talked myself into going back out on Sunday even though I only had a few hours, but I felt much better about being there. Didn't get a chance to go out this Saturday but planned to go yesterday. My buddy had a bit too much fun at a Halloween party on Sat night so I was on my own.

I biked in to a spot that I found at the end of the previous weekend that I thought looked promising. Apologies to the two guys that walked in ahead of me by 20 minutes or so. I came cruising around a corner and they were both standing in the road like they had heard or seen something, I'm sure I spooked it if that's what they were doing. A little further down the road I jumped a couple does, so from there I walked the last 1/2 mile or so. It was a beautiful morning watching the sun come up, although I had been expecting it to be somewhat rainier and gloomier. I setup near the top of a brush pile where I was relatively hidden and had a good view of a small narrow cut.

I figured there could be deer pretty much any direction due to the treeline being close on all sides. I typically faced the direction I figured would be most likely to see something, but checked everywhere else regularly. After an uneventful 4 hours of listening to a lot of leaves falling and birds, I heard something behind my left shoulder from the direction I thought least likely to bring something out... should have known. I look over and see this nice forkie maybe 20 yards away. Unfortunately my rifle was about 3-feet away...oops. I slowly start reaching for it, while keeping my eye on him. He seemed unconcerned by anything and just kept up his slow mosey. About the time I got my hand on the butt of the my rifle he looks over. I froze, but after a couple seconds he just goes back to wandering along. By this time he is slightly past me so I'm a little more free to get set. I get ready and about this point he starts weaving in and out of some small 3-4' trees. I looked down his path a little ways and see it's pretty clear in another 10 yards if stays on the same route. He gets there, but by then he isn't showing me much more than his butt. Then for whatever reason he turns the one direction that gives me almost a perfect broadside with no obstacles between us. By this time he was about 50 yards away.

I shot. I was a little higher than I planned because I didn't really think about how close he was, but I was also shooting down at him, so he dropped and didn't even take a step. (After getting him skinned I realized I hit him about mid ribcage on the right side, then it went through diagonally and also took out the left shoulder)

After getting him dressed out, I got him strapped to the bike and wheeled him the two miles uphill back to the truck. I wish this part went as smoothly as that sentence implied, but getting him strapped to the bike and then the bike up on two wheels was definitely a challenge. Once back on the roads though it went really well.

As I headed out I came across the two guys I saw in the morning, who were really happy for me so I must not have pissed them off too much when I passed them on the way in. They even offered to help, but by that point I just had to walk and keep the bike upright. I would have liked a pic of the deer on my bike but there was no way I was letting go to get a picture and risk having it fall over.

He's not going to break any records, but he's my first and I'm thrilled. Thanks all who I mooched any pointers from on this site.

[ELKBURGER]

Great Buck! Persistence pays off. My brother went 20 years before finally getting his first. Way to stick with it!

[Boss .300 winmag]

Congrats knew you could do it. 

Now we need pics to see your first buck. 

[7mmfan]

   Great work! Persistence pays off, especially with blacktails!

[chandler]

Boss... is the pic not showing up?

It kept hanging up when I was posting, so I posted the text only, then added the photo which seemed to work from my end.

[yakimarcher]

Good work!!

[Boss .300 winmag]

Boss... is the pic not showing up?

It kept hanging up when I was posting, so I posted the text only, then added the photo which seemed to work from my end.

It's there now, nice buck. 

[Gamehunter034]

Congrats! Nice deer!! I went about 8 years before finally killing my first deer. It was a doe, then took 2 spikes after that, struck out past year and took a nice little 2x2 forky on Friday! Persistence definitely pays off!


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[Skyvalhunter]

Congrats way to stick with it. You learned a good lesson there!!

[Tapp Daddy]

Great looking buck

[Buckmark]

Way to stick with it 

Thats no forkie that is a solid 2 point!

[L8NITE]

Nice buck and way to stick with it

[DOUBLELUNG]

Persistence creates opportunity!

[JDHasty]

Good job!

[Shaqdiesel]

I used a kids snow sled and mule tape behind my bike this year