My First Buck!!!!

[shaneman153D]

Well after four long days of hunting morning, noon, and night, I got this fellow this evening.  I first spotted him about 550 yds out, but couldn't see if he met the 3 point min.  He and two does were working there way down a hillside and I was on a hillside across the way.  They were moving in closer, so I just told myself to be patient.

Then, he disappeared behind a little knoll, and a quick descision made me get up and move down to the next tier of the hill I was on, closing the distance to more like 400-450 yds.  I ran as quietly as I could, and they didn't spot me.  At the time I thought he was about 300yds and closing when I took up a good rest on a rock.  I aimed about a foot over his vitals and BAM!  Total miss, hit low in the dirt.  The two does took off to the left and he went right and stopped back on top of the hill.  I took a quick look with the naked eye and realized it was more like 400yds and he was bigger than I thought.  He stopped facing uphill away from me, his head cocked to the left.  I tried for a neckshot and aimed about 2 feet above his head.  The bullet went in his upper back, severing the spinal cord and exiting out the center of the neck.  He dropped like a sack of potatoes!!  I still don't know how far that shot was, but it was beyond my confidence level, so there was some luck involved. 

After I saw him go down, all I could think was......god I hope he's legal.  Luckily, that was a third point that I saw, and he had some eyegaurds to boot.  i was hunting myself, so I figured I would have no trouble lifting him up into my truck.  Well luck was on my side again, because as I got back to my truck, there was my mom.  She had come out to find me about an hour earlier and spot for me, but she didn't want to disturb me so she stayed by the truck.  I had no idea Washington mule deer were this big.  the only deer I've seen up close are whitetails in TX, and this one was 2x the size of that deer plus.  Just wanna thank everyone on this forum for all the info, and good luck to everyone else!

[addicted]

nice buck. congrats

[bowhunterforever]

Nice big bodied buck,Congrats!

[Pathfinder101]

Welcome to the west.  Long shots and heavy deer

[bow4elk]

Congrats on your first?  Are you planning to gut him out? (just kidding)

[tonymoe]

I sure am glad that "shooting beyond your confidence level" paid off. (for the bucks sake). It could of been a lot worse......as in a wounded un-found deer?

[Pathfinder101]

Congrats on your first?  Are you planning to gut him out? (just kidding)

 

[passing-thru]

Con grads on your first buck. Hope its the first of many. Ok that be said WOW where do I start. 1st. 300 yards and you hold a foot over vitals and hit in low in dirt? That's over 4 ft of drop. Either you seriously mis judged range or you need to visit range and re sight weapon. 2nd. Way over confidence level. Why risk wounding and losing an animal if not confident in ability to cleanly kill at that range. 3rd. Faceing away and you shoot at neck at that kinda distance. Again huge factor for wounded and lost animal. Ok now 4. "God I hope he's legal" if not sure why did you shoot. Sorry if I'v offended but I cringed as I read your post. Hope I'v given you some things to think about. Hope this doesn't sound like rantings of crazy man. But just had to be said

[MtnMuley]

Right on Shane! Dandy buck!

[KimberRich]

Con grads on your first buck. Hope its the first of many. Ok that be said WOW where do I start. 1st. 300 yards and you hold a foot over vitals and hit in low in dirt? That's over 4 ft of drop. Either you seriously mis judged range or you need to visit range and re sight weapon. 2nd. Way over confidence level. Why risk wounding and losing an animal if not confident in ability to cleanly kill at that range. 3rd. Faceing away and you shoot at neck at that kinda distance. Again huge factor for wounded and lost animal. Ok now 4. "God I hope he's legal" if not sure why did you shoot. Sorry if I'v offended but I cringed as I read your post. Hope I'v given you some things to think about. Hope this doesn't sound like rantings of crazy man. But just had to be said

Figured there would be something like this on here so glad I didn't have to say it!  Great job on the deer and I commend you for being honest and telling the story how it really happened but I have to agree with most of PT's comments. 

But welcome to the site and like I said, I commend you for being honest but be prepared for a mix of responses from "Great Job" to "What the hell were you thinking"

[Machias]

"After I saw him go down, all I could think was......god I hope he's legal.  Luckily, that was a third point that I saw, and he had some eyegaurds to boot."     

And what would you have done if you walked up and realized you were illegal?  LOTS of times I have looked at a buck and knew he was plenty wide enough and plenty tall enough to have the required points, but did not pull the trigger because I was not SURE.  You are required by law to verify your pulling the trigger on a LEGAL buck.  Luck has no place in this situation.

[Black Plague]

  ......"if you don't KNOW then its a NO GO!"   

[shaneman153D]

Hmm.  Like I said, I did see the third point.  This was also the third time i spotted this particular buck in 3 days, I was 99%, my wife was 100% sure.  The "god I hope it's legal" was me being my paranoid self, sorry if I've set hunters back.  

Pt, I took her to the range this morning for that very reason.  Apparently I knocked it hard because it was way low at 200.  And I just zeroed it again a week ago.  Investing in a new scope before next season.

LMAO bow4elk

Shane

edit:  PT, that's not a 4 ft drop, I didn't say it hit at his feet!

[BENCHLEG]

give the guy a break. he was honest about his story. he may have been right this time, but after all the crap he has heard he will be positive next time. excitement takes over and he told you his story. nice job and good luck in the future..

[Red Dawg]

nice buck, glad to hear your whole family gets involved.

[shaneman153D]

Thanks for the replies guys.

[NWBREW]

Congrats on your mulie buck. Thanks for being honest. I would invest in a range finder too. Facing away at 400 yards is asking for trouble even if your rifle is on. Don't shoot beyond your confidence level...that to is asking for trouble. Just my  I'm glad everything worked out the way it did.

[Machias]

You didn't mention your wife was backing you up on the 3pt part.    Nice buck, congrats.

[nw_bowhunter]

Glad to see you got your first buck, now this will help you work out the details for your next deer hunt. Congrats!

[Pathfinder101]

Shaneman, compliments on handling the criticism gracefully.  A lot of guys would have gotten nasty or defensive right away.  You can tell when a guy's got thick skin.  

(...hmmmm... retired Army... it's almost like you've been yelled at before... )

One of the things I had to adjust when I moved to this area was the long shots.  Mostly hunted whitetails in the woods when I was a kid, most shots under 200 yards.  I can already tell you will be better prepared next hunt.  And yes, a new scope may be in order.  
Here's to your continued success

[t6]

Maybe you should just forget about the scope and consider using open sights until you have some experience.  Shooting at that distance on a questionable buck?

Spending some time getting closer so you dont have to ask yourself "Gawd I hope he's legal" 

Yeah, I know.. I shouldn't rip on the guy.. Its his first, but lets be realistic... those of us with experience wouldn't teach our Sons, or Daughters to hunt this way so we shouldn't condone it either. 

[carpsniperg2]

congrats to you on your first buck but i agree with what is being said know your gun know the distance know the animal are good things sounds like you did alot of guessing and i hate to be the first to say it but in the field picture and the hanging picture there is bile from the guts coming out of his nose i know when a animal has the guts in it and is hanged it will run out the nose but not in the field for the pictures unless its has its bowles messed up "The bullet went in his upper back, severing the spinal cord and exiting out the center of the neck.  He dropped like a sack of potatoes!!  I still don't know how far that shot was, but it was beyond my confidence level, so there was some luck involved." are you sure thats where the bullet went in at seems a bit weird to me but congrats anyways

[Gutpile]

Alright guys you've chewed him out enough. He knew it was a 3 point as stated in the story but was thinking "what if" when he was walking up to the deer. Thats never happened to you? Well, I'm thinking "what if" every time I shoot a deer since they changed the rules and I do count the points every time.  Also, I KNOW 90% of you, if not more have taken long pokes at deer in the past, I have and frankly I just don't believe you if you say you havent. I would also be willing to bet some of you have lost deer in the past. From the pics, he didn't. That said, the above statements are true, know your target, don't shoot past your ability. But for gods sake can we stop beating a dead horse. Geez. Now we're even questioning where the bullet hit? You know what they say about glass houses, right?  

[rasbo]

congrats on the buck.Hope you and yours have many a good meals together and reminisce

[Wyoming08]

   Nice Buck!  Don't look so happy in your next years picture. OK!
How come he looks like he's been gut shot with the green stuff coming out his nose, and there is a bunch of it on the ground?  Did you shoot him twice?  Just some observations.  Dang nice buck though!!!

[shaneman153D]

Nope, only hit him once, no organs were punctured that I could see.  I didn't know that was bile, can't tell you why it happened that way. 

I am not a veterinarian.

[rosscrazyelk]

Hey congrads on your first buck. being your first buck and all could you smile more next time. You look pissed