Post by: bknilvr00 on October 31, 2015, 09:35:08 PM
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.
Post by: hollymaster on October 31, 2015, 09:38:45 PM
Post by: Bigshooter on October 31, 2015, 09:39:02 PM
Post by: Blacktail Sniper on October 31, 2015, 09:54:36 PM
Post by: Lucky1 on October 31, 2015, 10:01:18 PM
Sweet! Good job. Good eats.
Post by: lokidog on November 01, 2015, 12:10:36 AM
Post by: tgomez on November 01, 2015, 05:20:03 AM
Post by: TheSkyBuster on November 01, 2015, 05:28:52 AM
Post by: timberghost72 on November 01, 2015, 07:44:43 AM
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on November 01, 2015, 07:55:16 AM
Post by: bracer40 on November 01, 2015, 07:59:13 AM
Post by: rfhd69 on November 01, 2015, 08:27:26 AM
Post by: h20hunter on November 01, 2015, 12:24:33 PM
Post by: bknilvr00 on November 01, 2015, 12:43:39 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F11%2F01%2F575af72477301421cf31a38298d39e6a.jpg&hash=b6878764147ea84e2eb1398d0f1ca6edb98d2b95)(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F11%2F01%2Fae7916c036b44e025d0b30e37fc9e17e.jpg&hash=cbec0fd067b0bd39dd97511e7912898326fa39ce)(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F11%2F01%2Fc95c3acf557c93f05fe0ef49cffa5917.jpg&hash=8c6e3a9258d236248278208f0d3486db2020dc6a)(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F11%2F01%2Ffff4381a5e02c2e279eaddf30e5e8e13.jpg&hash=c682b2c1d82783745e4e2517bdfdfac7d0e8bc7a)(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F11%2F01%2F9aff4bbe256edad66c12a4e4c2a4e6d2.jpg&hash=137bf66b814fa82716d35025158712a9abba522d)
Post by: pd on November 01, 2015, 02:55:18 PM
Post by: Sitka_Blacktail on November 01, 2015, 03:14:02 PM
Post by: jtw on November 01, 2015, 04:13:32 PM
Post by: h20hunter on November 01, 2015, 04:14:29 PM
Post by: bknilvr00 on November 01, 2015, 04:16:22 PM
I'll let you know in about an hour! Some meat in a little marinade now waiting to be grilled.We are getting ready to start the grind. And once we get done with that it's time to dig into the roast!
Post by: h20hunter on November 01, 2015, 04:21:19 PM
Post by: bearpaw on November 01, 2015, 04:39:46 PM
Post by: h20hunter on November 01, 2015, 05:49:52 PM
Post by: D-Rock425 on November 01, 2015, 06:12:45 PM
Post by: Yakirack on November 02, 2015, 07:57:17 AM
Post by: dune on November 02, 2015, 09:05:37 AM
Post by: bknilvr00 on November 02, 2015, 12:09:45 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F11%2F02%2F56262bb601e3ac093a649b02576d8a53.jpg&hash=82411765da31e2f8cd3a55e5fab9545830c71548)
Post by: Sitka_Blacktail on November 02, 2015, 12:18:04 PM
Post by: Buckmark on November 02, 2015, 05:03:00 PM
Just kidding, good job Mitch, and cutting it up yourself :tup:
Half way through the butchering pics my back was hurting seeing you two hunched over, then i noticed later you got some chairs..
That rack will make fine hat hooks for your man cave..
Post by: bknilvr00 on November 02, 2015, 05:31:51 PM
You shot a dog :yike: :chuckle:Old man h20 requested a chair almost immediately. I stuck it out for as long as I could before I relented
Just kidding, good job Mitch, and cutting it up yourself :tup:
Half way through the butchering pics my back was hurting seeing you two hunched over, then i noticed later you got some chairs..
That rack will make fine hat hooks for your man cave..
Post by: h20hunter on November 02, 2015, 05:46:00 PM
Post by: 250savage on November 03, 2015, 03:24:37 PM
Post by: 2labs on November 03, 2015, 03:37:28 PM
I knew upfront to ask for a chair. Back has been an issue and since we are newbies I wasn't sure how long the job would take. I think we did a bang up job myself, even for an old man!
Cut extension legs from P.V.C. And get your table up to a comfy hieght.trust me it's AWSOME! I think my portable cleaning/ fillet table is at 4' 6" to the top I'm 6'2" and no bendy! Very nice and cheap! Thank me later your welcome. :tup: