First Deer

[BuckNasty]

My first deer, and my wife’s first hunt. Warning, long story ahead. I wrote this as an electronic journal entry and later decided to share it.

 

 

How do you jinx a hunt? Discuss where you will hang the mount? Plug in a never used freezer for the anticipated meat? Text a relative asking for a game processor's number in the area while you drive to your hunt? We did them all……

 

My father and I scouted the unit two weeks prior to the hunt, located every waterhole we could find on maps and online and then marked them on my new gps. (great bday gift). We were a bit discouraged as we never saw any animals during our scouting trip. Given my current employment status, my father and I were going to stay a field the entire hunt while my wife was going to hunt the two weekends. Terrain in this unit varies from pinion and juniper to tall pines and oaks. We liked the hilly juniper and pinion region we first found during our scouting. Small valleys with single roads running the length of them were spotted with waterholes.

 

 

 

 

Day one: We awoke before sunrise to 16 degrees F and layered as many clothes as we could find. A quick cup of instant oatmeal and coffee (took a while to boil) and we were off. We parked half a mile from the water hole we intended to hunt. We scattered around this hillside point looking towards the water hole. My wife and I were on one side and my dad was on the other. As the sun started to come up I heard motion behind me. Dad was around the corner I thought. He wouldn’t be walking around behind us without telling me via radio, would he? As I listened I convinced myself a deer was heading my way but without knowing where my dad was I wasn’t willing to prepare to shoot. The deer never materialized and our morning at the water hole ended without a single animal approaching. We did have a few road hunters help us to keep the deer away.

 

Later that morning my dad asked, did you hear something behind us early on? Yes, we both thought it was one of us...probably the big one that got away. Oh well, better safe than sorry.

 

Later that morning we hiked and glassed the hillsides but never saw anything. We got back to camp at 1PM for breakfast/lunch and a nap. Game and Fish officer visited us as well to check our tags, etc. We laughed later that he seemed surprised when we said we hadn't seen anything. We did learn of another successful hunter who said the deer he took was with another buck. Maybe we might get a double! A brief nap and we were back to the same waterhole by 3pm.

 

This time I was situated higher up the hillside, 200 yards from the hole while my wife and father were around the corner. I say hole because it didn't have nearly the water it had two weeks prior. It was a small mud hole but was still likely being used. Two coyotes and a fox were the first activity. That alone was exciting. There are animals here after all! Just before sunset 5 does w/two small deer made their way to the water. Even though I was 200 yards uphill of them and I was sure they couldn't spot me, I was motionless as one of them always seemed to be looking my way. While they were drinking they were spooked by a noise from above them. They looked then slowly left. Because they didn't run away, as if a predator was approaching, I thought perhaps a big buck would make his way down. It got dark before the noise ever materialized.

 

A cold night around the fire with stew and biscuits ensued and we were anxious for the next day. Never thought it would be too cold for beer, but it was (alright, you got me, I only had two).

 

 

 

 

 

Day two we decided to try another water hole, hopefully with water in it. We parked and hiked in before first light. My wife and I sat under a tree 50 yards from the water (we could confirm water this time) while my dad stayed at the car to make himself another cup of coffee. No reason we all had to be cold.

 

At first light the action heated up. Two road hunters drove right by us. We politely chatted with one and waved at another. Dad radioed after he had a conversation with the same guys we talked with. They said there was a gut pile near the water and that the spot was ruined. We strategized and Dad's gut (ha, ha) told him they would be hunting this spot if we were not already here. We decided to stay put and not hike around during the day. It was a cold rest of the day sitting motionless and napping under the tree in the shade. Nothing in our packs but trail mix, apples and water for our lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't think it would get good until close to sunset. I just started to doze off at 3pm when my wife poked me and motioned for me to look right. I did, didn’t see anything and turned back to her. She gave me that "LOOK" stare and I looked again, a nice buck was making his way out of the trees on my far right (later lazered at 80 yds). Now, how to turn and get set up without him seeing….Just as we spotted him a gunshot in the distance spooked him and he returned to the trees. This gave me an opportunity to get my gun and go prone. We thought he left for good and I slowly scanned the area with my scope. I quickly picked up a buck, didn't have time to think about it, and decided to shoot. BOOM, the Tikka 270 wsm barked. My wife said "he is coming right towards us". I looked down the scope and saw a buck slowly walking towards us. I thought for sure I hit him, he sure is calm. Do I need to shoot him again? "He is coming towards us", "I know, I know"…alright maybe I should shoot again. "He is to our left", huh? I was confused. I looked to our left and my buck had run twenty yards towards us and to the left and was now eating dirt. I almost shot a second buck in the heat of the moment! My dad was 10 yards behind us and further in the trees. He never saw the buck and thought we were pulling his leg...until I shot.

 

If I had been patient and let him come to the water, we might have had a double!!! Patience goes out the window when buck fever hits. I had a tough time adequately describing buck fever to my wife and dad; both of whom have never been fortunate enough to experience. Darkness probably doubled the amount of time it took us to butcher and skin him before hanging the various parcels in the trees. We all agreed late that night at 11pm when we were finishing dinner that we were glad we didn't have a second deer to butcher.

 

We left and returned to the valley on Saturday. We still had a full weekend to ourselves

 

 

 

 

 

During the week my wife and I discussed whether or not she would really be able to pull the trigger now that she has seen it done. (easy for us hunters to dismiss, but something different for someone who was never raised around hunting). Being English she never thought it even possible to possess a gun, let alone use it for hunting. Explaining to relatives how we can purchase over the counter blows their minds (different topic all together). Talking about our hunt, looking at photos and talking to jealous co-workers made her want to try to fill her tag.

 

We drove back on the following Thursday.

 

Second time around we set up on the opposite side of the water hole as the wind was strong and we didn't want our scent to go across the water. We sat for an hour or two around mid afternoon. Nothing.

 

I had a gut feeling deer might come down the hill from behind us to the water and I didn't want them to get too close and so I decided we would move back to our previously successful spot even though our scent would be pushed towards the water. Just as soon as we did the wind died and things got quiet. Then, we could hear movement on the hillside just above where we had been. Glad we moved. Slowly 15 does made their way down the hill to the water. Amazing how slow they all moved. There were 30 eyes waiting to bust us. The blood was flowing well now.

 

The last doe to come towards the water snorted and stamped her feet at the others, as if to say, "don't leave until I get a drink. " Neat to hear and see for the first time.

 

Not 10 minutes after they all left, 4 does started to make their way down the same hill. I enjoyed being able to hear them coming. It was exciting to know that something was coming…what would it be?

 

I decided my wife should get set up just in case, as getting setup once the deer are around you is tough. She got out the shooting sticks and slowly got set up. We watched these does for about 5 minutes as they meticulously searched the area for danger and weaved in and out of the pinion and juniper cover.

 

I looked back to my dad to point them out and as soon as I did, he put down his binoculars and made the universal "buck, big buck" hand gestures as he whispered to me. I started to scan the hillside frantic to find him. I finally did and told my wife to find him in the scope. Rangefinder said he was 200 yds away.

 

200 yds was the maximum distance I wanted my wife to shoot. We made several trips to Ben Avery practicing to this distance. She was good, real good, on a bench. As we all know, in the field is a very different thing. She couldn't find the buck in the scope. Their grey fur was fully demonstrating its camouflage ability as the light was quickly fading. My wife still couldn’t find him. The does didn't come down to the water but made their way to the right and around the hillside. "Darn, hurry, find him." She could sense the frustration/anxiety in my voice. Being right eye dominate, and left handed (didn't know it was possible) and with buck fever at full volume, my wife just couldn't keep her right eye closed enough to see down the scope. It was then I realized that she had been in the "ready position" for the last 10 minutes while buck fever was coursing through her veins. Alas, the buck vanished with the does.

 

We whispered about her difficulties and I adjusted the scope to minimum power. Wait, here he comes. He came out of nowhere and was standing just behind the wire fence surveying the water. She could finally see him at 75 yards. Only problem, the wile buck had a fence post covering his vitals. In my impatient stages of buck fever I might have shot around it, but there was no way my wife could have. Could he possibly know that fence post was so perfectly placed?

 

Only chance we get is if he comes to the water, and if he does, take him then. By now my dad was wondering what the heck we were waiting for. He didn't know the difficulties she was having.

 

Sure enough, the buck bounded the fence from a standstill and walked towards the water. It is amazing how deer give you the sense they are looking at you, even if you are perfectly concealed. The swiftness of her shot caught me off guard. He finally put his head down and as soon as his lips touched the water, BOOM. The .243 (and as my wife reminds me) her perfect shot dropped him (unlike mine). His head never left the water. No jump, no kick, no roll. Dropped like a ton of bricks. His head went into the water and we all looked at each other in amazement. The way this hunt played out was perfect. We all got to see it go down, and at various moments we all thought it wouldn't happen. I don't think it gets any better than this.

 

My wife was shaking like a leaf. She couldn't even chamber the next round. I had to take the rifle and cycle another round for her. No need. He wasn't going anywhere. The look on her face, and the excitement in her voice was priceless. She was saying, and still often will say, "I can’t believe I shot a deer."

 

I can’t believe we shot our first two deer from the exact same spot less than a week apart.

 

I dragged his head out of the water so we could get photos without being in the mud. Wow, we were so glad she dropped him. It would have been really unpleasant to wade into the water to get him on this cold night.

 

She surprisingly wanted to get her hands dirty back at camp during the skinning process. After all, she didn’t want us to screw up her mount.

 

I can't wait to hunt with her again. I also can't wait to see my dad experience buck fever for himself (elk would be acceptable as well, if you are listening G&F).

 

[WFGinNM]

That is great, thanks for sharing your hunt with us. Way to get your wife into the game on her first hunt.

 

Congratulations to the both of you,

--Bill

[AZn8tiv]

Great bucks, and great story! I can't wait to get my girlfriend hunting, she's not ready to shoot a "cute deer", but she'll go for an "ugly javelina" as she puts it!

[willhunt4coues]

Whats up with the faces being blotted out? If that is you then don't blot them out....Nice job on both the deer congrats.

[justinspe25]

Nice work! Congrats to both of you on a successful hunt.

[BuckNasty]

Blot out is privacy for my dad and wife. You don't need to see my ugly mug.

[FlyingW]

Good story and congrats on two nice bucks !!!

[shylopolito]

Great lookin muleys!

[DUG]

Nice story and great bucks. Looks like a bloody good time was had by all!

[AZLance]

that dosent even look like you, are you sure that is your picture??

[BuckNasty]

that dosent even look like you, are you sure that is your picture??

 

 

Are you for real with this comment?

[ScottAdams]

 

Very strange.

[ruffcountry]

that dosent even look like you, are you sure that is your picture??

 

+1

[GameHauler]

Congratulations on a couple nice first Bucks.

Good write up with lots of details.

[Coues Archer]

for sure some nice bucks great job.