mattys281 Report post Posted February 19, 2017 I love this site, and can't express the gratitude I have for this resource. I'm not sure how long I've been a member, more than 10 years I think. I've gotten a lot of good tips, good advice, and have made some good friends. It's made being a 'self-taught' hunter more manageable. It honestly pains me to see people bickering and poop-talking each other, that's not what this place is about. So........... leave your tape measures in the garage, we don't need them to know they're small. Let's see the smallest one you've got and hear a story on it. I'll start it with mine. This is NOT the smallest one I've ever taken, but it is the smallest one I have a picture of. I was having a rough patch a few years back. I put tags on big game animals 3 years in a row (07-09)and was feeling pretty proud of myself, then it all went to poop. 2010, I had opportunities, but I was a big-shot now, so I let the little ones walk. In 2011 I missed 2 javelina and one coues deer in an eight day span, before gut shooting and losing the smallest deer I've ever shot at. I was pretty much done for the year after that. In 2012 I was back at it. Missed two and didn't tag out. Confidence was pretty well shot. Then in 2013 I got my act together, practiced hard, scouted, and ended up making one of the best shots of my career so far on this little forky buck. Stone-cold-killer mode: no shakes, talk my self through it: pick a spot, draw, aim, squeeeeeeeeeeze....... THWACK!!! One arrow and a double lung shot from 35 yards. The deer made it about 200-250 yards before expiring, but he got at least an extra 100 yards from plummeting straight down a nasty steep canyon wall. Got him on the last day of a 4 day hunt. Awesome buck & great memory! Best tasting deer I've had so far... well from Arizona at least. Nebraska deer have ours beat. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted February 19, 2017 Probably a mule deer spike in the early 80's. I took a road off the four peaks road that lead to an old abandon ranch and walked the wash almost to Saguaro Lake just after sunlight and came across two spikes sparing. Shot one and followed the blood trail back and forth across the wash where I found it piled up under a tree. I had some rope so I tied it around it neck and wrapped it up over a branch. Then I grabbed the deer under one arm and lifted it up while pulling on the rope and stepping on it so it wouldn't slip. It took a few tries but eventually I go it up off the ground and gutted my first deer. Then I tossed it over my shoulder and carried it about 100 yards to the truck and drove home where I butchered it on the kitchen table while the wife was at work. It was about a 30 yard shot with a Winchester Featherweight I bought new at Walk In Auto in Tempe for $269 and put a Tasco Scope on it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted February 19, 2017 My smallest. 3x3 on the last day. I had passed him probably 6 days in a row, but on the last morning, we saw him with a broken front shoulder. I walked up within 20 yards and put him down. This is my Dad's smallest, and ONLY deer he ever shot. On a hunt about 15 years ago with me. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reezenhunter Report post Posted February 19, 2017 My sister never been on kill my gf was in Pinetop for a few hours closing the deal on a house she sold.... My sis says let's go kill a deer we see this spike I stick him 60 yards straight on I let her and my dog track it teach her how to gut it...we drink beers then tried to get my gf a deer once she got back great time fun hunt I killed it with my sister one of the best times ever to see how happy she was... The 1st and last spoke I will kill though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reezenhunter Report post Posted February 19, 2017 Forgot pic 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
standman Report post Posted February 19, 2017 Here's one of mine. Over twenty years ago in unit 27. Still remember it like yesterday. 😊 Brian 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wish2hunt Report post Posted February 19, 2017 Here's one of mine. Over twenty years ago in unit 27. Still remember it like yesterday. 😊 Brian IMG_1013.JPG Thats going to be hard to beat. Great job though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QCwtAddict Report post Posted February 19, 2017 Second deer I had ever shot. Took him on the 6th morning of a tough hunt where the weather had been brutally cold and windy and he was the only buck we had seen at that point. I was happy as could be to score some meat and a lot of knowledge of the area. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted February 19, 2017 Keep em comin. Great memories! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungHuntr Report post Posted February 20, 2017 Technically my one and only deer but he belongs in this thread! Took him on December 28th 2016, unit 37B just 30-45 minutes from my house. Considering I could only hunt until the 29th and the calendar year was about to reset, I was super stoked to get a shot at this guy. Just made some ground venison chili from him the other day, it was tasty. Though he may be dinky, that doesn't stop me from seeing him as a trophy and being enormously satisfied at taking my first deer after years of trying, and with a bow at that. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AzDiamondHeat Report post Posted February 20, 2017 Looks to me like a few of you guys need to hire a guide service........haaahhahhahhaaahhaaa sorry. couldn't help myself. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
300RUM Report post Posted February 20, 2017 It may mot be a deer but I got an elk I will never forget. I had a cow tag and put an arrow through one. As I was walking up behind the dead elk I saw balls between the back legs. Talk about a "maalox moment". I ran around to the front and there were no antlers. As my tag actually said antlerless I was good to go. He was a tasty little guy. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edge Report post Posted February 20, 2017 Documenting my dinkey would take up too much band width. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
5guyshunting Report post Posted February 20, 2017 It may mot be a deer but I got an elk I will never forget. I had a cow tag and put an arrow through one. As I was walking up behind the dead elk I saw balls between the back legs. Talk about a "maalox moment". I ran around to the front and there were no antlers. As my tag actually said antlerless I was good to go. He was a tasty little guy. The same thing happened about 5 years ago. My youngest son had his first cow tag at 10 years old. He made the shot and his cow was down. We were all happy and took lots of pics. Then I grabbed a leg to start gutting and said, o' look it's a little bull. Then the tears started flowing, he thought he was going to jail. I ruined the moment, that sucked. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted February 20, 2017 Technically my one and only deer but he belongs in this thread! Took him on December 28th 2016, unit 37B just 30-45 minutes from my house. Considering I could only hunt until the 29th and the calendar year was about to reset, I was super stoked to get a shot at this guy. Just made some ground venison chili from him the other day, it was tasty. Though he may be dinky, that doesn't stop me from seeing him as a trophy and being enormously satisfied at taking my first deer after years of trying, and with a bow at that. That buck has 4 points more than he would need to wear my tag in december. Hes a fine deer, you should be proud of him. Congrats! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
