dsinwi
5 year old buck +
Saw this on another site so thought I would pass it on over here. It helped me relive a time when I was a very young and inexperience hunter. I'm not young any more and to honest probably not that experienced either. It also brought back a lot of good memories and thoughts of fellow hunters no longer with us today.
Here goes...
WI Bayfield county 1977 sitting on a large ravine over looking the Barden Creek, not far off the bank of Lake Superior. My Dad left me by the "pail" early that morning. An old steel pail hung on a tree there. It become a point of reference for our gang and a number of nice bucks were shot within site of it over the years. Dad wondered over later in the morning and took a seat next to me on the log I was on. We heard ice braking down on the creek and Dad told me to stand up. A short time later a respectable 8 pointer wondered up the hill quartering toward me. In my inexperience I froze, open site of the 30-30 I was using locked on the deer eye to eye at about 30 yards. Dad couldn't see the deer seated on the log and at a steep downward angle. Dad whispers what is it? I say big buck. Dad says shoot it. After that commotion the deer was alert and turned. I set the site behind the shoulder and fired. Deer takes off running faster than anything I've ever seen in my life. It was a streak in the woods through my eyes. Dad jumps to his feet with his auto 06 open sights and gets off two shots. He was a crack shot with that gun. We return to our seat and discuss the events. Dad laughs at me, I still have no idea what happened. Dad's brother wonders over a short time later and says deer is down, heard a crash near him but didn't see the deer. We track it a ways and recover the deer with two gut shot holes. Dad says tag your buck. Dad and Uncle are grinning ear to ear. Giggling watching me clean a gut shot deer. I had gutted deer before but nothing like this one. I remember: My frozen butt and fingers. The sound of that ice breaking. The look in that deer's eyes staring at me. The crack of the rifle. Dad chuckling at me after we shot.(Pretty sure he knew he hit the deer good but has never told me) The look on Dad and Uncle's face when we recovered the deer.
I've shot quite a few of my own deer since. Not sure where some of the horns are now. Still have that 8pt hanging in my home today.
We had great times at our old deer camp. Shot some real big deer. I wish we still had one. I wish I was old enough then to realize what we had and the good friendships we shared during the 9 day gun season.
I still part take in the season with my son at my place. Haven't shot a deer with a gun in ~8 years. Brother still heads north. Son will be off to the military next summer. Dad will probably sit his first season out this year due to cancer. Only uncle on Dad's side gone from cancer.
Thanks for the post and allowing me relive that memory.
Thanks for reading.
Here goes...
WI Bayfield county 1977 sitting on a large ravine over looking the Barden Creek, not far off the bank of Lake Superior. My Dad left me by the "pail" early that morning. An old steel pail hung on a tree there. It become a point of reference for our gang and a number of nice bucks were shot within site of it over the years. Dad wondered over later in the morning and took a seat next to me on the log I was on. We heard ice braking down on the creek and Dad told me to stand up. A short time later a respectable 8 pointer wondered up the hill quartering toward me. In my inexperience I froze, open site of the 30-30 I was using locked on the deer eye to eye at about 30 yards. Dad couldn't see the deer seated on the log and at a steep downward angle. Dad whispers what is it? I say big buck. Dad says shoot it. After that commotion the deer was alert and turned. I set the site behind the shoulder and fired. Deer takes off running faster than anything I've ever seen in my life. It was a streak in the woods through my eyes. Dad jumps to his feet with his auto 06 open sights and gets off two shots. He was a crack shot with that gun. We return to our seat and discuss the events. Dad laughs at me, I still have no idea what happened. Dad's brother wonders over a short time later and says deer is down, heard a crash near him but didn't see the deer. We track it a ways and recover the deer with two gut shot holes. Dad says tag your buck. Dad and Uncle are grinning ear to ear. Giggling watching me clean a gut shot deer. I had gutted deer before but nothing like this one. I remember: My frozen butt and fingers. The sound of that ice breaking. The look in that deer's eyes staring at me. The crack of the rifle. Dad chuckling at me after we shot.(Pretty sure he knew he hit the deer good but has never told me) The look on Dad and Uncle's face when we recovered the deer.
I've shot quite a few of my own deer since. Not sure where some of the horns are now. Still have that 8pt hanging in my home today.
We had great times at our old deer camp. Shot some real big deer. I wish we still had one. I wish I was old enough then to realize what we had and the good friendships we shared during the 9 day gun season.
I still part take in the season with my son at my place. Haven't shot a deer with a gun in ~8 years. Brother still heads north. Son will be off to the military next summer. Dad will probably sit his first season out this year due to cancer. Only uncle on Dad's side gone from cancer.
Thanks for the post and allowing me relive that memory.
Thanks for reading.