splatek
UAEC
Went looking for bear last night, was lined up in what looked like a perfect spot with great sign, but as luck might have it (or not) the bears didn't wanna come out and play with me. They were too busy running into @Buckman18 's arrows. I planned to camp, but got a message about my boy and headed home. Got home about 1030.... Dogs woke me early so I brewed some black stuff and hit the road south to the hunting lease. I've had does on my cams every morning for five days straight....945 am.
Showed up at 545... Got to my blind about ten minutes later....
At about 855 a doe and fawn popped in, but neither presented a shot, and I'm not sure I'd have taken it. Decided I'd sit until 11. At 955 am I heard some steps. Sure enough there were a few does, but they circled clear around my blind and outta sight. Then one popped into view on the other side. I took my safety off. Then outta no where one walked right into a shooting lane and I popped her.
She mule kicked, took two really fast steps/gallups, then 4-6 much slower steps, then she fell and let out a death bleat/moan and slid down outta sight. I was getting ready to retrieve, then I heard 1,2,3,... 6 straight snort wheezes from across the creek bottom. There were two does blowing at me, on all fours. I thought, I couldn't have missed right?
I leave the blind and they're still blowing at me. But there she was, my first ever harvested deer laying about halfway down a ledge into the creek bottom. Couldn't wipe the smile off my face!
I started hunting last year at 44 years of age halfway thru the season. This is my first full season and I literally felt like I'd never score, until I did and then I felt like a little kid at Christmas when I popped her.
The shot was near-perfect (could've been a little forward), but when I looked inside the expandable got both lungs and nipped the heart. I gutted her, removed all the meat and got it on ice and celebrated with some waffle house.
I will post pictures later, although it's not as exciting as some twelve point stud that messed up and walked into an arrow..... It's still my first ever harvested deer!
Had a lot, A LOT of help from hunters that saw my enthusiasm and coached me along, literally making a hunter outta me. This forum has also been invaluable.
Showed up at 545... Got to my blind about ten minutes later....
At about 855 a doe and fawn popped in, but neither presented a shot, and I'm not sure I'd have taken it. Decided I'd sit until 11. At 955 am I heard some steps. Sure enough there were a few does, but they circled clear around my blind and outta sight. Then one popped into view on the other side. I took my safety off. Then outta no where one walked right into a shooting lane and I popped her.
She mule kicked, took two really fast steps/gallups, then 4-6 much slower steps, then she fell and let out a death bleat/moan and slid down outta sight. I was getting ready to retrieve, then I heard 1,2,3,... 6 straight snort wheezes from across the creek bottom. There were two does blowing at me, on all fours. I thought, I couldn't have missed right?
I leave the blind and they're still blowing at me. But there she was, my first ever harvested deer laying about halfway down a ledge into the creek bottom. Couldn't wipe the smile off my face!
I started hunting last year at 44 years of age halfway thru the season. This is my first full season and I literally felt like I'd never score, until I did and then I felt like a little kid at Christmas when I popped her.
The shot was near-perfect (could've been a little forward), but when I looked inside the expandable got both lungs and nipped the heart. I gutted her, removed all the meat and got it on ice and celebrated with some waffle house.
I will post pictures later, although it's not as exciting as some twelve point stud that messed up and walked into an arrow..... It's still my first ever harvested deer!
Had a lot, A LOT of help from hunters that saw my enthusiasm and coached me along, literally making a hunter outta me. This forum has also been invaluable.
