So I am pretty close to 50 years old and just started hunting with firearms recently. No one in my immediate family hunted so it wasn't an activity I got involved in or exposed to until three years ago. Lots of fishing, hiking, climbing, tracking, etc. though.
Two years back I was fortunate to go deer hunting but over that three day weekend I got nothing but awesome alone time in the woods. NW GA, cold air temperature, rain and windy, walked the woods for 3 days, jumped a few does, bur failed to harvest a buck. I didn't mind the wind, rain, nor the lack of a kill. I love being outdoors in the woods. Last year Covid rained on my plan to try deer hunting again. No chance to go. This year I was lucky to receive another opportunity to go deer hunting and the three day weekend was shaping up to be a carbon copy of the first adventure - lots of signs of deer but no shot opportunities. Droppings, rubbings, game trails, even saw a few doe. No buck though. Friday and Saturday the 60-plus degree air temperature and wet ground made for an easy hike through the property. Here's a kicker - Saturday after the big storm blew through and moved on leaving drizzle for a bit I fell asleep in a tree. Yes indeed - the wind rocking the tree back and forth, the sounds of the forest, alseep I went. I awoke to a doe off to my right! I had wanted a buck, on foot, with my revolver without a scope, offhand, had this all in my mind how it would play out. LOL So I am watching this doe and wondering if I should take a shot should it present the window of opportunity. After all I wanted the meat for our family. And I had been target shooting, reading about deer, etc. Well I never got that doe as good light was only maybe 25 minutes and if I didn't have a drop on spot shot and she ran tracking her as a first timer at dusk in drizzle ... no thank you.
I woke Saturday to 64 degrees air temperature and Sunday to 31 degree air temperatures! However, Sunday morning I was presented with an opportunity and everything paid off. I watched this buck come up over a ridge, walk toward me, turn broadside, look at a squirrel eating an acorn, then walk forward a few steps. I had a Waltee Mitty moment as I thought about yelling "BOO!". Then I took the shot and harvested my first deer - an 8 pt buck from about 20 yards using my Ruger Redhawk chambered in .41magnum. To top it off my buddy taught me how to remove the hide and process the deer. Then back home I deboned and cut up the meat. What a great adventure all of it was! We have ate a sampling of cuts and everything has tasted delicious!
Two years back I was fortunate to go deer hunting but over that three day weekend I got nothing but awesome alone time in the woods. NW GA, cold air temperature, rain and windy, walked the woods for 3 days, jumped a few does, bur failed to harvest a buck. I didn't mind the wind, rain, nor the lack of a kill. I love being outdoors in the woods. Last year Covid rained on my plan to try deer hunting again. No chance to go. This year I was lucky to receive another opportunity to go deer hunting and the three day weekend was shaping up to be a carbon copy of the first adventure - lots of signs of deer but no shot opportunities. Droppings, rubbings, game trails, even saw a few doe. No buck though. Friday and Saturday the 60-plus degree air temperature and wet ground made for an easy hike through the property. Here's a kicker - Saturday after the big storm blew through and moved on leaving drizzle for a bit I fell asleep in a tree. Yes indeed - the wind rocking the tree back and forth, the sounds of the forest, alseep I went. I awoke to a doe off to my right! I had wanted a buck, on foot, with my revolver without a scope, offhand, had this all in my mind how it would play out. LOL So I am watching this doe and wondering if I should take a shot should it present the window of opportunity. After all I wanted the meat for our family. And I had been target shooting, reading about deer, etc. Well I never got that doe as good light was only maybe 25 minutes and if I didn't have a drop on spot shot and she ran tracking her as a first timer at dusk in drizzle ... no thank you.
I woke Saturday to 64 degrees air temperature and Sunday to 31 degree air temperatures! However, Sunday morning I was presented with an opportunity and everything paid off. I watched this buck come up over a ridge, walk toward me, turn broadside, look at a squirrel eating an acorn, then walk forward a few steps. I had a Waltee Mitty moment as I thought about yelling "BOO!". Then I took the shot and harvested my first deer - an 8 pt buck from about 20 yards using my Ruger Redhawk chambered in .41magnum. To top it off my buddy taught me how to remove the hide and process the deer. Then back home I deboned and cut up the meat. What a great adventure all of it was! We have ate a sampling of cuts and everything has tasted delicious!
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