That last sentence is unbelievable, its hard to imagine only seeing one deer in your first 18 years or so. I noticed you said that you didn't originally deer hunt, when did you pick it up?
I turned 40 shortly after taking up bowhunting for deer. You would think, frowing up on a farm where we could have a couple hundred acres of corn and lots of pasture land....I'd have seen a lot of deer growing up. I didn't. The one deer I saw (that I eluded to) was seen at my grandparents' house.....on a dead run through their front yard.
I had no idea of what it was, then. That's the truth.