Wow, you’re puttin’ the tough questions out there now. But here it is and it wont be replaced until my son takes his first deer.
Back in my first year hunting at the age of 13, I had already had an eventful deer season, shooting arrows from my trusty Browning bow at some 10pts at 30yds away, it wasn’t until opening day of Indiana gun that I had my 20 ga single shot in hand and set up in a good tree. I remember that morning very well because I would count each shot that rang out from the properties around me, I heard over 100 shots before movement finally caught my eye up on the ridge to my left. A little 5pt buck stood there feeding unaware that I was even in the woods with him. He was 53 yds away and I put the bead of my 20 ga right on the vitals and squeezed the trigger. He took off towards the open field and cut towards the west near the gate at the top of the property I was on and lost sight of him. I gathered my composure and got down and went to look for blood. Nothing. Upon inspection, I had hit a small tree, about 5 inches in diameter, I never saw it. I went and got my dad and we started to backtrack from what I saw before/during/and after the shot. We headed towards the gate and decided to comb the hillsides on the property. We went down to the end and came back. Still nothing. I was getting real discouraged. Finally on our way back to the main road leading to the top of the property were the gate is, my dad stops and asks me what I shot. I told him a 5pt buck, he put his hand on my shoulder and lead me around to the front of him and pointed. There laid my buck!!! The slug ricocheted off the tree and I ended up gut shooting the buck on accident. My dad said that I almost choked him to death hugging him so hard after he tried to shake my hand to congratulate me on my first deer kill. 18 years later, I’m still at it and still proud to have my dad by my side hunting with me.