Well, I finally harvested my first deer on Friday. It was a smallish doe, shot about 10 minutes before the end of available light. I used my in-line muzzleloader with 295 grain hollowpoint powerbelt bullets. Shot at about 40 yards. She went about 10 yards and piled up. It was the last day of hunting for me on that trip and I was happy to see her.

The strange thing was that the deer came out in winds that were gusting from 20 to 45 mph! I didn' t think that deer came out in such winds, but I guess she was getting hungry.

She was standing next to another doe about 10 feet away when I shot her. The other doe never even blinked an eye. For the next 10 minutes she just wandered around in the field next to the one I shot. I loaded another shot with the speed loader and was going to try it, but she stood behind a tree that was between us until it was too dark for me to be sure of my shot.

I have been hunting for three years and this is my first kill. It has tried my patience many times but I never gave up. This group can be thanked for giving me the inspiration and practical tips to get better and better every year.

Chubber