I was 14 and was walking to a stand before my dad/brother pushed a piece of woods towards me. I had to stop to "go" and after doing my duty, I took two steps and a doe and buck busted out of their beds. I shot the remaining deer which turned out to be a button buck. My first deer.

I thought it was huge until my dad and brother showed up and said "you shot a little one". I didn't take it negatively because they congratulated me on my first deer and it turned out to be the only deer the three of us took that season.

I've harvested 86 deer since that first deer in 1976 and this is still one of my fondest memories of deer hunting.

1991, I was just starting to really learn about hunting. Had hunted for several years, just a few days each season, and was very anxious to get my first deer. I was in a stand on a wooded hillside. Early morning, light rain. Four large does come down the hill, approaching from my right. I try to bring the crossbow to bear, but get tangled up in tree limbs! Pretty soon all four are right under the tree. I'm still trying to get into position and they look up and see me. They snort and run, two down the hill, and two back up. I'm cursing myself, when along comes a button buck, along the same trail. At that point, I wouldn’t have cared what sex or size the deer was, I wanted a deer. The frustration of the does just made me all the more anxious.

For several years after that, being recently divorced and realizing the benefit of venison in the freezer, I shot the first thing that came along. Coincidentally, they were almost all bucks, ranging from spike to 8 point. It’s only been in the past few years that I got picky.

This is a bit long, but here’s why I’ve gotten so picky: My son, just shy of his 12th birthday, used my crossbow to harvest a 10 point, the only live deer he had ever seen. A small rack, but a 10 nonetheless. (I’ll put that story on another post) Due to conflicts with football season, living with his mom, etc., he didn’t hunt for another 14 years. He always said, “I don’t have to, I have the family record.” And he did, point-wise. I’ve harvested 9 points that put his 10 to shame, but he still had that extra point! For the last couple of years, my wife and I talk about getting the ‘Eric buck,’ that being a buck that tops his!

Eric's buck:

1996, mid-November, Eric and I are in a permanent stand out back, on a wooded hillside. It’s a relatively warm November afternoon, about 35 degrees or so. Late afternoon, about 1700, I see a very slight movement down the hill and whisper for Eric to get the bow (cross bow) up. He’s standing fully erect and shaking like a leaf. I can feel it through the tree! I’ve lost track of the deer and Eric sees it next. He whispers to me, voice literally quivering, "Oh gosh, it's so big!" Just then I see him coming, directly towards us, just moseying along. He begins moving around to our left, I crouch down, because that's the way the shot is developing. On the way into the woods, I had talked with Eric about us conversing while in the stand. I told him that if something came, we would have to be quiet, but I would put my hand on him, and remove it if a deer came into range. That would tell him he had the green light; he would then have to find the shot. Now, as this buck nears the stand, I remove my hand from Eric’s calf. I see what I figure is a good shot, but Eric’s still holding and I'm wondering what it looks like from his angle. Now he's only about ten yards out, takes a couple of steps, and looks right up at us! I take a chance and whisper very softly for Eric to sit still, which is what he’s trying to do. In reality, I can still feel the tree jiggle, he’s shaking so hard! The buck is only about 7 yards out, looking dead at us. The only thing I see is face and rack. No shot. I’m thinking, "Well, it was exciting. But that's all it's going to be, 'cause this customer is leaving here pretty quick." After we do the stare down for about 8 or 10 agonizingly long seconds, he turns to our left and takes two big hops. Then he hesitates and looks back, and I'm surprised to hear the bow go off. I think I see a low chest (side) hit, and he's running down the hill! Eric says something like "Oh gosh, I hope I didn't hurt him" in a shaking voice, and I know right away that what he means is he hopes he doesn't get away with an arrow in him. We had talked a lot about the importance of getting a good, killing shot. I look at my watch and see that we only have a half hour or so of light, and quickly begin to untie us. As Eric says "I can't stop shaking" for the third or fourth time, I'm halfway down the tree. "Be careful, take your time, don't fall out of the tree!" I'm telling him, as I trot for the bottom of the hill. I arrive at the bottom of the hill, where it becomes a steep bank just above the creek, and there he is! I let out a whoop and jump down over the creek. I make sure he's dead and have counted the ten points by the time Eric arrives.

That’s the story. The kid really kept his cool, and kept the sights on the kill zone the whole time. Incidentally, I’ve learned a lot since then, like not getting after them right after the shot. I didn’t have these forums from which to learn, and no one was teaching me.

usmc1978,Awesome story. I remember getting the shakes on my first......and second.......and third....and fourth.....and 35 years later I still shake just a little..lol. Old age I guess......

back in mid 60s dad was stationed in Middletown, PA for 3 years. when i was 15 Dad took me hunting, ? Potter County, went with another adult and his son and i can't even recall who but they had a cabin. The first morning dad posted along ridge above logging road. He told me to go a couple hundred yards further and do the same. i got set and the parade of does started on a trail 30-40 yards away to my right. being inexperience i never dawned on me to spin 90 degrees so i was facing the trail. excited to see the deer i was counting the does small groups one after another over 30-45 min. larger group came by count was at 20. then lucky "21" showed it was a forked horn. not having moved i pivoted my torso to it's max, ? 110 degrees and fired.
the buck spun and ran up hill, turned and ran back down, i jumped up turned and got my sight on him and fired . as i did the 8 does blasted up hill past him. i could not see the buck. I went over to the trail to look up to see if i could see them. nothing ! then i saw the deer lying there, as i slowly walked up to insure it was dead, I see there is no antler visable. OH MY GOSH I SHOT A DOE ( BUCKS ONLY BACK THEN) DAD IS IS GOING TO BE REALLY MAD. My mind was in hyperdrive. I nearly just walked away but could not would need to live up to what ever the punishment was from Dad and the game commision. as i got closer and moved the deer i see the antler. It had only the one side, with a fresh break at the skull. i could not locate the broken antler. i feel my twisted shot was poor and hit the base of the antler. and caused him to run as he did. alot of emotional highs and lows with this , the look on my dad's face coming down the trail grinning ear to ear will remain with me forever. This was the only whitetail i ever shot with a rifle.

sitting behind an old blow down on a cold as i dont know what day at the age of ten i somehow took a nap. my dad sitting back to to me. i think his snoring woke me up. when i opened my eyes there it was about a 60 pound lamb at just about ten feet away from me i was so scared i say dad deer away it goes he stops snoring and turns around whispering wait till its in range oh never mind!! then he razzes me for a minute as we watch her run about 200 yards trhough a hardwoos ridge well we might as well head home fro breakfast he says shes not coming b.....he didnt even finish and she was on her way back and running full tilt. got to about 30 yards sees us again and comes tro a skiddding stop with those oh s#$t eyes. i put my 3030 sights on her shoulder pulled the trigger and down she went. yes!!! people for miles could have heard my heart beating. turns out i hit her just below the eyeball somehow and as we sit up to go check her out i hear laughing in trhe distance turn around and wher the deer turned around and came back stands my uncle he watched the whole thing from the top of the ridge and as she approached him he jumped up and waved his armes to turn her back toards us so i could get a shot offf at her... still see the whole scenario every time i sit down in the woods and every time someone mentions it we all get a good laugh trying to imagine uncle chad jumping up and down waving his arms and actually getting the deer to do what he wanted it to....Anyways i thought it was the biggest deer in the woods and nobody told me any different addicted for life .

started bowhunting t6his yaer at 25 shot a 208 lb 8 point at about 8 feet iot was further down than out what a rush i got that first deer feeling all over again and cannot wait to do it again

I ant killed one if it is brown no spots no button it is down. I will drop any deer i can. Now after the first one or two i will stay over 130 then head up

It was opening day of rifle season 1999. I was 16 years old and very excited because I had a doe tag in my pocket. At first light I heard my pop shoot. He ended up shooting a small spike. As is tradition, when my Pop or I shoot the other stops hunting and goes to help the hunter that just shot. I decided to wait 15 mins and then go over to my Pop. As I was waiting, I noticed three does running towards me from the west. The largest doe came running through at 35 yards. I bleated at her, she hesitated, and I let her have it. A shot through the heart/lungs put her down within 50 yards. The neat part was that I was using my grandfathers 30-30 from 1946. Gramps used it, my Pop used it, and then I used it. If that gun could talk.

i remember my first deer...

4 years ago IL shotgun season came along. the first day i had a big shooter come in but never got a shot..i was heart broken. the next day..no luck i was starting to worry. the last day of first seaon came and that morning..still no luck. i went out that next evenin lookin over a cut corn field. it was coming drak when i seen something runnin to me..it was a deer! so i got ready and aimed my gun. he stopped 30 yard away and pow. he dropped. the trust 870 did its job. he was a 4 pointer but i didnt care. i was so happy!! havent missed a season since..im hooked!!