My first buck. I'm proud!
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Hazard, KY
Posts: 19
My first buck. I'm proud!
Well here is the story behind my first ever buck.
I went out this weekend for the opening of Kentucky's modern firearm season. Right off the bat I secured some meat by harvesting two nice does (I had bought my bonus tag in advance). I had previously taken one doe during muzzleloading season and it is gonna be tasty when I get home for a bite (I'm in college at WKU). Well after that morning I tried my luck in the same stand, and seen a decent buck sneaking through some brush. He was on the move, and by the time I raised my scope he was in too much cover for a shot. Boy am I glad he didn't give me the opportunity! Inanother event that happened the same evening, my dad had the chance for what he called "the biggest d*** buck he had ever seen". Only problem was, I had unloaded his .30-06 before we got in the truck to go out for some lunch, and he forgot to load it back for the evening hunt. Needless to say, I feared for my life when I got the cell phone message walking out from my stand.
Anyway, the next morning passed with no movement whatsoever. I managed to convince my dad to stay and hunt the evening (we live 3 1/2 hours away, but he drives down here to hunt with me; plus we've hunted in the Western part of the state ever since I started.). I decided to hunt from the ground this time, and made my way down to a small creek with TONS of scrapes, rubs, and trails. Only problem to this setup is that upon my inspection, I saw my brother and his little girl sitting about 40 yards away. They had been seeing deer every time they went out, but she didn't want to shoot. (I think she was a little scared of the gun, she is only 11 and weighs about 100 pounds soaking wet.) I backed out of this spot to give her a chance at her first, a made my way down to a big oak tree and leaned against it. I proceeded to fall asleep, who knows what kind of deer passed me.After I woke up and got my bearings back together, I had pretty much given up, my spot wasn't that good, so I began making my way back towards the truck. In the last 200 yards or so to the truck, I decide to look over in the feild where I had recently killed my doe with the ML. I almost had a heart attack. It took me about 1/2 a second to decide he was a shooter.There he stood, with the six point I had seen earlier right with him. I steadied and shot, and seen him fall on the spot. I have never been more happier in my life.
I went down to claim him, and he was as big as I had expected. He's not a monster, but I am as proud of this deer as someone who had the world record would be. My dad took him home to skin him out and get it mounted, since it was my first. When my niece seen that deer, she looks at me and says "I have been watching this deer for two days, that's little!" She was just giving me a hard time, and my brother proabably told her to say it, we got some laughs anyways. My deer had 9 points, and I'm guessing weighed in the 180- 220 range. Sorry this was so long, but I wanted you to know my story. I am so proud I have been telling everybody. Now I just hope to get him back from the taxidermist soon. I know it's not the highest, but I am curious what you think he would score? I going to when I get him back, but what do you think? I hope I can post the pic. Thanks for reading, I hope you can tell how proud I am.
I went out this weekend for the opening of Kentucky's modern firearm season. Right off the bat I secured some meat by harvesting two nice does (I had bought my bonus tag in advance). I had previously taken one doe during muzzleloading season and it is gonna be tasty when I get home for a bite (I'm in college at WKU). Well after that morning I tried my luck in the same stand, and seen a decent buck sneaking through some brush. He was on the move, and by the time I raised my scope he was in too much cover for a shot. Boy am I glad he didn't give me the opportunity! Inanother event that happened the same evening, my dad had the chance for what he called "the biggest d*** buck he had ever seen". Only problem was, I had unloaded his .30-06 before we got in the truck to go out for some lunch, and he forgot to load it back for the evening hunt. Needless to say, I feared for my life when I got the cell phone message walking out from my stand.
Anyway, the next morning passed with no movement whatsoever. I managed to convince my dad to stay and hunt the evening (we live 3 1/2 hours away, but he drives down here to hunt with me; plus we've hunted in the Western part of the state ever since I started.). I decided to hunt from the ground this time, and made my way down to a small creek with TONS of scrapes, rubs, and trails. Only problem to this setup is that upon my inspection, I saw my brother and his little girl sitting about 40 yards away. They had been seeing deer every time they went out, but she didn't want to shoot. (I think she was a little scared of the gun, she is only 11 and weighs about 100 pounds soaking wet.) I backed out of this spot to give her a chance at her first, a made my way down to a big oak tree and leaned against it. I proceeded to fall asleep, who knows what kind of deer passed me.After I woke up and got my bearings back together, I had pretty much given up, my spot wasn't that good, so I began making my way back towards the truck. In the last 200 yards or so to the truck, I decide to look over in the feild where I had recently killed my doe with the ML. I almost had a heart attack. It took me about 1/2 a second to decide he was a shooter.There he stood, with the six point I had seen earlier right with him. I steadied and shot, and seen him fall on the spot. I have never been more happier in my life.
I went down to claim him, and he was as big as I had expected. He's not a monster, but I am as proud of this deer as someone who had the world record would be. My dad took him home to skin him out and get it mounted, since it was my first. When my niece seen that deer, she looks at me and says "I have been watching this deer for two days, that's little!" She was just giving me a hard time, and my brother proabably told her to say it, we got some laughs anyways. My deer had 9 points, and I'm guessing weighed in the 180- 220 range. Sorry this was so long, but I wanted you to know my story. I am so proud I have been telling everybody. Now I just hope to get him back from the taxidermist soon. I know it's not the highest, but I am curious what you think he would score? I going to when I get him back, but what do you think? I hope I can post the pic. Thanks for reading, I hope you can tell how proud I am.
#2
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Hazard, KY
Posts: 19
RE: My first buck. I'm proud!
Here's another picture where you can see his rack better. It was so cold we were in a hurry. I had forgotten my camera in my dorm so we had to take these pictures when we got back. I wish I had gotten one in the field, but I am happy with these.
#10
RE: My first buck. I'm proud!
110? I believe thats a little generous. Your deer should score somewhere in the 85 to 95 range. Don't worry about score on your first deer. Enjoy the moment and enjoy telling the story to all your college buddies. Besides, I'd be more concerned about who sat on the brim of your hat than on what the deer scores.