My First Buck - NY 8 Point 11-29
12-03-2009, 03:58 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Snydersville PA
Posts: 101
My First Buck - NY 8 Point 11-29
Well, after 10 years of hunting and 8 years of deer hunting I finally took my first buck. There's a long story with it, so for those who want pictures, start scrolling.
I hunt the first week of deer season in New York every year, then come home and hunt the opener of PA the Monday after. I look forward to these 2-3 weeks of the year, EVERY year, its non-stop hunting and I love it. I've taken a couple doe in NY now, but only ever had a shot at one buck, a nice six point, and missed it low. Sunday Nov 29th I was hunting in a spot I call my "snipers nest". I was sitting on a point in the creek bottom where two mountains converge in the gully overlooking a very heavily used creek crossing. I was about 90 yards higher than the creek, sitting on the ground and it was roughly 100 yard shot to the crossing the deer use. I had wide open shooting down in the creek bottom and 4 shooting lanes on the side face of the mountain across from me, it was sort of like a shooting gallery.
I'd hunted all week and seen a few does Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning but either couldn't get a clean shot, or they busted me. Sunday was my last day of hunting before I had to come home, and I was only planning on sitting out for a few hours in the morning and then heading home early afternoon.
It was a very cold morning, was 28 degrees when we left the house, calm winds, just an overall beautiful deer season morning. About 8am my father came across the radio and said there was a single deer between us, and had busted him trying to get around on him. He'd either go between us, or head for the creek crossing so I grabbed my gun, shifted to watch behind me and the crossing. About 10 minutes later I caught movement heading towards the creek crossing and there he was. All I could see was deer, and antler, and my immediate thought was "your gonna get it" He was moving at a good pace through the thicket, so I pulled up when he got in my opening, he stopped just before the creek and I touched one off.
I saw his butt hit the ground, he picked himself up tucked his tail and jumped the creek. He started up the other bank and working to my left on the side bank, and got to one of my openings, so I decided to shoot again. I saw him hunch up again and move out of my sight down the other bank. I quickly radioed to another guy who was sitting on the other bank watching a crossing about 500 yards down that there was a buck between us, and I think I hit him solid. Just after I heard some leaves and that was it, the other guys never shot so I was getting a little worried.
My father got down to me, we went down to where I took the first shot and found white hair, lots of it, with no blood. My heart SANK. Buck Fever took hold I pulled the shot. I knew I shot again, though it was only a hope shot, so I knew I had to check that spot and see if there was any sign. As we made it across the side bank, I got about 40 yards past the opening where I shot, looked down the bank towards the creek and there he laid all balled up against a tree! I was pumped to say the least, shaking like a leaf doesn't begin to describe it.
My second "Hope shot" actually ended up being a money shot, through the back of the ribs, and out just before the opposite front leg, right through the boiler room. When we got him hung, we found he'd been shot twice this season, once with a small caliber bullet right through the spine. There was a clear entrance and exit wound, and a small hole punched through the spine, but it never broke his back, looked like a 243 caliber bullet. And the real kicker was, he had 4 inches of carbon arrow and a broadhead lodged under his right eye, in his bone. The arrow had broken off clean with the skin, and the broadhead lodged right into his cheek bone.
He's not the biggest buck in the world, but he's my first. I think it's a great buck, and really have some work to do it top it for my next one!
Gun is a Savage Model 16 Weather Warrior Series in .308 with the AccuStock/AccuTrigger. I sent the stock out to Dynamic Finishes to have coated in Realtree AP. Bullet was a 150 grain Federal Fusion and entrance/exit holes were just bigger than a quarter. Yes, the gun's unloaded, I just noticed it's facing back my way.
So with out further adue; here he is.
I hunt the first week of deer season in New York every year, then come home and hunt the opener of PA the Monday after. I look forward to these 2-3 weeks of the year, EVERY year, its non-stop hunting and I love it. I've taken a couple doe in NY now, but only ever had a shot at one buck, a nice six point, and missed it low. Sunday Nov 29th I was hunting in a spot I call my "snipers nest". I was sitting on a point in the creek bottom where two mountains converge in the gully overlooking a very heavily used creek crossing. I was about 90 yards higher than the creek, sitting on the ground and it was roughly 100 yard shot to the crossing the deer use. I had wide open shooting down in the creek bottom and 4 shooting lanes on the side face of the mountain across from me, it was sort of like a shooting gallery.
I'd hunted all week and seen a few does Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning but either couldn't get a clean shot, or they busted me. Sunday was my last day of hunting before I had to come home, and I was only planning on sitting out for a few hours in the morning and then heading home early afternoon.
It was a very cold morning, was 28 degrees when we left the house, calm winds, just an overall beautiful deer season morning. About 8am my father came across the radio and said there was a single deer between us, and had busted him trying to get around on him. He'd either go between us, or head for the creek crossing so I grabbed my gun, shifted to watch behind me and the crossing. About 10 minutes later I caught movement heading towards the creek crossing and there he was. All I could see was deer, and antler, and my immediate thought was "your gonna get it" He was moving at a good pace through the thicket, so I pulled up when he got in my opening, he stopped just before the creek and I touched one off.
I saw his butt hit the ground, he picked himself up tucked his tail and jumped the creek. He started up the other bank and working to my left on the side bank, and got to one of my openings, so I decided to shoot again. I saw him hunch up again and move out of my sight down the other bank. I quickly radioed to another guy who was sitting on the other bank watching a crossing about 500 yards down that there was a buck between us, and I think I hit him solid. Just after I heard some leaves and that was it, the other guys never shot so I was getting a little worried.
My father got down to me, we went down to where I took the first shot and found white hair, lots of it, with no blood. My heart SANK. Buck Fever took hold I pulled the shot. I knew I shot again, though it was only a hope shot, so I knew I had to check that spot and see if there was any sign. As we made it across the side bank, I got about 40 yards past the opening where I shot, looked down the bank towards the creek and there he laid all balled up against a tree! I was pumped to say the least, shaking like a leaf doesn't begin to describe it.
My second "Hope shot" actually ended up being a money shot, through the back of the ribs, and out just before the opposite front leg, right through the boiler room. When we got him hung, we found he'd been shot twice this season, once with a small caliber bullet right through the spine. There was a clear entrance and exit wound, and a small hole punched through the spine, but it never broke his back, looked like a 243 caliber bullet. And the real kicker was, he had 4 inches of carbon arrow and a broadhead lodged under his right eye, in his bone. The arrow had broken off clean with the skin, and the broadhead lodged right into his cheek bone.
He's not the biggest buck in the world, but he's my first. I think it's a great buck, and really have some work to do it top it for my next one!
Gun is a Savage Model 16 Weather Warrior Series in .308 with the AccuStock/AccuTrigger. I sent the stock out to Dynamic Finishes to have coated in Realtree AP. Bullet was a 150 grain Federal Fusion and entrance/exit holes were just bigger than a quarter. Yes, the gun's unloaded, I just noticed it's facing back my way.
So with out further adue; here he is.
Last edited by unklechuckles19; 12-03-2009 at 04:01 AM.
