Favorite Whitetail Deer Hunting Story
04-08-2015, 12:14 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 38
Favorite Whitetail Deer Hunting Story
Leave your favorite whitetail deer hunting story in the reply section. My favorite story was when I first harvested my very first deer. I shot it and as soon as the arrow went threw it I was in shock. The deer maybe went about 5 yards and fell right over. A perfect (but not so perfect spine shot) I will never forget that hunt and it will always be one of my favorite hunts ever.
Dominic From Outdoor Lifestyle
Check out my Hunting Channel Just Click The Link:https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC2n068sZ0v2IGWHzLatDCLw
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Dominic From Outdoor Lifestyle
Check out my Hunting Channel Just Click The Link:https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC2n068sZ0v2IGWHzLatDCLw
There is a new video every week
04-10-2015, 03:01 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
Opening day memories.
My first deer season opening day November 15th 1960 memory was waking up all excited like it was Christmas morning. The wait before we could go to the woods was horrible as there were cows to milk and other farm chores to do. I can still smell the wood smoke from moms cook stove and the old pot belly that kept the house warm. The gun I was given to deer hunt with was an old Ivers Johnson single shot 410 / 44 lug in one stamped on the single shot barrel along with 2 ½ inch shells, I was given 5 slugs for it. I remember breakfast was sausage patties most likely made from pigs we buchetered earlier that fall and fried eggs. The woods were a mile roughly down the road so dad drove the Ford station wagon we had at the time rather than the farm truck. Not being born to a hunting family I was not well versed in just how to hunt the deer only from old magazines and books, did I have a clue. It was cold also and since the law said you had to wear red at the time I had a red hooded sweat shirt in Luo of a coat. I walked a lot doing what I thought was still hunting, none of the rags I had read said that still hunting was moving something like a mile a day instead of the 4 miles an hour I was covering. I was working my way up to the car to go home for lunch when a doe ran across the logging road I was on, following her was a buck with a nice rack about as nice as I have ever seen. I pull that old 410 up and fire at the buck which stopped I’m sure it was a total miss Break the gun and stuff a second slug in an fire again a miss again. My heart is racing hands shaking something awful I load in third shell fire and saw the head jerk and a blood spot appear in the neck as the buck charged off. Quickly load in number four and fire then number five and fire. All were misses I think and I am out of shells. I shaking badly half run half walk to the car and wait for dad. He arrives and I tell him about the buck, he gives me that adult your fibbing look and says we should get home for lunch. After lunch and a quick drive to buy more slugs for me we are back in the woods. I go back to where that buck was and find some blood and start to trail it. Wasn’t much blood but did track it to the beaver pond and never found a drop after that.
That was my first year memory.
Al
My first deer season opening day November 15th 1960 memory was waking up all excited like it was Christmas morning. The wait before we could go to the woods was horrible as there were cows to milk and other farm chores to do. I can still smell the wood smoke from moms cook stove and the old pot belly that kept the house warm. The gun I was given to deer hunt with was an old Ivers Johnson single shot 410 / 44 lug in one stamped on the single shot barrel along with 2 ½ inch shells, I was given 5 slugs for it. I remember breakfast was sausage patties most likely made from pigs we buchetered earlier that fall and fried eggs. The woods were a mile roughly down the road so dad drove the Ford station wagon we had at the time rather than the farm truck. Not being born to a hunting family I was not well versed in just how to hunt the deer only from old magazines and books, did I have a clue. It was cold also and since the law said you had to wear red at the time I had a red hooded sweat shirt in Luo of a coat. I walked a lot doing what I thought was still hunting, none of the rags I had read said that still hunting was moving something like a mile a day instead of the 4 miles an hour I was covering. I was working my way up to the car to go home for lunch when a doe ran across the logging road I was on, following her was a buck with a nice rack about as nice as I have ever seen. I pull that old 410 up and fire at the buck which stopped I’m sure it was a total miss Break the gun and stuff a second slug in an fire again a miss again. My heart is racing hands shaking something awful I load in third shell fire and saw the head jerk and a blood spot appear in the neck as the buck charged off. Quickly load in number four and fire then number five and fire. All were misses I think and I am out of shells. I shaking badly half run half walk to the car and wait for dad. He arrives and I tell him about the buck, he gives me that adult your fibbing look and says we should get home for lunch. After lunch and a quick drive to buy more slugs for me we are back in the woods. I go back to where that buck was and find some blood and start to trail it. Wasn’t much blood but did track it to the beaver pond and never found a drop after that.
That was my first year memory.
Al
04-13-2015, 03:33 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
The deer hunter
The young man had seen a couple deer near his home and then listened to school mates as the season got nearer, stories of going out with dad grand pa or and uncle. The young man decided he too would like to hunt deer. He’s parents owned several acres of wood land and lots of swampy land where he could hunt. State law required a red coat or something as an outer shell for safety he bought a red hooded sweat shirt. He needed a fire arm capable of killing a deer that was law legal; he was given an old beat up single shot 410 and 5 slugs. Opening arrived all frosty and crisp so the young man now knowing much about hunting deer heads off to the woods and finds a place to set down he though a likely place. He was soon cold and bored as he had not seen as much as a bird even. He gets up and quickly walks to the old logging trail so he warmed up again. Slowly he walks down the logging trail thinking how great it would be to see a big buck and how much his family would like the meat. He gets to the open field and turns around and starts walking back to the back of the woods again making a plan in his head to go along the fence like across the back then up the south line fence. Once he makes it to the south line fence he slowly walked it to the open field then went to the house for dinner. When dinner was over he again goes to the woods where he walks down the south line to the rear of the woods . Once he reached the north line fence he followed it till he hit the open field. He skirts the open field staying at the edge of the woods till he hit the old logging trail again. He once again searches for that place where the big buck will appear while he sets. Setting just isn’t working, not only is that big buck not showing up but he keeps getting shaky cold. Again he is up and walking to get warm still hasn’t seen a deer but that was about to change. Decides to walk thru the second growth from the clear cutting about 10 years before. Is very thick in there so site is limited to about 25 yards at best. Not long and deer jump from their bed waving their white flag at the man. By the end of the season the young man had found that he saw more deer in the thick stuff but it was most times the white wavering tail. Not having an adult to teach him he set his mind to learning all he could before the next season. The library provided much information on the habit of the white tail. Things they like to eat and such. There were a few books on hunting them but most just didn’t seem to apply to the clear cut areas of Michigan most seemed to be about Texas and other open type country.
The second season once again found the young hunter freezing when trying to sit on a stand as he had been told by fellow students at school was the best way. He would have to save more money in the next year and get a better deer hunting coat and maybe some decent rubber boots. This season he got invited to go on deer drives with some of the neighbor’s and one of his dads nephews and friends. The season ended without him getting a deer again but did get some meat from the drives he had been on.
For his birthday after the deer season his folks had got him a used Winchester 94 in 30-30. His dad was buying reloads from a guy he worked with so he could shoot for practice with it. His dad also decided he would hunt with the young man and got himself a model 94 30-30. The young man had saved enough money he was able to buy a bright red coat hopefully to keep him warm on a stand.
Deer season 1965 rolled around which had the young man as giddy as at Christmas time. New rifle new coat and another summer of reading everything he could about deer hunting. Opening day comes and dad says he will drive to the woods. When they get to where they would park the dad asks the young man for shells. The young man had only taken 7 out of the box from the gun rack. He tells dad that he would give him 4 of the 7 and get more later if needed. The young man also had to be out of the woods by 11:00 AM due to a test he had to take at noon. While they were talking the neighbor drove by with his tractor & trailer with other hunters who were going to hunt the 240 acres behind dads. There was about 6 inches of snow from the night before so that really had the young man geeked up too. As the young man walked the logging road in the tracks of the tractor and trailer he was forming a plan on where he would sit till he had to leave. Then there were the fresh tracks of deer in the tractor tracks so the young man decides to follow them for a ways any way. Very slowly as he learned from one of the books he had read he inched his way thru the thick brush on the trail of those deer. After a bit he saw the 3 deer waving bye bye to him with their tails as he had somehow spooked them from their beds. Once again he starts the slow stalk after them as he had caught a quick glimps of a flash of horn. After about an hour he hears a gun shot up ahead. He is sure that he had drove those deer right to another hunter and decides he should head for home to get ready for the test he had to take. Just as he turns he hears crashing just behind him. He turns and is surprised to see a very nice buck. He raises the 94 fires a shot, the buck goes down and quickly leaps back up. The buck starts to run around a small hill, the young man fires another shot and hits a 6 inch popple tree chopping in down. Racks the rifle and fires one more shot at the deer that hunches up and continues to run out of sight around the hill. The young man quickly goes to the spot he last seen the buck and finds a super highway of blood on the ground and surrounding trees. He walks about 25 yards to find the buck piled up against a dead fall. The young man somehow felt a sense of sorrow yet also pride in the nice 8 point he had just harvested.
Now in most stories this would have been the end. But this young fellow had never field dressed a deer. He had helped with pigs and cattle on the farm but they were hanging. He finally gets the buck dressed and the liver and heart saved in a plastic bag stuff back inside. He starts the drag back to the last logging road that he is sure goes to the road that runs by the house about a mile and half down the road. He gets to the logging trail and turns left. Don’t know for sure how far he went before he came to the power lines and realized he was going the wrong way. He turns around and retraced his steps guessing he had towed that buck a ¼ mile more than he should have had to. Thankfully there was snow on the ground to make the job easier as he would find out a few more years later and dragging a buck on dry ground. Finally He reaches the road where he sees a neighbor getting ready to go home for lunch. He asked the neighbor to stop by his parent’s home and have his mom bring the stake truck down to pick him and the deer up. Old Charlie would have none of that says to load the deer up in the trunk and he will drop me and the buck off at the house.
1966 the young man was not able to deer hunt as his was much more dangerous game he was hunting. 1967 he was AWOL for the first week of Deer Season but still didn’t really know the way to properly hunt deer in that area. In 1969 he met a young fellow who knew what he was doing as his old market hunting uncle had taught him. Since 1970 he has harvested many deer in the 53 years he has been hunting them has only missed 1966 since he started. He still feels that sorrow after a harvest but still gives thanks to the Great Spirit for placing the deer for him to harvest.
Al
04-14-2015, 03:30 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
First bow buck.
October 1981 can’t remember the day but know it was the afternoon. I had always been hunting with my brother somewhere in the same woods but since we had both been laid off from our jobs in August we never seemed to have the time to hunt at the same time any longer. I had entered college in hopes of a better job when I finished and he was doing odd jobs here and there plus had met a woman and moved in with her.
So here it is a sunny afternoon and I had morning classes so decided to take the bow out for a spin. I had my Baker climbing stand the big one with the 24x36 platform as I am not at all comfortable with being high and on a little 18x24 platform like my brothers Baker. There are a few huge popple trees on the edge of a grove of birch trees a low area with high grass and scrub shrubby brush on the north side. Good heavy deer trails thru there and some not so heavy use looking trails. I get the stand set up to climb tie the bow off to the cord I use to raise it then I go up. Once up the platform is not level due to the taper of the tree. I have laid on the seat part of the stand a hundred times and removed the wing not and moved the bar to level out the stand. Doing it this time and I drop the wing not and don’t have a spare have ever since then I was able to get the cord the bow was on and tie it on a branch on the back side of the tree, kicked the stand loose from my feet and let it drop then shimmied down the tree to the ground. Looked in the leaf litter for that wind nut with no luck. Decided to work my way thru that scrubby shrub brush to a permeant stand we had built in a z shaped tree about 200 yards from that disaster with the climber.
I got to that stand, pulled the bow up and waited about 15 minutes when a buck appears from where I had come from but about 30 yards west from the trail I had used. I get set and he soon stepped behind a big maple tree so I drew, as he came from behind the tree I set the sight just behind the front shoulder and let the arrow fly. He just stood there for a bit and I had the sudden thought I had missed when he exploded down the trail going around a hill where I could not see him. I get down and go over where he had been and find blood. I decided to go pick up the climber and take it to my truck. When I get to the truck my brothers jeep is there so I know he is in the woods, probably in his favorite stand we call the pent house. I go back to where the buck had stood and start trailing him I got about 70 yards and there he lay a nice 6 point. Just as I go to field dress him I hear my brother call for me from the pent house. I walk over where he is about 200 yard away across a logging trail. He had shot a doe and hit the spine and she was kicking around with her front legs. He wanted help to get to where he could cut her throat I got in front of her while he came in from behind and got the job done. We went and dressed out my buck while his doe bled out then when finished drove my truck up the logging road to pick up my first ever bow buck. Then we drove around to dress out Rob’s doe and load her up. Couple days later we had a butchering party and put them in the freezer.
So here it is a sunny afternoon and I had morning classes so decided to take the bow out for a spin. I had my Baker climbing stand the big one with the 24x36 platform as I am not at all comfortable with being high and on a little 18x24 platform like my brothers Baker. There are a few huge popple trees on the edge of a grove of birch trees a low area with high grass and scrub shrubby brush on the north side. Good heavy deer trails thru there and some not so heavy use looking trails. I get the stand set up to climb tie the bow off to the cord I use to raise it then I go up. Once up the platform is not level due to the taper of the tree. I have laid on the seat part of the stand a hundred times and removed the wing not and moved the bar to level out the stand. Doing it this time and I drop the wing not and don’t have a spare have ever since then I was able to get the cord the bow was on and tie it on a branch on the back side of the tree, kicked the stand loose from my feet and let it drop then shimmied down the tree to the ground. Looked in the leaf litter for that wind nut with no luck. Decided to work my way thru that scrubby shrub brush to a permeant stand we had built in a z shaped tree about 200 yards from that disaster with the climber.
I got to that stand, pulled the bow up and waited about 15 minutes when a buck appears from where I had come from but about 30 yards west from the trail I had used. I get set and he soon stepped behind a big maple tree so I drew, as he came from behind the tree I set the sight just behind the front shoulder and let the arrow fly. He just stood there for a bit and I had the sudden thought I had missed when he exploded down the trail going around a hill where I could not see him. I get down and go over where he had been and find blood. I decided to go pick up the climber and take it to my truck. When I get to the truck my brothers jeep is there so I know he is in the woods, probably in his favorite stand we call the pent house. I go back to where the buck had stood and start trailing him I got about 70 yards and there he lay a nice 6 point. Just as I go to field dress him I hear my brother call for me from the pent house. I walk over where he is about 200 yard away across a logging trail. He had shot a doe and hit the spine and she was kicking around with her front legs. He wanted help to get to where he could cut her throat I got in front of her while he came in from behind and got the job done. We went and dressed out my buck while his doe bled out then when finished drove my truck up the logging road to pick up my first ever bow buck. Then we drove around to dress out Rob’s doe and load her up. Couple days later we had a butchering party and put them in the freezer.
Al
Last edited by alleyyooper; 04-14-2015 at 03:32 AM.
04-14-2015, 01:47 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Midwest
Posts: 1,079
Back in the 1970's a friend and I went deer hunting in MO. I had an old Mauser sporting rifle in 9X57 with double triggers. We were on public land where the hardwoods on the ridge top had been killed to improve cover. It was a mess with tree tops and weeds. There was a stand up in this old dead tree, so I climbed up to it but did not turn around, just faced the tree trunk. Thoughts of the tree falling over passed thru my mind ever now and then. After it got light a buck came thru the tree tops and weeds and was on be before I could move. I waited until he walked behind me and was behind a cedar to my left. I shoot left handed but I would have to shoot at him right handed so I swung the rifle around while he was hidden behind the cedar. I decide that I should set the trigger too and shoot him when he steps out. About the time I start wondering why the trigger has not set yet, the gun goes "Boom". Away runs the deer. I had pulled the wrong trigger. After awhile my buddy comes along and asks if I had shot so I explained it all to him. He went to the other side of the cedar and says "There is blood over here." We follow for about 100 yards and there he lay. I had hit him about right, a little farther back then I would have aimed for but still got both lungs. Not bad for a shot where I could not see the deer. He was my first.
04-18-2015, 04:19 AM
#8
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 38
Back in the 1970's a friend and I went deer hunting in MO. I had an old Mauser sporting rifle in 9X57 with double triggers. We were on public land where the hardwoods on the ridge top had been killed to improve cover. It was a mess with tree tops and weeds. There was a stand up in this old dead tree, so I climbed up to it but did not turn around, just faced the tree trunk. Thoughts of the tree falling over passed thru my mind ever now and then. After it got light a buck came thru the tree tops and weeds and was on be before I could move. I waited until he walked behind me and was behind a cedar to my left. I shoot left handed but I would have to shoot at him right handed so I swung the rifle around while he was hidden behind the cedar. I decide that I should set the trigger too and shoot him when he steps out. About the time I start wondering why the trigger has not set yet, the gun goes "Boom". Away runs the deer. I had pulled the wrong trigger. After awhile my buddy comes along and asks if I had shot so I explained it all to him. He went to the other side of the cedar and says "There is blood over here." We follow for about 100 yards and there he lay. I had hit him about right, a little farther back then I would have aimed for but still got both lungs. Not bad for a shot where I could not see the deer. He was my first.
04-29-2015, 04:21 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
Remembence
My dad called the family together in March 2003 when he was 88 years old. He told us that he was not going to be fishing or hunting any longer and was dividing up all his things guns, rods and reels, lures and other equipment. He decided to just be the keeper of the camp. I had bought dad a Ruger model 77 243 for his 70th birthday because the Winchester model 88 284 was taking a toll on his face every time he fired it. Dad gave it to me along with a Ithaca model 37 featherlite 20 ga. I don’t think dad ever shot a buck with that rifle although he had harvested several does.
I decided to take dads deer rifle to deer camp in Nov .2003, I hunted 13 days of the fire arm deer season without seeing a legal buck. Early on a frosty Morning I set out for my favorite deer blind on the bay. Got in there and settled down with a cup of coffee and enjoying the view out over the bay as the sun started rising out of it. Soon the frost was melting and dripping off the blind roof and surrounding tree branches. I heard a road hunter slowly drive down the road glassing the cranberry bogs across the road from where I was. Just 60 yards down the road they would switch to glassing the beach on my side of the road even though road hunting in Michigan is not legal and the Property at that point on both sides of the road is private property owned by myself. About 9:00 AM I see a deer walking at the old waterline edge where the mini sand dune is. I grab my big spotting scope I use in that blind and see that yes it is a buck a 6 point. He is close to 300 yard away but walking and browsing along the edge my way. Finally he arrives at the cedar tree I have ranged at 100 yards from the blind. I set the scope cross hairs just behind his right front shoulder when he stopped for a drink in the tiny stream that flows into the bay. I squeeze the trigger and see him drop right on the spot typical for the 243’s I have shot with my reloads. I climb down out of the stand and walk out to him. He isn’t not a heavy racked 6 point just decent and with the rifle dad gave me.
I call my hunting partner on the two way radio and tell him if he isn’t seeing anything He can bring my truck down the beach to pick him up. I get him dressed out as my partner gets there with the truck.
I wrote the story and was told by friends I should send it in to Michigan Out of Doors Magazine, They published it in Nov 2004. I had not told dad I had wrote a story just that I got a buck with his rifle. I should have given him a copy of the story as he passed away in June 2004 before the story was published.
The cedar tree is on the left at 100 yards. To the right is a small mount with some cedar and hemlock trees about 100’ by 50’ where deer like to bed.
Al
04-30-2015, 05:30 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: missouri
Posts: 195
my favorite hunting story is of my first deer. it was the middle of the rut in missouri and i had shot at a 5 point in the youth and missed so i was angry to say the least but i dragged my but to the deer woods by myself and looked for a good spot to ambush the deer i had scouted the months before so i had found a grove of cedar trees that almost all had been scraped by the big 10 point in the area i set up there standing as still as i could i did just that for an hour or so with no luck then all of a sudden i heard leaves crunching about 60 yds away from me but the land i hunted on was a working cattle farm so i thought it was a cow feeding so i paid little attention but after ten minutes the noise got closer and faster paced then i knew there were deer.my heart started to race and my thoughts switched to the basics of shooting.. breathing..trigger pull..and then there they were 5 does all walking close together led by one doe up in front they start walking behind me..all except one the lead doe she walked right in front of me 23 yds away just like i hoped she would so i brought up my new 30-06 and aimed for the middle of the shoulder blade and took my shot down she fell like a stack of bricks i went and field dressed her witch to a very long time due to my shakey nervs at the time but i got done called my dad and waited by the doe when i heard those same crunching sounds again i thought it were the other does comeing back but i paid no attention the next tag i had i was saveing for that big ten point i knew was in those woods so i went back to waiting when the big ten point i had wanted for so long walked out not 30 yds away and looked me dead in the eyes i jacked another round in the chamber took aim and fired and he droped where he stood..
