davidmor

My first kill was just a few years ago. I had been hunting for many years in the mountains of Colorado and never shot one. I moved to western NY and my buddy called me and asked if I would like to hunt on Thanksgiving day. I had been soured on hunting after about a million miles of walking up and down mountains without any success and said no. Besides, all I had was a 270 rifle and western NY is shotgun only. He bugged me and said "get a license, just show up and I'll provide everytihing you will need to hunt". I gave in and said "okay". I really didn't want to go, but I went to make him happy. He set me up in a stand (I have since learned that this stand is his highest percentage stand and now I go there when things are getting desperate) and told me to watch the field edges where the deer usually come out. I saw a doe come out at the far end of the field within an hour of me settling in and I took a shot at her. This is when I learned my first lesson, that a shotgun is a lot different than a 270, and won't down a deer at 250 yards! [:@] I was disgusted and figured that I had ruined my hunt for the rest of the afternoon. I waited until just about end of light when I decided I would get down and head back in. I turned around to get out of the stand and there behind me about 75 yards away was a herd of about 20 does eating grass in a small field. The heart started pumping and I picked the one that looked a little different and bigger than the rest and pulled the trigger. (this was my second lesson for the day. The one that looks different in a herd of does is probably not a doe!) Anyways, I hit it in the spine and down it went. I was extatic! My first deer! I waited the obligitory 30 minutes and got down to collect my deer. When I got to it, it looked a lot smaller than it did in the stand. This is when it hit me, "I sure hope it is a doe". I hesitatingly rubbed the top of it head and sure enough, two little bumps. I dragged it back to the house thinking about how disappointed my buddy was going to be when he learned I had shot a button buck. He and all his neighbors practice QDM and shooting any buck below an 8 pt wider than it's ears is a 'no-no'. When he arrived, he immediately congratulated me, and was very excited that I had shot it. He wasn't upset at all that it was a button and was probably more excited about my first deer kill than I was. Looking back on it, it was pretty exciting and I will probably remember the first one for the rest of my life.

Mike01

Well I got my first deer just this november during the middle of the season.

I had just really got into deer hunting this year, and my dad had got me a .243 rifle so I was pretty pumped up about it all. At the start of the season I had basically been hunting only doe days thinking there was absoluately no way in a million years I'd ever see a buck, so finally one day a doe came out at around 75 yards. Well, I aimed, shot, and she took off like a rocket. I sat there waiting for about 15 minutes when I finally got down there to find....NOTHING. I looked for about an hour, got my father and we looked more, then went back in the morning. It was a clean miss from what I could tell. Well that sorta devastated me. I was positive that was the only deer I'd see all season and I blew my one chance.

I layed back on hunting a bit from then, but it got to be towards the end of november (Peak rut time around here) and I decided I'd go back out again even though it wasn't a doe day and atleast give it a try. Instead of heading to the particular field I always hunted, I did something different. I went waaay back up into the woods, and sat below some tree up on a ridge. I could see the creek in the valley below, and then other ridge across the valley. I had gotten settled in, and not an hour later I heard this loud crashing of something racing through the woods. Turns out it was 3 small does, and boy was I excited. That was the most deer I've seen without them actually noticing me, and I was thrilled just to watch 'em. They milled around for about 15 minutes then headed on up the valley.

Not 10 minutes later I caught some movement outta my eye, and looked to see another deer moving up, I assumed it was probably one of those little does and musta been waiting there. However when it got to an opening I saw antlers. Well, I had never properly experienced buck fever until then, and man it was bad. My arms were flopping all over the place. He stayed his course about 150 yards on the other ridge, walking slowly and smelling around. Normally I could make that shot easy, but in this case I probably couldn't of hit a bottle at 25 yards. All the sudden something really strange happened....He dropped his course and started walking to the bottom of the valley. He dissappeared behind some trees, so I went ahead and aimed where I figured he would come out...It took forever, but all the sudden he stepped out, around 20 yards from me. His entire body filled up my scope, I shot and completely knocked him down sending him rolling down the ridge. He got up, as I reloaded my single shot as fast as possible. I shot again and dropped him for good. The first shot hit him in the lungs, but didn't pass through. It woulda killed him, but my 2nd shot broke his back, so a very fast kill which I'm thankful for.

Turns out he was a beautiful 8point. Weighed around 170lbs and was the hardest thing in the world to drag outta that valley. After my shot i just sat there replaying what just happened in my mind over and over and over. Anyhow, my parents were pretty much shocked I had actually managed to kill a deer, fairly funny reaction when I stormed into the house "OH MY GOD I SHOT AN 8 POINT!!!!!!!" but ....one of the most amazing moments in my life. Oh yeah, I'll post pictures if anyone else wants to see it.

PositiveBo

Good story and yes...pics!

Mike01

Alright, one sec, lemme get it uploaded...

Ok, here's link http://img110.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img1...er200424oq.jpg

Joystick99

I posted this back when I got the deer in November, but thanks for the opportunity to remember it again ...

I was on a one-day management hunt at Mason Neck NWR (southeastern Fairfax County, VA) this morning. Like most management hunts, they wanted us to take mostly does - take a doe, and you can come back in the afternoon. I was all thumbs getting out of the truck, and figured it was going to be a long day.

I stumbled through the woods to my first scouted-out spot, hung up a couple of wicks soaked in doe pee, hit The Can a couple of times, and settled in to wait. Not 15 minutes later, along comes a nice little seven-pointer. I let him have the load of buckshot (only ammo allowed) at about 25 yards. He went down, and another shot finished him off.

I was pretty pumped, as this is my first deer of any kind (I'm 50 years old, but only took up deer hunting four years ago). My hunting day was done for taking a buck, but I really didn't care. I'm sure I didn't do the greatest field-dressing job, but it wasn't as big a deal as I had expected.

I now discovered why old, out-of-shape desk jockeys shouldn't shoot deer that are 200 yards from their vehicle, through dense woods with shallow ravines. I dragged him about 25-30 yards at a pop, stopping to gasp and wheeze like a steam calliope. I couldn't get him into the truck by myself, but I flagged down a couple of passing park rangers who gave me a hand and my first congrats on the deer.

At the check station, he weighed in at 102 pounds. He had an 11-inch spread - not exactly B&C, but I'm in it for meat anyway, not the antlers. In order not to jinx myself, I stupidly left my digital camera at home, so I didn't get my own pictures. But one of the park rangers had a disposable camera, and she took a couple of shots and promised to send me the prints. I'll scan them and post them when I get them.

I'll leave the merry mad-cap misadventures of trying to find a processor for another day ...

UPDATES: The field-dressing job was good enough - the meat is delicious! I got the pictures back, but my scanner is on the fritz, so that will have to wait for another day.

Ridge Runner Gunner

I was 12, first year hunting. It was the gun season and i had my spot all picked out weeks before. I sat on a log right next to a large oak well over 7 feat in diameter. Watched a Clover field straight out will behind me was a huge ridge, and to the left and right were think cattails and thickets. I walked thru the field opening morning, well befor light. Got postition. The season began and shots rang out all over the place but me. It was about 8 oclock and i heard crunching on the ridge, peaked around the large oak and saw a doe coming. There is a trail that goes about four feet to the left of the oak and a trail about 20 yards away. I sat down and new the deer was going to walk on either off those trails. I was freezing until this point and i figured the deer would take the farthest trail from me but all of a sudden it walked right next to me. Stoped and i put the sights right on the sholder and squezed the trigger. Doe fell like a box of rocks. I was so excited. My dad came walking over about ten minutes later. I couldnt wait till tell him the story and show him what i have done. So we taged it and got it gutted and dragged it to the truck and he told me a drive was giong to take place at 9:30 so i went back to my spot and got ready it was about 9:25 and i got ready. Around 9:45 i saw a deer running out in the field and it just fell over and then i heard a shot. Here it was my dad around the courner of the field. So i was on my feet, looking every dirteciton and out of the corner of my eye i saw a deer running. I remeber my dad saying that let the deer come as far as it wants and then shoot. So i waited and it came out ran right to the trail the doe had wanted to come out and ran right up to me and stopped. Looked at me and i Shot him right in the Neck. He fell over like box of rocks too, only about five feet from the gut pile of my doe. I was the happiest person on hearth. I was so excited and i just wanted to show my dad again what i have done. He came over after tagging and gutting his deer and he couldnt believe it. i learned so much from my dad. He taught my almost everything i know about hunting. If it wasnt for him I probly would be a hunter. he introduced me and i fell in love with the outdoors. Two days later we cut up our deer and we got to my doe and we skinned it and found the wad of the slug still lodge in the meat. Then came the buck and the wad too was in the meat. That shows you how close i was.

JerseyJim

Great story Runner Gunner! I guess you were close! LOL! I once jumped a doe in a briar patch and shot her in the ass! I broke her back and the wad was sticking out of her a-hole! It was a strange thing to see. LOL

TURKEY FAN

Welcome to the board, and congrats on becoming a new hunter! Trust me, stories like that.............never get old my friend!

kshunter

Here is my 1st bowkill. I've killed an 8pt buck and doe before that with the rifle, but don't have pictures. I walked from my house to the creek by my house. I arrowed this doe at about 30 yards, when I was doing a spot and stalk(actually on fence line by the ditch in the road). I made a shot a little far back, but tracked her down and put another one in her. I think I was in 7-8th grade.

Allen Denton

Jan. 1 1987. I was 16 and I killed a big doe. I really am close to my dad but he does not hut so I was with my uncle at his hunt club that I am now a member of. I was very excited and the folks around me were to. The very next day on the 2nd, I killed a 19 inch 9 pt that I got mounted. That was my fondest memory to this date. I have killed bigger deer but my first buck was great.