Last year I shot my first deer, a mule deer buck with my blackpowder rifle and this year I shot my first white tail buck. Here is the story, the X-rated version.
The story starts on Saturday. My wife was asking for me to take her hunting with me so we took off. I thought this was going to be my last day hunting so I was going to shoot any deer. I had decided to find a nice place to sit, wait and watch. This is not a popular tactic in Montana where spot and stalk rules the day. My buddy and I had hiked this hill in this public area and thanks to a recent snow found the trails that the deer were using. Anyway, my wife and I were set up in this clearing for about 3 hours when this buck comes running in from the left with his nose to the ground. I could tell he was a 4 x 1. It looked like he had broken off the right (far) side. I could not get him to stop. I tried grunting and finally just yelled. He was getting further away, but finally stopped briefly. Gave me a quartering away shot about 65 yards and I shot and missed. My first shot of the season even though I had gone 7 separate days to this same area.
Because I could not stand to be skunked, my buddy and I went again made the 200 mile round trip on Sunday, but nothing again. I didn’t see anything in the same clearing, but we developed the plan that we would use next year. My buddy said he saw a button buck and thought he heard an elk crashing through the area where he was set up.
My wife and my buddy suggested that I take the day off and try it again on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I was going out of town for the holiday, so the was the absolute last day to hunt. I decided to do it and use the plan we developed on Sunday. I setup in the same general area where my buddy did, just closer to a fence with lots of trails and closer to two other trails. I got there 1 hour early. I forgot my flashlight so I had to wait until about 30 min before shooting hours to start hiking into my spot. I set up with a trail in front and a fence/trail on my left.
I waited and waited, about 3 ½ hours. Was starting to think about moving around when I heard a loud crash behind me. I started to develop stories in my head how I could explain to the GFP why/how I shot a 7 point bull elk in self defense.
I stood up and turned around and saw a doe run around this little cluster of 7 or 8 little pines. She made her first loop and I got my gun ready to shoot on her second time around when I noticed a buck chasing her. I also saw it was the same one I shot at on last Saturday. He came in and ran around the trees while she was completing her second loop when she started heading to the fence. I was scared they were going to jump over the fence again and head off, but she got to the fence and started heading back toward the little pines. This time she went in to the middle of them and stopped. The buck came in behind her and started giving it to her. :redface: I could have shot him while they copulated, but the little pines were in the way. I also decided that would just be rude. I should at least let him spread his seed one more time since he was going to have a bad day.
After a couple of minutes of standing there and shaking like a leaf, the doe came out of the trees and finally noticed me. She stood there for about 10 seconds and I was about to shoot her (because 1 doe is better than none) when I decided to wait and see what the buck would do. After all, I didn't want to break my streak of shooting bucks with broken antlers. I hoped he would follow her out of there on the same path. She trotted off and he came out and did the same thing. He stood there for about 5 seconds and stared at me, I cocked the hammer and shot. Once the smoke cleared, I could see some blood coming out of the left side of his chest as he ran off. Not gushing, but I could tell it looked like a good hit. I watched him and got the direction he was headed in.
I had to reload, which took a little while and then decided to give him a few extra minutes. I headed over to where I shot him and looked and found a pretty decent blood trail. I headed off around the trees to the trail he was on and I found him about 100 yards up the hill.
While I didn’t take the time to pull out the range finder, the shot was every bit of 15 yards, slightly uphill, with a left to right wind. 70 grains of 3f Swiss and a .490 PRB was all it took.
Upon gutting, the bullet when in the chest, hit a rib squarely and turned right and tore up his liver, stomach, etc. Not much fun to clean.
Anyway, this is what he looked like.
I learned two things from this hunting experience.
1. I like my story much better than if I had a story like "I shot him standing in the field at 350 yards."
2. Dragging deer out of the woods sucks, but not as much as not dragging deer. :grin:
The story starts on Saturday. My wife was asking for me to take her hunting with me so we took off. I thought this was going to be my last day hunting so I was going to shoot any deer. I had decided to find a nice place to sit, wait and watch. This is not a popular tactic in Montana where spot and stalk rules the day. My buddy and I had hiked this hill in this public area and thanks to a recent snow found the trails that the deer were using. Anyway, my wife and I were set up in this clearing for about 3 hours when this buck comes running in from the left with his nose to the ground. I could tell he was a 4 x 1. It looked like he had broken off the right (far) side. I could not get him to stop. I tried grunting and finally just yelled. He was getting further away, but finally stopped briefly. Gave me a quartering away shot about 65 yards and I shot and missed. My first shot of the season even though I had gone 7 separate days to this same area.
Because I could not stand to be skunked, my buddy and I went again made the 200 mile round trip on Sunday, but nothing again. I didn’t see anything in the same clearing, but we developed the plan that we would use next year. My buddy said he saw a button buck and thought he heard an elk crashing through the area where he was set up.
My wife and my buddy suggested that I take the day off and try it again on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I was going out of town for the holiday, so the was the absolute last day to hunt. I decided to do it and use the plan we developed on Sunday. I setup in the same general area where my buddy did, just closer to a fence with lots of trails and closer to two other trails. I got there 1 hour early. I forgot my flashlight so I had to wait until about 30 min before shooting hours to start hiking into my spot. I set up with a trail in front and a fence/trail on my left.
I waited and waited, about 3 ½ hours. Was starting to think about moving around when I heard a loud crash behind me. I started to develop stories in my head how I could explain to the GFP why/how I shot a 7 point bull elk in self defense.
I stood up and turned around and saw a doe run around this little cluster of 7 or 8 little pines. She made her first loop and I got my gun ready to shoot on her second time around when I noticed a buck chasing her. I also saw it was the same one I shot at on last Saturday. He came in and ran around the trees while she was completing her second loop when she started heading to the fence. I was scared they were going to jump over the fence again and head off, but she got to the fence and started heading back toward the little pines. This time she went in to the middle of them and stopped. The buck came in behind her and started giving it to her. :redface: I could have shot him while they copulated, but the little pines were in the way. I also decided that would just be rude. I should at least let him spread his seed one more time since he was going to have a bad day.
After a couple of minutes of standing there and shaking like a leaf, the doe came out of the trees and finally noticed me. She stood there for about 10 seconds and I was about to shoot her (because 1 doe is better than none) when I decided to wait and see what the buck would do. After all, I didn't want to break my streak of shooting bucks with broken antlers. I hoped he would follow her out of there on the same path. She trotted off and he came out and did the same thing. He stood there for about 5 seconds and stared at me, I cocked the hammer and shot. Once the smoke cleared, I could see some blood coming out of the left side of his chest as he ran off. Not gushing, but I could tell it looked like a good hit. I watched him and got the direction he was headed in.
I had to reload, which took a little while and then decided to give him a few extra minutes. I headed over to where I shot him and looked and found a pretty decent blood trail. I headed off around the trees to the trail he was on and I found him about 100 yards up the hill.
While I didn’t take the time to pull out the range finder, the shot was every bit of 15 yards, slightly uphill, with a left to right wind. 70 grains of 3f Swiss and a .490 PRB was all it took.
Upon gutting, the bullet when in the chest, hit a rib squarely and turned right and tore up his liver, stomach, etc. Not much fun to clean.
Anyway, this is what he looked like.
I learned two things from this hunting experience.
1. I like my story much better than if I had a story like "I shot him standing in the field at 350 yards."
2. Dragging deer out of the woods sucks, but not as much as not dragging deer. :grin:
