What was your most exciteing moment deer hunting ?

[Nomad]

A few years back my daughter was with me pushing ditches. She pushed a nice 8 pt right to me which I dropped in an open field in full view of her.

I would not trade that deer or hunt for any other .

today BTW after cutting up human bodies in college she say's gutting deer is nothing !

[wztirem]

For me the excitement of seeing a deer while hunting remains the same. I guess that is one of the reasons that keeps me coming back year after year. I just cannot get enough!

I met my wife while dear-hunting 30 years ago.

[bushnell]

I would have to say that one of my most exciting deer hunts was in 2000. I heard a shot right behind me and I stood up and looked around to see a buck staring at me about 50 yards away. I took aim and shot missing the buck but as luck would have it, he stood there allowing me to take a second shot and he dropped down. It was my first buck and as I was walking to get my dad he was already walking towards me. He asked me if I got anything and I stated that I had just shot a 7 pt. His facial expressions and his body language told me just how excited he was. He shot a buck earlier in the morning and so that night my dad and I were dragging our buck out together. I still see camera flashes from all the pics that my dad took of me and my first buck.

[Mr VJP]

Most exciting would be the year my brother-in-law, my best friend, and I got three bucks out of one moving herd within 2 minutes.

It was a sunny, windless day about 10 AM and they came in slow and quiet.  My Bro got the first one from his stand, a nice 6 point.  He never saw the other bucks.  He was in a thick area. 

They then moved 200 yards to my buddy's stand and he shot a huge 8 point.  Then they turned right towards me 200 yards away and slowed to a walk past me in my stand.  I shot the fork horn that was trailing the herd of 6 remaining does.

Lot of work gutting and dragging those three buck uphill after that.

[Uncle Nicky]

Most exciting? I'd say the first time I had a REAL close encounter with a buck. I'd just started archery hunting, no mentor, just trying to figure it out myself.

I heard running behind me...I turned around in my treestand & saw a big 6 pointer standing behind me, maybe 10 feet away, stopped & on high alert. I froze, but my knees & hands wouldn't stop shaking. I knew enough to not make eye contact, so I turned around slowly, somehow managed to nock an arrow, & got ready for him to move closer & give me a shot. After what seemed an eternity, he came around my tree, this time directly underneath me. He never did turn broadside, just wandered off munching brush with his tail facing me. I tried the doe bleat, didn't faze him. I would say it took a good 20 minutes for me to gain my composure & figure out what had just happened.

I've had numerous encounters like this since (and occasionally score), but this had to be the most exciting.

[Jim W]

I think the most exciting moment deer hunting outside of getting my first buck was when my son got his first one.  I hope my next exciting moment will be when my grandson gets his first deer, but I will have to wait a few years until he can go deer hunting.

[UpStateRedNeck]

I'd say it's a tie between my first buck at age 18, and my first miss.

First buck : Thanksgiving morning 1998.  Doing the 10 steps, 10 seconds wait walk on the god-forsaken side of the hill that drops 1000 feet in 1/2 a mile on a logging trail.  Was stopped, heard some rustling 1/2 a ledge down, got set up, and 2 bucks are cruising around the side of the hill towards the southern face of the mountain.  It was probably, oh 40 yards down hill.  I had had about 3 or 4 minutes to get the shakes.  Long story short, clipped the one I aimed at across the belly taking out his femural artery and essentially disemboweling him.  Didn't wait the 1/2 hour for him to bleed out, so I basically ran chasing this deer 2 miles over some of the roughest ground around, but he eventually bled out, and it was a very happy Thanksgiving!

Opening Day First Year Hunting, Sunup : Sitting on a stonewall in a saddle on the southern face of the farm in a huge group of white oaks.  Buck comes CHARGING over the rise about 30 yards away from me, I line up the old mossberg, he's probably 20 yards away, at a ground eating trot.  And I just clean miss.  No blood, no hair, nothing.  He was a damn monster too, I still remember the gun shaking back and forth like mad, and that big beautiful deer 20 yards away from me.

[Brother Nature]

Hello, new to the site, been lurking for awhile now...

This is a really cool thread, so I figured I would share my experience.

This was about 10 years ago. I was 22 years old. Just got my bow license. Been away from hunting for awhile due to being stationed in areas not very good to hunt...ie...South Korea and North Carolina. Anyway, decided to get back into hunting and ditch the gun for the bow.

SO my dad set up a new stand the previous week and he told me to try it out. He had a good feeling about it. This was my first time ever in the woods with my bow so I figured might as well listen to the seasoned vet...I get out of work at 2:30pm and boogie to the stand. I am up in the stand by 3:30 and in for the long haul...

About 5:00pm I start getting a little antsy and to tell you the truth a tad bit bored. My mind starts wandering so I decide to light up a "wacky ciggarette" (disclaimer...this was my first time doing it hunting and would never condone this. My rational at the time was I was 22, bored, had it on me, on private land, and kinda reckless....). Anyway, a few minutes later I am done with it and the effects took hold. I was more alert, and not as bored as one would imagine...

15 minutes after butting it I happen to hear something coming down a trail to my right. low and behold its a nice buck walking slowly with its head down just a sniffing away. At the time I could not tell how many points, but I could tell the rack was nice. As it is about 40 yards away I slowly grab my bow and knotch an arrow...

Unbelieviably this deer just kept on walking down the path to my shooting lane within 15 yards. I slowly stood up prior to him getting that close. Once he hit 15 yards he slowly started quartering away towards the open field... I could not have asked for a better shot. I let the arrow fly and BOOM...I hit him. He bounded off back the way he came down and I stood in my tree stand shaking. The wacky ciggie wore off as seen as the adrenaline took over after seeing that buck. I forgot to mention this was the first time I have ever seen a buck while hunting and my first time with a bow.

I get on the walkie talkie and radio my dad to come out and help me track it. He tells me to wait a little while, he is gonna have a beer and be out... Meanwhile I get out of the stand and find half a blood arrow and a nice splattering of blood. The clouds were moving in and it was starting to get dark. My dad gets to the stand about an hour later and we begin to track. the trail started pretty easy to follow and the blood became more and more sparse. At this point it was pitch black and we are tracking with flashlights. We were putting white paper towels along the blood trail so in case we lost the tracking in the night we would be able to pick up where we left off. So after going up the hill for 70 or so yards, my dad says, "Concentrate on the blood, but make sure you look up with your flashlight from time to time, you could trip over him". As soon as he said that, I looked up and 15 yards down the side of a small ravine lay my deer. He must have ran hard uphill and crashed going down the side.

After making sure he was dead, my DAD yells out, "HOLY SH@T!!!!!! CONGRATS SON!!... THIS IS A BEAUTY>..YOU LUCK SOB!!!" Watching his get so excited from my getting this deer made it all that much better. I finally get a look at him and he turned out to be a extremely large deer with a nice 9 point rack. inside spread was 21 inches. I ended up hitting him high and a little farther back that anticipted. I would love to say I hit a major organ, but I ended up hitting some major artery that made him start bleeding hardcore where he fell....(I blame the wacky cig and the uncontrollable shakes for my shot)

So we gut him out and start the drag back to the truck.... Get hime home, hang him up and proceed to have some celebratory beers. Only about 5 years ago did I tell him about the wacky ciggie. He was cool with it and loves to tell the story about it every year at hunting camp. I get my balls busted for this deer because I have not shot one since...Total beginners luck....  Anyway, it was the highlight thus far of my hunting life and will alway treasure that deer and experience...Side note, I don't do the wacky cigg in the woods no more 

BTW, I will try to dig up a pic of the deer. This was pre dgital camera days so I have to dig through some shoeboxes to find it 

[phade]

First buck at 17...first shots ever fired at a deer.

75 yards open sighted 870 in a stand on the dge of a field. hit him high and back...survivable and just a flesh wound. At full speed I readied a second shot, tried to remember lead...and let it fly. Buck noes dives and flips forward end over end twice, burying one antler in the field. Third shot just to ensure he's down. Best part was I had a witness, as a step brother was hunting about 100 yards from me and saw the entire sequence.

Second shot hit him between the antler and ear, and exited the opposite ear. Never seen anything like it in my hunting days, and likely never will again. A nice 8 point.

[hang fyre]

My first 8pt buck was pretty xciting  I rattled him in at 9 on opening morn and he came in hot. It was shotgunn here then (4G) I missed him with the first shot- he was running it must have come close because he skidded to a stop.  I jacked another slug in and dropped him in his tracks.  He is my first "trophy" and I got him mounted.  My friends and brother were with me that day and that makes it memorable.  But last weekend I got a new "best memory"  my good friend Who I got into bow hunting shot his first buck with a bow.  It was a small spike witha big body and it walked under my stand and I let it go then it made its way down to him and he smoked it.  The smile onhis face when I Walked out to him was priceless.  I felt  so happy and proud for him. 

[Brushbuster]

My first Pa buck with my "new" Springfield 1903-A03 that I spent all year sporterizing including a polished barrel and receiver with peep sights. 

It was second day and after sitting, I started slow hunting into the wind.  Amazingly, the buck was walking down wind and didnt spot me until I looked over my shoulder.  I knew he was going to take off if I moved anymore so I figured which way he was going to jump, swung around to a spot about 6' ahead and fired once his chest hit the front bead.

I thought I missed since he did not skip a beat but when I ran up to the spot and saw blood sprayed against the hillside, I let out a whoop - I followed the tracks in the snow and then around the bank, he was piled up. 

I think more about hunting that basket buck than any of my wall hangers.  I am not sure why.

[Zem18]

Great thread guys. Like others have said you will always remember your first deer and there are so many memories if you have spent any amount of time in the field. I would have to say for me, my most exciting hunt was a few years back in 2007 I believe.

It was the 17th of November and it was a Wednesday. Three days left until the Southern Zone opener and it was my last bow hunt for the season. I started hunting my usual spot at my in laws that morning. Things were slow there and I was bored. At 8:15ish I decided to get down and head 15 minutes southwest to my brother in laws place. He had said to me earlier in the year he wanted to keep the doe around his 5 acres so don't shoot. I was never one to listen but after the Slight backlash from this hunt and the terrible feeling I experienced afterwards, I will now follow the rules and listen.

I was in a ladder stand by 8:40am that borders the woods and there is alot of scrub to my left and front and a tractor path to my right. The wind picked up a little but it was a beautiful morning. At 9 or 9:05am I hear the leaves rustling to my right on the tractor path. I look and there is a doe walking along and decides to stop at 17 yards and tease me. She is quartering away and I think, man, this is my last chance and I need some venison for the freezer so I draw, aim, and release. I connected and she took off in a huge circle which brought her right behind the tree I was in and she died 15 yards from the base of the tree within minutes. I was in disbelief it happened so fast. And then I heard it. GRUNT. I quickly reached for an arrow in my quiver but before I could get it nocked the Big 1 horned spike was already stopped at 10 yards in the scrub to my left. He caught a glimpse of his girl on the ground and he went nuts. He ran over to her and started pawing at her on the ground with his front hooves. He then would squat down and try to breed her from the front and from the rear. I was like this is the coolest thing I have ever seen.

As I am watching this I catch movement to my left on the tractor path. It happens to be another smaller 1 horned spike on the opposite side of the other one. Well he catches the comotion and starts to enter the scrub directly behind my tree. The Big spike sees him and the 2 start to square off. They are walking sideways or posturing and the hair on their backs and necks are are bristled up. I'm like dang they are going to go at it. Sure enough these jokers start fighting and bashing heads less than 10 yards from me. It didn't last long as the bigger spike ran the smaller one off and went back to tending my dead doe.

I catch more movement behind all the action and see another deer headed to the tractor path. As I am watching that deer I see it is a bigger basket racked buck and he is following the trail the doe had come in on. He followed her every move except for coming in behind my stand after I shot her. He then proceeded to run into the woods and out of sight. Within a few minutes he is standing where the big spike had come in from and sees that spike over the doe. The basket racked buck is a 5pt and he charges the big spike. These two tangle for a second and the 5pt goes crazy for the doe. He paws at her trying to get her to move. He tries to breed her anyway he can. He is almost laying on top of her and his hips are a thrustng but nothings working for him. He finally runs the big spike off and continues to try and get his lady friend to move a little ad not just lay there.

He finally starts to give up and walk away and I decided to play with him a little so I grunted I believe 3 times. He was about 25 yards away and decided to come back and investigate. When he did he stopped right in a lane at 15 yards. I was already at full draw and put an arrow through both lungs. He ran 5 yards and stopped. Then he walked another 10 and stood there. Two seconds later he tips over against a tree and is only 15 yards from my dead doe.

I could not believe what had just happened. I had to sit down as I had no energy left to stand. I looked at my watch and it was 9:50am. That was the most exciting 50 to 55 minutes I have ever witnessed in the woods. It was almost like watching one of these hunting videos except the bucks were wayyy smaller. A buck and a doe from the same stand within 50 minutes of each other.

It wasn't so much the double harvest that was the exciting part but to witness the fights and the breeding attempts and running each other off was amazing. I called my Dad and said I needed help. He asked buck or doe and I said "BOTH"!!!

Here are a few pics of that great morning.

[Brushbuster]

Zemmer,

That was a helluva hunt - you wont forget that one.

[Zem18]

You are correct I won't forget it. I had that story up on another forum but it has since been removed. Here it is 3 years later and it was like it happened this year. Hoping to make some more memories this weekend out there. Good luck guys.

[nyantler]

I was tracking a buck in about an inch of snow with my bow.. I had to go through a small brushy area so I took my arrow off the bow and held it in my hand.. as I came out of the brush there was the buck coming right at me from the woods with his nose on the ground.. I had no time to nock the arrow so I just stood there frozen with my bow in one hand and the arrow in the other. The buck walked up to within ten feet of me, stopped and looked up at me... i didn't move.. he didn't move...it was a beautiful 8-pointer he slowly took a few steps backwards, turned and started walking away.. I tried to nock the arrow but he made it to the brush before I could get my bow on him.. i tried tracking him again but the snow melted as I was tracking him and I never saw that buck again.. what a moment though!