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Finally killed my first buck

Witty

By Witty,
in Deer Hunting

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Witty Newbie

Witty

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I've been hunting since I was about 20 or so and this past Friday I finally connected on this guy. I'm now 32 and it has been a long time coming. If anyone was out Friday in Saratoga county it was raining, fogged and all together miserable. My father and I had gone all bow season and right up to Thanksgiving without seeing a deer during daylight on the 250+ acres we have permission to hunt. On turkey day I jumped two bedded deer but didn't get a shot and we had a deer streak across a field in front of us only to bed down behind someone's house. So on Friday I decided I wanted to try something new (it only took me 5 years of hunting this property to try) and walked in on the edge of the property line to set up over a scrape line.

So Friday morning I'm getting soaked from the melting snow coming down from the pines. I sat until 940am or so and I had had enough. I tell my dad I'm walking out and start heading out into a field to walk back to the truck and there he is about 200 yards away nose to the ground.

I pull my gun up on the shooting stick and my scope is completely fogged up and I can't see though it. I pull my sleeve out of my jacket frantically and wipe the lens off and pull the gun back up and I see his behind crossing the hedge row into the next field so I decide to jog up to the corner to see if I can catch him in that field. I get about 30 yards to the corner of where three field converge with some thick brush/saplings and there he is standing not 40 or so yards just on the other side of the fence.

The first shot was not true as it didn't make it through the brush between us. The brush I couldn't see through my partially fogged scope. He was off and running and I thought it was over. I worked the bolt on the 270 and shot a second time as he was running. That shot ended up being off the mark as well. Unfortunately, well for him, he stopped and looked back into the field and my third shot was true and he dropped.

A miserable wet and cold morning turned into a hunt I'll never forget and a moment I got to share with my dad. Persistence paid off and I'm looking forward to getting back out this weekend.

b86bbb1e5f0e4cf5e7031ffda3ba7aa5.jpg

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Cory Community Regular

Cory

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Posted

I feel your pain brother I harvested my first and only buck in 2001. Not that i haven't had plenty of opportunities i don't want to harvest young bucks. I've missed seveal times on big bucks. I still can't get my nerves to chill...lol... I am content in harvesting does.

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pt0217 Newbie

pt0217

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Congrats Witty.
I definitely know your frustration. I've been hunting for 30 years. It took me that many years to get my first deer with the gun. On Sunday of opening weekend. I have gotten deer with the bow, as I live and primarily hunt in Westchester. It took many years bowhunting before I got my first deer. Like all that have said your first is very special. Best of luck on future hunts.

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JRod 8G8H Rookie

JRod 8G8H

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Congrats Witty.. Thanks for sharing your story. Bucks are very elusive!!! Like right now they're pretty much back to nocturnal in my area... My best friend's father just passed away so hearing that story is special. Have fun and be safe. Now you're hooked!!

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Deerstalker Newbie

Deerstalker

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9 hours ago, Witty said:

 

I've been hunting since I was about 20 or so and this past Friday I finally connected on this guy. I'm now 32 and it has been a long time coming. If anyone was out Friday in Saratoga county it was raining, fogged and all together miserable. My father and I had gone all bow season and right up to Thanksgiving without seeing a deer during daylight on the 250+ acres we have permission to hunt. On turkey day I jumped two bedded deer but didn't get a shot and we had a deer streak across a field in front of us only to bed down behind someone's house. So on Friday I decided I wanted to try something new (it only took me 5 years of hunting this property to try) and walked in on the edge of the property line to set up over a scrape line.

So Friday morning I'm getting soaked from the melting snow coming down from the pines. I sat until 940am or so and I had had enough. I tell my dad I'm walking out and start heading out into a field to walk back to the truck and there he is about 200 yards away nose to the ground.

I pull my gun up on the shooting stick and my scope is completely fogged up and I can't see though it. I pull my sleeve out of my jacket frantically and wipe the lens off and pull the gun back up and I see his behind crossing the hedge row into the next field so I decide to jog up to the corner to see if I can catch him in that field. I get about 30 yards to the corner of where three field converge with some thick brush/saplings and there he is standing not 40 or so yards just on the other side of the fence.

The first shot was not true as it didn't make it through the brush between us. The brush I couldn't see through my partially fogged scope. He was off and running and I thought it was over. I worked the bolt on the 270 and shot a second time as he was running. That shot ended up being off the mark as well. Unfortunately, well for him, he stopped and looked back into the field and my third shot was true and he dropped.

A miserable wet and cold morning turned into a hunt I'll never forget and a moment I got to share with my dad. Persistence paid off and I'm looking forward to getting back out this weekend.

b86bbb1e5f0e4cf5e7031ffda3ba7aa5.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Congrats   

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Core Rookie

Core

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Posted (edited)

Awesome job. Great persistence and impressed it paid off.

Also, please get yourself a new and decent scope immediately! I cannot imagine how frustrating it would be to lose a shot because the scope fogged up.

Edited by Core
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turkeyfeathers Veteran

turkeyfeathers

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9 minutes ago, Core said:

 

Also, please get yourself a new and decent scope immediately! I cannot imagine how frustrating it would be to lose a shot because the scope fogged up.

Christmas is coming. A subtle hint of one circled with a Sharpie  in a catalog and a point to the Mrs. may work

Congrats on your first buck   That's awesome

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Two Track Newbie

Two Track

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Congratulations on it.  Most of my early years deer hunting saw nothing too.

Finally, one year had six does some crossing the trail in front of me 30 yards ahead, others turned and were running past me on the right, 3 yards away.  I couldn't focus on any one of them and put all my shots into a tree. 

My first buck can't ever forget, also doesn't help that the gun's auto-loader mech. broke while I was 12 feet up a tree with a live round in the chamber - but I got the deer. (And forgot the camera [pre-cell phone days])

Patience, persistence, practice, and a little luck are all required to for hunting.

Glad it finally paid off for you.

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