Remembering...

[bugsNbows]

my first buck kill. It was 1966, I was 16, on my first solo hunt, and it was opening day. I was over in the State woods that border our hunting property. After not seeing much (around noon) I decided to head back towards our cabin for some lunch. While walking an old logging trail, I see a shadow (?) approaching from around a corner. All of a sudden, there is this little basket-racked 6 point standing on the trail (about 30) yards away staring directly at me. Holy moly, I pull up the Browning Sweet Sixteen and commence firing. He goes down in a heap! After calming down, I realize it's gut job time. Having never before performed that task, I remembered an old Outdoor Life article that I had placed, in my hunting coat pocket, prior to the season. I followed it and successfully completed my mission. Now for the drag. Holy crap, this little guy was HEAVY. Knowing that I had about a mile to go, I figured (apparently correctly) that this was going to be quite a chore. My decision was to go downhill towards Beeman Hollow Rd. (the local version of Deliverance types)! After several hours... I made it. Now what? Using my slightly under-developed brain, I hatched a plan. Along comes an old farm truck, so I proudly stuck out my hitchhike thumb and he pulls over. After hearing my woeful story, he loads the deer and I up, and hauls us back to the farm gate at the hunting property. After thanking the old farmer, I literally ran back to our cabin (about 1/4 mile) to show / tell the crew about my accomplishment!  At first, nobody believed me... until I pulled a bag from my coat with the most beautiful heart and liver a sixteen year old blooming hunter could deliver! That did the trick!. After the obligatory congrats, we ran the jeep back out and picked him up. After hanging him from the pole, I was proudly accepted into the deer hunters club at our place... with a cold beer! Imagine that, today they would all be arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor! Back then, I was King for the Day! That is exactly how I got my first deer... a buck. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

That is a great story and probably still the best beer you've ever had!


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[wolc123]

3 hours ago, bugsNbows said:

my first buck kill. It was 1966, I was 16, on my first solo hunt, and it was opening day. I was over in the State woods that border our hunting property. After not seeing much (around noon) I decided to head back towards our cabin for some lunch. While walking an old logging trail, I see a shadow (?) approaching from around a corner. All of a sudden, there is this little basket-racked 6 point standing on the trail (about 30) yards away staring directly at me. Holy moly, I pull up the Browning Sweet Sixteen and commence firing. He goes down in a heap! After calming down, I realize it's gut job time. Having never before performed that task, I remembered an old Outdoor Life article that I had placed, in my hunting coat pocket, prior to the season. I followed it and successfully completed my mission. Now for the drag. Holy crap, this little guy was HEAVY. Knowing that I had about a mile to go, I figured (apparently correctly) that this was going to be quite a chore. My decision was to go downhill towards Beeman Hollow Rd. (the local version of Deliverance types)! After several hours... I made it. Now what? Using my slightly under-developed brain, I hatched a plan. Along comes an old farm truck, so I proudly stuck out my hitchhike thumb and he pulls over. After hearing my woeful story, he loads the deer and I up, and hauls us back to the farm gate at the hunting property. After thanking the old farmer, I literally ran back to our cabin (about 1/4 mile) to show / tell the crew about my accomplishment!  At first, nobody believed me... until I pulled a bag from my coat with the most beautiful heart and liver a sixteen year old blooming hunter could deliver! That did the trick!. After the obligatory congrats, we ran the jeep back out and picked him up. After hanging him from the pole, I was proudly accepted into the deer hunters club at our place... with a cold beer! Imagine that, today they would all be arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor! Back then, I was King for the Day! That is exactly how I got my first deer... a buck. 

Cool story.  Do you remember what kind of beer it was?

[bugsNbows]

LOL about the beer. Knowing my family at that time, it was likely something cheap and abundant. PBR comes to mind (or OMG something like Ballentine) !

[BigVal]

Great story I also shot a 6 for my first deer followed by a few Busch lights! 

[The_Real_TCIII]

I remember my first deer. (See what I did there?)


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[wolc123]

8 hours ago, bugsNbows said:

LOL about the beer. Knowing my family at that time, it was likely something cheap and abundant. PBR comes to mind (or OMG something like Ballentine) !

I was a few years older when I killed my first antlered deer (18 or so I think).  No beer was involved but tobacco (chew) was.  I got up in a tree-stand my cousin had built at the back of our farm about an hour before daybreak on opening day.  He and the rest of the hunters in our family were down at Allegheny state park for the opener.  I could not go because I had an important test at college that day.   Opening day in the park was a family tradition.  I had gone the year before and killed a button buck down there with his dad, my godfather. 

I was not going to put the slugs in my gun until legal sunrise and I had my grandads old bottom-feed Ithaca 37, 16 gauge.  There was snow on the ground and it seemed quite bright for a while before sunrise.   I was spitting my Hawken into the snow below my stand, trying to hit the same spot and watching it get bigger. Shortly before sunrise, I heard something crashing thru the brush in the overgrown field adjacent to my stand.  I looked at my watch, and just a few seconds after legal sun-up, a busted up 6-point (was a 7 before the fight) stepped out of the brush and stuck his nose right into that tobacco stain.

At that point, I would have much rather had the side feeding Remington 870 that I have now, but I shoved a slug up from the bottom and hoped that it went into the chamber when I brought the action forward.  I aimed down at the base of his neck and thankfully there was a bang when I pulled the trigger.  He break-danced around a bit there on the ground then layed still. I gutted him quick and made it to class in plenty of time for the test.  I passed it, but  not by much.

That was one of the last times I chewed tobacco.  A week or so later, during a little snowball fight at work, I took one on the chin and swallowed a big mouthfull of chew.  That was not too pleasant and caused me to drop the habit.  Maybe someday I will buy some again, mix it with water and try it as a deer lure.   A funny thing about that buck was that I had seen him twice during archery season, but well out of range.  He had all 7 points on him those times.  I guess maybe 7 really is a lucky number because his ran out when he got down to 6.

 

 

Edited December 11, 2016 by wolc123

[bugsNbows]

I'm surprised that Pygmy did not chime in on this story. I'd bet he knows about the Beeman Hollow Rd. gang of crooks, thieves and low lives.