Favorite Hunting memory

[TreeGuy]

We are in the off season which means we get into some "interesting" threads. I'm hoping to lighten the mood and discuss out favorite(s) memory while in the woods.

 

I know for me, it's really hard to pinpoint just one as I have so many buried in the bank that picking one is difficult. No matter which one it will involve my dad. He's the only guy I hunt with. I've done a few trips with friends and family but dad and I spend 90% of any season together. One of my favourites would be when I was about 13-14ish. Dad and I went to "the farm" (which is now ours) on a squirrel hunt. I had the trusty old marlin tube fed .22 with a scope. Bagged a couple squirrels. As we walked the ridgeline back to the truck I saw a flash of red... Dad said "it's a fox"!!! Hold on, I'll lip squeak him closer. Dad squeaked a few times and remember thinking to myself what the heck is he doing !??! I got the gun up and got the fox in the scope. The fox didn't seem to really hear or care about the squeak so I decided to take the shot. He took off running and I could see the look on dad's face. It was a far poke, about 80yrds and we both figured i missed. We got down the ridge and found the tracks in the snow. We started tracking a bit and I found a small patch of fur and a few steps later some blood. I remember the excitement of seeing that tiny patch of red snow. We kept tracking the fox but not much more blood was found. After about 75 yards of tracks with only a drop or two of blood we came across a small hill that it looked like the fox ran up, as we got closer I could see it was a den hole. Sure enough, a bushy red tail was about 3' inside the hole. Dad grabbed a stick and said be ready... He poked around a bit and the fox didn't seem to move. Now the tricky part. Dad was hesitant to just reach in so he grabbed the stick and tried to pull the fox out. After a few minutes of unsuccessful attempts the excitement of my first fox started to get me uneasy. I started thinking what we could do. I looked up at a small maple tree and had the idea, cut a limb off, that has a branch on it, cut that branch down to 5-6" and we will have a nice sickle like removal tool. So we did. And sure enough dad reached in the branch and pulled out a gorgeous coated red fox. I won't forget the hug, and the emotion of an awesome hunt. So dad flipped him over to locate the hole and to both of our amazement he had a hole right behind the shoulder at perfect heart height, right were dad had trained me to aim !! Another celebratory high five ! So we dragged him out and I'm sure I motor mouthed the whole way. Dad ended up getting it tanned for me and I'll have it forever.

 

One of the reasons this is a favorite memory to me is the fact dad recently spent his life savings and bought "the farm". I took my first squirrel, fox, muzzle deer and a pile of other game there. It was one of the first spots I ever hunted and now it's "ours". I still stand on that ridge and can remember exactly where that fox was when I shot him. I'm hoping that in the coming years I'm able to make similar memory's with my son, and my dad together.

 

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[Robhuntandfish]

Im with ya .  Def of hunting with my Dad.  I didnt get to hunt much with my Dad as he was older and had gotten pretty sick when I was a teen. But we went out hunting my first time up in Lewis county.  We were walking a trail and I stepped right square in a huge pile of bear crap.  and I said " what the heck is that" and he told me " well .... its bear crap and they do s$#@ in the woods"  and it was all over my boot and we laughed so loud no animal of any kind was gonna be near us.  

But i have to throw in a fishing memory --- not to be off track,  but everytime we went trout fishing I would come back from walking the stream and my dad would be sitting on a big rock, having a cigarette and his creel and pole next to him.  And every time he would ask how i did and i would show him my trout.  And then i would ask him and he would say he did ok.  And in that creel would be the nicest trout youve ever seen in your life.  And right to the very end of his life when he was still just able to get out and fish a little , we went to Chittenango creek.  And my Dad stayed by the road and the bridge cause he couldnt really go very far and i walked way up the stream and caught a couple and was gone a little while.  I came back to check on him and he was sitting there with the creel and two tails sticking out of it cause the trout were too big to fit!  and I bet he didnt walk 75 yards up the stream.  I will always remember this and if there is an afterlife of some sort that is how I want to find myself -- walking up a trout stream to see him sitting there with that creel!  

Edited January 17, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[NFA-ADK]

My first buck with the boys.  Missing you guys RIP Greg and Chris.

From right to left.   Greg, Chris myself and Shawn.  I had that smile for about 4 days until the DEC found that I forgot to put the dam date in and fetched a 25$ fine.  Live and learn...

[TreeGuy]

I changed the title....

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[moog5050]

Has to be my first wallhanger (second season hunting).  Not because of the buck itself, but the team tracking job to finish him off. 

I shot low (just below the heart but didn't know it then - looked perfect).  Blood looked crazy good, but we kept bumping him bedded.  He would run/walk off and bed again.  You could see he was really hurting because he knew we were following.  This continued for close to 3/4 of a mile where he kept circling in the small hilly 20 acre woodlot we were hunting. Back to front then to back again and so on.  We finally get to a point where Phade, David and I are kneeling down about 60yds from the buck in open hardwoods and he is bedded with his back to us - he knows we are there but doesn't move.  No good shot as we really could only see his head.  So David (smallest and youngest of the group) takes his boots off and tries to sneak up in his socks quietly to get a better angle on the finishing shot and he gets close but signals that he has no shot except at the head.  Then the buck gets up AGAIN and starts trotting and, to my surprise, David takes off at a full sprint after him (with just his socks on).  I guess he had enough of the tracking.  lol  Sure enough that crazy little SOB catches up enough to get another arrow in him which knocks him down.   It seemed like a several hour chase (probably less than an hour) that all took place in an area of about 200yd by 400yds.  And it was the first and likely last time I will ever see a hunter running full speed in the woods with just his socks on and bow in hand.  Still makes me laugh when I think about it.  I was winded just trying to keep up with David to watch the finishing shot.

Looking back, we probably just should have let him sit, but he was bedding so often with so much blood that I was sure that the buck was on the verge of expiring and we decided to push.   I would just back out now, but I was so excited at the time that I was not letting that buck out of my sight.  I knew they are tough, but that was my first experience that confirmed it for sure.  And Phade and David were troopers.  They wanted me to have that buck as much as I did!

[hunter49]

  So many of hunting with my dad & his crazy buddies laughing , jerking around & shooting deer too! He had a favorite tree stump he always sat by & would shoot his deer & when we would meet up later in the day he would say " go get him he is laying by the big oak tree"  every year he would get his deer there. The other thing is I would call & say I am hunting in the morning & he would always reply "you going then I going!" & he was going until he was 71! I always had a hunting buddy ,no questions asked. I could go on forever, Now I am only 3 years away from 71 myself.  WTH.

[dbHunterNY]

i have a lot....
taking my 3.5 yr old daughter hunting, checking trail cams, etc.

gun hunting big woods public land up north with my dad, uncles, and cousins.

stories of one afternoon with cousins and brother bowhunting public land up north. i tagged a buck and it was an hilarious getting it miles back to the truck.

lots more.... but probably the favorite is first buck. i was on my own with him not far away.  i was sitting in his go to stand that became mine that he took me before i was old enough to hunt. i think dad was happier than i was when he saw the 4x2 buck. i'm guessing it was a 2.5 yr old.
 

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Watching these deer scale the side of this wall trying to get away from a group of drivers.  Part goat i swear.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Real World Hunter

[CharlieNY]

I too have very many fond memories, but the one that comes to mind is when my then 14 yr. old son took his first deer with a bow, a buck. Back then (he is now 33 yrs. old) the minimum legal age for bowhunting was 14. It was only his second time out and I put him in one of my favorite treestands and I got into another of my stands 100 yds. away. After only an hour, I was surrounded by does and fawns which I enjoyed watching and hoped would work their way towards my son. While I was still watching them, I saw my son walking towards me in the woods and was wondering what he was doing. He walked up to me and said "dad I just shot a buck." I got out of my stand and asked him about the shot and he told me he made a good shot right behind the shoulder and the buck mule kicked and ran off. We walked over to where he made the shot and found blood and hair and found his arrow which had made a pass through shot from his Browning 50# bow. I told him we had to wait an hour before we started tracking, and I think that hour was the longest hour ever for both of us. When the hour was up I had my son do the tracking and I was right behind him. There was a good blood trail and after we went about 40 yds. I told my son that I smelled the tarsal glands on the buck (he was in rut). Ten yds. later we found the buck dead. I don't know who was happier- me or my son. I was so proud of him. He had done everything correctly and I was there to enjoy and cherish the event.

valoroutdoors.com

[turkeyfeathers]

After 2 years of turkey hunting with daughter not connecting and this year being her second year of deer hunting bar none her first deer a buck on thanksgiving day is by far my favorite hunting moment. At about 8 am I spot him coming in from our left. We are sitting in the natural ground blind she helped build. She’s dosing off as usual   I gently elbow her. She turns on the Bushnell circle t optics , shoulders the gun slowly , I hear the click of the safety off , I whisper “ take him “ as I hear her youth 20 as I completed my statement. That buck fell right over and never twitched   I can and she will always have that memory. The smile says it all. It’s my screen saver on my phone. I’ve had some other great hunts but this one can never be topped  

My great friend ( dinorocks) did a euro mount for her so now we have her first trophy to also remember that special day together 

[sodfather]

Mine was 30 years ago it was my first duck hunt. It was a local farm that had 100's of mallards dropping into a cut corn field. Me and my brother put up a 4x6 piece of burlap and I was using my Browning sweet 16. 100 maybe more birds pilling in and we shot 6. First time ever seeing decoying birds in our face and it was all it took to get me hooked. Funny thing is all we had was burlap then now I have loads of waterfowl gear but all started with that burlap.

[Five Seasons]

bear hug from my dad when i shot my first deer. I am sure it will be replaced by bear hugging my own sons someday. 

[Steuben Jerry]

My favorite memories chronologically;

1. Meeting up with my daughter when she shot her first deer. It was a basket racked 8 pointer, but as far as I was concerned, the best buck in the woods. I remember the look of concern she had when I pulled it to the edge of the field by his antlers - she was concerned I'd break them off!

2. Meeting up with my daughter when she shot her best buck to date, a wide 9 pointer that now graces her dining room wall.

3. Meeting up with my wife when she shot her best buck this past November, a gorgeous 8 pointer which in a few months will be the biggest buck on our living room wall.

4. The does I took with my grandson in the stand with me (last year and the year before). I waited until he gave the "authorization" to fire.

I see that none of these best memories include any of my deer - I might need to step up my game here! 

[WNYBuckHunter]

I have a ton of great memories, but at the top of the heap is opening day of youth Turkey season last year when my daughter shot her first gobbler. Ill never forget her reaction and the smile on her face when she walked over to her bird. It was a great hunt!

 

[moog5050]

22 minutes ago, Steuben Jerry said:

My favorite memories chronologically;

1. Meeting up with my daughter when she shot her first deer. It was a basket racked 8 pointer, but as far as I was concerned, the best buck in the woods. I remember the look of concern she had when I pulled it to the edge of the field by his antlers - she was concerned I'd break them off!

2. Meeting up with my daughter when she shot her best buck to date, a wide 9 pointer that now graces her dining room wall.

3. Meeting up with my wife when she shot her best buck this past November, a gorgeous 8 pointer which in a few months will be the biggest buck on our living room wall.

4. The does I took with my grandson in the stand with me (last year and the year before). I waited until he gave the "authorization" to fire.

I see that none of these best memories include any of my deer - I might need to step up my game here! 

Memories with family are awesome.  I just don't come from a hunting family so no memories with dad.  But my daughter and I are starting to make memories.  Each hunt with my her is really special, whether we get one or not.  At 8 years old, she asked if she could drag the doe she spotted and we killed.  That was really cool!  I specifically bought 2 redneck blinds this last week that will be put up on platforms so I could hunt more comfortably with her starting next year until she is ready for her own deer stand. 

[Nomad]

Daughter killing first deer.

Same one driving a drainage ditch and pushing a buck right to me , which I shot as it was on an all out run.

First time goose hunting with some hardcore water fowlers, Sept hunt tons of decoys , waving flags, calls and so on . Shot my first ever goose, and it was double banded , which I guess was a big deal .

 

[BigVal]

Funny my first duck was banded and the guys made a huge deal and I didn't know what it meant! 

My best memory is my dad and I walking up on my first deer and the celebration that followed. 

[Five Seasons]

what is interesting is that this thread is almost all experiences that others have had that we shared in. Show an anti-hunter this thread and maybe they'll realize the "trophy" is rarely the biggest deer we've killed. 

[JJNY]

For me, it's hard to pick one favorite as I've had so many experiences over my 30 plus years of Hunting that I will always remember. As Belo states above, our favorite seems to be one we've shared in and the one that sticks out is one that just happens to be from this year. My son killed his first Buck and the raw emotion of excitement that he displayed will absolutely be something I will never forget. He started hunting at the age of 7 (Legal in Virginia) and he was fortunate enough to take a small Doe that year with his .410. After a 3 year drought, he finally connected on his first Buck with his 20 Gauge! The past couple of years he has come to NY with me for the Gun Opener and has been fortunate enough to see several Bucks while in the Stand. All he has been able to talk about is that when he turns 12, he is going to shoot his first Buck with the Bow in NY. Well, maybe his second now LOL! It was mid-day on December 30th and we were doing a small man drive on a 50 acre cut-over, him and I were set-up on the back side of the cut-over in a small gully. The drive had just started when a Doe popped out of the cut-over and stood there about 30 yards away. He clicked off his safety waiting for a clear shot but, the doe cut hard right and did not present a shot. He looked up at me with a frustrated look and the only thing I could think of to say was "be patient, the drive just started". As he turned around, we heard the sound of a deer coming our way from the same direction that the doe did. My view was obstructed slightly by 4 trees when all of a sudden he threw the gun up and fired! To my amazement, I see a deer do a 360 in the air and all I see are antlers LOL. Just like that, it was over, he had his first Buck! We hugged for several minutes and he broke down crying with excitement. What an experience, those of you that have been with your had a son or daughter when they have taken there first deer know exactly what I'm talking about. Pic 1 is where the deer expired, Pic 2 is a visual of his emotions and Pic 3 is the one that we will hang below the Head Mount when it comes back from the Taxidermist.

[Steuben Jerry]

3 hours ago, moog5050 said:

Memories with family are awesome.  I just don't come from a hunting family so no memories with dad.

That's my exact situation as well.

[Marion]

The one that comes to mind most readily is the year I finally got my turkey. Took 4 seasons of no birds then I wound up shooting two with one shot. Mind you I was shooting at one bird. To my surprise there was another standing directly in the line of fire behind the first about 10 more feet back. Needless to say they were delicious and it is indeed possible to kill two birds with one stone (or shot)

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[sodfather]

28 minutes ago, The Jerkman said:

The one that comes to mind most readily is the year I finally got my turkey. Took 4 seasons of no birds then I wound up shooting two with one shot. Mind you I was shooting at one bird. To my surprise there was another standing directly in the line of fire behind the first about 10 more feet back. Needless to say they were delicious and it is indeed possible to kill two birds with one stone (or shot)

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I’m not %100 positive but can you kill 2 birds in one day? Not to raise feathers just curious 

[Marion]

I’m not %100 positive but can you kill 2 birds in one day? Not to raise feathers just curious 

As of the latest regs no. Spring is 1 bearded per day. Fall is 2 total but now I believe they reduced fall to 1 total either

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[Lawdwaz]

9 minutes ago, sodfather said:

I’m not %100 positive but can you kill 2 birds in one day? Not to raise feathers just curious 

Unless they've changed the law, it's one a day. (I'm referring to the spring season)

[Lawdwaz]

2 minutes ago, The Jerkman said:

As of the latest regs no. Spring is 1 bearded per day. Fall is 2 total but now I believe they reduced fall to 1 total either

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Ya jerk, you beat me too it.....