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ok, my turn.

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
I've only been hunting for a couple years now, so the story of my first kill is still fresh and I'm sure some of you guys from the "other" site will remember it.

I have been an avid fisherman for a few years and was talking about crappie fishing at work one day when a coworker said to me, "man, as much as you like fishing, you would be a bowhunting junkie!"
I told him I couldnt afford all the stuff you had to have and another guy said, "I've got a bow I'll let you have for $50". I asked a few questions, he brought it in the next day and I was the proud owner of a 12 year old jennings buckmaster.

I spent the rest of the summer doing some homework and absorbing as much info as I could about how to hunt. I had friends that hunted but nobody had time to show me so I had to find books, magazines, dvd's, and websites like this one. By the time season rolled around I had also invested in a lone wolf climber, some camo, and a few other hunting items. I figured on hunting public for the most part but my stepsons girlfriend told me I should ask her dad for permission to hunt their property. He had a small 6 acre spot but it was in the middle of some good woods and crops and there were actually a few deer trails through it. The best part of his property was on the other side of a small stream so my canoe also became a must.

When season started I learned quickly about the competition with other hunters on public property and by the end of october hunted the small property almost exlusively.

I had a few encounters with deer during bow season, but didnt get a shot. when gun season came around I pulled out the remington 870 and went on stand.

I remeber it was a cool clear day and I had, as usual, been listening to squirrels all morning. around 9:00 9:30 I heard leaves rustling behind me. I thought "another damn squirrel, but as a few minutes past I realized it was a different kind of sound.I slowly turned and saw three does working there way in my direction.

my heart started pounding.

I slowly stood up and turned around. I got ionto a comfortable position sitting on the sit bar of my climber and used the tree as a brace to steady myself. The deer were moving diagonal from my right. I picked out the biggest of the three and put the crosshairs of my scope on her.

It seemed like an eternity till she moved close enough to give a clear shot. I put the crosshairs behind her shoulder and squeezed the trigger...

...powwwww!!!!...

I lowered my gun to see white tails flagging their way through the woods dead away from me, but i didnt see a dead deer.

How the fugg did I miss her!!??

A few minutes passed and I heard leaves rustling in the same area as I shot. Turns out I didnt miss her. She stepped behind a small shrub and stumbled back out and flopped over in the very spot she was standing when I fired.

I came down the tree faster than I had ever done it before. walked to where she laid and stood there looking at my first ever deer.

I filled out the tag, and decided to get her out of the woods before I dressed her. I wasnt prepared for how much work dragging a deer was, much less loading one into a canoe by yourself. But I got it done. I went back to get my stand and pack and as I was packing everything up I heard some noise to my left. looked up and there were the other 2 does standing 20 feet from me just looking at me. damn, wish I had another tag!

Now for the next task, as I put the canoe in I spotted the lady that lives on the next property over stand on the opposite bank. "Did you get one?!"

"Yep"

"Well come on over here and I'll help you drag it up the bank"

Man was I thankfull for that, The other bank was really steep and getting this deer up that would have been a real job alone. But we got her up there and now it was time for my first field dressing.

This is where the whole "shot placement" thing comes in. She wasnt exactlly broadside when I fired, she was actually quartering to me a little. I put the slug behind her shoulder but as it past through it took out lung, liver, stomach, inestines and exited in front of her hip. What a mess. I cut her open, straddled her, grabbed her front legs, lifted, and just kinda "dumped it all out".

fortunately I didnt hit the bladder and after a good rinsing with a garden hose and a little clean up knife work the meat was just fine. which I shared with the lady that helped drag it up the bankl as well as the property owner.

I continued to hunt with the bow the rest of the season, but never got a shot. I made a first bowkill one of my goals, which happened the following season....



.....But thats another story.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
HA! Good story Dante!!! My first gut job was on the house courtesy of my old man, the second one was on me and came with a busted stomach, bladder, and nice little lesson on shot AND knife placement! LOL! Great way to learn!!!
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,741
274
North Carolina
Great story... I enjoy reading the first kills its nice living it with you when you post it..... thanks for sharing....
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Can't believe I didn't see this one sooner. That is a great story Dante. I had you pictured trying to figure out how to get the deer loaded and balance the canoe. Funny stuff. Sure was nice of the lady to give you a hand. Thanks for sharing your story, you wrote it up very well.
 

Hoytmania

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
11,518
167
Gods Country
Great read Dante. Thanks for sharing. I can't imagine trying to get a deer in a canoe and then into the water. I would end up capsized watching the deers body float away.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Great re-read Dave! Shot placement does have it's ups and downs. That's where a well placed head shot is my favorite considering it's close and I feel the chance of missing the brain is very slim.

Great shot BTW!