Tony
Member
Well, its been a long time coming, but I finally killed my first deer.
I say it's been a long time coming, because I have been hunting seriously since 2010, when EAS'ed from the Marine Corps and moved back to Vermont. This was my 7th season, and I could never put it together on a deer in Vermont. I have taken a shot at deer with my bow and never recovered them, (this year from my Kestrel, and last year from the ground in a Ghille Suit) I never recovered either deer, both times finding blood on my arrow, but never recovering the deer.
In past years during rifle and muzzleloader season I found myself getting into deer, but never closing the deal on a buck, and most times I ended up pushing deer to other hunters and watching/helping them drag deer out.
I hunted hard, always to the last day, last hour of the season, using all my vacation time, just never being able to seal the deal.
My luck finally changed this morning. It had snowed about an inch in Northern Vermont, and I drove up to the mountains. As I was slowly walking up to through some old hay fields, I saw a flash of movement from a thick hemlock stand, I stopped and watched the deer run from above me to down below me into a clearing about 50 yards away, as he stepped into the clearing I saw horns, I grunted and the buck stopped. He saw me and started the headbob and fakeout "I'm not really looking at you". Before he stepped into the clearing I had my BLR up and off safety. In Vermont we have a two-points on one side rule. I just stared at his horns for what seemed like an eternity, with my rifle shouldered, and I figured the buck didn't have the legal two points on one side. I slowly lowered my rifle and the buck started walking up my trail towards me. The buck eventually turned his head to look at something off the side of the trail. I saw the extra point I couldn't see when looking at him head on and took the shot. He did the 4-leg jump, and I chambered another round and shot again. He went down after running about 10 yards.
My first shot hit in the heart and and my second shot when in right about the backstraps breaking his rear leg.
I was the second deer weighed in this morning, and he weighed 120 lbs and had 4 legal points.
Thanks for reading my story, and thanks for all the information you guys selflessy provide on saddlehunter. I sure do appreciate it.
I say it's been a long time coming, because I have been hunting seriously since 2010, when EAS'ed from the Marine Corps and moved back to Vermont. This was my 7th season, and I could never put it together on a deer in Vermont. I have taken a shot at deer with my bow and never recovered them, (this year from my Kestrel, and last year from the ground in a Ghille Suit) I never recovered either deer, both times finding blood on my arrow, but never recovering the deer.
In past years during rifle and muzzleloader season I found myself getting into deer, but never closing the deal on a buck, and most times I ended up pushing deer to other hunters and watching/helping them drag deer out.
I hunted hard, always to the last day, last hour of the season, using all my vacation time, just never being able to seal the deal.
My luck finally changed this morning. It had snowed about an inch in Northern Vermont, and I drove up to the mountains. As I was slowly walking up to through some old hay fields, I saw a flash of movement from a thick hemlock stand, I stopped and watched the deer run from above me to down below me into a clearing about 50 yards away, as he stepped into the clearing I saw horns, I grunted and the buck stopped. He saw me and started the headbob and fakeout "I'm not really looking at you". Before he stepped into the clearing I had my BLR up and off safety. In Vermont we have a two-points on one side rule. I just stared at his horns for what seemed like an eternity, with my rifle shouldered, and I figured the buck didn't have the legal two points on one side. I slowly lowered my rifle and the buck started walking up my trail towards me. The buck eventually turned his head to look at something off the side of the trail. I saw the extra point I couldn't see when looking at him head on and took the shot. He did the 4-leg jump, and I chambered another round and shot again. He went down after running about 10 yards.
My first shot hit in the heart and and my second shot when in right about the backstraps breaking his rear leg.
I was the second deer weighed in this morning, and he weighed 120 lbs and had 4 legal points.
Thanks for reading my story, and thanks for all the information you guys selflessy provide on saddlehunter. I sure do appreciate it.
