Got my first big game of any kind, a 2x1 mule deer on Saturday evening.
It's a long story!
about exactly one year ago, I was sitting in a clearcut waiting for the sun to rise. There was just enough light to shoot, and I was wishing for another cup of coffee when I *saw* my first deer while hunting. A group of 4 deer pooped over a little ridge in the ground about 130 yards away.
My heart went bananas, blood pounding in my ears. I couldn't see antlers with my bare eyes, so I tried my binoculars, and saw a bunch of wildly swinging ovals which might have been deer. Looked through my scope (figured heavier is more stable, right?) and saw a bunch more wildly swinging ovals. As soon as I stood up to try and get closer, poof! they were spooked and gone. I'm pretty sure they were all does, anyhow. That group was seen 15 minutes later crossing a road above the cut, and he saw all does, too.
From that moment on, I worried about my ability to keep a cool head when a shot presented itself.
This year, a friend with two quads was letting me borrow his older one, 27,000 kms. Saturday night while I was boogieing home after last light, the left rear wheel started to creak and groan. I pulled over and got my buddy on the radio, and he headed out to get me.
Before he could arrive, a couple of guys from the next camp drove up in a pickup. We chatted, they offered me a lift, etc. I declined because my buddy was already on his way. I did ask them to stop my friend and tell him exactly where I was. Not knowing I was going to break down, I wasn't watching the mile markers. Long story short, the quad and I got picked up in a pickup, and all's well.
So my buddy borrowed the quad of a friend of his who was leaving the next day (Sunday), and loaned me his brand-new quad (good friend, hey?!?). Organizing all that made us miss the morning of hunting. We headed out for the afternoon and evening. He went one way, and I went another. Turned out I went to a terrible area. lots of slash, bug killed blowdown in the borders. Waste of time. So at the stroke of sundown I headed back.
I was putting along keeping my eyes peeled until I figured the light was a little too dim (still 1/2 hour of legal shooting time remained), so I speeded up and turned on the headlights. Right smack in the headlights was a deer which bolted off the road to the right. Was it bigger then the does I'd been seeing?!? Were those antlers I saw?!?
I turned off the lights and put-putted down the road to where he'd been, keeping my eyes on the trees, and there he was. 15 yards away, broadside to me, looking right at me. I saw antlers.
I very calmly took off my mittens.
I very calmly took the magazine from my pocket.
I very calmly took the rifle off the rack.
I very calmly slid off the quad, on the far side from the deer.
I very calmly loaded and cycled the rifle. All without breaking eye contact with the deer.
I very calmly lined it up and fired.
The deer jumped straight up and bolted into the bush to my right.
My heart went bananas, I could taste blood in my throat, crazy! Hands shaking I unloaded the rifle and put it back in the rack. I radioed my buddy and told him the good news. He told me he was on his way.
I waited by the quad just plain old shaking. A few minutes later a truck rumbles up, and the guy from the night before leans over:
"You broken down AGAIN?!?"
This was all happening maybe 500 yards from where I'd broken down the night before!
So I told him I'd just shot my first deer, well he jumps out, shakes my hand, pats me on the back, the whole works. Turns out his name is Robin, and he's a right-on guy. I told him I was waiting for a while because I didn't want to chase it into the bush, but he talked me into going to search for it. We found blood where the deer had been, but not much. No blood trail.
So now I'm kind of peeing my pants. Did I make a bad shot from 15 yards?!? Did I imagine those antlers?!? Am I going to look like an A-hole in front of a total stranger?!?
Well Robin found him about 30 yards away, dead as dad's old hatband.
I hit him right behind the elbow, and it went right through blowing the top half of the heart to smithereens. I was using a stainless Tikka 6.5x55 shooting Nosler factory ammo with a 140 grain accubond. Went straight through.
Robin even helped me drag my new little buddy to the road. I am told he's a decent size 2x1. I'm going to mount the antlers
So, in the end, I kept my head, managed my passions, and didn't screw up an easy shot. Like throw-a-rock distance. I'll take it!
I had a really fun, great time for the next like 4 hours. My back doesn't hurt at all.
And with that, we were tagged out, and headed home the next day.
Robin, if you're reading this, thanks again! You're a mensch.
It's a long story!
about exactly one year ago, I was sitting in a clearcut waiting for the sun to rise. There was just enough light to shoot, and I was wishing for another cup of coffee when I *saw* my first deer while hunting. A group of 4 deer pooped over a little ridge in the ground about 130 yards away.
My heart went bananas, blood pounding in my ears. I couldn't see antlers with my bare eyes, so I tried my binoculars, and saw a bunch of wildly swinging ovals which might have been deer. Looked through my scope (figured heavier is more stable, right?) and saw a bunch more wildly swinging ovals. As soon as I stood up to try and get closer, poof! they were spooked and gone. I'm pretty sure they were all does, anyhow. That group was seen 15 minutes later crossing a road above the cut, and he saw all does, too.
From that moment on, I worried about my ability to keep a cool head when a shot presented itself.
This year, a friend with two quads was letting me borrow his older one, 27,000 kms. Saturday night while I was boogieing home after last light, the left rear wheel started to creak and groan. I pulled over and got my buddy on the radio, and he headed out to get me.
Before he could arrive, a couple of guys from the next camp drove up in a pickup. We chatted, they offered me a lift, etc. I declined because my buddy was already on his way. I did ask them to stop my friend and tell him exactly where I was. Not knowing I was going to break down, I wasn't watching the mile markers. Long story short, the quad and I got picked up in a pickup, and all's well.
So my buddy borrowed the quad of a friend of his who was leaving the next day (Sunday), and loaned me his brand-new quad (good friend, hey?!?). Organizing all that made us miss the morning of hunting. We headed out for the afternoon and evening. He went one way, and I went another. Turned out I went to a terrible area. lots of slash, bug killed blowdown in the borders. Waste of time. So at the stroke of sundown I headed back.
I was putting along keeping my eyes peeled until I figured the light was a little too dim (still 1/2 hour of legal shooting time remained), so I speeded up and turned on the headlights. Right smack in the headlights was a deer which bolted off the road to the right. Was it bigger then the does I'd been seeing?!? Were those antlers I saw?!?
I turned off the lights and put-putted down the road to where he'd been, keeping my eyes on the trees, and there he was. 15 yards away, broadside to me, looking right at me. I saw antlers.
I very calmly took off my mittens.
I very calmly took the magazine from my pocket.
I very calmly took the rifle off the rack.
I very calmly slid off the quad, on the far side from the deer.
I very calmly loaded and cycled the rifle. All without breaking eye contact with the deer.
I very calmly lined it up and fired.
The deer jumped straight up and bolted into the bush to my right.
My heart went bananas, I could taste blood in my throat, crazy! Hands shaking I unloaded the rifle and put it back in the rack. I radioed my buddy and told him the good news. He told me he was on his way.
I waited by the quad just plain old shaking. A few minutes later a truck rumbles up, and the guy from the night before leans over:
"You broken down AGAIN?!?"
This was all happening maybe 500 yards from where I'd broken down the night before!
So I told him I'd just shot my first deer, well he jumps out, shakes my hand, pats me on the back, the whole works. Turns out his name is Robin, and he's a right-on guy. I told him I was waiting for a while because I didn't want to chase it into the bush, but he talked me into going to search for it. We found blood where the deer had been, but not much. No blood trail.
So now I'm kind of peeing my pants. Did I make a bad shot from 15 yards?!? Did I imagine those antlers?!? Am I going to look like an A-hole in front of a total stranger?!?
Well Robin found him about 30 yards away, dead as dad's old hatband.
I hit him right behind the elbow, and it went right through blowing the top half of the heart to smithereens. I was using a stainless Tikka 6.5x55 shooting Nosler factory ammo with a 140 grain accubond. Went straight through.
Robin even helped me drag my new little buddy to the road. I am told he's a decent size 2x1. I'm going to mount the antlers
So, in the end, I kept my head, managed my passions, and didn't screw up an easy shot. Like throw-a-rock distance. I'll take it!
I had a really fun, great time for the next like 4 hours. My back doesn't hurt at all.
And with that, we were tagged out, and headed home the next day.
Robin, if you're reading this, thanks again! You're a mensch.
