First deer.

Jebediah · Jul 25, 2013

Maybe I'm weird, but I often like to relive the day I harvested my first deer. It was definitely something I will never forget as I was able to share it with my dad and uncle. So let's hear all of your first deer stories and see some pictures! Here's mine..
It was the last day of the hunt and we had been out a few times the week before but couldn't ever find any deer, so we didn't quite know where to go hunt. After a while of talking it over we just decided to take the horses up the canyon above my house. So we saddled them up and took off. Not such a good idea. haha none of us had ever been all the way up this canyon and we got a ways up it and hit some cliffs. Some really big cliffs. And all three of us are absolutely terrified of heights. The trail was wide enough that it wasn't much of an issue, but when your sitting on a horse even when your right up against the opposite wall you can still see right off the edge if you look down! So we got off and walked haha anyways when we finally made it up to the top where things opened up we were immediately into deer. My dad and I jumped off our horses and my uncle led them up around and pushed through the trees the deer had gone into. It wasn't too long when way out across the field I saw a string of deer bounding away. I pulled up my rifle but they were too far and I couldn't put a horn on anything so I just watched as they ran away. My uncle met up with us again and we tied up the horses and walked down into a big long meadow that looked fairly promising. We sat up in the top and watched for a while and then heard some loud crashing behind us. We turned around and 4 cow elk and spike were movin about 100 yards behind us! We watched as they slowly worked up into the trees not knowing we were there. So we continued watching down the meadow and soon fell asleep! haha I woke up at about 10:00 and looked down the meadow and saw a deer standin there so I said "dad theres a deer!" He woke up and started glassing him. The deer was 301 yards and we couldn't tell for sure what he was because he had his ears up. But he soon pinned them back and we could see he was a 2 point! Aaannnd then the adrenaline kicked in! 301 yards, broadside, standing still. I cracked one off and the deer took off and I heard my uncle say "high." So I got back on him and took another shot right as he was about to go into the trees and the deer disapeared. I thought for sure I had missed again and the deer was gone forever. But thats when my dad said "holy sh** Jeb, nice shot!!" I didn't believe him. haha I thought he was just razzin me but he was sure I dropped him! So we packed up and walked down there and sure enough, there he was piled up on his back with his antlers stuck in the mud. I gave him a poke in the but and he didn't move so I figured he was dead. I picked up his head and the dang thing started to kick me! Scared the hell outta me! haha One more quick shot and he was gone. It was an awesome experience! It got me hooked on hunting for life! I don't have any pictures on this computer but I will try to dig some up somewhere for you guys!
Now let's hear about yours!!

Jebediah · Jul 25, 2013

Found a few pictures. Here is the 14 year old me with my first buck! If you look real close in the first picture, you can almost see the antlers! haha

HayZeus · Jul 25, 2013

That is a great story and nice pics of your first buck. I wish I had pics of my first but I never carried a camera back then. When my kids all got there first buck I made sure to get pics of all of them and every one they've got since. Pics help relive the memory so much more. I think its great that your father and uncle were there with you on your first. Its a day none of you should ever forget. Thanks for sharing your story.

NVPete · Jul 26, 2013

First off, I don't think you are so wierd, maybe a little obsessed like I am. I love personal stories I have heard, and sometimes I will reshare some of the unique ones I have heard. I'm 66 years old, and I remember not necessarily the first days of deer hunting, but vividly (as if it happened yesterday)the morning of my first buck, so I'll share it:
I was a bit undersized at 12 yrs.of age, and thought a lever action.30-30 was a big, loud,harsh-kicking son-of-a-gun, and after a couple of trips to the range, told my Dad I didn't want to deer hunt and was afraid of the gun. Bless him, I don't remember him getting angry or upset, just respecting my wishes. I did tag along on his hunt, packing his lunch and mine and our snacks (along with my personal gear) in my little day pack (I was pretty proud that Dad would let me do this!) Well, when I was 13, I'd grown a little bigger and stronger, even learned to shoot the .30-30. And a favorite uncle who no longer hunted had a Stevens bolt-action .30-30 with a nice padded butt plate that I was more comfortable with.In those days, our hunting rig was a 1937 Chevy pick-up with barely enough room in the cab for my Dad and his buddy, so my friend and I would curl-up in sleeping bags on a cold October morning and ride that way until we reached our hunting spot. I remember it was the second week of the hunt, right after sun-up, when we arrived at an olld mine site.There about 70 yds. away was a little 3x3 that appeared to have about a 12 inch spread of antlers, along with several does. We all just momentarily stared in amazement, the deer probably doing the same. I still remember a mad scramble for rifles, and somehow I had already removed fine from its case before the others, and whether they let me shoot, or I beat everyone remains unclear. I even remember the shot not being that great as I aimed for the deer's neck. I remember the deer going down, and nobody else getting a shot as he and the does streaked through the trees. I even remember being teased about missing such an easy shot, but I KNEW I'd seen that buck go down, even if no one else was convinced. I raced over shaking and excited to where I'd last seen the buck, and sure enough there was a heavy blood trail. We found the buck a short distance through the trees where he'd bled out. I was pretty happy and proud, even endured the ritual of blood smeared cheeks and cut shirt tail(some kind of tradition among my Dad and his hunting buddies).I have had many hunts and outdoor experiences since then, and in my mind's eye can see everything I've posted, but I wish I'd recorded it on my little camera. At one point a few years later I remembered saving his antlers (along with my Dad's buck from the same hunt) and lining them up for a photo, so this is all I have.Still ranks up there with the best of all my hunting experiences!

springvilleshooter · Jul 27, 2013

My first deer came when I was 14. I was raised by my mom and step dad who didn't hunt. I don't know exactly where it came from, but I knew that I was a hunter from a young age even though I had absolutely no exposure to any kind of hunting and my experience with guns was limited to 22 rifles at scout camp each summer. Everything changed when my great grandfather passed away and it was discovered that among his things was an old Marlin 336 in 30-30 win. This became my inheritance as I was the only one who was interested after it was discovered that the gun had virtually no value.

So I went through hunter safety and got myself a deer tag for the local area where I lived in Northern California. I had seen a few deer while fishing at the creek near my house and planned on making one of them mine. The night before the hunt, my mom and I went over the details of field dressing a deer from a book that I had checked out from the library. The next morning I was off, walking through town in the pre-dawn light headed for the creek. As the sun came up, I couldn't believe how many deer I was seeing as I had never been to the creek at first light. The buck suprised me as he exploded out of some willows along the stream. By some manner of instinct, I threw up the rifle and pulled the trigger. To my amazement, the buck instantly fell and I stood for several seconds awe-struck at the sight of the dead deer laying on the creek bank. After doing my best to properly field dress the animal, I must have run all the way home to fetch some help. I don't think that anyone even considered that I might be successful as looks of amazement were passed between my mom and step dad when I busted through the door and announce that I had killed a HUGE buck with two points on each side. In reality, the buck was a smaller than average forked horn whose impact on a young hunter would be much more significant than the size of his rack.

By my best estimation I have killed somewhere close to 45 deer since that time and plan on killing another 45 or so before I hang it up......Lord willing. I have also had the opportunity to introduce my brother and oldest daughter to deer hunting, helping both take their first deer last season.

I think that my story helps to illustrate that some of us are born hunters...it is in our DNA. I know it is in mine and I will always be greatful for that.....as well as that old rifle and that young blacktail that hooked me for life many years ago.---SS