First Whitetail! - Pictures added
Because my father worked in the oilfield, we traveled and lived overseas a lot when I was growing up, and I never got to hunt as a kid. As such, I only took up hunting as an adult last year. My wife's family has a lot of good deer land up in North Louisiana, and I have been hunting this land since last year. Living in Houston, I only get out 1-2 times per year.
This year I decided to take a week off at Thanksgiving to hunt, and I'm still at the inlaws in North Louisiana using a borrowed dialup account, so I can't post too much or upload pictures yet, but I wanted to share with my friends here that my hunting trip has been an unqualified success despite spotty beginnings!!
The week started with two solid days of rains, including some of the worst storms around here in years. My first two days of hunting were essentially a bust, and I only spent about 45 minutes in the stand the first day before thunder convinced me that it was time to head for the house.
The third day wasn't raining, but was so blustery that nothing was moving, and all I saw was a skunk despite almost 8 hours in the stand. However, by the end of the day I had decided to move my stand to a spot about two hundred yards over that looked more promising. A very fortuitous move, I might add....
I had been hunting from a climbing stand right on the edge of a fire lane that overlooked a small creek on the property. I decided to move further into the woods along the same creek, closer to a thicket of hardwoods where it appeared (and sounded) that a number of deer were bedding down. I set up in a tall pine, about 30 feet off the ground on the side of a hill overlooking the creek and the hardwood thicket.
Day four was yesterday, and I spent about 4 hours in the stand at the new location before leaving for Thanksgiving lunch at my wife's uncle's house (a long-standing family tradition.) I had heard movement in the thicket on and off, but had yet to see anything.
At about 8:30 two young does happened to come over the crest of the hill I was sitting on and walked from my left, directly under my stand, and then proceeded along the creek bed to my right. They stopped briefly under my stand to munch on some grass and clover, but heard sounds in the thicket and bolted. I had a clean shot at either of them, and given that they were the first deer I had seen while hunting (just started last season and only hunted a few days last year) I was sorely tempted to take one. However, for a number of reasons (including the hope that the sound they and I heard was a buck) I chose not to.
Seems my choice was the right one this time....
After sharing lunch with my wife's family, and taking some ribbing from my in-laws about not taking either of the does, I headed back to the woods. I got to my stand a little before 4pm, giving me almost an hour and a half before sunset. I climbed the tree, got situated, and prepared to wait.
I didn't have to wait long. Almost immediately I started hearing rustling in the thicket in front of me. This continued for almost 20 minutes, then the rustling turned into outright crashing. I had heard from my wifes cousin that they had been having some trouble with poachers on this land, and I was convinced what I was hearing was either a buck, or a poacher. Being prepared for either I readied my Savage 308 scout.
Within a few more moments I saw the body of a deer approaching the creek through the thicket, and heading directly for my stand!
At first through the thicket it looked to be a doe, but when I glassed it low and behold, a rack!! Because I didn't have a clear shot through the thicket I decided to wait him out and hope he continued moving to me.
As luck would have it, he crossed the creek directly in front of me, and started up the hill directly to my stand. By then I had shouldered my rifle and was watching him through my scope, waiting for a clear shot. At that moment I realized that although he was facing me directly and it would have to be a clean neck shot to take him, this would be my best opportunity. He was moving up the hill toward me, and was about 30 feet below, and 30 feet in front of my position.
I took the shot, and put a 168gr soft-point in the left front of his neck, exiting just over the right shoulder. This shot stopped him in his tracks, and made him stumble, but did not drop him. I came up out of my seat, working the bolt, and simultaneously shouting "DROP!!" at the buck, hoping he would begin to bleed out.
Realizing after a few seconds he was not about to drop, I shouldered my rifle again, and took aim for another neck shot. Just as I squeezed the shot off he ducked, turned, and bolted to my left, and I missed high. He ran about 30 yards up the hill to my left before I could chamber another round, and this time took a shot with him on the run, aiming just behind the left shoulder.
This was the coup-de-gras. The round entered just behind the left shoulder and exited the right side of the neck, severing the jugular. He dropped almost instantly and was dead within seconds.
At this point I new he had a nice rack, but had never had an opportunity to count the points. Lowering my gear and climbing down as quickly as I could safely, I ran over to count.... Eight VERY nicely balanced points with a sturdy base and (I would measure later) a 16 inch spread. The only calamity was that the two neck shots at close range left the neck and shoulders with two gaping wounds, making a shoulder mount almost impossible. However, the rack alone will still look nice gracing the wall of my study. (Assuming I can talk my wife into it... still open for debate.... )
My thanks again for all of the encouragement and advice I have received both directly and indirectly from TFL. I will be sure to post pictures as soon as possible when I get back to Houston. Should be Saturday or Sunday.
I hope you and your family had a joyful Thanksgiving! I know I have much to be thankful for today!!
Because my father worked in the oilfield, we traveled and lived overseas a lot when I was growing up, and I never got to hunt as a kid. As such, I only took up hunting as an adult last year. My wife's family has a lot of good deer land up in North Louisiana, and I have been hunting this land since last year. Living in Houston, I only get out 1-2 times per year.
This year I decided to take a week off at Thanksgiving to hunt, and I'm still at the inlaws in North Louisiana using a borrowed dialup account, so I can't post too much or upload pictures yet, but I wanted to share with my friends here that my hunting trip has been an unqualified success despite spotty beginnings!!
The week started with two solid days of rains, including some of the worst storms around here in years. My first two days of hunting were essentially a bust, and I only spent about 45 minutes in the stand the first day before thunder convinced me that it was time to head for the house.
The third day wasn't raining, but was so blustery that nothing was moving, and all I saw was a skunk despite almost 8 hours in the stand. However, by the end of the day I had decided to move my stand to a spot about two hundred yards over that looked more promising. A very fortuitous move, I might add....
I had been hunting from a climbing stand right on the edge of a fire lane that overlooked a small creek on the property. I decided to move further into the woods along the same creek, closer to a thicket of hardwoods where it appeared (and sounded) that a number of deer were bedding down. I set up in a tall pine, about 30 feet off the ground on the side of a hill overlooking the creek and the hardwood thicket.
Day four was yesterday, and I spent about 4 hours in the stand at the new location before leaving for Thanksgiving lunch at my wife's uncle's house (a long-standing family tradition.) I had heard movement in the thicket on and off, but had yet to see anything.
At about 8:30 two young does happened to come over the crest of the hill I was sitting on and walked from my left, directly under my stand, and then proceeded along the creek bed to my right. They stopped briefly under my stand to munch on some grass and clover, but heard sounds in the thicket and bolted. I had a clean shot at either of them, and given that they were the first deer I had seen while hunting (just started last season and only hunted a few days last year) I was sorely tempted to take one. However, for a number of reasons (including the hope that the sound they and I heard was a buck) I chose not to.
Seems my choice was the right one this time....
After sharing lunch with my wife's family, and taking some ribbing from my in-laws about not taking either of the does, I headed back to the woods. I got to my stand a little before 4pm, giving me almost an hour and a half before sunset. I climbed the tree, got situated, and prepared to wait.
I didn't have to wait long. Almost immediately I started hearing rustling in the thicket in front of me. This continued for almost 20 minutes, then the rustling turned into outright crashing. I had heard from my wifes cousin that they had been having some trouble with poachers on this land, and I was convinced what I was hearing was either a buck, or a poacher. Being prepared for either I readied my Savage 308 scout.
Within a few more moments I saw the body of a deer approaching the creek through the thicket, and heading directly for my stand!
At first through the thicket it looked to be a doe, but when I glassed it low and behold, a rack!! Because I didn't have a clear shot through the thicket I decided to wait him out and hope he continued moving to me.As luck would have it, he crossed the creek directly in front of me, and started up the hill directly to my stand. By then I had shouldered my rifle and was watching him through my scope, waiting for a clear shot. At that moment I realized that although he was facing me directly and it would have to be a clean neck shot to take him, this would be my best opportunity. He was moving up the hill toward me, and was about 30 feet below, and 30 feet in front of my position.
I took the shot, and put a 168gr soft-point in the left front of his neck, exiting just over the right shoulder. This shot stopped him in his tracks, and made him stumble, but did not drop him. I came up out of my seat, working the bolt, and simultaneously shouting "DROP!!" at the buck, hoping he would begin to bleed out.
Realizing after a few seconds he was not about to drop, I shouldered my rifle again, and took aim for another neck shot. Just as I squeezed the shot off he ducked, turned, and bolted to my left, and I missed high. He ran about 30 yards up the hill to my left before I could chamber another round, and this time took a shot with him on the run, aiming just behind the left shoulder.
This was the coup-de-gras. The round entered just behind the left shoulder and exited the right side of the neck, severing the jugular. He dropped almost instantly and was dead within seconds.
At this point I new he had a nice rack, but had never had an opportunity to count the points. Lowering my gear and climbing down as quickly as I could safely, I ran over to count.... Eight VERY nicely balanced points with a sturdy base and (I would measure later) a 16 inch spread.
The only calamity was that the two neck shots at close range left the neck and shoulders with two gaping wounds, making a shoulder mount almost impossible. However, the rack alone will still look nice gracing the wall of my study. (Assuming I can talk my wife into it... still open for debate.... )My thanks again for all of the encouragement and advice I have received both directly and indirectly from TFL. I will be sure to post pictures as soon as possible when I get back to Houston. Should be Saturday or Sunday.
I hope you and your family had a joyful Thanksgiving! I know I have much to be thankful for today!!
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