It's been a 5 year journey since I started hunting and yesterday I finally harvested my first deer. Over the last 5 years I have learnt a lot about hunting deer, and every year I got closer to harvesting a deer, so it hasn't been a waste of my time. I've always been drawn to archery and have a big passion for hunting with a bow, which I find to be a challenge, so I don't use a firearm to hunt. Yesterday wasn't a planned hunt, it just happened unexpectedly. When I woke up in the morning I had this gut feeling. I live in the country so when I was helping to get my daughter ready for school, I would pace around the house and look out the windows to see if I could spot deer out in the fields, which more than not their would be. This year has been different, there hasn't been that many bucks around, and the ones I have seen, have either been fork horns or a spiker's, nothing I would shoot. I leave them so they can grow and get bigger over the next few years. Anyway I was out in the shop and had to go into the house , so on my way to house, I spotted a doe to my left in the backyard, she started to run, then I notice a second deer take off, after taking a good look, I realized it was a buck, and a shooter at that. The doe took of west and the buck went east, then the buck turned and went the same direction as the doe. They ran into my neighbours field and couldn't really see where they went, cause trees were blocking the view, but had a feeling they went to a group of trees in his field. So I went inside the house, and started to contemplate wether or not I should suit up and head over and take a look into the group of trees and see if they were in their. I decided to suit up and head over, once I got into the trees, I would take a few steps, stop and look around and see if I could spot any movement. After about going in 50 yards, I see a flicker of a white in my peripheral vision, so I stopped and watched, I didn't see nothing. So I back up a little bit, and changed my direction down another path. I didn't get more than 3 yards when I spotted a doe 40 yards away feeding , so I froze in the position I was in, and then I see another deer behind her, i could only see the body at first, and then it took a step out from behind a tree , it was a buck, and only about 35 yards away, but I didn't have a shot cause of the brush between us, then he bedded right there. Mean while, I also had to pay attention to the doe, she was just still eating. After about 5-10 mins standing there, she started walking towards me, then the buck got up and started to follow her, she crossed in front of me at about 20 yards, didn't even know I was there and kept on walking. The buck was still in pursuit, then a minute later he was 15 yards in front of me, broadside. It was on, I drew back, put the pin on him, gave a quick squawk, he came to a dead stop, I squeezed the trigger and let the arrow fly, direct hit, I see him open up. They both take of running away from me, then switched direction and came running back towards me, the doe went by, and the buck slowed down, stopped, then piled up 30 yards in front of me. I couldn't believe what just happened, this all took place from the time I seen them in my back yard to him on the ground with in an hour. What a day!
Congrats brotha! Thats one hell of a buck. I'm still waiting on my first buck, this will be my third year trying. The last 2 years I've only been able to hunt maybe 14 days of the season. Ill be out there next week though.