Mistaken Deer

[frednaz]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" Charles Dickens

My hunt couldn't have begun better on opening morning several years ago in PA. I made a 110 yard shot at 7:45 AM on an 8 point buck (Rare in those parts) The 140 grain silvertip from the 7mm-08 went through both lungs. He made two jumps downhill, dropped, and was DOA. I then became one of the "dogs" the rest of that day for our group of 4. "The best of times"
The next day I was on stand early as friends were pushing deer toward me and another friend. The deer were coming down a hillside. I could see deer everywhere. There must have been at least 35-40. I had a good solid rest beside a small dead tree, a perfect setup. The first one that slows down or stops will fill my doe tag. Several ran by fast, but one made an abrupt stop, big mistake. The shot was perfect, through both lungs,160 yards, one step, dead deer. Season over, happy camper. To my surprise upon approaching, my "doe" turn into a small spike buck. "The worst of times" What to do, what to do? When the question is what to do, do the right thing ! The fine for "mistaken deer" in PA then was $25.00. And that's what we did. We went to the wildlife officer, he fined me $25.00, but let me keep the deer with a mild warning to be more careful in my shots. It was embarrassing. I pride myself on being an ethical, lawbiding hunter, but we do make honest mistakes, and when we do, we must admit that we do and pay whatever the price. I was $25.00 poorer, but conscience clear, and still rich in heart.
What's your favorite deer story ?

 

[TC66]

Another best and worst hunting story. We went to kentucky for gun season and it was Buck only the first couple of days. Well my buddy is sitting there when several deer come in to his area and there stands a nice 8 point. There are several does around and one just behind the buck that my buddy could not see due to brush. He shoots the buck and then we go up to get his deer and I looked down and there was a doe laying there about 10 yards behind where the buck fell. We went into panic mode at this point wondering what were were going to do.

Out of the blue comes a game warden and says good morning gentlemen how are we doing today? We respnded not too well right now. He laughs a bit and says I know I saw the whole thing. He said you could not have seen the doe behind the brush and went on and tagged it for us and said have a nice day. All we could picture when this guy showed us is us being arrested and trying to explain this one to a judge. We decided to call it quits at that point and go home. Too close of a call.

What are the odds of that happening and then what are the odds of a GW sitting there and seeing the whole thing?

Next adventure we went out and were in our stands back in Ohio and we watched this buck chase a doe in and she stopped and he mounted her. Just at that very second I saw my buddy shoot and saw the arrow make a clean pass through the lungs. We went to claim the buck and I looked at my buddy and said couldn't you at least let him finish before you shot him? Good day for us bad for the buck. Just as he is starting to get some he gets shot.

 

[dakotasin]

most of my hunts get a good story to go in the memory banks... so, to keep it short, i'll just go w/ a favored recent hunt or two...

i set my brother up in a good spot w/ a commanding view of the prairie, and took my brother-in-law w/ me to another spot i thought would work well. didn't take long, and we started seeing deer. lots of deer (scouting pays off). i spotted a massive whitetail - one that i estimated would clear 170 b&c - a trophy by anybody's standards. b-i-l couldn't see him, and out of frustration, i pointed him in the direction, and sent him on his way, while i worked down the butte to catch anything of interest after his shot broke. i watched the massive deer for a few minutes, and figured he and b-i-l were within seconds of a meeting. the shot rang out, and i watched the deer sprint up and away. i caught up to my b-i-l and started working the blood trail. minutes later, we found the deer he had shot: a very nice 4-point (4x4, or 8 point for those who like to run point counts up) whitetail, but certainly not the deer i had spotted earlier. he had shot it, thinking it was the big one...

i went over and pulled my brother to our spot, telling him about our mis-adventure. he decided he wanted a crack at the big boy. so we waited and glassed, and i spotted an outstanding 5x6 (11-pointer for those...), and my brother passed on it, so i dumped him. 15 minutes or so later, a good 4-point mulie came by (4x4 or 8 point for those...), and again, my brother passed, waiting for the big boy (b-i-l went ahead and dusted him off). finally, the spotting scope revealed the big boy, and b-i-l had the best vantage point, so he took my brother up to the best perch. we lost the deer when it bedded down, but we knew where it was. unfortunately, my brother never did see it. we saw no other deer. we tried to wait the buck out, but the sun was fading fast, so b-i-l and i decided to work the side of the butte, and force the deer into the clearing so brother could whack him. the plan worked, to a fault: we flushed 3 deer out! the big buck, a doe, and a smaller buck. my brother never saw the big buck as he crossed the clearing high (within 10 yards of me and 150 yards of brother), while the doe and small buck crossed low (about 35 yards from me and 100 from brother). he shot the smaller buck, thinking it was the big one, never even seeing the big deer. oh well, it was his best buck to date, a handsome 5-point (5x5, or 10 point...), but not the big one...

i went back later to pick him up w/ b-i-l and we spotted him about 3 miles from where we thought he'd be, but due to time constraints, weren't able to get to him. you can bet i'll be out on opening day this year for him... b-i-l was, and still is, absolutely sick over getting that close, and wound up w/ a 'one that got away' story.

 

[Selfdfenz]

If you hunt near standing corn fields you will occassionally notice an area where the stalks are stunted.

If you are hunting at any distance from that size-challenged maze never take a hurried shot at deer standing in or near or going in and out of the stunted stuff.

Don't ask me how I know.

S-

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Most recent, and one of my best hunts.

It was too friggin hot just outside Winthrop WA. Big bucks where hanging around 6,000 feet. With a few younger one's down in the river bottoms. I hunted low then switched to looking for a monster up high. I was close. Never saw the one I was hunting, But I was close. I came across three Cougar kills in one week. All on the same ridge line. And, Monday, "the hunter" became "the hunted". Up at about 5,500 feet I startled at cat from bed. Mornings were chilly and foggy, then the day temps would hit 75 or more. That morning the fog was blowing in an out. I was going up a hill as quietly as I could -we're talking slow. When out of the corner of my eye, to my right, I saw a flash of tan. No sound. NONE! Nope it moved too fast through the wood pile to have been a Coyote and a doggy would have yipped or I would have heard paws/claws. Possibly a Bobcat, but not that small. Deffinately not a Deer. I've gotta think Mountain Lion. Pistol in hand. Fog rolling in and out. I was in a clearing on the hillside that was say, 150' tall by 100' wide. I was just near center. Not one minute later, the Squirels below me went APE SNOT! At least five of them. All chattering and barking. I hadn't startled any of them when I came thorugh. I trained my 16x Bushnell binoculars on the edge of the woods and brush below. To say the least, I was looking down hill. As I sat there I was digging my boots in the ground to keep from sliding back to whence I came. Looking for an eye, ear, nose. Anything. Pistol still in hand. This went on for at least ten minutes. Then a few Squirels scampered off. Most of them still barking. Once I figured I'd never get a shot, I continued up hill. Still watching my back. I startled something. It came back around to see what startled it.

That was pretty much the highlight of my hunt on that trip. I think I got really close to one or more resident bucks up high, but having not scouted that area up high earlier in the season, I really didn't have luck on my side. I do know that I need some better maps for the area. It's all nationall forest land with several closed roads during hunting season. I used GPS and compass so I always knew how to get back to camp or where I left the bike, but not always the easiest route. Without a partner I also didn't go as far as I would have with. It'd be nice to at least have someone to know where to send the authorities to look for my body.. In case I slipped on a rock or something.

Opening morning two days prior, my 13yr old son Cody filled his doe tag above the State Park. We'd hunted from above working our way down to the first plateau up from the road. But there were too many old men/hunters for me to get Cody where I wanted. So we waited for some to leave. Then, 'in the woods', Cody spotted a two point and two does. OK> The hunt was on. Another dad and son were working their way down hill. They couldn't have seen them. But the kid walked right under Cody when Cody was about to shoot across a ravine. Cody held off. I shoe'd the kid away. Then another hunter sitting on a stump really confused the deer so they worked their way down to the road. Cody had an excelent opportunity to shoot, but held off because he heard a truck on the road. The deer went into the park -feeding. We walked down to the road. Then as some lookyloo's watched the same groop, we kept eye on them as we vacated the area. I confired with a game warden on whether Cody could shoot on that lower side of the road. The signs are 150' in. He checked with the local warden and said that the edge of the road is the beginning of the safety zone. ... We were leaving, and as the lookyloo's dissappeared, the deer went back up to legal land. We spot and stalked. Cody shot across canyon, 80yrds or so. Took out her brisket. She tried to walk up hill for a few steps. Clearly suffering and he realized that really wasn't a kill shot. Almost no bleading at all. So we got closer and he shot from below taking out a lung. She dropped like a rock, but was still breathing pretty good by the time we got to her. I took out my knife and slit her throat. Cody got to learn a lot on one hunt. Shot placement, kill shots. Putting an animal out of misery. Tracking/stocking. Learning to be quiet without spooking the animals. Don't give up. Patience. Legalities. Safety.

I'm very proud of him. It's just a doe, (Mule deer), but he did well.

That was a great hunt. My son's first deer. Open sight, single shot .243.

I went on another hunt later in the season and bagged 5x6 Whitetail.

-Steve