It was black as coal out and a light rain had started to fall as I walked to my deer stand, with the assistance of a small pocket flashlight I located the latter to climb up with. I got myself seated on the 5 gallon bucket and placed my Rem 270 across my lap to wait for sunrise.
There was a hoot owl somewhere behind me calling out in the early morning hours through the trees. A very majestic yet eerie sound, it was almost as if he was calling the sun to rise. Rain was filtering through the big pine and hitting the brim of my hat, with every big rain drop that fell from the tree and landed on the leaf covered ground below my ears would perk up and I would start wondering if the sound was a big buck that was sneaking up on me, I would slowly scan the felids around me but to no avail it was just the rain. It is funny how every sound when your sitting in the deer stand can make your hart stop and the rest of your body freeze. I guess that you do that just in case it is that dream buck coming your way and you don’t want to alert him to your existence. “hello there big buck I am just a big pine tree, Nope not a danger to you, come on down!!â€
Around an hour after daylight I was slowly scanning the fields around me but nothing was to be seen but the tall trees in the tree lines and tall wheat in the fields around me.
The birds had come to life by this time and I had a small flock of what looked to be finches hopping for tree limb to tree limb. With every limb hop their little wings would flap so fast that it would seam to be 3 or 4 little helicopters circling my head. Hopefully they will no garnish me with their last meal. The squirrels are out also, climbing down from their Penthouse in the tallest trees scurrying off to gather more nuts for the upcoming winter.
I was so entangled with everything coming to life before my eyes that I almost did not notice the buck that had come up on me from behind. He had stepped out of the tree line from behind me and never made a sound. I had only happened to look that way because one of the little helicopters that was above me flew off in that direction. I watched him for a few moments until he got close enough for me to count his points. 1,2,3,4,5 maybe 6. Looked to be a decent size.
The excitement was starting to grow in me as I slowly moved the 270 into position holding my breath the whole time. I could see for sure that he was at the very least a 6-point buck walking in. I focused in on him through the scope, I could see his shoulder moving with each step I finally let my breath out and took in a deep breath and slowly squeezed the trigger. I could see the muzzle flash through the scope and I quickly looked over the scope to see if I had hit him. He was down but not out he was lying down with his head up and looking around but not moving. I watched him for a moment to see what is going to happen, He starts to try to get up and so I placed another shot into the center of his chest. His neck straightened out as far as it could and then falls over, like a falling tree he hits the ground and never moves again. I can see the last breath of air leave him through the scope, that last snort of steam then no more.
That is the story of my first deer, Got him Saturday, Opening day, turned out to be a 7 point buck.
Mark
There was a hoot owl somewhere behind me calling out in the early morning hours through the trees. A very majestic yet eerie sound, it was almost as if he was calling the sun to rise. Rain was filtering through the big pine and hitting the brim of my hat, with every big rain drop that fell from the tree and landed on the leaf covered ground below my ears would perk up and I would start wondering if the sound was a big buck that was sneaking up on me, I would slowly scan the felids around me but to no avail it was just the rain. It is funny how every sound when your sitting in the deer stand can make your hart stop and the rest of your body freeze. I guess that you do that just in case it is that dream buck coming your way and you don’t want to alert him to your existence. “hello there big buck I am just a big pine tree, Nope not a danger to you, come on down!!â€
Around an hour after daylight I was slowly scanning the fields around me but nothing was to be seen but the tall trees in the tree lines and tall wheat in the fields around me.
The birds had come to life by this time and I had a small flock of what looked to be finches hopping for tree limb to tree limb. With every limb hop their little wings would flap so fast that it would seam to be 3 or 4 little helicopters circling my head. Hopefully they will no garnish me with their last meal. The squirrels are out also, climbing down from their Penthouse in the tallest trees scurrying off to gather more nuts for the upcoming winter.
I was so entangled with everything coming to life before my eyes that I almost did not notice the buck that had come up on me from behind. He had stepped out of the tree line from behind me and never made a sound. I had only happened to look that way because one of the little helicopters that was above me flew off in that direction. I watched him for a few moments until he got close enough for me to count his points. 1,2,3,4,5 maybe 6. Looked to be a decent size.
The excitement was starting to grow in me as I slowly moved the 270 into position holding my breath the whole time. I could see for sure that he was at the very least a 6-point buck walking in. I focused in on him through the scope, I could see his shoulder moving with each step I finally let my breath out and took in a deep breath and slowly squeezed the trigger. I could see the muzzle flash through the scope and I quickly looked over the scope to see if I had hit him. He was down but not out he was lying down with his head up and looking around but not moving. I watched him for a moment to see what is going to happen, He starts to try to get up and so I placed another shot into the center of his chest. His neck straightened out as far as it could and then falls over, like a falling tree he hits the ground and never moves again. I can see the last breath of air leave him through the scope, that last snort of steam then no more.
That is the story of my first deer, Got him Saturday, Opening day, turned out to be a 7 point buck.
Mark
