And every good buck needs a story behind it...
Thanksgiving hunting started in 2013, when a doe ended my two year dry spell. That hunt for "only" a doe ranks very high in my memorable deer hunts.
I wasn't sure if I was going to go out this year, but the weather was about right, and hunting seemed like a quiet way to spend a couple hours. I packed up my gear and got changed into my hunting clothes. SO is very understanding of this, so we planned to have the turkey and fixins' done about an hour after legal shooting light ended.
I got out to my stand and set up. It was cool but not cold. Surprisingly, I think I heard Mike's neighbor's ATV as he must have been hunting too. Usually I have the woods to myself on Thanksgiving.
The time past slowly which was fine. I was comfortable and the squirrels were running around enough to keep me on my toes. Darkness was approaching and with the heavy cloud cover, I knew daylight was going to be short.
My sixth sense told me to turn around and as I did, I saw a doe deep in the thick brush in the small ravine behind me to my right. I initially wasn't sure I would be able to get her at the very awkward angle, so just watched, hoping she would make her way to a better shooting lane.
I heard a deer grunt loudly to my left. Interesting - probably a buck. Part 2 had told me there were at least a few small bucks in the area, so I concentrated on the doe. At some point he grunted again, but wouldn't show himself.
Figuring I didn't have much to lose, I slowly got up and turned around, watching the doe. Movement far off behind her caught my eye and I saw a buck following her. He was in the thick brush where I originally saw the doe; I could see antler, but not very much and was still planning on trying to take the doe. My safety harness strap was slightly annoyingly in my way, but I won't use a climber without one.
The buck turned around and ran back the way he came. He was chasing away at least one, probably two other bucks. The doe must be hot!
After the chase, he ran back into the thick brush, classic buck behavior with his nose down smelling. Now I got a look at his antlers - this was not another garden variety small buck. My attention focused on the buck. The doe by this point was starting to notice me.
I have taken "backwards" shots from the stand before, trying to use the back of my climber as a rest. It usually works, but never works well. I made the decision that an offhand shot was probably the better option should things progress. The two deer were probably approaching, but still under 100 yards away.
I watched the doe start working away from me. Having a few minutes to watch the deer, I was more calm now - not calm, but more calm than I was...
The buck trailed the doe out of the thick brush in the ravine. Fading light. Crosshairs behind shoulder. Is it a clean picture? Yes. My .243 barked for the second time this season.
Mr. big took off. I saw a couple of other deer run as well - I wasn't sure which was the one I shot at by the time I lost sight of them. I figured either a solid hit, or a clean miss. I wasn't sure which since all the deer running muffled any sound of a deer balling up.
I waited a few minutes, but with dark approaching, noted where he was when I shot, where he ran, and climbed down. Before looking for blood, I decided to head to where I was pretty sure he ran. It only took a couple minutes to find him. And he was big. Not just his antlers, but his body was really big too. My shot had broken his front shoulder - I'm not quite sure how he even ran.
I noted where he was and quickly packed out my stand. On the way out, I decided that if Mike was home, I'd ask to use his four wheeler. Mr. Antlers had expired within 20 yards from the end of the property. I was not looking forward to dragging him all the way out. I wasn't even sure I could.
I texted SO that I would be late, and went to Mike's house. Mike and I talked the ATV for a few minutes - apparently it needed a battery - but should start. Bless his heart, Mike said he would get the ATV running and meet me in the back; I would field dress the buck.
I met Mike in the deep ravine. His quad was a bit of a mess, he had an external battery pack, and he was sitting on some pieces of Styrofoam. It was very slow going. We made a Plan B. Mike had his SO (bless her heart too) call the neighbors to see if they would let me drive back to close to where the buck was.
Keep in mind, this IS still Thanksgiving. It is also pitch black by this point.
Neighbors were very gracious, so I left Mike to work his way back home and drove around the block. The neighbor was a good guy and I talked to him for a few minutes before he gave me directions. Surprisingly, I ended up driving to within 30 yards of deer, and the drag was mostly down hill. Getting him into the bed of the truck was still a major effort.
I drove back around to Mike's to see if he needed help with the ATV. His SO said that he wasn't back yet. I headed down to where I had left Mike. Not only did I not see him anywhere, I didn't hear the ATV anymore. I yelled his name a few times. Nothing.
Oh SH*T. I ran back and checked Mike's barn. Nothing.
I ran back to talk to Mike's SO again - I am terrified that he has flipped the quad somewhere on the very steep terrain. Back at the house, Mike answers his phone when SO calls. Good, but not good. He got turned around in the dark, abandoned the quad and is now "a little lost."
This set off a chain of events of shining car headlights into the woods. Me running around with a flashlight (hoping not to get lost too). Phone calls back and forth about where Mike thinks he is. Me feeling absolutely terrible about getting him into this situation. More phone calls. Yelling. More flashlights...
And this goes on for hours. Keep in mind, this IS still Thanksgiving. It is beyond pitch black by this point.
Eventually Mike sees a house light and works his way towards it. Mike's kindly neighbor gives him a ride back to his house, but not before family, 911 and the volunteer firemen are in the mix.
We all meet up back at Mike's. SO calls off the cavalry, but a couple volunteers do show up a few minutes later.
We talk for a few minutes. Mike apologizes for getting lost, I apologize for getting everyone into this mess. I ask if I can come back to hunt next year if I promise to NOT ask for the ATV. Everyone laughs and SO tells me to please come back.
Thanksgiving. Much to be thankful for. Very good people. Great people. Good endings. Good stories.
Back at home past my bedtime, I reheat Thanksgiving dinner. My SO is very understanding about this. She had eaten hours previous. Since all ended well, the situation is more humorous than anything else by this point.
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Between the late dinner (ugh), my Thanksgiving Day naps, the deer, the "excitement" in the land of the lost, I wasn't really able to sleep. Up early, I had another deer take care of and decisions to make about taxidermy.
Processing a moose of a deer was a whole different animal (pun intended) from the small one back on opening day. Skinning the deer was relatively straight forward, but I had to take extra time on the front half of the animal since I was almost certainly sure to have him mounted.
A post mortem on the bullet told an incomplete story. The bullet entered his shoulder and after absolutely shattering the bone, it and/or fragments of bone proceeded into the neck and chest. It would appear that the injuries in the neck were the most devastating. Not perfect shot placement or bullet performance, but given the offhand shot I was satisfied. Even without a clearly identified exit hole, I was not able to recover the slug, or any part of it.
The deer also had an older grazing shot across one leg. Someone had missed a nice 'un. It happens.
People get all negatively excited looking at bullet performance. A bullet has a very difficult job to do - and the fact that any post mortem can be done says that the bullet did its job - end of story. I'll probably continue to hunt deer with my .243, but given the size of this deer, I probably would have been better off with my 30.06.
Much of the rest of the day was spent cutting out meat and subsequently grinding most of it up. Mr. Big had almost no fat on him, and the loins looked like tree logs of deep dark red meat. They will be good, but care will have to be taken in the cooking of them.
I had three options for taxidermist. Guy 1 was the guy who I've gone with for many animals. He does good work, but takes forever. Actually a little longer than forever. He's a fun guy, but after my bear rug took over 2 1/2 years - and he said that he lost money on it since he switched tanners in the middle, I just couldn't go back to him.
Guy 2 did my 2014 bear. Did a fantastic job in a short amount of time. Not too personable - but I guess that doesn't matter. His website suggests he is going part time soon and the location is really far away (closer to my old job).
I decided to go with Guy 3. Younger dude I had talked to a few times. His work looks really good and he has lots of good reviews online.
I arranged to drop off the deer in the evening. He has a real nice shop far off the road not too far away. We BS'd for quite a while, talking hunting. I "helped" him skin out the skull which was fun. He made it look so easy, but I'm very well aware the taxidermy is both a skill and an art. I believe my future 13-point mount is in good hands.
I'm probably done deer hunting for the year. In the short term, I'm ready for a couple boring days. Longer term, I guess I'll have to find some other way to alleviate cabin fever.
Every deer season is different, and all are great in their own way.
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