Well, its been quite a while since I posted here. Just nothing really to talk about.
The deer hunting season opened on this last Saturday, and I was out there bright and early....ok, so it wasnt very bright yet, but damn was it early. I woke up at 4:45am, and got picked up around 5:30 by my future brother in law. We went down to where we were gonna hunt, and got all settled in. I was sitting in the passenger seat. We had been talking all morning, and waiting for deer. It wasnt to cold out, so I had my window open all morning, just in case I had to shoot at a deer. Well...I'd say roughly around 8-8:30 am, we're talking and I glance out my window to see if any deer were out by the woods, and one had come across the road behind us and was only about 50 yards away. My heartbeat doubled in a matter of seconds!!! Since I was in the passenger seat, I couldnt swing around to my right quite as far as I was comfortable with, but I could make a shot. I hit the deer square in the shoulder, thinking it would drop right there or run a little ways and drop in the woods. Well, we waited a while and Dwayne decided to go see if he could find her body. He tracked her all the way from the point where I shot her, through the field, through the woods and halfway through the next field....but no deer. I was rather upset, but that wasnt the worst deer story of the day.
I drove Dwayne back to his house, because he had stuff to do and was going to drive out later to see if I had any luck. So I get back out to the field around 1pm or so, and dont see a deer until around 4pm. And its the most beautiful buck I've ever seen!!! He was anywhere from a 6-8 pointer, and just a beautiful dark brown color. I took my first shot and must have missed him, because he ran a few yards and stopped. He turned his head back towards me to see where that big noise came from. I pulled the bolt back and another bullet got slammed into the chamber. I got the deer in my scope again, and I had to calm myself down a little, I was shaking so bad. I got the deer in the crosshairs, just behind his shoulder.....let out a long exhale and pulled the trigger. BAM!!! He jumps in the air and runs into the woods. I'm hyper now!!! Thinking I just got my first buck, I tear ass out of the field with my van and drive around to the other side of the block, just to see if he came out the other side. Nope, he's still in there. A guy that used to work on our farm for my grandfather was walking up the road, and I asked if he seen a deer run out. Nope, but he'd help me look in the woods for it. So he went looking through one end of the woods...nothin. I told him not to worry about it, if its in there, my brother in law Dwayne will find it for sure. He's a great tracker. So I run back to Dwayne's house, about 15-20 mins away. I end up having to stay there for about two hours while Dwayne and his wife are at a birthday party. Finally he gets home and we take off for the woods. Its dark as hell out, but Dwayne has a flashlight and is more than eager to get out and find this buck for me. Well, he follows the blood through 2/3 of the woods, and hears a big animal get up and slowly start walking around. He comes back to the van and says its still in there, but its still alive. We'll be back early in the morning, so we'll get it then. I'm all kinds of excited now, and it took me forever to fall asleep Saturday night.
I woke up at 4:45 again on Sunday morning, drive to pick up Dwayne and we head out to the woods. We get out there roughly around 6:15, so we have to wait another 10 mins for hunting to actually start. Then a little longer for it to be light enough that he can actually see the blood on the ground. So he goes back in the woods to find the buck......no buck what so ever!! I'm pissed at myself at this point. I should have shot it better, aimed a little longer. But yesterday Dwayne is walking through the woods trying to get some deer to move, and hears some snorting coming from somewhere very close. He figures that buck is still in there. Last night we heard him crashing around in there, and just didnt have the light to stick around to try to lure him out all the way. I'm taking today (Wednesday) off and tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Early on Friday morning we are going back out, and we have until Sunday to get two deer. Dwayne already has his two, so he's going along to help me spot deer and bring them back up to the van if I shoot any. He'll also gut them for me. I'm really hoping I can get that damn buck, finally. That's become my mission for this deer hunting season.
I'll post again early next week to let you know if I got anything. Wish me luck!!!!