Sunday, 11-12-06.
Chief and Robs invited us back to their place after the Poco Loco weekend, and they offered to have Robs take me deer hunting. How cool...two women going out alone to the ranch.
I haven't shot a gun in probably 15 years, and the biggest thing I've ever shot was a jack rabbit. One summer in Wyoming, I did perfect my use of a single shot, bolt action .22 with a scope targeting those rodent-like ground squirrels that tear up the farmer's crops...spent many an afternoon with that gun perched atop a fence post ridding our friends of their unwanted guests.
Robs said she had one particular buck in mind that needed to go...a high rack, 8 pt. that was at least 3 1/2, and she had been seeing him at one particular feeding area.
So, we packed up the truck a little before 4pm, and we were in the stand about 4:15. She helped me get used to her .270, siting through the scope, and even let me dry fire it once to get a feel for the trigger.
She talked me through the best places to aim, and with my limited experience, it was decided I should aim for the heart/lungs area since it is a bigger target.
A few minutes later like clockwork, the does arrived, then a young buck or two. A few minutes after that, four good sized buck came up with our target buck being the last on the scene.
I was watching him through the scope and Robs was filming the area from another window in the blind. From the time clock on the film, we watched them for about 8 minutes before I fired. Looking at the film later, Chief was saying I had several missed opportunities but those were times I was probably trying to steady my hands, or recovering from taking yet another deep breath.
Finally, the other bucks got far enough away from him for my comfort, and Robs says, "anytime you're ready..." as she's sitting there with the camcorder focused on him, shaking a little herself not knowing exactly when I was going to pull the trigger.
I remembered Robs coaching and gently just closed my hand on the trigger, and I hit him in the shoulder which ended up being a heart shot. He stumbled, and took off, and Robs exclamed 'you knocked him down!', so we knew he'd been hit.
At this point, Robs says lets just sit here a minute, collect your bearings, and give him time to succumb. Within 5 minutes, we were packing our belongings out of the stand and headed to the area where he went down.
We searched and couldn't find any signs of blood on the ground, but we knew the direction he had headed. It was overcast and getting dusk early, and Robs says maybe we should call Chief to bring Reggie to help us find him. I said let's just go look a little and we found him within 40 yards. Yeah!
Robs had me poke him with the gun barrel to make sure he was dead. Then, as we were investigating where I had shot him, she reached her finger into the bullet hole, and back up to smear my cheek with the initiation blood of my first deer.
We both grabbed an antler and proceeded to drag him back to the clearing where we could drive the truck up to load him. After successfully getting him in the truck, we decided NOT to call the guys, but just to drive back to the house.
Harbormaster and his dad had arrived at the house shortly before we pulled in, and all the guys were standing in the garage awaiting our arrival. As Robs and I were collecting our stuff out of the cab, Harbor could stand it no more, and marched over to look into the bed of the truck! They got one! Pelican said he already knew because he could see the mark on my cheek through the truck window.
We all set up the cleaning table and hauled the deer onto it, and couldn't get over how big and fat he really was. Curiousity got the best of us, and we had to get the scales out. He weighed 168 lbs., and Chief said he probably bled out another 5 lbs. before we got him on the scales.
As we put him back on the table preparing to start cleaning him, Harbor had to tell me to quit petting him like a dog. I just couldn't get over how soft and shiny his coat was. He was certainly one healthy buck, as was evidenced by all the fat he had on him.
Amidst much fellowship, Robs, Pelican, Chief and I all participated and got it processed and into the frig, and somewhere along the way, even got to enjoy some homemade gumbo Chief made.
Needless to say, it was an awesome day for me, and Pelican was beaming in celebration with me. Robs said it's almost as much fun watching someone get their first deer as it is to pull the trigger herself.
Thanks Chief and Robs, for your generous hospitality, and memories I will never forget.
Thanks 2Cool for bringing us together with what are now our friends for life.
Can't wait to get back over there to help with the 'Hog Control'!
Here's some still shots from the film, and some others...
Chief and Robs invited us back to their place after the Poco Loco weekend, and they offered to have Robs take me deer hunting. How cool...two women going out alone to the ranch.
I haven't shot a gun in probably 15 years, and the biggest thing I've ever shot was a jack rabbit. One summer in Wyoming, I did perfect my use of a single shot, bolt action .22 with a scope targeting those rodent-like ground squirrels that tear up the farmer's crops...spent many an afternoon with that gun perched atop a fence post ridding our friends of their unwanted guests.
Robs said she had one particular buck in mind that needed to go...a high rack, 8 pt. that was at least 3 1/2, and she had been seeing him at one particular feeding area.
So, we packed up the truck a little before 4pm, and we were in the stand about 4:15. She helped me get used to her .270, siting through the scope, and even let me dry fire it once to get a feel for the trigger.
She talked me through the best places to aim, and with my limited experience, it was decided I should aim for the heart/lungs area since it is a bigger target.
A few minutes later like clockwork, the does arrived, then a young buck or two. A few minutes after that, four good sized buck came up with our target buck being the last on the scene.
I was watching him through the scope and Robs was filming the area from another window in the blind. From the time clock on the film, we watched them for about 8 minutes before I fired. Looking at the film later, Chief was saying I had several missed opportunities but those were times I was probably trying to steady my hands, or recovering from taking yet another deep breath.
Finally, the other bucks got far enough away from him for my comfort, and Robs says, "anytime you're ready..." as she's sitting there with the camcorder focused on him, shaking a little herself not knowing exactly when I was going to pull the trigger.
I remembered Robs coaching and gently just closed my hand on the trigger, and I hit him in the shoulder which ended up being a heart shot. He stumbled, and took off, and Robs exclamed 'you knocked him down!', so we knew he'd been hit.
At this point, Robs says lets just sit here a minute, collect your bearings, and give him time to succumb. Within 5 minutes, we were packing our belongings out of the stand and headed to the area where he went down.
We searched and couldn't find any signs of blood on the ground, but we knew the direction he had headed. It was overcast and getting dusk early, and Robs says maybe we should call Chief to bring Reggie to help us find him. I said let's just go look a little and we found him within 40 yards. Yeah!
Robs had me poke him with the gun barrel to make sure he was dead. Then, as we were investigating where I had shot him, she reached her finger into the bullet hole, and back up to smear my cheek with the initiation blood of my first deer.
We both grabbed an antler and proceeded to drag him back to the clearing where we could drive the truck up to load him. After successfully getting him in the truck, we decided NOT to call the guys, but just to drive back to the house.
Harbormaster and his dad had arrived at the house shortly before we pulled in, and all the guys were standing in the garage awaiting our arrival. As Robs and I were collecting our stuff out of the cab, Harbor could stand it no more, and marched over to look into the bed of the truck! They got one! Pelican said he already knew because he could see the mark on my cheek through the truck window.
We all set up the cleaning table and hauled the deer onto it, and couldn't get over how big and fat he really was. Curiousity got the best of us, and we had to get the scales out. He weighed 168 lbs., and Chief said he probably bled out another 5 lbs. before we got him on the scales.
As we put him back on the table preparing to start cleaning him, Harbor had to tell me to quit petting him like a dog. I just couldn't get over how soft and shiny his coat was. He was certainly one healthy buck, as was evidenced by all the fat he had on him.
Amidst much fellowship, Robs, Pelican, Chief and I all participated and got it processed and into the frig, and somewhere along the way, even got to enjoy some homemade gumbo Chief made.
Needless to say, it was an awesome day for me, and Pelican was beaming in celebration with me. Robs said it's almost as much fun watching someone get their first deer as it is to pull the trigger herself.
Thanks Chief and Robs, for your generous hospitality, and memories I will never forget.
Thanks 2Cool for bringing us together with what are now our friends for life.
Can't wait to get back over there to help with the 'Hog Control'!
Here's some still shots from the film, and some others...