First deer, a hunting incident, and the doe's revenge

[jpohlic]

This is my second year hunting. I didn't get anything last year, and my elk hunt earlier this fall was unsuccessful. I went out to 328 on Saturday with my dad who's hunted this area a lot over the years, hoping for an elk or a buck, but I would have been happy with a doe.

We set up on a small ridge with a salt lick on both sides and sat there for an hour. No action so we changed tactics and walked the cutlines for a couple hours, eventually ending up back at the lick. We sat down against a tree and pulled a couple apples out of the pack. I'd only taken a couple bites when my dad whispered.... "deer"

A couple whitetail does were walking towards us followed by a spike horn buck. I was ok with taking anything this trip just to put some meat in the freezer but got a little greedy and thought a bigger buck might be following them. After watching them at only 20 yards for what seemed like forever I eventually spooked them when I moved to get in position.

Since it was lunch time we decided to head back the truck. After lunch my dad unloaded the quad and we started loading some lawn chairs and other gear on the rack. I looked up and there were two does walking down the side of the road towards us.

I grabbed my rifle as they ran into the bushes about 150 yards away. My dad looks at me and says "go after them, they're heading for the lick"

So, I walked quickly back down the cutline a few hundred yards, down a small hill and stopped at a creek. Thinking I was ahead of them I stood there for a few minutes looking back through the trees. After a bit I heard my dad start the quad and a minute later he stopped at the top of the hill. I kept watching behind me for a bit but I figured the quad would have spooked them if they were still there. I also figured my dad would wait there until I got further down the trail, so I turned around to keep going.

I took two or three steps before I realized why my dad had stopped. The two does were 25 yards away standing on the cutline staring at me - they had gotten ahead of me.

One went into the bushes as I raised my rifle but I was quicker than the second and she took one right in the boiler room. It spun her around and she ran off, but she only made it 50 yards. It's amazing how far they can go when shot through the heart and both lungs!!!

We gutted her, strapped her to the back of the quad and were back at the truck in probably less than half an hour. We loaded her on the truck and that's when the "hunting incident" occurred.

I've got a bad knee - blown it at least 6 times in the last 20 years - and when I jumped off the back of the truck there was the sound I hoped I would never hear again. It was so bad that my dad heard the crunching noise of my knee buckling underneath me. Good thing it happened back at the truck because hopping to the cab of the truck was as far as I could go.

We went back to my folks place, I watched my dad skin the deer as I was unable to move without grimacing in pain, and then I drove home.

Today I went to the emergency room and while sitting in the waiting room in the xray dept the doe got her revenge. On the wall opposite me was a piece of artwork... bet you can't guess what it was?

Yup, that's right, a picture of a doe bedded down in the woods, staring at me as I waited for the xrays.

I don't feel guilty though... anyone got a good jerky recipe?

[Albertadiver]

Good for you, that first deer is one you'll remember. Just got my second today!

[Rockymtnx]

Congrats on your first deer.

[BigRackLover]

congrats on your deer, bummer about the knee.

[The Fisherman Guy]

I also have a bad knee, it's no fun. But taking your first deer is!

Congratulations on your first, nice to hear I am not the only one to make their first kill this season!

[Trav]

congrats on the deer, hope your knee heals well for you.

hope those salt licks you were talking about are natural salt licks as it is against the law to put them out for hunting, lots of fish and wildlife officers like to visit this site

[jpohlic]

Yup, its a natural lick. It's been my dad's honey hole for the past 30+ years

On another note, I got an appointment with an orthopedic specialist next week. Damn that's quick!!!

[dmckay]

Congrats jpholic!!!! Just got my first yesterday.....what a freakin rush! Hope you can heal quick and get back out.

[Jack&7]

Congrats on the deer, sorry to hear about the knee.

and ye asked so ye shall receive:

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...ght=deer+jerky