oregon blacktail down

this may not be the greatest hunting story in the world but the whole thing got me really excited.

let me tell you a little about the season to start with,
the season started out with a sprained ankle (me) and my wife tearing her ACL and LCL all on the same day (really this was before season)
then I had a cougar come through my main area and the deer just disappeared
the weather has been horrible (either really really cold or nasty windy rainy days)
my season is getting cut short because my wife is having her knee surgery tomorrow so last weekend was it for the most part (until late season or if I can sneak out)
my motivation has just not been the same this year either, I really just wanted to be home with the kids (at their practices and games) it has been a personal internal fight to make myself go
I have been questioning why I hunt
to say the least it has been tough mentally this year and I hope that never happens again

I started the weekend at home with the kids going to their soccer and football games instead of hunting. by the time the games were over and I made it over the mountains to hunt it was 3:30 in the afternoon. I hunted Saturday evening seeing several bucks but they were to small so I let them walk. Saturday night was a mess, it rained so hard the roof of the tent collapse and everyone was soaked. Sunday morning was not much better and by noon I was ready to head home. while driving home I had decided it would be a nice break for my wife if I took the kids out driving some of them blacktail areas so she could have a break.
4pm with all 3 kids and I leave the house. It is raining some and I was hoping the deer would be moving. by the time we got to the hunting area it was pouring, but we headed for my favorite spot anyway. the roads looked like rivers it was raining so hard. once we get to the area nothing is moving at all. so I head to area number 2, again nothing. by now I am thinking this is waste of gas and time but the kids seemed to like spending the time out. finally I decided that we would make a long loop up to the top of the area and then out, not 5 minutes later my son and I see this buck sneaking out of some small repord. I stop the truck and tell the kids to stay put I will be right back, off I go up over a push up on a skid road trying to see if I can cut him off. what seemed like a few seconds later and about 50 yards up the road I catch some movement about that time I hear my kids dad, did you shoot it? I think that gave me the distraction I needed as the buck stopped uphill about 18 yards from me. I drew, turned, settled the pin and let it go. the buck flips over and started thrashing around, I knew I needed to finish it quick and not knowing if he would get up I run up to him 6' away and the buck almost relaxes, turns his head and just looks at me. I already had another arrow nocked and put another one in him, as I saw the steam rise from his chest I knew it would not be long and I walked back to the truck to get the kids and give this beautiful animal his last few moments in as much piece as I could. it was almost sad the way the buck looked and me and something I will never forget, it did not get really excited until I got back the truck and saw the kids then I started to have the adrenaline rush and shacks (it has been a while I miss that feeling, like my own personal crack). it was raining so hard I told the kids to wait there again while I went and got the buck. I walked back to the buck and admired for a minute or two then drug him down to the kids. by then another truck came along and asked if I wanted any help, which I was not going to turn down. they took pictures for me (and watched my youngest son who is 5 and was too scared to get close to the buck) then held the legs for me while I gutted him. my daughter was acting like a drama queen and kept saying she was going to throw up (she was not) I gave them a quick education on then different parts of the deer and was able to see I had hit 1 lung and the bottom of 1 vertebra then with the second shot I hit both lungs.

once we were loaded up in the truck I had my daughter say a little prayer for keeping us safe and for the food that had been provided for us to use.


once he had signal the kids wanted to call mom to tell her all about, it still think I was more excited about this then they were. it is not every day you can take a 9, 7 and 5 year old out and be able to bring home a buck.

 

Nice buck.

 

first thing that comes to my mind, "fucking awesome story!" nice deer man and you got him with a bow, even better.