Its Saturday morning, the second day of Illinois gun season and I am out in a stand on my folks property. I had hunted the whole day before and heard about 50 shots ring out all around me, but saw nothing. At about an hour into legal shooting time I heard my first shot of day. I was beginning to wonder why I hadn't heard any body shooting around us yet, but this shot was close, very close. I quickly grabbed my mono pod and my Ruger super black hawk and got ready for a herd of deer to head my way. Just as expected a deer came hauling ass down a hill near me and made a 90* turn right towards me. It was shot, and running on just 3 legs. I quickly thought to my self that I should help the hunter who shot this deer from getting too far away so once she was broadside to me I put two in her at about 10 yards away while running. She hit the ground but contuniued to attempt to run. She laid down about 30 yards from me to die.
I know I just shot my first deer, but I didn't feel like she was mine. Strange feeling for sure. After about an hour or so she tried to get up again so I shot her again in the neck. (Only shot I had from my position.) I got down from the stand to investigate. By now my old man was on his way over on the 4 wheeler and we met at the deer. She was still breathing so he put another one in her head. We discovered her leg was shot off but there was no blood trail coming from where she came from. My old man then told me that that was my deer because the hunter who shot it 30 seconds before me only crippled her and didn't kill her, nor did they come looking. She wouldn't have died from her leg being blown off because she wasn't losing any blood. For some reason I wasn't happy. I felt like it was not my deer, and I wouldn't have shot this deer if I thought it meant it would be mine. I was just tring to help as I have been taught. She was on the run and my innitial shot was not Clean. I came to find out I missed once. Hit her once in the neck and once from the gut through her neck on the opposite side... Disappointing for sure...I have put many hours in the stand with my bow before this and last year waiting for the perfect opportunity to take a perfect shot on my first deer. No one would have to finish her off or cripple her before I had my time to take her...
Maybe I have laid in bed thinking of that moment so long that I made it impossible to actually achieve... I guess I feel disappointed in how my first deer down happened. But I don't think I should be. I just am.
I know I just shot my first deer, but I didn't feel like she was mine. Strange feeling for sure. After about an hour or so she tried to get up again so I shot her again in the neck. (Only shot I had from my position.) I got down from the stand to investigate. By now my old man was on his way over on the 4 wheeler and we met at the deer. She was still breathing so he put another one in her head. We discovered her leg was shot off but there was no blood trail coming from where she came from. My old man then told me that that was my deer because the hunter who shot it 30 seconds before me only crippled her and didn't kill her, nor did they come looking. She wouldn't have died from her leg being blown off because she wasn't losing any blood. For some reason I wasn't happy. I felt like it was not my deer, and I wouldn't have shot this deer if I thought it meant it would be mine. I was just tring to help as I have been taught. She was on the run and my innitial shot was not Clean. I came to find out I missed once. Hit her once in the neck and once from the gut through her neck on the opposite side... Disappointing for sure...I have put many hours in the stand with my bow before this and last year waiting for the perfect opportunity to take a perfect shot on my first deer. No one would have to finish her off or cripple her before I had my time to take her...
Maybe I have laid in bed thinking of that moment so long that I made it impossible to actually achieve... I guess I feel disappointed in how my first deer down happened. But I don't think I should be. I just am.