Cold sit but success

[tasaman]

Saturday was the coldest day we've had yet and was about 25 deg right at daylight. I was hearing shots everywhere and hadn't even seen a deer yet and I'll tell you it was beginning to get frustrating. To top it off I don't think I could even see a deer till about an hour to an hour and half after sun up because the fog from the Cumberland River was real bad. I was going to give the hunt till about 10 since I had just done two all day bow hunts the previous two days and sat through wind, rain, fog, hunters out scouting for gun season, you name it I had it happen. Lousy two days but was in good places so I toughed it out. Back to the hunt, I was sitting in a woodline next to a green field about 800 yards long and only about 100 yards wide and on the other side of that was a thicket with a small 1 acre biologic food plot in the middle of that. I don't go over there I leave the deer alone and keep far enough away to not disturb them. About 930 here comes a year and half old cow horn spike trotting across the field and was almost strait on so waited for him to get a little sideways and he started picking up the pace. If he made it into the woods where I was I would have no shot so I whistled and stopped him, put the crosshairs right behind the shoulder and sent a BO on the way to the boiler room. He bucked and ran but I knew it was a great hit I could see the blood pumping out the hole so I didn't even sweat it. Got down and went and got the 4 wheeler to retrieve my trophy.

The gun is one I just swapped out the stock and put a tupperware one on and had it shooting ok at 100 and this shot was right around 100 and it hit exactly where I was aiming so that was very satisfying. The load is 43gr 4759 and a BO in a Black Crush Rib.

Here is what I always find amazing about deer. I hit it right behind the shoulder strait up from the front leg and it exited about half way don't the deer on the other side taking out one lung, puncturing the diaphram and mangling the rest of everything on back and the deer still ran a hundred yards leaving a trail of blood that 4 year old could follow with ease.

Now I don't make it a habit of shooting small bucks but I chose to shoot this deer for two reasons. We have a few older bucks that have nothing but spikes and I try to shoot one spike every year that has over 5 inch antlers so that the gene might get removed from the area. I've seen a 4 year old spike that had spikes as big around as any main beam on a buck around here and they were 8 inches long at least. In most places I would let them walk because you never know what a spike may end up but around here I know what the "could" end up so I take one a season. Second reason is I know a family that needed a deer to help out with the grocery bill so I told them I would get one this weekend or I wouldn't be home till I did. Makes me feel good helping out and gives me a reason to poke a hole in a deer besides waiting for big antlers.

[tdillinger]

It is good to donate the harvest, I have in the past and I always will. I feel good to get what i get, yes there are times i pass on a good 8 or 9 point ro get a trophy to mount and eat. Im 44 and to this day i have never shot a deer past the 130 class range, so no mount. However, i have shot many odd racked bucks and does. more than i and the family could consume. So i donate the harvest. And yes i pay for the processing. I cant afford it all the time but I am able to help others who need help. Sorry i was off topic of post.

[tasaman]

tdillinger...not off topic. Right on the mark. I can't afford to help with professional processing but offered to debone everything for them and they said no way, half the fun in eating the deer is doing the butchering yourself. So, off it goes to them and they can do with it as they please. I even gave the head to my buddy that wants to improve his caping skills around the eyes and lips. Skull will go to one of the kids. Everyone gets to enjoy this little guy.

[killitgrillit]

congrats and thx for sharing the story.

[deadon]

Where I hunt we call um cow horn bucks and shoot um when ever we can. They will never amount to nothin, except on a dinner plate Good story, Thanks, Rusty

[chas06]

way to go Congrads

[sw]

You do the right thing by helping the deer herd. Nice write up.