This bit of scripture came to mind earlier this afternoon and it truly resonates louder today than at any other time in my hunting career. It embodies a broader perspective of hunting and at its core, defines why I first started hunting 25 years ago. Filling the freezer was the primary objective when I first started hunting with my dad and uncles on the family farm. Eating venison was the norm growing up and when I started bowhunting 15 years ago, it opened the door for me to contribute more to the kitchen table than I had in previous years. However as time passed and priorities changed, filling the freezing became a byproduct of trophy hunting. As I struggled (and continue to struggle) to achieve my trophy hunting goals, there were years where venison was scarce. After losing an entire upright freezer full of game meat last fall, we entered this season with very little deer meat in the freezer. All fall I’ve been thinking about the need to restock and when I lost my job three weeks ago, it really created an urgency to provide for my family. Just this week I went downstairs to grab some meat to make chili and was greeted with a measly one pack of ground venison.
So after yet another disappointing fall of bowhunting, I was looking forward to putting a gun in my hands and getting back to my roots. The goal this week was simple: Hunt hard. Have fun. And put some meat in the freezer. I hunted hard. I had a great time. And this morning, I put a buck down that will provide many great meals for our family. The “hunt” for the deer I’ve called the Wide 6 all fall started back in early September…
I was standing at the sink one morning getting ready for work when I looked out the window and saw a buck I’d never seen standing at the feeder. At first glance, I knew his body was bigger than that of any other deer I’ve seen around here in the 6 years we have lived here. His rack also caught my attention. He was the biggest 6 point I’ve ever seen in person and it was obvious he had just shed his velvet.
He was a regular visitor until mid-October when he disappeared for almost 6 weeks. Then last week I saw him again and he still had that “wow” factor that made him tempting. When you have some great target deer to chase, this is the kind of deer that is way down the list. When those target deer are dead and gone, a deer like this moves right up the list and for me, that’s just what happened. I knew he was mature and when he showed back up, he had a limp. For the first time all fall, I thought that I might just shoot this deer and be happy to do so.
After spending a decent amount of time in the woods this week with no luck, I set my alarm for 7:45 this morning. See this wouldn’t be quite the same hunt I had yesterday. I walked 5 miles yesterday after sitting in the freezing cold for 3 hours. Nope. Today, I’d do things a little different. It would be a little less hunting and a little more “grocery shopping”. The feeder is set to go off at 7:30 and it usually doesn’t take long for the deer to show up. The plan was to wake up, check to see what was at the feeder, then take it from there. The alarm went off and I was close to ignoring it. Thankfully I had to hit the head and in the process, I can look out the bathroom window and see the feeder. Sure enough, I saw a single deer standing there. After my bladder was drained, I headed to the kitchen to grab my binos. I was able to confirm it was the Wide 6 and rather than contemplate whether to shoot or not, I went straight to work. There was never any doubt; I was going to take this old boy down.
After getting dressed, grabbing my orange, loading the 1187 with my last Hornady SST, I slipped out the basement door. He was still alone and facing away from me. It was another crisp, cold morning and the neighborhood was particularly quiet. I smirked knowing I was about to disrupt the tranquility! I button hooked around the front of the house so I could hit the wood line and slip along it until I ran out of cover. I’ve done this a few times now and it is tough with a bow, but the shotgun is the great equalizer on this stalk. Once I got to where I could get a clean shot, I knelt down and used my knee to steady the shot. As I was settling in, he caught my wind and threw his head up. It didn’t take him long to pick me up and stare a hole through me. He turned to leave, but stopped for one last look giving me a broadside shot at 50 yards. The Remington barked a split second later and off he went through the thicket that creates the western boundary of our property.
I was fairly certain I’d made a lethal hit, but I wanted to go back and get some more ammo just in case. After grabbing a couple Remington Accutips I was given earlier in the week, I headed out to take up the trail. I found hair and blood right at the shot and the blood trail was fairly easy to follow. I wasn’t 50 yards in when I spotted a telltale horizontal line between two trees. He was laying down, head up, in a cluster of trees. I slipped in to position for a follow up and at 15 steps, I sent another one through the boiler room. As it turned out, the first shot was a little back taking his liver out and he’d have expired without the follow up, but I’m glad to know I ended it as soon as I could. Walking up on him was pretty satisfying…
I killed this buck standing next to a feeder in my backyard. It wasn’t a storied hunt, nor did it take a ton of skill. However it got my blood pumping and any time you kill a mature buck, is a good time! He dressed at 185 pounds, had a 22” neck and is 18” wide. One measurement that I found indicative of his age was from his eye to his nose. The majority of mature deer will measure 7.5” and he is 7.75”. In my opinion, he is all of 4 and could be a little older. There is no doubt in my mind he was never going to amount to much in the score column, but he’ll provide many great meals for our family!
One thing’s for sure, being a father sure changes the post-kill activities and I love it! Having my daughter be a part of this stuff is a true blessing. She loved “petting” the deer and thought the trip to the processor was pretty cool.
There was a part of this that was bittersweet. My best friend is almost completely blind and I can see the end in sight. He loves being with me and he’s been there for a lot of recoveries. I’m going to miss having him around to keep watch…
Tomorrow I’ll work on the European mount. He’ll be the first buck of mine I’ve ever done like that and I’d say he’ll make a great one! The rest of my season revolves around getting my wife on some deer and possibly killing another doe in a different county. My days of hunting in Washington County are over for the season and honestly, I’m more relieved than saddened! Feels good to have gotten back to my roots, filled my freezer and had fun in the process!
