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Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night #6954507 11/10/17 06:59 PM
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alsaenz Offline OP
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As I noted in this thread from Cowboy9215, I didn’t grow up hunting. Only got into it about five years ago when my oldest son was in junior high and wanted to try it out. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of sitting next to both of my boys and my daughter in deer blinds as they each took their first buck, and then plenty of other game since. They’ve always asked when I was gonna take one, but what’s always meant so much more to me was just connecting with them on the long rides in the truck to the lease, watching them mature as hunters and as young men and a young woman, and the excitement and pride they experienced when they harvested animals and shared photos with their friends. I always joked that I would take my first buck either when I could afford one that was such a stud it would be guaranteed to induce antler-envy in all who viewed it mounted over my fireplace, or it would be the first legal buck I could shoot off my own land. At that time, both options seemed pretty far-fetched.


Last spring, we were able to buy some land in Leon County (about an hour from our home), and I told my kids that this was going to be my year: my hope was to take a buck off my land before turn 51 years old November 25th this year. Starting back in September, I really found a calming effect in the rhythm and ritual of checking the feeders and game cams every weekend, and just sitting in the blind to watch the deer quietly come in, eat, and quietly move out each morning and evening. Then, in early November, I see a buck on the game cam that I really like. I decided that if I’m lucky, he’s gonna be the one.






After many morning and nights of sitting, watching and waiting, I was in a pop-up blind last night watching the doe quietly come and go. Then a spike. Then nothing but quiet and still as the final ten minutes of legal shooting time came upon me. “Guess it’s not going to happen to night,” I figured. As I look down to start collecting my things, something catches the corner of my eye. What do I see jumping over my cross-fence and moving directly toward me?


My goodness, the adrenaline. I didn’t want to risk a head-on shot to the chest, because I was so nervous, I was aiming off a shooting stick, and I didn’t have a whole lot of daylight. “If he turns broadside,” I thought, “I’ve got to pull the trigger.” Sure enough, he turns, and I shoot. He doesn’t jump. He doesn’t run. He just turns around the other way and sorta trots about 20 yards. Did I totally miss him?! Then, he stops and turns broadside again. I load another round, and boom. He falls. Yesssss!! I sit patiently let him bleed out. By now, there is very little daylight left. Well, doggonit if I don’t see his silhouette rise up again in the shadows. He turns and walks off, and legal shooting hours are done! Noooo!!

My heart sank. I get out of the blind knowing that even if I did hit him, the odds were against me being able to track him and find him in the dark. As I walk out to where I thought I saw him lay before he got up and walked off, I see a dark spot about thirty yards off in the pasture: that’s either a big clump of weeds, or it’s him. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t weeds.





Taking a buck is kind of like getting a tattoo: it’s not for everyone, and those that have done it can never offer a satisfactory rationale to those who are against it. Some have done it and regretted it, and some have never done it but wished they had the courage to. I remember wondering in the blind in the mornings and evenings leading up to last night whether taking my first buck would be like getting my first tattoo. It was just going to be one tattoo--a simple design on my upper arm to communicate a simple truth to me and no one else. Before the artist even finished that one, though, I knew I loved it, and I was already thinking about the next design and location. Now, years later, I’m working on my second sleeve. I wondered whether after I took my first buck, would I be so excited that I would already be thinking about my next one, and would I maybe even end up with a whole wall or even room of shoulder mounts (in my estimation, the taxidermy equivalent of a sleeve of tattoos).


I was thrilled when I found the buck, but as I walked up on it, sat next to it and saw the steam coming up from its wound, I think the word that bests describes where I landed emotionally was “sober.” Not in the alcohol sense of the term, but in the sense of serious and solemn. Don’t get me wrong. I have absolutely no regrets about taking the buck, and I get the whole circle of life thing—that buck will feed my family. But I realized that to take a buck feels so different to me than to take a stringer of trout. Will I do it again? If a double-drop-tine-freak-of-nature happens to stroll out to my feeder on any given morning or evening during any given season, oh hell yeah, I’ll take it in a heartbeat. Until then, though, I’m pretty sure I’ll remain deeply satisfied with the long truck rides with the kids and watching them make their memories, and when and if those days ever play out, then I’ll be content with the satisfaction of just sitting in the blind to watch the deer quietly come in, eat, and quietly move out.

Thanks for reading. I enjoy being part of the forum, and my best wishes to all this season.


Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954512 11/10/17 07:16 PM
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Really well written... thanks for that and congratulations.


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Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954517 11/10/17 07:24 PM
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Great write up. Now I'm curious where both rounds hit him at? Sometimes deer are just tough. Last year my wife's first deer took 3 rounds (.223) at 40 yards to go down, then a 40 hollow point at close range to finish off. She crumbled after the first round, but then 5 seconds later kept trying to get up. Upgraded to a .243 this year.


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Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954522 11/10/17 07:27 PM
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Very nice buck and thank you for sharing your story. Enjoy the times with your kids, before you know it they are gone.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954532 11/10/17 07:35 PM
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, taking the first one can bring a range of emotions and change a person somewhat. Congrats on a great deer that you will remember for a long time.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: TFF Caribou] #6954550 11/10/17 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: Tff caribou
Great write up. Now I'm curious where both rounds hit him at? Sometimes deer are just tough. Last year my wife's first deer took 3 rounds (.223) at 40 yards to go down, then a 40 hollow point at close range to finish off. She crumbled after the first round, but then 5 seconds later kept trying to get up. Upgraded to a .243 this year.


The first shot hit him low, kind of behind the vitals. Pretty sure the second shot was the kill shot. It was about a 125 yard shot on my Weatherby 7-08 with 100 grain Hornady rounds. My older son missed his first buck with his .243 and upgraded to his 7-08. I've loved mine--it's an incredibly smooth-shooting rifle.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954553 11/10/17 07:47 PM
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Very well written. Thank you for sharing.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954555 11/10/17 07:50 PM
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Congrats! It makes me happy, when i see a picture of a deer with a tag on it. Thats the first thing i do, shoot it, make sure he/she is expired, and put the tag on it. clap coolpics


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Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954556 11/10/17 07:51 PM
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Beautifully written and congratulations on the milestone. I have a 4 year old and cant wait to experience his first deer with him.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954561 11/10/17 07:54 PM
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I've read allot of great posts over the years on this forum. I will say that yours is one of the best I've read up

Congrats on an outstanding buck cheers


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Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: Pope&Young] #6954563 11/10/17 07:55 PM
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Congrats!

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: Opening Day] #6954617 11/10/17 08:56 PM
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Originally Posted By: Opening Day
Very nice buck and thank you for sharing your story. Enjoy the times with your kids, before you know it they are gone.


Boy, ain't that the truth. My daughter's already gone off to college, but definitely trying to take it day-by-day with my boys through high school.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: Bcap] #6954621 11/10/17 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bcap
Congrats!

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954736 11/10/17 10:36 PM
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Outstanding, especially for your first buck or your 20th or whatever. Congratulations!

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954901 11/11/17 01:01 AM
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Very well written, thanks. I may be at the point you described. The last few years, I have gone out, sat with a nice rifle, often embellished, and watched the deer interact. Seems like there is usually a bossy doe in the group. Then it is interesting how the lesser bucks react when the "bull of the woods" shows up. Maybe a giant will show up sometime, but I have let a couple of real winners walk.

Enjoy your property.

Jack

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954978 11/11/17 02:15 AM
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Great story and a great buck, congrats!


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Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954984 11/11/17 02:19 AM
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Fine post sir, thanks for taking the time to share. And, congrats on taking an excellent buck.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6954999 11/11/17 02:35 AM
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good for you, thanks for sharing. up


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Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6955033 11/11/17 03:24 AM
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Great write up. Definitely enjoyed reading it and congrats!

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6955067 11/11/17 04:07 AM
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Awsome deer, congratulations. I don’t know where I came to play in this, but thanks for giving me a simple shout out. Hope there’s more big deer to come in the fire years. Great thread. That’s what it’s all about memories. That deer is gunna be hard to beat. GREATNESS!!!

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6955072 11/11/17 04:13 AM
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Great buck, and as others have said, great write up.


learn something new everyday and you will have never wasted a day.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: Cowboy9215] #6955088 11/11/17 04:26 AM
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Originally Posted By: Cowboy9215
Awsome deer, congratulations. I don’t know where I came to play in this, but thanks for giving me a simple shout out. Hope there’s more big deer to come in the fire years. Great thread. That’s what it’s all about memories. That deer is gunna be hard to beat. GREATNESS!!!


Thanks for the comments, Cowboy. Wasn't it you that started the thread about how old our kids were when we first sat them in the blind? Maybe I got the wrong original poster, but that was kind of where my story started about taking my first buck.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6955432 11/11/17 03:12 PM
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Yes it was.. I’ve already actually made my first memory this morning. I stayed at camp with my kids, while my wife and her dad went hunting. I took them down one our trails to get some firewood. There’s an open field accross the fence line. Fence line needs cleaned but can still see through it if your looking hard enough. As I’m backing the side by side up to a downed oak tree. I hear DADDY! DEER! And I already had glanced the field and didn’t see anything. But my 4 yr old spotted him quick. It was just a 4 point. I was with her when she seen her first deer in person. She’ll be sitting in the blind this afternoon with pawpaw. And hoping he gets his big buck with her.

Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #6955566 11/11/17 04:58 PM
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Great story. Great buck. Congrats! cheers


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Re: Reflections on Taking My First Buck Last Night [Re: alsaenz] #7019483 01/01/18 11:32 AM
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Congratulations, that is a beautiful buck. Enjoyed reading the story. Thank you


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