A tale of 2 deer...Updated W/ Pics

[HARL]

Way to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Doc Nock]

Thanks, All! I'm so pleased you enjoyed the tale and in sharing such an unusual hunt with me.

Killy, Dear, I'll try to get pics of the horns posted up by the weekend. They're in the cooler with just the head and I have to see if I can do anything tasteful with it or have to wait till I saw off the skull cap.  They are odd-looking...but then I can relate!  

I have two cell phone pics of the area from my stand. If I can, I'll post them.

Tomorrow its butcher time! Friend has a walk in cooler at 36 degrees, so they're aging nicely and will get cut up and frizzed tomorrow after work. Thursday the grinder meat goes to the shop and I vacuum up my year's supply of burger.

If you figure the time line, you'll note that the buck didn't leave much initial blood with the shaft in the double entry-exit hole...so I backed outa there and took care of the doe.

He's started to do his statue immitation by the time we got him out of the woods 2hrs after the shot.

I'd never tried to dress out a deer in that state of rigor. My friends left to resume their afternoon hunt. There I was trying to pry his stiffened hind legs to start the dressing job. The leg would snap back and cold cock me upside the head...If anyone saw my antics with the carcass, they'd have called the Rubber Room Squad!  By the time I got him opened up, I looked more like I was in a wrasslin match on the ground with a dead deer... or some bizarre knife fight gone "Friday the 13th" theme!    

Never realized I'd not gutted an animal that had started to stiffen so nicely. It adds a new dimensions to the experience.

Thanks for the many kind posts. I'm still amazed at the collateral damage those single bevel heads did going in and coming out.

I wish I had pictures after we got them out as well, but stiff critters don't pose well and it might best be left to memory.  I'll see if I can share some pictorals in a few days.

Thanks again for the kind words.

[Mike Brockner]

Dave,

That was a great story, I know your dedication to shooting and wouldn't have expected the results to be any different.  Congrats!!!!

The only thing you left out was ........ What time is dinner???  I will bring a bottle of wine and we can toast your success.

Mike

[drewsbow]

Dave : I can't tell ya how happy I am for you my friend , a sinsear congrats to you . That is a great story and well learned lesson. We should all relax more and just enjoy what we are given . Way to go . Drew

[Shaun]

Top notch story telling Doc! The self talk and praise to the Creator were especially good. The details and background perfect. So glad I clicked on this one.

[Steve Kendrot]

I remember killing two in one day my first year in MD. It was on a Friday and both were nearly a mile drag (and the reason I bought a cart the next year!)I had to run out to buy a freezer and butcher both on Saturday because Sunday AM I had a flight to Denver for a conference. That was a lot of work.Our dog sitter was none to happy either as the Bouvier got into the scraps and made an absolute mess in the house for us to clean when we returned from Denver!

Congrats on your deer. Sounds like you paid your dues for that pair. Funny how those of us who worship in the woods seem to get those soul lifting experiences when we most need it.

[Doc Nock]

Wow,MB,
as I live and breathe. I thought you were abducted by aliens or something.    You can come for dinner anytime, bud.  Be great to catch up.

Drew, I failed to mention that it was your string that sent the shaft on it's way! I'd re-served the original with what I had in .025 and it was way too tight, so I went to the back up string till I get to reserve with .022 and see if it helps.

Steve, many years ago my first trad kill was a short-nose doe of the year. She fed contentedly to me for 20 min. I think she gained 5# in the process. She took 3 steps after the shot (severed the large artery below the spine and took out both lungs) and she fell dead in like 10 seconds.

It got very warm and I panicked.  I'd hung her that night with hide off and had it all cut up and butchered and frozen by 10am next day.

Y'know, that tender li'l doe that wasn't run or stressed was the worst, toughest, oneriest chewing deer meat ever. I've since read that if you don't let them age to get the rigormortis outa the meat (around 36 hrs), it'll be tough all the way through your alimentary canal!

I believe it. Mine all get aged now even if I have to bone out 1/4's and keep it in a cooler w/ ice!

I lucked out with the vacant out-of-service old chest freezer brought into play.

And yes, folks, I DID learn, or re-learn, to become one with the woods and let the killing take care of itself. All those years of not even seeing a deer...sure wears on a body and soul. I succumbed to feeling pressure of my own making. And I wanted the meat! All selfish motives...

It's all about perspective when it comes down to it. Thanks for reinforcing I'm not alone in those lessons.

I'm tickled to death that folks enjoyed the story tellin, too!     You folks are the best!

[Michael Arnette]

Sounds like an amazing hunt. Any pics?

[mmisciag]

Nice, it’s an inspiration to hear about your gumption. I may have given up when feeling as sick as you did. I have yet to get my first deer. I think I will try again tomorrow. Thanks...

[Sharpster]

Dave,

Congratulations my friend.    If anyone deserves a day like that... well you know what I mean. BUT!!!!! How could you forget the CAMERA!!!????      :rolleyes:

Ron

[longbowman]

Doc,  That was a great story.  I had "exactly" the same thing happen to me on the last day...but with no deer.  I'm a minister and right when the season opened I had to bury my father-in-law.  My mother-in-law needed to go to an independent living facility so I had two properties to dispose of, an auction and all of the legal stuff with insurances etc...  My hunting time was limited and when I would go the "feeling" wasn't there.  Finally, after 6 weeks I went out and found what I was looking for.  The smells, the feel of the woods and the peace that this great sport gives each of us.  I've only had 4 seasons in the past 46 that I didn't kill a deer with my bow but it was OK this year since I found hunting again.  Congrats on a great ending but especially for finding the "hunt" again before it was all over!

[Doc Nock]

Ron,
Y'know...if I had the camera, I'd never had a reason to use it! That's how it is. You should know that!  

Frank,
That is a tall order you had to fill emotionally this season. No wonder it didn't click for you till the end.

My pickle is always the double edged sword. I love the meat and after a couple dry years, it was easy to start feeling the failure might be my fault and that drives some nutty thoughts.

When a dear friend invited me 3 years ago toward season's end to come hunt his small property, I still got zero shots, but had visual sightings of deer..and BUCKS, all day long.

That was when it connected. I was elated and filled with all sorts of joy and energy just SEEING deer! When that doesn't happen, time after time after time---year after year...I feel like an idiot for getting up outa bed at dead-dark-30.  Archery is about "a game of inches" and near shots and "if only". Just watchin deer re-fills my happy place!

This year, I was seeing and not finding the joy and it had to do, I think, with the stuff going on in my world and the fact there was none of the sights, senses, smells (due mostly to weather)that always fills my soul.

Thank you, Lord for those things those last 2 days before I began to embrace those gifts as joy enough. Amen.

Mom used to call what some would say was a "coincidence" a "God-incidence"-- that after I stopped pushing to "make meat" and enjoyed being there--things happened .

[rushlush]

Great hunt and read, thanks, and congrats!

[leatherneck]

Way to go Doc!!! Congrats.

[Doc Nock]

This is a view of the hogback I wrote about covered with hemlocks, running up hill from lower left to upper right of screen.

The buck came in behind the pine in the lower left, angled up the slope, then turned down to my stand and ran back to the pine tree when he didn't like what he saw at 10'.  I shot him 1/4ing away at the ends of the pine limbs.

[hayslope]

Doc,

What a way to end a dry spell.  Congratulations!

It must be the year for two-fer days.....I had one of those on Nov. 7th.....and feel for you regarding the "stiff-legged" field dressing chore.  Not fun....but I'm sure you relished every minute of it.

Great story...even greater outcome.....thanks for sharing with us.

[shakeyslim]

"DUDE!"

[Guru]

Not sure how I missed this one.....but I'm happy for you bud...CONGRATS!!!!

Keep the faith    

[Keefer]

Doc,  Congrats on the two deer and getting your Spirit "recharged" so to speak...I have had that same feeling trying to get the smell of Autumn into my soul...Last week I went out on Friday the 13th sicker then a dog chewing his own vomit and during a very nasty overcast day...I went to cross a newly redug drainage ditch and went in over my knee boots up to my pant pockets...As I climbed my stand I pulled both boots off and poured out about a gallon of water and stayed out for 5 hrs.soaked...It just made me that much more sick! After those long flights coming home from half way around the world I wanted to get in touch with that same feeling you were looking for but I just made it worse on myself...I'm very happy for you Doc. and just to let you know my "Quiver" is Full now...I'll get my time in the great outdoors but I've been Blessed in another way this year! Very good story and Thanks for sharing it with us all.God Bless You Brother and enjoy those deer this year.Keefer's <")))><

[Doc Nock]

Here's one shot of the odd antlers. I didn't get pics on the ground, so cleaned up the skull cap antlers and made a "still life" of my gear.

 

Here's another view of the same...

 

The quiver was designed by a buddy of mine. I like it. Easy in /out of the arrow w/ minimum movement. Broken arrow and the single Bevel Tusker done up by KME. And of course, the faithful Morrison.

Odd antlers, eh? 4 on left side, 3 on right. Wierd.