robert@uunet.UU.NET ("Robert A. Osborne") (05/09/91)
rigg@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tim Rigg) writes >Which brings up another point... Last fall I read everything I could >find and learned all about scat, scrapes, rubs, food, and the rest. >However, NOTHING mentioned the panic of seeing your first deer within >shooting range. I have since learned a few techniques to reduce this >factor. Most center around ALWAYS using a set routine. Buck Fever. I haven't heard of anything that "cures" it. Basically you have to have your hunting skills so ingrained that you shoot properly in spite of the fact that your brain is in neutral (thus your idea of a set routine is exactly the right thing to do). I would advise that nobody hunt bear or moose as their first "big game" animal; getting buck fever after calling in a bull moose in rut is a BIG no-no. My cousin took 7 shots at a deer that ran within 10 yards of him and couldn't figure out why he missed... until my uncle pointed out that he hadn't actually FIRED any of them, he had just levered the unfired cartridge unto the ground. I'm one of three people in our entire hunt club (35-40 members) who brought down the first deer they shot at (I don't remember aiming... alright I didn't aim; must have been all the skeet shooting that let me hit it :-). I hit a small popular first then hit the doe in the rib cage (just aft of the heart). Made a fist sized hole going in and didn't come out, so the first deer I gutted was a REAL mess. Rob.
keith@clodii.columbiasc.NCR.COM (05/11/91)
Hi! I would like to relate the first actual hunting encounter that I had with the Elusive Whitetail Buck (tm) when I first began hunting in 1979. I think many of you will enjoy reading about this. It was the 2nd day of gun season here in South Carolina near the middle of October. I was hunting about 300 yds behind my parents home on some public land. I had built a portable tree-climbing stand similar to a Baker style and had to hug the tree to climb up. Since I didn't have my own rifle I had to borrow my brothers' Marlin 30-30 with iron sights and some bullets. I had climbed up a pine tree about thirty feet that was on an old logging road near a good deer trail just before daylight. By 9:30 am I became a little discouraged because I had not seen any deer and decided to get down. Back then I didn't know that deer are subject to move about here sometimes as late as 11:00 am. In the interest of safety I unloaded the gun, put the bullets in my coat, and then tied a rope around the lever and stock and lowered the gun all the way to the ground. (You see it comimg, right! ;-) I then began hugging the tree to lower myself down. About halfway down I stopped to rest for a few minutes and just happened to look around and see this really big buck standing broadside about 60 yds from me! He was staring at me out of curiosity, I think. After I got my senses back I reached down and grabbed the rope and started hauling the rifle back up. Once I got it up I had to untie the rope, of course. Then I reached in my pocket and took out 1 bullet and proceeded to load the gun. Easing the bullet into the port, I worked the lever action as quietly as I could. All this time I was trying to keep an eye on the deer who was keeping two eyes and ears on me! I then got the rifle up and aimed at the buck who was still standing broadside to me. I shot and the deer took off. Had I hit the buck? Nope. As much as I hoped I did I knew in my mind that I missed him when I saw the bullet kick up dirt between his legs. :-(( What went wrong? The first mistake was in coming down from my tree too early. I now try to hunt at least till 11:00am or later depending on how I feel about the weather and the activity I see or lack of it. The second mistake was in not knowing the weapon I was using. I later found I can't shoot iron sights so both of my .270 cal rifles that I now own have good scopes on them and I know how to shoot them. That would have been a fine first buck. He looked to be a 6 or 8 ptr that probably weighed about 170 lbs. I don't think I would call it Buck Fever, but definitely a lack of hunting experience. Since then I have harvested 45 deer but not a season goes by that I don't think about that moment every so often. I have also acquired other memorable times while sitting in my tree or on the ground. Hey, you can't have good luck all the time, right!! If you have an interesting hunting experience that you would like to relate, I would like to read about it . Don't be bashful now because even the most thorough hunters make mistakes every now and then. Right?? ;-)) --- | Keith M. Boyd (NCR E&M Cola.) | Nothing could be fina' than huntin' and | | 3325 Platt Springs Rd. _______| fishin' in South Carolina! -Me- | | West Cola., S.C. 29170 | Std Disclaimers | keith@clodII.columbiasc.NCR.COM | | ph: 803-791-6419 | From uunet: !uunet!ncrcom!ncrcae!sauron!clodII!keith |