BDAHMS
Be here Now
My wife was able to wrap her tag around her first ever buck over the weekend and it was quite the hunt.
We set up on the ground in the exact same spot I took the youth hunter out and he harvested his first buck. We weren't horn hunting as Paige was ok using her tag on a big doe, but I was secretly hoping she would connect on her first buck
It was really quite all evening - just a slight breeze and too warm, so I wasn't expecting much until sunset. About 25 minutes before legal light ended the first doe appeared, too far to shoot but it was encouraging. Not long after there were 6 more Doe out feeding- but all out of her comfort range. I glassed and ranged them while trying to think of way to close the distance (its a wide open alfalfa field so moving around is difficult without being detected). As I was glassing I noticed a really nice buck feeding quickly through the group of does- I told paige "Big buck!" and her excitement started to show. None of the deer were going to be making their way to us, so we needed to do something- as I wasnt planning on hunting here again soon and her tag was done Sunday. So with about 10 minutes left I made the decision that I normally wouldnt make- I told Paige we are crossing the fence and walking directly at them quickly out in the open. As I expected the second we stepped into the field the Does started running off and I thought it was over- so as light faded we literally ran up the alfalfa hill to look over and to my surprise- the ONLY deer still out as I pulled up the binos was the buck, and he was staring right at us (what ended up being only 88 yards) I told paige its about to legal light end and she has to shoot now- which she was already on him in the scope and she let the hammer drop. he looked hit but I wasnt sure and I didnt see him run off because of the smoke. We couldnt find any blood so I chose to back out and come back tomorrow with light in our favor. I found 2 little drops of blood in the alfalfa and could tell the path he wanted to take- he ended up not going far and Paige made a perfect quartering to shot in the front shoulder. He is about as solid of a first buck as she could have hoped for and set the bar pretty high! He ended up going in the WORST part of the farm and it was an extremely steep drag through the nastiest of thorns and brush. But we managed
this first picture is funny as all get out to me- its the moment I found 2 drops of blood and she got reallllllly excited
We set up on the ground in the exact same spot I took the youth hunter out and he harvested his first buck. We weren't horn hunting as Paige was ok using her tag on a big doe, but I was secretly hoping she would connect on her first buck
It was really quite all evening - just a slight breeze and too warm, so I wasn't expecting much until sunset. About 25 minutes before legal light ended the first doe appeared, too far to shoot but it was encouraging. Not long after there were 6 more Doe out feeding- but all out of her comfort range. I glassed and ranged them while trying to think of way to close the distance (its a wide open alfalfa field so moving around is difficult without being detected). As I was glassing I noticed a really nice buck feeding quickly through the group of does- I told paige "Big buck!" and her excitement started to show. None of the deer were going to be making their way to us, so we needed to do something- as I wasnt planning on hunting here again soon and her tag was done Sunday. So with about 10 minutes left I made the decision that I normally wouldnt make- I told Paige we are crossing the fence and walking directly at them quickly out in the open. As I expected the second we stepped into the field the Does started running off and I thought it was over- so as light faded we literally ran up the alfalfa hill to look over and to my surprise- the ONLY deer still out as I pulled up the binos was the buck, and he was staring right at us (what ended up being only 88 yards) I told paige its about to legal light end and she has to shoot now- which she was already on him in the scope and she let the hammer drop. he looked hit but I wasnt sure and I didnt see him run off because of the smoke. We couldnt find any blood so I chose to back out and come back tomorrow with light in our favor. I found 2 little drops of blood in the alfalfa and could tell the path he wanted to take- he ended up not going far and Paige made a perfect quartering to shot in the front shoulder. He is about as solid of a first buck as she could have hoped for and set the bar pretty high! He ended up going in the WORST part of the farm and it was an extremely steep drag through the nastiest of thorns and brush. But we managed
this first picture is funny as all get out to me- its the moment I found 2 drops of blood and she got reallllllly excited
