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From: keith@clodii.columbiasc.NCR.COM
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Buck Fever.. (Tales for the Campfire)
Message-ID: <1991May11.091427.18782@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
Date: 11 May 91 14:14:26 GMT
Lines: 59
Approved: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu


  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 |