It's been a while since I have been on the forum (personal things not related to fishing or hunting). But I am getting back into the swing of things. Last Saturday I shot my very first deer. Had a guide with me who spotted the two point across the other side of a ravine. I hopped out of the truck, shouldered my rifle and fired. First shot missed by a hair. Second shot went clean through his spinal column as he was walking away from me and up the steep hill. He went down immediately. When I got up to him, he was still alive and just resting where he fell (since he couldn't move his lower half). So I had to plug him with another shot in the head. My guide helped me get him to the rig up the other side of the ravine after I dragged it down to the bottom and guided me through the gutting (the shot missed everything except the spinal column), hanging, skinning, and bagging process. We spent the rest of the day hunting for his tag (without luck) but he also had his 20 guage with him for grouse so I learned how to field dress the grouse he bagged. The deer meat is already in the freezer. Tomorrow I head to familiar family acreage to try and bag an elk. I also have my bear tag. This time it will just be me but I have lots of folks I can call to come help me if I bag something, and a tractor to boot parked at the cabin. My first game kill was thrilling and the full day of hunting was a wonderful experience!
