About a month after I shot my 8pt, we went back to Mr. Tommy's place. I sat in the same stand, but by myself this time. As the sun was setting the same deer came out as before, but without the big buck of course. Mr. Tommy had told me that from now I must only shoot deer as big as my first one, or bigger (with a spead outside the ears). I had no desire to shoot the 4pt anyway, so i picked out a big fat doe and slowly squeezed off a round. She rolled on the ground and staggered away into the woods. Shortly after I saw a bobcat cruise by, I aimed and pulled the trigger...click. I had forgotten to chamber a round and the bobcat was out of sight. When my dad came we could not find the deer in all the thick brush and finally decided to come back in the morning.
Now, when we came back my sister Rachel and I sat in the same stand for a morning hunt. We were so excited to see what would come out (she actually thought she would get the chance at killing a bigger buck than me). After sitting for a while we noticed an occasional squeaking sound, but thought nothing of it. The squeaking became more frequent and Rachel asked if it could be a mouse, I told her no but was wondering the same thing. Finally we saw him, and for some reason we felt the need to get up in our chairs. Rachel was standing up in an office chair with my gun out the window...kids this is not how you practice gun safety! I picked up something to whack the mouse with if he attacked. I threw him out the window and put my feet back down. The next thing we know, the little stinker came climbing up the ladder and under the door--we both shrieked and I started stomping. We agreed that he was not going away and the deer were definitely not coming out now, so we got down after calling my dad (who was not interested in coming to our rescue although he could hear us from his stand). We decided to settle for a nap in the grass...About a week later a 10pt with a split brow tine was killed on a morning hunt in the "mouse stand."
When everyone came to look for the deer we found a nice bloodtrail and followed it through the brush. There was one big spot where it was evident that she laid there and started to bleed out. We must have pushed her and caused her to jump up the previous night because the bloodtrail stopped here (a deer's adrenaline kicks in and can sometimes stop the bleeding). The brush opened up and the land dropped off into a big hardwood bottom (very common around St. Francisville area). This deer got away and I felt awful that I injured her. This is why it is important to have your gun sighted in and checked a few times a year, especially when traveling with it a lot. This alone does not prevent injuring animals, but one must also make a good, vital organ shot.
I will never forget the story of our famous mouse hunt or the important lesson I learned about shot placement.
Now, when we came back my sister Rachel and I sat in the same stand for a morning hunt. We were so excited to see what would come out (she actually thought she would get the chance at killing a bigger buck than me). After sitting for a while we noticed an occasional squeaking sound, but thought nothing of it. The squeaking became more frequent and Rachel asked if it could be a mouse, I told her no but was wondering the same thing. Finally we saw him, and for some reason we felt the need to get up in our chairs. Rachel was standing up in an office chair with my gun out the window...kids this is not how you practice gun safety! I picked up something to whack the mouse with if he attacked. I threw him out the window and put my feet back down. The next thing we know, the little stinker came climbing up the ladder and under the door--we both shrieked and I started stomping. We agreed that he was not going away and the deer were definitely not coming out now, so we got down after calling my dad (who was not interested in coming to our rescue although he could hear us from his stand). We decided to settle for a nap in the grass...About a week later a 10pt with a split brow tine was killed on a morning hunt in the "mouse stand."
When everyone came to look for the deer we found a nice bloodtrail and followed it through the brush. There was one big spot where it was evident that she laid there and started to bleed out. We must have pushed her and caused her to jump up the previous night because the bloodtrail stopped here (a deer's adrenaline kicks in and can sometimes stop the bleeding). The brush opened up and the land dropped off into a big hardwood bottom (very common around St. Francisville area). This deer got away and I felt awful that I injured her. This is why it is important to have your gun sighted in and checked a few times a year, especially when traveling with it a lot. This alone does not prevent injuring animals, but one must also make a good, vital organ shot.
I will never forget the story of our famous mouse hunt or the important lesson I learned about shot placement.
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