My first deer and nearly fought a bear

Had an amazingly lucky hunt this morning with a surprise guest. I uploaded a few pictures, since I know not everyone is comfortable with images of blood/dead animals, I've put those specific ones behind spoiler tags explaining exactly what they are, so don't click if you don't want to see.



Between where I park and the beginning of the trail into Wayawanda State Park. It's along the road, so my 50ish pound draw compound bow is in one hand and my arrow is in the other. I won't knock it until I'm somewhere I can legally shoot. I was focusing on the upcoming hunt, and there was a burm that dropped about six feet on the side of the rode, and just beyond that is wetlands, so I wouldn't expect any large animals in there.

When I looked down the berm, parallel with me, about to make his way up the hill was a good 400 pound male black bear. It was slightly raining, so sound was heavily dampened and so was scent. I saw him when there was about ten feet between us, but he was unaware of me. I backed the hell up towards my car and knocked the arrow and brought my bow up just in case.

When he popped up on the road, I was maybe 20 feet from him, and he finally saw me. Started backing up again. I considered charging it, but we stared at each other long enough that I felt he felt as threatened as I did. He was fat and I know the park is full of blueberries and insects, so he's well fed. I identified it as a male, so was sure it didn't have cubs. When he finally trotted out into the road I tried to get my phone out to take a picture of him without dropping the bow, but he crossed back into the woods just as I got the camera out. Was disappointed, but continued on, keeping the bow armed just in case and scanning for another.

Made it to the start of the trail and took a second to catch my breath before heading in. Planned to hike about two miles to a nice field, but at less than a quarter mile, I noticed a deer laying down 30 yards off the trail.



Took my pack off in slow motion, and the deer and I went into a game where she'd look away, I'd take one step and she'd fix her eyes and ears on me, rinse and repeat for ten straight minutes until I was slightly up the trail and about ten yards deep. The rain hid my scent and sound and I'm not even sure she really saw me in the camo (they can't see the orange.). Finally she stood up, which meant I couldn't approach any closer, because if I spooked her while standing, she might run. That was fine, I sighted my shot afterwards and I got to 12 yards, which is basically a gimme bullseye for me. She was facing me, so we just stared at each other for ten more minutes, and eventually she presented her broadside, but she still had all her senses hone in on me, so I couldn't move; I couldn't draw the bow. Eventually, she turned her head completely around to scratch her butt, breaking eye contact and giving me the opportunity to draw and fire.

She ran off and I thought I heard it fall instantly, but didn't see it so I backed back to my pack and climbed a 200 foot mountain to call my wife. Waited a half and hour before heading to the bed and was concerned to not see a blood trail, even though I was sure I had a great shot. I went the direction it ran and eventually found a trail to follow.

Spoiler: Picture of blood trail

But after a very short time, I lost it again. I had such tunnel vision looking for specks of blood, I completely missed the carcass laying there.

Spoiler: Picture of dead animal

She'd run about 30 yards in 10 seconds, then dropped dead. When I got her open I saw a hole in both lungs and the arrow'd nearly cut the half in two, and shredded it as it ran. With the initial adrenaline rush, I think she was dead before she even felt anything.

Spoiler: Picture of bloody arrow

Put her on my backpack with frame, and carried her out. Dear god, I'm glad I didn't get her a mile in where I was actually planning on hunting, and I'm not sure I'd be physically capable of carrying a trophy buck. My glutes and quads are still burning. Took her to a butcher to handle the actual processing, there were three other deer there and mine was by a wide margin the largest, it's the one on the right.

Spoiler: Picture of multiple dead animals

Great first deer on my fourth bow hunting trip of my first season. I thanked her for her meat, she was a gorgeous big doe. She'd likely had multiple years where she'd had fawns, so her genes are still in the park.

Good eating ahead!

 

New Jersey? Whitetail? Congratulations on a successful first bow season. Twelve yards is a fine stalk. Now all you need to do is learn to process your own meat and you'll be golden. You'll also have better tasting meat: most processors cut through bone and don't take the time to clean off all the fat and sinew which is what carries the gamey taste.

Years ago, my then-18 year old son singlehandedly packed out an elk two miles and almost 1000 feet rise in elevation. After he shot her, she slid about a couple hundred yards downhill on snow and ended up in a half-frozen stream. He quartered her and leapfrogged the quarters up the mountain. He was one tired pup when he was done. He's 32 now, leads hunting trips, packs with horses, and doesn't shoot game at the top of long snow-covered slopes. He's been stalked by a mountain lion and a grizzly bear, and those are the events I know about. No idea what he isn't telling me. We took him on his first hunting trip (antelope) when he was two weeks old and except for the years when he was 3, 4, and 5, he's never missed a season.

 

Congratulations on a successful hunt. I have killed many deer, the most memorable ones I got with a bow. Where I live you can get as many as 4 a year here, in up-state NY. When I was younger, I lived to hunt, now I just gather meat. I keep the better cuts and then turn the rest into venison hot dogs, filled with either jalapeno cheese or American cheese.

 

I also use a .243 while I have shot a few deer with it, it is mostly for woodchucks around here. My longest shot is 640 yards, measured with a laser range finder. I had to google
Muntjac to see what they were.

 

My son doesn't shoot game at this range, but I have to brag a bit about his marksmanship: he's currently hitting bullseyes at just a few feet under 1900 yards. Yep. The number of zeros is correct. My eleven year old grandson is following in his footsteps, shooting accurately at 300 yards. I was pretty decent before arthritis and loss of upper body strength took their toll, but nothing like these two.

 

I have always told people that long range shooting is what country people consider golf, it is all about distance, wind and being able to do the math. I do some target shooting out to a 1000 yards using a 6.5 Creedmoord or a .308 so can really respect anyone shooting well past that. For your son it is all about the math, the average person has no concept in the number of things your son has to know to be able to shoot at that distance. I would be curious as to what caliber rifle he is shooting, what is the velocity and what is the ballistic coefficient of the bullet he is using. Also, what he is using for a range finder and what glass is on the rifle. Does he use a computer program? or use old fashion range cards like the one tape to my stock. Pretty cool anyway, would love to meet any other long range shooters

 

Yeah, nice whitetail in NJ. I was so glad I didn't have to carry her far.

Oh man, that would break my heart to not be able to hunt with a bow. I'm much more into primitive style hunting/fishing than anything. I had no real plans on actually walking out with a deer. I knew from hiking that I'd happen across a bunch of deer in gun range without much effort, so I actively chose the shorter range bow, and did stalking-style hunting instead of a tree-stand or duck-blind because my main sense of enjoyment from it is the hike.

Sounds good. We can only take three and the first one has to be antler less. So technically, now I could go out there and look for a trophy buck, and maybe one year, but practicality wins out and I simply don't need more than one deer's worth of meat at a time.

Nice, I might get back into using guns for birds and small game. 640 is a sweet shot, I'm not even sure I have any hunting areas that have a clear shot from that range. Too thick and hilly.

What kind of firearm? I used to shoot a 30-06 and while very accurate, I'm certain it's spread wouldn't allow much such precision. I've not done any long distance bow shooting. Part of the curse of living in the suburbs is I shoot at a range, and it's limited to 25 yards, which is fine since it's the max range of a bow anyway. It's not a matter of precision, it's the fact the arrow travels slower than the sound and the deer will move. As long as 9/10 shots are 10s from 20, I'm confident I won't scuff it on a deer.

 

I'll have to ask him. I never have been able to remember numbers. It's almost as tall as I am and weighs probably what your deer did. He lives way the heck out of town- home, home on the range. His next goal is to target shoot accurately at two miles, a distance easily seen from his backyard.

A fair number of folks around here hunt with black powder rifles. One of my friends participates in an event where she rides a horse hell for leather down a dirt track while she uses both hands to fire a black powder pistol at a square foot target. She's good.

 

haha, flat there isn’t it?

 

Lapua. Don't recall caliber.

 

No, it's rolling sagebrush steppe. His pasture undulates toward a ridge on an upsweep toward the mountains.

 

Good call, BSMoose. .338 Lapua it is.

 

You could potentially stretch an extra five out of it with perfect conditions, but that's all you're getting. Two miles is out of the question. You'd need a Barrett for that kind of work and that's a fair price for rifle, attachments, and even ammunition. Expensive hobby when going for the long shots.

Not to mention the licenses...

 

I don't know what he's intending to use for two miles. The Lapua is working fine at 1900 yards, even including wind shear.

 

No permits needed for concealed or open carry by Wyoming residents in Wyoming.

 

Yeah Wyoming is pretty lenient once you have a firearm. The trouble is in getting some of the rare or larger ones. They come by from time to time, but restrictions get a bit more rough the more exotic the firearm becomes.

Wish CA had that open nature, but that is a literal impossibility.

 

I just...

Spoiler

I never pictured you with purple hair.

 

'Taint purple my friend, that thar be blue!

 

Yeah, I had to do a double take. Can't be too many blue haired hunters out there. I suppose that's sort of advantageous seeing as deer are color blind.

 

@newjerseyrunner btw your hair looks totally sick bro. I’d do it myself but I wouldn’t want to get any hotter than I already am.