“My first smokeless powder deer”

Never one to conform I started out hunting with a  bow and then switched to black powder rifle before hunting with a modern rifle.  Most hunters do just the opposite.  This was likely because only bow hunting was legal for deer  the first five years.

With my ladder stand previously chained to a tree, in an area beside the slough, on Bayou de Chein creek.  Bayou de Chein meaning Creek of the Dogs.  My 4 runner about one quarter mile away I walked to where I was hunting as the mudders had messed up the road and it was really muddy and I was not anxious to wash it.

This was a morning to remember.  I saw wildlife in every direction.  It is a good sign when you see a lot of small animals on a hunt.  Not long after arriving and having my ritual cup of coffee, I spotted a young bobcat sneaking my way.  I was afraid he would pick up my spoor but I must have been up there long enough for my spoor to evaporate.  Not to mention wearing rubber snow boots. He walked right under me and within one foot of my stand.  I loved it as this was only the second time I had been so close to a live bobcat.

After a long while, a pack of coyotes, moved laterally in front of me.  Just for the record I really hate coyotes.  They may eat a lot of mice but they destroy too many quail and other ground nesting bird nest.  They also kill small animals just for the fun of it.  They are especially hard on cats.

I checked ahead of them for a place that would give a good open shot and waited for them.  One of them did step into the opening and I took careful aim for the heart area and squeezed off a shot.  It was a good hit.. The rest of the pack ran off in the direction that they had come from.  I almost moved, thinking that the smell of coyote would spook a deer but I decided it was to late for that.

In about five minutes I spotted one coyote sneaking back the way that they had exited.  I guess it was the mate of the one I had dispatched.  It came to the area where I shot the other one but did not give me a clear shot.  I decided to shoot anyway.  I found a hole through some vines I could likely shoot through and luck was with me it moved right to that spot  and stopped.  One more coyote less in the county as I dropped this one as well.

It was getting late in the morning and I was about to leave and let things settle but then, out in the slough, I spotted a nice rack.  All I could see was the antler, the head and the top half of the neck through the brush.  He was in a position where I could shoulder against the tree and steady my aim so I decided to take the shot.  I knew a neck shot would drop him in place but for whatever reason I decided to go for the head.  I carefully lined up the cross hairs of my scope with his left eye and squeezed a round off.  That old deer dropped like a sack of lead in a vacume.

Now the fun begins.  I had to walk back to my truck and bring it in and then field dress the deer and either go get help or drag it out myself.  I chose the latter as it was in water about a foot deep and not far from the road.  Big mistake.  I got him field dressed and I proceeded to drag him out of the slough.  I did not take into consideration that I had cypress knees, brush and logs to drag through and over.  Lucky there was a hauling platform that mounted to my trailer hitch receiver or I could not have lifted him into the back end.  The hauling platform was only about 14 to 16 inches high.

By the time I got to the truck I was gasping for breath.  I had never felt this way before and I had to sit on the carrier for a long time until I settled down.  I did not know then but that was in all probability my first silent heart attack.  Once I felt better and had a cup of Joe I loaded the deer and anchored him on with rubber tie downs.

When I got home I put a plastic tarp between the middle and back seats of my Jon boat and placed the deer in it.  I put three concrete blocks on top of it to hold it down.  I filled it with water and left the nozzle in the boat with a trickle running to cool the carcass out over night.

The next day I took the deer to the processor and mentioned that there was no visible exit hole and was it possible I missed the deer and it died of shock or old age.  He looked it over for a long time and then called me over.  He showed me where the bullet had penetrated the left eye and exited the back of the skull.  This caused the exit hole to be tiny like the entry hole usually is.  Who would have looked for a hit where aimed from forty yards in brush.
 

The next day I took the deer to the processor and mentioned that there was no visible exit hole and was it possible I missed the deer and it died of shock or old age.  He looked it over for a long time and then called me over.  He showed me where the bullet had penetrated the left eye and exited the back of the skull.  This caused the exit hole to be tiny like the entry hole usually is.  Who would have looked for a hit where aimed from forty yards in brush. 

I knew he would be tough so I had all the meat processed as summer sausage and jerky.

  Around my home neither last long.