"My first ever deer"

Our little group of bow-hunters, “the Hickman County Bow hunters,”  had never had a deer season as the county had only been stocked with deer for five or six years and we were excited to finally be able to hunt at home and not have to go to the LBL.

I had an almost new 48” Indian Archery, short, 60# hunting bow and was ready when a week before the new season the  worst happened.  My almost new bow had twisted and ruined.  They were a reputable company located in Evansville, Indiana and produced the finest re-curved bows.  Thinking I could get the return approval by phone and get mine in the mail special delivery then it was possible I could get a new one by the third or fourth day of the first season.  I called and the nice lady at Indian was so considerate of my plight.   She suggested that she send me a new bow special delivery immediately and I could return my old one in the same box.  Needless to say I was thrilled.  I was now thinking that surely I would not miss more than a couple of days hunting.  On the day before the season opened, to my surprise, my new bow arrived in the mail.  A few practice shots and I was ready.

I hunted that season every day that I could but no luck.  That is not until the morning of the last day of the first ever season.  It was a huge doe, but what did I care it was my first and that with a stick and string.  She was moving slowly, browsing in my general direction.  When she was parallel to me I carefully took aim and loosed a shaft.   I heard the crack that sounded like I hit wood.  She was off like being fired from a cannon.   With that big white flag flying.

I waited a good time hoping to get a shot at another deer but nothing.  I decided to retrieve my arrow if the shaft was not ruined.  I checked all the trees and nothing.  I finally saw the arrow on the ground unharmed.  When I picked it up I looked at the front edge of the feather vanes and there was a telltale hair.  Sixty pounds of thrust had propelled the arrow through fur, skin and bone to pass on through to exit the other side.

My uncle and my granddad had taught me to track so I went to where I last saw the deer and circled till I found a drop of blood.  Very little blood spilled.   I followed what blood was on the ground and the tracks I could find until I found my first kill.

I stuck an arrow tip to the eye to make sure she was dead because deer hooves can slice like a knife with a wounded deer.   She was dead.  I had shot through the heart and out the other side as suspected.  I was let down and thrilled at the same time.

I field dressed the deer and went for the car to load it up.  I had to stretch it across the trunk and tie to the back door handles. 

When I got home I was in for another surprise.  As I untied the rope I noticed something on one ear.  It was a Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife deer ear tag.  I retrieved the number and mailed the info on where, how and when it was taken.   In a few days I got a letter back from them saying that the deer had been caught at Mammoth Cave five years before as a yearling and was one of the first two truckloads released in Hickman County.  It was released in front of Moore Seed and Grain, now Roy Dillard home.  In that five years she had moved about two miles from where they were released.

One word of caution though.  If you shoot a deer and hear the sound of an arrow hitting wood do not take it for granted.  I have shot many since then and hitting the taunt hide of a muscular deer with a hollow aluminum or fiberglass shaft makes the same exact sound.

I have taken many since then but only one more meant as much as taking the first legal deer taken in Hickman County and with a stick and string.  The one that meant the most was the one my daughter Debbie shot.  It was at least her third deer but finally she had taken a deer with a gun and not a car.