From
Texas
7/21/2000
Here
we go, I am 16, I live in lumberton texas, I have grown up around
hunting and the outdoors, I sat in the stand with my dad for
a while at our huntin lease in Kirbyvill Texas, till I was about
13, then my dad bought me a .243 new england firearms single
shot rifle, I started out huntin like all kids do, whatever walked
out, I was ready to shoot, till I shot the first thing that was
a nubbin buck, I was so disappointed, so the next few years I
matured into bigger dear, which was a big do or any buck, and
I only got a few does till I turned 15, my dad stepped me up
to his .270 auto loader, I started off this huntin season hoping
to find that boone and crocket buck which every kid hopes to
get, but knowing our lease wasnt known for the bucks I didnt
think I would even see a buck.
Opening day, I had picked out a spot I thought the buck would
be, we had a stand near and open field with thick brush behind
us, usually the deer came from the brush and into the field to
eat from what we observed earlier, in our scouting, well the
first day I had only seen a few does and they were very skidish,
I figured there was a buck behind them so I waited , but nothing
came, and finally the does left, so I headed back, ate lunch
and came out for the night hunt, the same does came, still skidish,
but I never saw the buck, so disappointed, I went in for dinner,
hoping tomorrow would be the day, I woke up an hour before my
dad did, he decided he would hunt with me that day to help me
figure out why the does were so skidish but why the buck never
showed himself, he thought I just wasnt looking hard enough,
we headed out, about an hour before daylight, we got to the stand
and it started raining heavily with thick fog, just about 30
minutes after daylight dad fell asleep, so I kept a good look
out to try and show him up, then I fell asleep.
At about 7:30 my dad tapped my on my shoulder saying wake up,
he told me to look over on the side about a hundred yards away
cause he saw a peculiar looking bush, I looked and as I turned
he lifted his head, I pretty nice size buck, I slowly brought
up my .270 and scoped him out carefully, but I never got a good
shot, he was behind a group of pine trees just beyond a ditch,
I kept following him in between the trees hoping he would get
his should open enough I could shoot.
Finally I got the shot, I slowly pulled the trigger and click,
it wasnt chambered, I thought to my self, what an idiot, I never
chambered my gun, so looked over to my dad and told him what
happened, and luckily he had brought my trusty lil .243 single
shot, I grabbed it knowing I had already loaded it, then I put
it back upon his shoulders, he moved behind the tree again, I
was really getting impatient, I knew he was gonna walk those
five more feet to the left and be out of sight forever, but then
he turned to his right, and walked between a gap in the trees,
without even thinking I pulled the trigger, he fell like a rock,
he was grunting as he slid into the ditch, all I could see was
antlers sticking out of the ditch and here that loud grunt.
I was so nervous, so we waited about 20 minutes, dad was asking
me how come I didnt chamber the gun, and then gave me a high
five, "how does it feel to get your first buck" he
said, I said I dont know, lets go see him, I said yes, he gave
me a big hug, then we went down, I walked with a spring in my
step knowing I was gonna get to brag to everyone I had shot my
first buck, and what a beauty, I had shot him perfectly behind
his shoulder and hit his lungs and the bullet splintered into
his spine knocking him into the ditch. I then pulled him out
of the ditch and loaded him into my truck and brought him back
to camp, he had a 14 inch spread with 9 inch tines, it weighed
in field dressed at 103 pounds, first thing I did when I got
back to school was brag, all my friends thought it was very nice,
they seen it European mounted in my room. Now I am prepping up
for next years hunting season.
Joe Culpepper
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