Opening morning was be-au-ti-ful. The sunrise was a crimson red and a brilliant orange, absolutely breath-taking. We went down Reeder Ridge to the Pelican, parked the jeep and walked out to overlook the valley. There was a deer halfway behind a tree. Jason sat down to get a look at it when another deer walked out of the trees. Then they both came out in the open. Jason's scope has higher power than mine so he was able to see they were both bucks. He told me to take the one on the left, it was a two point, and I started to count as I got my cross-hairs just right.
One, two...(breathe)...three Ba-Bam! We fired almost simultaneously and I knew right away I missed. I sat up to watch Jason shoot at his deer when I saw something standing in front of a big pine tree. I got my scope on it. There was my deer, just standing there, looking at me, with a look of WTH?
Jason was still trying to shoot his and I started to get nervous because I didn't have a shot at mine. My deer started walking towards me, limping, but still no shot. Then the instant it turned to the left, he turned completely around and was walking away. I wasn't confident I could shoot still. It walked down across the creek and started up the other side. My heart started beating faster, I felt all I could do was watch. Then I lost sight of him behind a tree! The whole time I'm telling Jason what was going on as he was trying to follow his deer in his scope. Jason took a look at my deer and said he could see it still. I said, "If you can see it, shoot it!" He did and my deer lay down!
I walked up the hill, got the jeep and we had the girls look through the binoculars. They were so very excited Mom got her first deer!
It was a pretty steep slope down to the bottom. We zig-zagged our way down while Chey slid on her butt the whole way. We stopped where Jason's deer had been and tried to follow its tracks, but with the dogs and kids running all around, it was hard to see a clear track. So we decided we'd better get moving towards mine and have a look-see.
Down across the creek we went, and back up the other side. Just as we crested that little hill, I saw the two trees I knew my deer was laying between. My eyes followed down to where my deer should be and..."Oh honey, it's still alive!!" It was sitting there looking straight at us! Poor thing. Jason hurried towards it and gave it shot in the neck with his pistol (I didn't carry my rifle down there). He then says, "Honey! THIS ain't no two point!" Oh, sooo many thoughts ran through my mind: did I shoot a doe? no, Jason said it was a buck. was he wrong? no, I saw antlers on it when it was in front of the pine. "W...What is it?" He said, "Just come see."
A four-by-five was laying there! Wow! MY FIRST DEER!
But now the real work began! I am so thankful my husband loves me as much as he does and loves this sport as much as he does. He told me he would clean my first deer, cause he loves me, and so I could learn to do it myself. Umm...I may have to do some extra favors next year before the hunt starts and butter him up a bit, that is a job that I cannot do. I handled it better than my oldest who got light headed and sick to her stomach, but I did not take it as well as my other 2. Kayla was right up in there with her Dad asking as many questions as she could think. Cheyenne was indifferent really, but definitely not sick or disturbed, she just wanted to go back to the jeep and eat.
We got the job done and started the trek back up. We didn't make it very far at all when we realized this was a huge task. So Jason headed up the slope with the girls to get the axe while I sat with my deer and took everything in. I gave my thanks to the deer, listened to the birds and the water running, watched the trees as the breeze danced between them...then I drug my deer down the little hill, across the creek and started up the other side. Boy, I am not as tough as I think I am at times. That was some work and I pretty much used up all my energy.
Jason called down to me as I was making my way up. He said John just called and was sending in the calvary, they had enough rope to reach my deer. So I plopped down on the side of the mountain and waited, exhausted. My wonderful husband came down to me with a bottle of water and a sandwich! (I didn't take much down there because I knew I would have to carry it back up dragging my deer. It is my first hunt, and I learned lesson #1: take a backpack!)
Jason set off to find more tracks from his deer, while I sat drinking water. Then Greg and Tyson showed up and boy did they have rope! Jason got my deer tied up and Greg pulled with his truck. Up the slope it went and finally up on top of the jeep. We went back to camp, quickly said thanks to those standing around congratulating as we crept the jeep on by, made dinner and went to bed (at 8:30). We were all pooped, but wow, what a great day! Just wish Jason had been able to capitalize on his.
Oh. Did I mention it was a 400+ yard shot that I made? And I used my grandpa's gun (which is a whole other story in itself)?
