Thanksgiving morning

[Dragonheart]

I was sitting with my back against an oak tree and butt on the ground.  Had just put up a few branches as some cover for a blind and got settled.  The does came out and soon cleared the brush, my set trigger already set, I placed the blade and the buckhorn in alignment and squeezed off the shot. 

Buckaroo!  She kicked like a bronco out of the chute.  The other does scattered thru the brush.  I was still and quiet, listening for any movement in the leaves.  I slowly, quietly, and carefully reloaded, powder-patch-ball, yes, that order, powder-patch-ball, I repeated in my mind.  I made my way slowly to the edge of the thicket. 

No blood?  I made a move back to the left, then back right, YES!  A speck of red...  I very slowly moved thru the thick.  More blood, but only some drops.  Then I saw a huge splotch and my deer laying just past there 5 yards away.  She was near the end.  Dispatched second shot.  As I saw the smoke exit her side, the mixed emotion in taking an animal hit me.  The natural world can supply us with so much, we tend to forget the wonder of it all until we hunt.  I looked up for a moment as she passed on, her spirit now to be reborn in another form. 

I thought to myself, Lord thank you, thank you.  Truly a Thanksgiving. 

 

[doc nock]

Nicely done, Hoss!

I remember the first deer I shot with a 50 flint was a doe and she stopped between two trees and angled oddly toward me at about 70 yards...back then I regularly shot at 60 so 70 wasn't a feat...eyes of the young!

She too bucked and took off clearing 8' wide brush piles...3 in a row...I reloaded and tracked her in the snow with 3 others...nothing. No hair.  No blood... I started to think I "barked" her and struck one of the two trees she stopped between... nope.no marks on them, back to the trail...

125 yards later there was ONE 50 cal spot of blood in the snow...20 yards farther she was stone dead in a cane briar patch...I crawled in the tunnel she went in and pulled her out by a hind leg.  Ah to be young!

Turned out I'd hit her in the front of the chest just above where the breast bone plate ends as she looked broadside but had her front quarters twisted toward me...

The ball smashed her off side shoulder, broke ribs, and angled back in to lodge in that far side hip. It weighed on 68 grains by then and was 175 when it started.  And she leaped over those 8' wide brush piles like it was nothing...

Amazing animals and let no one ever think they're not tough..

Sounds like you did everything right... Nicely done and a very happy day for you... The Circle of Life remains and her life now will sustain yours

[dhaverstick]

Congratulations! I love it when someone like you takes the time to show respect for the animal they just killed. Good for you! That will be some fine eating.

Darren

[R D Pascoe]

Congratulations! Thats good size doe ,did you take her in or bone her out yourself?

Rusty

[Tony Van Dort]

Jeff,

"we tend to forget the wonder of it all until we hunt...."
So true!   Guess that's why we hunt, eh?
 

[Woodchucker]

Well done indeed... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

[Dragonheart]

The doe was one of the larger more mature animals in the herd.  There is a bunch of venison!  I have a local butcher that makes incredible german summer sausage that my ladies at the house devour.  I am having the deer processed.  In the surrounding counties here in East Texas and on several management areas there is muzzleloader season in January.  Plus still, want to hunt for the opportunity to take a hog with the smoke pole.  Quite an experience hunting again with black powder.          

[FlintNSteel]

Congrats on a fine doe.  And...a top notch photo if I ever saw one.  Glad it made it into the Pic of the Week.  Very deserving.

Mike