I did it!

[MrFox]

I did it this year, the opening day. I just sat quietly in the woods, hearing shots all around me (I was in one of the hot-spots this year where everyone and his ancle wanted to be, but hey I was desperate for a buck!) and suddently (as always), a nice big one was quetly escaping my fellow hunters going in my direction). He was wrong and after meeting with a 12GA sabot, he did have very little time to regret it. May his body rest well in my freezer and his spirit to continue in his babies. He was a 10pointer (actually I counted 11 points), 3 years old buck.

Thanks to all of you guys for sharing.

[MrFox]

I think I learned a few lessons from this hunt.

a) If you want to beat fellow hunters, you need to walk further into the woods. At least 1 mile from any road.

b) I didn't need all of the stuff I packed with me. I prepared lots of things but when I found the buck I only needed my buck tag, a knife and a piece of string to tie it around. Less pieces to carry = more time to hunt. I walked then to my car, carried all the heavy things away and that's when I could get a rope and a dolly to carry the buck back. Combined with a), it makes much more sence to travel light.

c) I also found it extremely important to really make a good picture and remember exactly the place were deer has been at the time of shot. I actually learned it nearly the hard way - I could not find the spot where I shot the deer and then another guy showed up, and he claimed that he shot the same deer and is following his blood trail. And well, I was not sure where exactly I hit my buck and I let him go. It was only for sheer luck that I found him later (and then went back to the guy and we came forward together with his dad) and from the spot where I actually hit the buck there was a blood river (so I had very clear proof that I _did_ hit him and that was exactly the buck), and there was no other gun wound.

Well, I don't question integrity of other people (and those fellas were really great people! I admired them a lot for their effort to recover the buck), but who knows if those guys actually found that buck without me standing by, would they question themselves and reconsider hole placement and bring the buck to me (or even let me know), or claim him as their legal kill?

[MrFox]

Yep, since I forget to take the camera with me that day, I got a picture of my first one only after I drove my car to the garage. Nonetheless, I'd love to share it.