Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting New Years Eve out with a Bang!

On New Years Eve 2015, my son, Harrison, and I loaded up to go hunting at 2:00 that afternoon. We had just pulled up to the highway when my hunting buddy called me from the camp house wanting to know where we were. He had spotted a buck standing in the tall grass on the edge of a huge field behind the camphouse and told me to bring Harrison back down there to look at him.

We turned around and met him at the camp house. From where we glassed the buck it was just over 300 yards and the only cover between us and the deer was one oak tree. Harrison and I put the tree between us and the buck and walked straight toward the buck. We reached the tree and the buck was still there. But that left us about 210 yards from the deer. We had just left the shooting range where he shot some good groups at 100 yards just 30 minutes earlier. I told him to aim and let me know when he was steady. He said he was and flicked the safety off on his .243.

I started breathing heavy as I told him to squeeze the shot off and concentrate on his aim. When the rifle cracked the deer took a couple of steps forward but his reaction did not indicate a hit.

Reload I told him, and he quickly racked another shell in and fired off another 95 grain Fusion. This time I saw the buck hunch his back and take off. I followed him as he took off and then he just disappeared. I turned and looked at my hunting partner who stayed back at the 300 yard mark and he gave us the thumbs up.

We went straight to where we thought he had been standing. ( Lesson here, make sure to get a good landmark before you take your eyes off the last spot you saw the deer) After searching for over 20 minutes and finding no blood and no deer, I took another wide loop trying to cut a trail. I walked around the edge of some thick briars and caught the sun off an antler.





A proud 11 year old.



Turns out he grazed the deer in the brisket with the first shot, the second shot landed about 5 inches higher with the exit visible in the photo above. The buck only made it approx 30-40 yards. He had been standing under the tree over my sons right shoulder in the second picture. If we had started our search at the correct tree, we would have seen him immediately. The buck was sickly, with sores over a lot of his body. He was thin and his eyes were almost sunken in, with marks on his hind legs that looked like coyotes had been after him.

After taking care of the buck, we loaded up and took Harrison's 6 year old friend with us to sit for the rest of the afternoon. By the time we made it around to the field were going to hunt, there were deer already in the field. We did our best Daniel Boone impression and slipped off in the woods to sneak up on the edge of the field without spooking any deer. A miracle if you ask me. And Harrison made a 150 yard shot on this doe. She ran in a little circle and I could see the exit was a little back so when she turned broadside I told him to hit her again. The second shot anchored her on the spot.



Somewhat smaller than the buck but still made for an exciting hunt and stalk. The best part was that she fell in the road, so no dragging required.

That makes 3 deer for him this season to my 2. I don't think I'm taking him any more til next season.

Bob.

Heck of deer for your boy. I would be smiling too.

Looks like a heck of an afternoon and a heck of a buck!
Congrats to you and to Harrison.

That would be a good day for anyone! Great buck, great story and photos. Congrats to the both of you.

Thanks guys. Hunting with Harrison has been some of best times for us.

Bob.

good day congrats !!!

Ed

Congratulations. That is a nice buck and a fine doe.

Awesome buck and a great hunt! Congrats to the lad!

Good job, and nice deer to boot!

Nice buck!!

That is a very nice buck! Looks like you have a great young man for a hunting partner. Thanks for sharing the pictures and best wishes to both of you for many more memorable hunts together.

Congrats on a nice deer and better memory

Congratulations all around. My son's name is Harrison also, but I don't hear that much -made me smile.

Dang nice Alabama deer!

Nice job, Harrison.

What??

We never see bucks at the end of the season, much less like that!

What???

It's not the end of our season here. We still have 6 weeks left. It doesn't even start to get good until the 2 week of January. They split the state into 2 zones and we are in the south zone by a few miles. Our season starts with bowhunting on October 25 and ends February 10th now.

We have a 3 buck limit per season and can kill a doe per day for the entire season. But the last few weeks of season is when I usually kill my bucks during the rut.

Bob.

Dandy buck for the young man! Well done!

Well done DAD ya learned him good,real good...Did he ask for the lucky rifle to be his yet!!!

Congratulations to you both! Great buck by anyone's standards and any day spent with your son in the outdoors is a blessing.

some places are like that. Used to be around here too.

But I am down to 3 weeks of MZ here, and still have at least 3 deer that are 10 or better and 130 plus inches... but young bucks... sure hope they make it.

Watched 6 bucks at the house this morning befor eleaving for work. Dang spike alway shows up when I don't have time, when I have time, can't find him.....