Deer Season 2008

I just want to warn anyone that doesn't want to see dead deer or blood stop now. All of these deer are processed and used for food so they do not go to waste.

This weekend started out on a bumpy note. Several of my co workers have been sick the week leading up to deer season so I predicted that I would be sick for the one thing that I have been looking forward to for almost a year. Yep I was right. Wednesday I had a bit of a dry scratchy throat. Thursday I had head congestion and headache. The night before deer season I didn't sleep a wink. I think it was a combination of the excitement, being in a strange bed and the feeling like my head was packed full of concrete. Lets just say the cold made this deer season less enjoyable than usual. Nothing like setting in the cold breathing through your mouth because your nose is so raw that breathing through it feels like breathing acid. Yeah, that's fun. Anyway since I was having so much fun I tried to end the season as quick as I could. The first day I only saw one deer. It was about 200 yards or better away. That evening while in the stand I noticed Needles Uncle "B" get out of his stand and head back to the house. After getting part way back I noticed him stop and wait. I didn't think too much of it but a few minutes later I heard the shot and saw a deer run into the field looking like it had been hit. I got out of my stand to see if "B" might need some help trailing the animal. By the time I got up to the area I heard the finishing shot and walked into the woods to see that "B" had killed a monster 8 point. Its chest measurement was 44" which suggests a live weight of up to 250lbs. This is the second year in a row that "B" has taken a huge buck.

Since "B" was done hunting for the season he offered that I could set in his stand since it is in a more optimal area. I took him up on his offer and the morning of the second day I was able to harvest a nice young doe. She slipped in from my left at about 30 yards and stopped. I hit her a little high so she went farther than I would have liked going about 50 to 60 yards before expiring. She will be nice for the freezer.

The second day was perfect weather for deer movement. After a successful morning hunt I finished breakfast and headed back down around 10am. Around noon I had a small buck wander in about 40 yards away and was smelling where I dragged the doe out of the woods from the morning hunt. I guest he smelled some of my sent because he wheeled around to run and stopped after about 5 yards. I was in the stand and feeling the burn of my sinuses so I thought I would end the season early and add him to the freezer as well. This broken up 3 point only went about 30 yards and was down for the count. He probably was a basket rack 4 or 6 point but you could tell he had been fighting a lot. Both antlers were broken off one just above the brow tine and the other just an inch out of his head. Anyway he will be good in the freezer.
This is the first time I have taken 2 deer in one day and I have to say that I am glad it is over with the way that I have been feeling. I think we are going to visit my parents for the second deer season since I have already taken those days off work. That is if I can get rid of this cold. Maybe next year will be my turn to get the big one. At least I filled Needles mom freezer and probably then some.

Video of my doe harvest.