First Buck - Mixed Experience

[godores]

Hey Everyone,

I pretty much learned to hunt from this forum, and I have always appreciated the advice I've gotten her. That being said, I took my first buck yesterday and am very happy with the deer itself, but not so much the experience. We hunted the morning and saw a buck cruising and a few does wondering around, but couldn't get a shot. Went back out in the afternoon and had a young doe walk into view a bit after 3. I heard some rustling behind her, and sure enough, trailing about 50 yards back was a nice 9 point buck. He was about to walk right by our tree stand at about 30 yards, and it would have been a perfect broadside. Instead, he got almost into the shooting lane and turned suddenly and started walking toward the path we had walked in on. He got pretty close to it and started stomping and looking around a lot. Fearing that he was onto our scent, I decided to take the shot then before he busted us.

When people talk on here about getting buck fever, I always thought they meant just that rush you get from seeing any deer at all. This was completely different. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I was having trouble holding the gun steady. Anyway, I got the shot off at a pretty steep angle as we were high in the tree and he was pretty close. He jumped and ran back the way he came.

To make a long story short, I hit him in the neck about 6 inches right of where I was aiming and missed all of the vitals. We waited a while, tracked his blood about 200 yards and then came over a rise and he was laying there. Thinking it was just a matter of time, I sat back and waited for him. Suddenly, he stood up and started running again. This happened 2 or 3 more times and started to be very frustrating and disconcerting, especially given the fact that we were pushing the end of legal shooting hours and it was getting quite dark. There was a ton of blood, so I was baffled that he just kept going. Luckily, my neighbor has a few hundred acres and we had permission to be there, so I wasn't worried about that part. (I'm glad we know him and got permission - or this could have been a real nightmare!) I finally saw him about 800 yards away from the first shot and an hour and a half later, and with just a few minutes left of legal light left and difficulty seeing him clearly in my scope, took another shot to finish him off which took effect very quickly.

He is a beautiful buck, and I am getting him mounted as it is my first buck and a nice one at that. My issues are that I feel like a bad hunter. I was so nervous that my aim was off and instead of hitting his vitals and bringing him to a quick humane end, I put a hole in his neck and terrorized him for the next 90 minutes before finally ending it. I really do my best to do things right, so this one just isn't sitting well with me. I've taken numerous does before this, and they have all dropped within 30 feet of where they were shot.

I'm not sure if I'm looking for validation for taking that second shot or for missing the first one or what, but I just figured I would reach out to see if anyone has any wisdom to share. As a young hunter who taught himself from the internet, I'm never quite sure of what to expect out there, but thanks for reading and at least letting me get this off my chest.

 

[knightrider]

Bad shots happen brother, we've all been there and will be again. The feeling you have of bad shot remorse just shows how much you appreciate the animal you hunt, hold your head high and try to do better next time is all you can do! Oh and awesome buck man!!! :party:

 

[CBU93]

Bad shots happen brother, we've all been there and will be again. The feeling you have of bad shot remorse just shows how much you appreciate the animal you hunt, hold your head high and try to do better next time is all you can do! Oh and awesome buck man!!! :party:

Ditto to the above!

 

[DRSJ35]

things happen and sometimes you cant be prepared for everything.you did everything you could do.be thankful you recovered him cause that would be a whole lot worse if ya didnt.Be happy congrats on a nice buck

 

[DeerKiller2012]

Most people have made "not the best" shots in the world by accident . It's great you went the distance to ensure making all possible recovery efforts and putting him out of suffering . Congratulations to you on your first buck and a good one at that. Next time try to not look at the deer as a whole or the rack once you know your shooting . Aim small , miss small and take a big deep breath prior !


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[darn2ten]

First off, congrats on your first and very nice buck! Don't be to hard on yourself. Buck fever is very real and experienced by most new hunters. I started bow hunting when I was 14. The first buck I ever drew back on my teeth were chattering and my arrow was about to shake off the rest, and it certainly wasn't cold outside! Then I shot low and barely grazed his brisket. Lots of things happen in the woods, there all learning experiences. If you didn't feel bad that would mean you had no respect for the deer. Your going to be fine, stick with it. Again, great first buck!

 

[rem270]

Don't kick yourself to bad. You were able to go home with him and that was your plan.

Next time you'll know not to sit back and wait for one to expire. If you have another follow up shot and it's still moving then take it. There have been lots of deer lost because a hunter shoots one, it runs 50 yards and starts to topple over and they don't put another round in it because they think it's a dead deer walking. If you have them use them!

 

[X-Tennessean]

You are not alone, we all have been there at some point and time! You did the right thing by staying with it and not giving up on him.
Learn from your mistakes and move on, you will know what to do if and when it happens again.
I have always said you learn from experience or atleast I do.

Congrats on your kill, gonna make a purdy mount!

 

[Nhill]

The buck fever may never go away, but you should be able to manage it better with time.
In retrospect, you should have finished him off as soon as you found him the first time, but it all ended okay.

Nice buck and congratulations

 

[jard]

Always carry your gun or a side arm when you are tracking an animal. I've had to dispatch 3 different deer over the years. 2 were actually good shots but they are resilient as hell and some just wont die. its okay to shoot them twice.

The other:
2 years ago I was in Ky and borrowed my dads rifle as I had an unexpected opportunity to hunt. I shot a nice 8 pt at 90 yards and he dropped immediately and started to kick and thrash. He would stop and start. I waited 30 minutes and went and got the 4 wheeler. I came back an hour later and he jumped off the ground and limped away and was falling and thrashing everywhere. I had to go back and get a gun and finish him off. He had thrashed about 100 yards by that point. upon further inspection, shot was high and it just nicked his spinal cord, basically partially paralyzing him. I shot the gun later and found it to be 5" high and 3" right. I finally asked my dad and he said he didnt sight it this year. Lesson learned.

 

[Gray Ghost]

The buck fever may never go away, but you should be able to manage it better with time.
In retrospect, you should have finished him off as soon as you found him the first time, but it all ended okay.

Nice buck and congratulations

. Ditto - Always take the first and last killing shot you are afforded. ASAP


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[eff1fitty]

Hey Everyone,

I pretty much learned to hunt from this forum, and I have always appreciated the advice I've gotten her. That being said, I took my first buck yesterday and am very happy with the deer itself, but not so much the experience. We hunted the morning and saw a buck cruising and a few does wondering around, but couldn't get a shot. Went back out in the afternoon and had a young doe walk into view a bit after 3. I heard some rustling behind her, and sure enough, trailing about 50 yards back was a nice 9 point buck. He was about to walk right by our tree stand at about 30 yards, and it would have been a perfect broadside. Instead, he got almost into the shooting lane and turned suddenly and started walking toward the path we had walked in on. He got pretty close to it and started stomping and looking around a lot. Fearing that he was onto our scent, I decided to take the shot then before he busted us.

When people talk on here about getting buck fever, I always thought they meant just that rush you get from seeing any deer at all. This was completely different. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I was having trouble holding the gun steady. Anyway, I got the shot off at a pretty steep angle as we were high in the tree and he was pretty close. He jumped and ran back the way he came.

To make a long story short, I hit him in the neck about 6 inches right of where I was aiming and missed all of the vitals. We waited a while, tracked his blood about 200 yards and then came over a rise and he was laying there. Thinking it was just a matter of time, I sat back and waited for him. Suddenly, he stood up and started running again. This happened 2 or 3 more times and started to be very frustrating and disconcerting, especially given the fact that we were pushing the end of legal shooting hours and it was getting quite dark. There was a ton of blood, so I was baffled that he just kept going. Luckily, my neighbor has a few hundred acres and we had permission to be there, so I wasn't worried about that part. (I'm glad we know him and got permission - or this could have been a real nightmare!) I finally saw him about 800 yards away from the first shot and an hour and a half later, and with just a few minutes left of legal light left and difficulty seeing him clearly in my scope, took another shot to finish him off which took effect very quickly.

He is a beautiful buck, and I am getting him mounted as it is my first buck and a nice one at that. My issues are that I feel like a bad hunter. I was so nervous that my aim was off and instead of hitting his vitals and bringing him to a quick humane end, I put a hole in his neck and terrorized him for the next 90 minutes before finally ending it. I really do my best to do things right, so this one just isn't sitting well with me. I've taken numerous does before this, and they have all dropped within 30 feet of where they were shot.

I'm not sure if I'm looking for validation for taking that second shot or for missing the first one or what, but I just figured I would reach out to see if anyone has any wisdom to share. As a young hunter who taught himself from the internet, I'm never quite sure of what to expect out there, but thanks for reading and at least letting me get this off my chest.

Man, I feel your frustration. I experience the fever just about everytime I see a deer. Heart starts pumping, then the leg shakes come on, the the whole body. Sometimes it gets so bad the whole tree and stand starts moving. Haven't figured out how to deal with it other than just making sure I breath. Congrats on the deer! Glad you were able to dispatch him and recover.

 

[catman529]

You done fine, don't beat yourself over a neck shot you could follow up on. I've taken far worse shots with a bow that made me want to throw the bow in the river and quit but I get up the next morning and keep hunting. Just try and remember what you did wrong with the shot and how you can try to cool the buck fever for 2 seconds to squeeze a round off. It's tough when it all happens so fast and your shot could have been a lot worse, such as gut shot with no blood trail.

Get back in the woods and keep your head up... Oh and congrats on a great deer. :D


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[Crosshairy]

I've had a similar experience early in my hunting "career" (20 years ago), and another late (2 years ago), and they afford a tremendous amount of perspective.

You are reminded of the truth that an ethical kill is just as valuable as the trophy itself, and the entire experience can be tainted by a few moments' lapse in judgment. As a result, I've committed to being at peace with the shot that is taken, and also using that lesson to help me in properly selecting hunting spots. If I'm looking at an area thinking "the shot opportunities here will all be very sketchy", then I'm going to keep looking or (where allowed) do a bit of branch trimming.

As far as buck/deer fever goes, one thing that helps me with my nerves a lot is to avoid staring at the deer itself after seeing it. Once I've confirmed what I'm seeing, I often will watch its feet or something while waiting for an open shot, so that my mind isn't left looking at the object of my desire, letting my mind go nuts with "what-ifs" and generating a sense of failure about the actions ahead of me. At that point, I just think that i'm getting ready to shoot my gun, and then I spend about 2 seconds getting on target and pulling the trigger. DON'T SPEND FOREVER AIMING, or you will completely psyche yourself out. At the range, practice taking the first good shot you can - put the crosshairs on the bullseye and squeeze. Get to the point where it's fast and robotic, and you can engineer out some of those nerves with repetition.

That works for me anyway :)

 

[Acorn]

Great first buck congrats!

 

[poorhunter]

Had a "lucky"/strange experience just yesterday myself. Got in the stand at 2 with on of my daughters and at 205 a six point comes cruising through behind her. She wasn't going to get a shot so I stopped him at 40yds and dropped him, bang flop. We stayed in the stand and 30min later another buck chases a doe all around us but never gives a shot. We climbed down around 430 to be able to drag and gut the deer with some light. We get to the deer and I see where I hit him...right through the head! I was aiming for the heart. I feel very confident that I didn't pull the shot, so my scope must have gotten bumped or something since I sighted it in. I'm getting ready now to check that out before work since I'll be hunting thanksgiving day.

Check your rifle! Maybe it's not hitting where you think it is!

 

[double browtine]

Congrats on your first bucks and a nice one! Buck fever happens to us all. I have been deer hunting for 30 years this season. I don't get buck fever much anymore, but I did this year when a 12 pointer walked out and I was trying to get the gun turned and pointed the right direction for my 9 yr old to shoot him. He made the shot and we were both shaking after he ran off. He shot him right thru the heart. My point is, that is part of hunting, and buck fever is a good feeling! Just try to stay calm, remember to breathe, and try to make a good shot.

Congrats again on a successful hunt, a great first buck!

 

[Bulldog25]

Agree with what everyone's said. Congrats on a nice buck! Now go fill tag 2!

 

[cbhunter]

Big Kudos to you for getting it done. As others have said, it happens. Shoot your gun again just to be sure of its zero.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

Everyone has been there,let it go,and congrats on a nice buck

 

[treefarmer]

Congratulations on a nice deer! I didn't get one that nice till I had been hunting 15 years or more. Life is tough in the wild and deer die from all kinds of things, blue tongue, injury, coyotes, etc. and they are all worse than dying from a bullet or two. Learn from your experiences and keep enjoying the hunts. Remember, when you no longer get excited about seeing or shooting a deer, it's time to find another hobby, so enjoy the excitement.

 

[rtaylor]

Awesome buck! Buck fever is what gets me in the woods. I'll be sad if I ever lose that feeling. I feel like I've slightly gotten better at managing the shakes and fever over the last 22 years of deer hunting but not much. I've made bad shots before and I am sure I will again. Again good job getting that buck on the ground. Now go get another one!

 

[godores]

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the encouragement. I learned a ton from the experience. It was my first long track, I learned that follow up shots are ok and encouraged, and that I need to not watch a deer in my scope for 10 minutes - especially when all I can see is his rack above the brush!

Thanks again for keeping my head on straight.

 

[TNhunter]

Don't feel bad. You found the buck == awesome. Wait until you get buck fever so bad that when you shoot and miss and then sit there and think "dang I don't even remember aiming".

 

[gunrunner]

You did a great job!You followed through and got the deer.Don't worry about buck fever.I am 67 years old and have killed a lot of deer.I still get the shakes when I have one in front of me.If you don't get pumped up,you might as well take up golf. You are a good hunter.Keep up the good work.Congratulations on a great first deer.

 

[RUGER]

You made a poor shot and you followed it up with tracking and patience and a fatal shot.
That is about all you can do or anyone ask of you.
Good job and congratulations on a fine buck.

 

[megalomaniac]

Use this as a learning experience. I'm so glad everything worked out in the end, but I've been there, done that with a poor first shot and having to trail for hours with the animal suffering before finishing it off.

You've already mentioned several things you learned from this experience. Here's a few more pointers...

You only get one 'first' shot... Make it count. If you cannot hold the crosshairs steady on the animal for a clean, ethical kill, you may be better off not shooting at all. My friends grandson had to just that twice on two different bucks last weekend, before he finally calmed and steadied himself enough to make an ethical kill on the 3rd buck that came out. Realize you have a problem with 'buck fever', and I think the best thing to help that is to practice, practice, practice at the range... to the point where you KNOW you are going to hit where you are aiming 99.99% of the time. This will probably take several hundred rounds at a minimum, but more likely a few thousand rounds to get to this point. Repetitive archery practice is cheaper and serves the same purpose. As one poster said earlier, making the shot 'robotic' or automatic is key... you don't need to think at all, muscle memory and your spinal cord can do all the work, no need to even involve your brain. Competitive shooters are a prime example. They've hooked up EEG electrodes to their scalp which show normal brainwaves up to the point right before pulling the trigger. At that point, their EEG patterns flatline, just like someone in a coma would show. They go back to normal right after the shot.

I'm able to do the same thing. I get 'buck fever' as a deer approaches, hear one, or see it for the first time. I'm excited up until the point where I make the decision if it's an animal I want to shoot or not.... if it is an animal I want to shoot, I go into 'kill mode', and everything is completely automatic from that point on... brain is off at that point, heart rate slows, gun or bow almost seems to raise and aim itself.

Another thing to learn... many hunters profess 'neck' shots are clean, ethical kill shots which conserve shoulder meat. And this is true if you hit the 1 inch spine or 1/2 inch carotid arteries/veins. But that leaves about 7 or 8 inches of muscle, trachea, esophogas that can be hit instead just resulting in a wounded animal that is likely to be unrecovered only to die later. Better to sacrifice a couple pounds of shoulder meat to ensure a much larger room for error in shot placement when aiming at the center of the vitals. (I know you did not intend to shoot the deer in the neck, but again, a good learning experience for you and others)

 

[Wrangler95]

Very nice buck :party: :super:

 

[plinker22]

Congrats on your first buck. He is very nice.

My first deer ever, I bow shot her almost directly under me, literally pinning her to the ground. I then watched over the next LONG LONG LONG 10 to 15 minutes as she slowly expired. Not once did I enten consider the possibility of putting another arrow in her.

We can make lots of mistakes as young hunters. It appears to me you have learned from your experience. There will always be a learning curve.

Now, if you will allow me to attempt to help. You have another horrible mistake you are consistently making that WILL cause you years of heartbreak and suffering.

godores was an available screen name for a reason. Think it over and... Go Vols!!! ;)

 

[Mike Belt]

First off, congrats on a nice looking buck. Know that there's a difference in a bad shot and a bad hit. A bad hit might be because of hitting an unseen obstruction or just a little too high or low or forward or far back or even because your scope is off. A bad shot is taking a marginal shot that either you aren't efficient enough to take or one that may be hurried and you aren't sure about. Usually bad shots result in complete misses or worse yet, crippling shots. If you're worth your salt as a deer hunter it's your responsibility to restrain from shooting if you're not sure about the shot no matter what's standing out in front of you. You owe that to the deer. You owe that to the sport.

It seems you are somewhat distraught over the kill. You should be. If you weren't you don't need to be in the woods in the first place. Good for you. You just learned a valuable lesson about follow up shots; one that many of us had to learn the hard way as well and sometimes with not as successful an outcome as you had. If one's down and still kicking, shoot it again. Also, something about a buck standing in front of you, whether it's your first or 101st, they can shake you up. Hyperventilating, shaking, and uncontrollable actions head that list. The good thing is that the more experience you get the better you're able to control it. The good thing is that it never goes away. That's one of the beauties of deer hunting. The main tip I'd give you is when you're looking at a buck through your scope pick a spot. All the above mentioned can tend to make you see hair and shoot. Pick that spot you want to find you hit when you walk up on a downed deer. And, keep that spot in your scope after you pull the trigger. Don't drop or swing your gun to the side to see the hit. See it through the scope. I guarantee you that as long as your rifle is true you won't have to take many follow up shots in the future. Also, if you're really elevated high above your deer think "bullet path" through the deer; not only entrance hole but exit as well. This way you connect with the vitals it takes to put one down. Now, go get #2, lol.