by Rebecca K.

Created on: January 24, 2012

I remember my first time hunting. It was only about four or five years ago and I was already married and living with my husband in Minnesota. The gun I opted to use was the .250 Savage that had once belonged to my dad. Living on a farm currently has some nice perks, one of which is land and deer. We didn't need to go far to find a good spot, just hopped on the four wheeler and took a short ride to the corner of our pasture and climbed into the stands.

For a person who is afraid of heights, deer stands provided a particular challenge. I didn't like climbing up them. I didn't like climbing down them. If the wind blew and moved the tree at all I hated that and was contemplating climbing down and sitting on the ground where I would be safe!

I remember sitting out there and waiting. At first you could hear nothing, but then gradually the animals seemed to fill back in around you from where you disturbed them upon entering the woods. A crow called out, a squirrel stomped in the dry leaves, climbed a tree and started "barking." I sat enjoying the sounds and watching the silly squirrel for quite awhile. My stand sat behind a nice dense collection of trees and facing into a small clearing.

Suddenly there it was, a deer! A button buck had come into my clearing and was standing broadside to me. He was about 60 yards away, I had him in my sights and aimed at his girth right behind the shoulder. KaBOOM! The deer  immediately dropped to the ground and started thrashing. At that moment I was worried he was  suffering so I took aim again at his head to put him out of his misery. BOOM! Soon after the deer lay still. I had gotten him the first time.

My husband showed up after hearing the shots figuring on needing to tack something only to find me out of the tree stand with a deer lying at my feet. He'd told me my broadside shot had killed him immediately and as for the head shot I took, it pierced both of the deers ears instead. At least there was a good place to tag him. It made for a good story and great first hunting experience. Can't say all of my other hunting trips had gone that smoothly. Could've been beginners luck.

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