First time out

[paulsemp]

I decided this was the year I was going to finally get out there. I was supposed to go up to grayling with a bunch of guys but had some family things going on that prevented me from going. Yesterday was my first time out and I was out with Greg aka badly bent and we are on some public property in northern Illinois.
 We met up before sunrise and headed out in the woods. We were headed to an area along side of road that Greg had been to a few times week prior. We came to a spot and Greg turned and looked at me and asked me if I was ok and comfortable with setting up my tree stand. I told him yes sir and he told me to cut in and set up about 40 yards down with my face looking south. I found what appeared to be a trail and found a nice hickory tree to the north of it in a little bit of a clearing with a lot of shot opportunities. Greg set up about 60 yards away from me. We sat in our stands till about 11:30. That morning all I saw were squirrels and woodpeckers. Along with some other random people stomping through the woods and creating a bunch of noise. Part of the problem with being on public property but that's all we got. We got down and went to lunch and Greg told me he saw a couple of bucks that morning. I never heard or saw them but then again I was on sensory overload trying to make sense of everything going on being out there for my first time.
 We took a few hour break and we're back in our tree stands by about 2 o'clock. Sat for a few hours with zero action as I watch the Sun start to disappear behind the trees. Up the hill walks doe and she's walking right towards me on the trail I'm set up on. I slowly stand up and my heart begins to race. Next thing I know all I see is antlers coming up the hill from behind her. Out walks a massive 8 point buck. Now my knees are shaking. She is taking her time feeding while he is rubbing everything in sight with those massive antlers and walking slowly towards me. At about 25 yards away she stops and looks right at me. At this point I do not know how I held my composure but I stood as still as I could. Finally she looked back at the ground and came a few steps closer and then would stop and stare right back at me. This happened about 5 times as they slowly drew closer. I know it was only about 5 to 10 minutes this went on but it felt like an eternity. I was holding my Bow perfectly vertical and my arm was starting to cramp so I slowly brought my bow down and rested the bottom against my leg. Once I did that I realized I was shaking so bad that my arrow that was nocked I could see my broadhead going up and down 2 to 3 inches. So I slowly brought my bow up and regain composure. The doe continue to walk down the trail and presented me with a perfect 8-yard slightly quarter away shot. But all I could look at was this massive buck trailing her by 15 feet. I was hoping he was going to follow her right in front of me . She turned around and came back to my right and he followed. At this point I was offered a few different shots on him but did not feel good about them and passed. She was trailing ahead and starting to get down wind to me and he offered me 12/13 yard shot perfect broadside. I was shooting to the right and was not able to shift my feet in fear of them seeing movement so I was shooting in the same direction my feet were pointed and presented me a shot right through a clearing in the tree. I slowly drew back and realize my arm was hitting my tie off for my harness and slowly adjusted and hit full draw. I released and the arrow flew perfectly. But it was about 4 inches too low and literally graced his hair right beneath his vitals. I'm fairly confident to say if he would have jumped at string I will put one right through his heart. The arrow hit the ground and he instantly jumped about 10 feet and took off. Greg did a couple grunts and got him to stop and tried to calm him down. After a few more seconds they took off.
I have not had an adrenaline rush like that for as long as I could remember. What an opportunity on my first time out to be presented with such a situation. While it would have been great to bag 1 I'm very happy with the outcome. Not only was I presented a few different shot opportunities that I passed on  I was tested buy a couple that were on high alert. I much rather would have missed then wound a beautiful buck like that.
All the credit goes to Greg. He took me under his wing for the day set me up with a primo spot and gave me some pointers before we went out. Not to mention he lent me a stand and some climbing sticks so I didn't rush out and buy something I may not like. I'd also like to thank Chris aka Pearl drums for sending me some hand me down camo along with Danny Aka dgf for given me some broadheads. I've made friends with a lot of great people on here that would do anything for you and I thank you all.
 After that outing I think Greg should retire from painting and be a professional guide. Word on the streets is he'll do it for some lousy Osage

[RyanR]

Good deal Paul. I'm glad you got some action on your first time out.

[Knoll]

Now THAT, sir, is a huntin' story!! Not to be confused with a "fishin" story. What a great day that musta been for ya!

Glad to hear ya got the opportunity. Pearl may now have difficulty getting the hand-me-downs back.   

Next time out I hope ya stick one.

[bradsmith2010]

great story, you,ll get him next time,,
it can be confusing when you have two legal deer, which one should I shoot, if you let the doe pass maybe the buck wont give you a shot etc etc,,
lots to think about in a few seconds,,
sometimes I make a rule for myself I take the first good shot I have,, that calms me down not having to make any decisions,,
I have to admit I would have broke my rule to get a shot at your buck
good luck to you on your next try,, B

[Badly Bent]

It was one of the most memorable hunts in my life, that buck was a true jaw dropping trophy. I witnessed the whole thing unfolding from the tree I was in close by. When the doe passed by me out of range and heading towards Paul and I then saw the buck appear following behind her I couldn't believe what Paul was about to experience on his very first hunt. I was hoping he would notice the buck before he shot the doe and when I looked over at him I could tell by his stance that he was already aware of the approaching buck. Paul you played out those tense 10 minutes perfectly until he presented you the shot, I had a huge grin on my face the whole time as I watched the drama unfold. Some guys would have grown impatient or made the wrong choice on a bad shot angle or given their position away but Pauly played it cool.
The doe was onto him from the get go but Paul remained a statue the whole time and she couldn't figure out if he was a threat or not. As I was watching it I kept saying under my breath, not yet Paul, wait, not yet, he'll follow her and come to you, be patient, almost time, not yet, NOW!  And he took the shot at precisely the right time.
It was amazing to watch, I mean who gets a opportunity on their very first hunt to play the game with a seasoned buck of this caliber. That deer made P&Y with plenty of antler to spare, big time antler mass, long tines and I would guess his main beams had a 20" or better spread. I was grinning the whole time watching it all take place.
Sorry that my buddy didn't connect, but happy to see him have such a great encounter with such a beautiful deer. Hope to get a shot at him myself before the seasons over.

[Knoll]

Paul & Greg . . . ya make a great one/two story-telling punch.

[paulsemp]

Paul & Greg . . . ya make a great one/two story-telling punch.

I'm just glad he was there to witness it. It would not be believable considering it is my first time out.

[blackhawk]

Sweeeeeeet!!! Thats success in my small book...doesnt get any better than that...how long did it take you to stop shaking?... .lol 😁

[DGF]

I'm glad to hear you had a chance to get the fever. Just don't go out expecting that kind encounter every time. That experience sets the bar pretty high!

-Dan

[osage outlaw]

Congratulations Pauly.  You have just become a predator.  It's cool to hear your prospective and experiences as a first time hunter.  I'm glad you had an exciting encounter.  Not every great hunting adventure ends in a kill.  You did good to get that close to a mature buck on public ground.  He didn't get that big by being dumb.  I hope you get another opportunity at him or another deer this season. 

[chamookman]

Hunter for life now - welcome to the club Pauly ! Cool story Guys  - it's always a thrill to be that close to a Mature Whitetail Buck and You get to "play the game". Bob

[Pappy]

Sounds like a great hunt, that is what memories are made off.
 Pappy

[PNewton]

Great story Paul & Greg. Sounds like a good day.

[PEARL DRUMS]

That's why we do it buddy! Great story. Redemption is a fantastic motivator, any seasoned hunter will tell you that. Its the best fertilizer you can sprinkle on a budding hunting career. Every experience teaches you more and more, most of the time you don't even realize it. It just happens and evolves.

Greg, way to go bud. You set him right up, that's what friends are for!

[Blackcoyote]

Pretty damn cool isn't it? The rush never stops.... Sounds like you did everything perfect, as lots of new hunters don't think and rush the shot! Especially glad to read the safety harness part!

Proud of you and Greg, those are some great memories you guys made!

Be patient you'll run an arrow through one soon! Stay safe climbing those trees!