This deer hunting story will bring
back memories for a lot you Pennsylvania hunters. It`s a story for the ages that
took place back in the 1976 season. The place we called “THE CABIN” was located in Northeastern Pa. known
as the Endless Mountains in Sullivan
County on a mountain called THE TYLER. It`s all family,
my father-uncles-brothers-cousins. This place we called home for hunting season
was an old farm house down in the fields and you know where we hunted, that`s
right up on top of – “THE Tyler Mountain”- a good two hour climb - sound
familiar. Lot`s of stories in that old place from deer to rabbits and plain old
everyday life. Some one always had a story, it was a great place in time.
A YEAR TO REMEMBER FOREVER
Deer season in Pa. always opens the
first Monday after Thanksgiving. Well it stared to rain Sunday night, nothing
new, any hunter can tell you that and
it was still raining Monday morning at
4:30 am. So me and my brother looked at each other and said “you ready” let`s
go. Nothing stopped us in them days. I don`t have to tell you we got soaked.
Half way up the mountain it changed over to snow. Got to our stands about 6:30
am, still snowing and getting worse, talk about die hard, that`s us. Now in
those day`s we did not have the game
trail camera`s we have today or maybe our hunting tactics`s would
have been different, especially on a day like today. Well anyway you could`t see
very far, 40 maybe 50 yards. Seen some deer around 7:am, could`t make them out.
There was some shooting here and there, some were close, not bad for the lousy
conditions, always on the first day “right,”you hunter`s know what I`am
talking about. Did`t know at the time but my brother shot at 7:00 am.
NOW THINGS STARTED TO
HAPPEN
It`s now 7:45 am, snowing harder then ever and here comes some deer.
One – two – three – four - all doe, they stopped for a bit, started walking
again, then five – six, the seventh one is a buck – scope was fogged up - snow
covered – but I shot anyway. I knew I missed, shot high, never got on the deer
but they did`t seem to run, so I put another shell in the chamber and it would`t
cock – the bolt was frozen up on my 303 British Enfield with all the rain and
snow. So now what do I do, you guested it, took a walk over to where I shot –
deer were running everywhere. Speaking of deer everywhere, that`s the way it was
in the olden day`s. Remember the trail
camera I mentioned earlier, you probably did`t need one then, not
like today with a lot less deer running around. Okay back to my story. Did`t see
the buck, I knew I missed - what a feeling - first day of deer season - deer
running around and a frozen gun. So I headed over to my brother, remember he
shot at 7:00 am. We call him “Dead Eye” because he don`t miss - figure I get his
gun. Well on the way over he shoot`s again. What was that shot for – fox –
coyote - because in those day`s you are only allowed one deer. Well I was wrong,
he did miss the first buck and got this one, a spike. I told my brother what
happened so he gave me his gun and I headed back to my
stand.
It`s now 1:30 pm: I turn around, there`s a spike buck
looking right at me at 30 yards – open shot – my gun is on my left – deer on the
right – we are staring at each other – I have no choice – went for my gun –
picked it up – turned - kneed down - he`s still standing there – “can`t believe
this” - I fired he takes off like I was shooting blanks. I said what the hell is
going on here, two bucks the first day - two misses - no deer. I was ready to
quit. I walk over where he stood – no deer – no blood – dam. Went back to my
stand thinking about what just happened. You have to be blind to miss a shot like
that. It`s now 3:00
pm, snow has let up quite a bit, so I decided to
go back and look for sign. Well guest what, I was looking in the wrong
direction. When this deer took off, he ran about 40 yards and made a 90 degree
turn. I could see where he knocked snow from the laurel bushes. Then under the
snow, what looked like brown leaves, was blood – a lot of blood – a few inches
of snow covered over any sign but I could follow it. There - maybe 70 yards or
so, laid my buck, snow covered and starting to stiffen up.
HAPPY
HUNTERS
Met my brother at the usual spot at the end of
the day, he had his deer and I had mine. We shook hands and said “let`s get
dragging” – get these deer down the mountain – have a few beers – tell our
stories of today`s hunt. These were the “REAL GOOD OLD
DAY`S” that I will never forget. We are still hunting today and
have many more deer hunting stories like this to share with you hunters. Just
one more day in the woods of a deer hunter, hope there are many more for us and
all you hunter`s a like. We are “Old Die Hard Hunters” -
me and my brother are the only two left now – we are not the modern day hunter`s
of today but if you want stories like this to continue - I guess we have to let
the high tech world of the game
trail camera`s to do the looking and scouting for us. So I say to
all of you HUNTER`S” DON~T GIVE UP <> DON~T EVER GIVE UP <> This Great
Sport Of Deer
Hunting <>
See You In
The Woods !!!!!
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