# First Deer ever!



## colonel594 (Aug 31, 2012)

Well guys, after 3 seasons of deer hunting and coming up empty handed I finally got my first deer ever this morning! 

I knew the weather was gonna get bad quick so I got in the stand at 6:15am and promptly started hitting the doe bleep. After about an hour in stand I had no signs of life and the wind was really kicking up. I was about to the point where I was going to get out because of the wind and then it just died down and went flat. Figured it was worth sitting until the rain started and decided to work the doe bleep for another few minutes and then sit until the rain came in. 

Wasn't even 5 minutes later I see a deer walking down the field edge 70 yards to my dead right. I immediately pulled out my bleep and hit it 2 quick times, the deer stopped dead in its tracks then took 3 more steps forward and turned right at me and came walking into the woods straight towards my stand. 

I saw head gear and knew this guy ment business, that's when instinct took over!! Lol I flipped off my safety on the xbow, stood up and turned to get on him. 50 yards... 30... 20... Holy crap he's RIGHT under my stand in a matter of seconds. I freeze and he looks up directly at me... I think I'm about to loose my chance but he just puts his head back down and walks 15 yards out in front of me. He started to turn to walk away from me and the zone opened up wide, I let out a sharp whistle and he froze in place and I squeezed off. Thumpppppppp... Sounded hollow as could be. He kicked and walked off slowly. I just about fell out of the stand my heart was beating so hard! Actually had to sit back down and get my self together before I climbed down! 

Let him lay for 45 minutes and then went to get him... Needless to say I was even more excited when I got to him and really checked him out!! 

Think I may just quit now... While I'm ahead?! Haha... I absolutely still cannot believe that's my first deer!


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

A real nice deer for your first one , good job . Are u getting it mounted.?


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

Very nice buck congrats on your 1st


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Very nice! That's a heck of a first deer.


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## colonel594 (Aug 31, 2012)

Thanks guys!!

Snag, I was up in the air on getting it mounted, I think I may but havnt decided for sure yet. 

Happy I thought clear enough through the excitement and only split through the first 2 ribs when field dressing. 

Once I got home called a friend who was big into hunting and trapping for 30 years. He doesn't do it anymore but still gets excited about a harvest. He graciously came over and caped the deer for me incase I decide to go with a full shoulder mount.


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## chris1162 (Mar 12, 2008)

Awesome first deer! Congrats!


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Great 1st deer! Going to be hard to beat that one..


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## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

Congrats! Beautiful deer!


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## talltim (Jul 25, 2008)

Congrats, way to stay with it and it paid off big.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Great story! Congrats on the nice buck.


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## jonzun (Jun 11, 2004)

Well Done! Congrats!


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

What a glorious victory in the woods. That buck is mount worthy man....do it.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

YEP,,, Congrats from me too Matt!
Nice pics!
& You didn't even have to hold that head/ rack WAY-OUT,,,,, like you do to your fish!!!


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## bigwayned (Jul 7, 2015)

Congrats on your first deer. Do yourself a favor and get him mounted,you'll regret it if you don't. Some guys hunt their whole life without harvesting a buck like that and he's also your first. Congrats.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

awesome story. you may hunt the rest of your life and never get another buck like your 1st one. I've been hunting since 81 and never had one that nice come in range. CONGRATS on your 1st. persistence paid off for you.

once I was hunting and hadn't seen anything. I was going to hunt until 11:00 am then go in for dinner. when 11:00 rolled around I said I'm going to give it 5 more minutes. then a nice 8 pointer showed up out of nowhere. I took the shot and watched the deer go down. I looked at my watch and it was 11:05 and my hunt was done. if I hadn't decided to stay the extra 5 minutes I wouldn't have got that deer.
sherman


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## eyecatchum2 (Mar 30, 2010)

Congrats on a great first buck.


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## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

Great job. Great story. Great 1st deer. I have been hunting for 40 years and until about 10 days ago, your buck would have been bigger then any buck I have ever harvested. It can happen so fast, that is what makes it so great.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

A beautiful buck!
A 'mounter' for sure.
And for your 1st, you are truly Blessed. I'd mount it in a heartbeat. You'll never forget your 1st buck and every minute of the hunt. While pics are nice, theres nothing like being able to reminisce and look up and actually see the proof of what dedication does. Especially when going through those long drought spells we all experience sooner or later.
Congrats to you!


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

my first deer was a nice little 10 pt buck and he has been my best. and even tho he wasn't near the buck you got he is thought of every time I think about the deer I've harvested. to have your buck mounted is just showing respect for a trophy deer, which you have.
sherman


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Agree sherman...and well written.


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## colonel594 (Aug 31, 2012)

Wow... Thanks for all of the kind words!! I have decided to have fritz over at mosquito mount him for me. Every time I look at it I get a huge grin on my face... Just going to have to do it. 

Got him all butchered up this morning. Next few days will be busy after work. Processing the whole thing myself so we will see how this goes?!! Summer sausage, sticks, a few roast and the straps then anything left will just be ground. 

I estimate I have some where close to 100 pounds of cleaned meat. Looking like I'm gonna be tired by the time thanksgiving gets here!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

You have your work cut out for you. But all that work will surely taste good for a long time.
Have you processed before?
Gonna do your own grinds? If so, are you gonna mix anything(beef, pork) with your grinds.

FWIW, you can estimate your meat by figuring your meat will be about 1/3 the total weight of the deer. And that's picking the carcass clean including all the neck, rib, hock meat etc. for grinds/stew meat. It's more work getting everything and if you have it processed, you won't get this part of the deer. But I always take my time so as little goes to waste as possible. Plus, there's a good bit of meat in the neck.


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Glad to hear you are having him mounted ! Congrats


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## colonel594 (Aug 31, 2012)

I'm probably closer to 70 or 75 pounds of meat then if that equation works out.

I know it's plenty for my first time processing! When I grind it I will be mixing in pork shoulder for the summer sausage and snack sticks. I'm using seasoning kits from cabelas, for the summer sausage it recommends 15 lbs of venison and 10 lbs of fatty pork trimmings. Seems like a lot of pork but I know its probably needed to retain the moisture so I'm going to stick with what the instructions say and make adjustments from there down the road. 

Anyone who does there own snack sticks, do you mix beef or pork fat in with the venison? The instructions don't say that you have to, but I have left over pork and I'm thinking it would help the end texture and flavor. The snack stick kit makes 2 - 10 pound batchs. Thinking of going 6lbs venison and 4lbs pork, is that to heavy on the pork for sticks?


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## lawrence1 (Jul 2, 2008)

Any hunter would be proud of that. Congrats!!!


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## skiff (Feb 18, 2015)

Great story! Brings back memories of my first deer although they certainly were not as nice as yours. That is a beautiful buck!


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## Bowman 08 (Sep 4, 2016)

colonel594 said:


> Well guys, after 3 seasons of deer hunting and coming up empty handed I finally got my first deer ever this morning!
> 
> I knew the weather was gonna get bad quick so I got in the stand at 6:15am and promptly started hitting the doe bleep. After about an hour in stand I had no signs of life and the wind was really kicking up. I was about to the point where I was going to get out because of the wind and then it just died down and went flat. Figured it was worth sitting until the rain started and decided to work the doe bleep for another few minutes and then sit until the rain came in.
> 
> ...


Congrats on your buck he's a nice one


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## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

Congratulations! That is one heck of a first deer man!


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## threeten (Feb 5, 2014)

Way to stay after it and get it done. 
That's a great deer and to be your first make it even greater!
CONGRATS!!
It's a task to process your deer but very satisfying.


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## SKRAMER (Sep 17, 2014)

Nice Deer!


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## colonel594 (Aug 31, 2012)

Thanks guys, so far everything I have mad has come out great. I highly recommend the cabelas jalapeño summer sausage kit, I just followed the directions and added 2 pounds of high temp cheese and it came out fantastic in the smoker!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

colonel594 said:


> Thanks guys, so far everything I have mad has come out great. I highly recommend the cabelas jalapeño summer sausage kit, I just followed the directions and added 2 pounds of high temp cheese and it came out fantastic in the smoker!


That's great colonel594.
Did you get my return PM about calling? Just wondering cause sometimes it seems my PM's don't go out.


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## colonel594 (Aug 31, 2012)

I did, interested in learning how others do theirs. Was felling pressured to get everything packaged up and into the freezer so I just jumped right in and got it done. I ended up using pork butt to cut the venison for the summer sausage, the instructions called for 15lbs venison and 10 pounds of fatty pork. That came out real good so I decided to use the same ratio for the snack sticks and Jerky gun Jerky.... And I think that was the right choice all came out very good!


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

good to hear everything is tasting gooood.

my 1st hunt and my 1st deer was back in 81. I was hunting public property in northern Indiana. the 1st day I was on a dead fall and had a doe and yearling come by me. then I went down in the swamp where the deer had come from next to the river for my afternoon hunt. i have 4 does cross the river right in front of me. the 2nd morning I went back to the river and got up in a tree to hunt. about 9:00 am I saw movement on the other side of the river. it was a nice big doe. it came down to the river then turned to the right. I'm watching her and her back trail. then I see a rack coming down her back trail. he comes down to the river and starts to cross. but the doe grunted and he backed out of the river and turns to the right. I catch him behind some brush and get my gun ready. when he steps out I fire at about 40 yrds. he runs and I lose sight of him. I go down and cross the river. I find my deer about 20 yrds from where I shot him. I dress him out and drag him back across the river. then 2 of my hunting buddies drags him to the road while i go get the van. its cold and I'm wet up to under my arms. by the time I get to the van my snow suit was frozen stiff. I remember this hunt like it was yesterday. and I'm sure in the yrs to come you'll remember your hunt as well as I remember my 1st hunt and 1st kill.
sherman


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