Archery black tail deer in the Sierras

runtohunt

Handloader
Mar 7, 2012
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This last weekend was archery opener in the sierras. My wife Melissa's third archery season, she was pretty wound up to get her first buck. During the first morning, she was covered in deer--7 bucks to be exact. Unfortunately they were behind her and she could not see them as the back window to the tent blind was closed--a lesson that we both learned from. As they fed off over a rise, a gimpy little buck with a spike that stuck straight up on the right and a tiny 1" fork on the left came in and practically climbed into the blind with her. I wish I had a camera as he placed his nose through the front window. I suppose that we have our scent control under control! He slowly fed back into a creek bottom adjacent to the area that we were sitting.

That evening, Melissa assumed her position in the blind and I sat about 70 yards to her right and about 40 yards in front of her in some bushes. After sitting for about 30 minutes, fat little 3x2 came into view and began feeding about thirty yards to the left of Melissa. After about 15 minutes the buck bolted. I could hear a dog barking in the distance and figured that the barking scared the buck off. Twenty minutes later Melissa was standing next to me. I told her get back in the blind that the deer would come back out any minute now that the dog had stopped barking. With a smile, she said she could get back into the blind but that it might be hard to find the deer that she had just stuck!

I am so very proud of my wife. 13 years ago when we married, she did not have any interest in hunting and did not want to see any of my fire arms around. At one point, I had an oil skin Browning hat that she loved to wear until she found out that Browning produced firearms. Now we have four beautiful children who all want "buck" for dinner. Last night while we ate the tenderloins. My third child Audrey told Melissa, "Thank you for shooting a buck for dinner Mommy. Will you take me to shoot a buck when I am old enough?" With a smile Melissa said, "I sure will!"
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Oh yes, I shot a fat little forky myself
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Very NICE RTH! That is something to be treasured for a long time! Way to go! Congrats to Melissa as well. She did really well!
 
Great job, Melissa; congratulations to both of you on some fine venison. That is great to hear of your children asking about hunting.
 
Congrats to you and your wife. My wife will be going into her 4th year of bowhunting and loves every minute of it.
 
Thanks to all of you. I will let Melissa know. I actually had more fun watching deer work around the blind while she was in there than I did while I was in the blind after she was done. The look on her face when our children congratulated her was amazing. I can't wait till my children take to the woods with bow in hand. I think that next year we will purchase a little bigger blind so that I can be in there with her and catch some footage of the hunt.
 
Congratulations to both of you, it is neat to hear how far your wife has come in the 13 years you have been married. Those deer are going to taste great :)
 
Congratulations Melissa. I lived and hunted in California for 12 years and got very few bucks with a rifle!
 
Melissa and RTH,

Congratulations to both of you on a couple of dandy freezer bucks.

FWIW, my oldest daughter, now 26, coined the phrase "Spike Horn Steak" at age three.
She started deer hunting 2 years ago and now has 2 bucks to her credit. I am very proud of her and I am sure you are just as proud of your lovely bride.

Nicely done buddy!

JD338
 
"Spike horn steak!" That is great! I love it. She now has the bow bug. She was talking about buying a second deer tag, but we leave for Wy antelope in a little over a month and need to get her (and certainly me too) shooting at some distance. Her Rem 700 in 257 roy now wears a McSwirly of her own design set up for her short little arms. Should be much more comfortable for her to shoot.
Long before I met Melissa, I always wanted a woman who would hunt with me. When she came along, I was content to have a best friend who fished. Now... I am a blessed man!
 
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