Oct. 15th - Second Successful Deer Hunt!

Oct. 15^th

Often times a repeat of an event leaves a lack of luster.  The original experience stands as a benchmark that rarely is overcome.  With the passage of time, memories tend to sweeten, and what was originally pleasant is thought of as ecstatic.  That in and of itself is not a bad thing.  Like the pain of child birth the discomfort vanishes, and the only the glory remains fixed in memory.

Hunting and hunting stories are a lot like this.  The whole concept of an oral history tradition comes from hunting.  (Along with it, the resulting inaccuracies of history and the coloring of the transcript).  When the story slams up against a second chance to relive the experience the result is typically disappointment. 

With this knowledge I prepared to leave for my annual Southern California deer hunt.  A hunt that I had finally experienced success on, the previous year.  The memories of bagging my first California buck after five years of trying still bounced around in my head as a vividly as yesterday, and I was not eager to spoil the “perfection” of that event.

Rather than spike camp as I had the previous year I decided instead to wake up early…really early….and head up to my little hunting area about an hour before day light.  Oct. 13^th was opening day for General Rifle Season and I knew from a previous scouting trip that there were deer present….how many remained a mystery though. 

That mystery cleared up pretty quickly. 

As I drove up to my usual place, I passed two bucks literally standing in the road.  One a nice youngster, the other a mature buck.  It was dark, and I am ashamed to say that the first thought that crossed my mind was how I could shoot one of these guys on the spot  and justify 1) illegally shooting from a road, and 2) illegally shooting before the season officially opened up. 

(Deer season begins at first light on the second Sat. in the month of Oct.  First light is defined as enough natural light to safely identify a buck.  This was not first light….it was about 5 am, and completely dark out.  The only light that was present came from the head lights on my truck ….not exactly “natural”.)

Fortunately my ethical dilemma solved itself.  The bucks ran off.

I drove to my usual parking spot and geared up for my hike to a predetermined blind.  I made sure to also take my shooting sticks this year.  Last year I made a 175 yard shot from the kneeling position.   The shot was true, but I didn’t like the risk I had to take in making it.  This year I would have sticks…just in case.

I found the same nice rock I sat on last year.  There were more chaparral bushes around it this time,…that worked…it gave a little bit more concealment. 

There I sat quiet for an hour as I waited for the sun to work its way up on the horizon. 

About 6:10 I started bleating. 

This is a mimicked sound of a fawn in distress.  The idea is that a buck in the area will come to investigate. 

Sure enough, after a couple of bleats I saw a deer pop up from the canyon and start cautiously making it’s way towards me.  I grabbed my binoculars.  It was still too dark for me to accurately identify if it was a buck or a doe.  I raised my rifle and acquired the deer in my scope.  Still too dark.  I was sure I saw antlers on it…but I could not be 100% sure.  Damn it!  I started calling too early.  This had to be a buck!  But ethically I just couldn’t shoot.

It came with in 25 yards of me.  Now the sun was cresting the horizon and I was relived that I had not shot.  She was a doe.  I bleated again and she strained to see where the “fawn” was in the bushes. 

Well…this might work out.  A doe might serve as an enticement to a buck about to enter the sexual frenzy of the rut.  It is still a little early for the rut…but hey…you never know!

Sure enough, about 15 minutes later as the doe continued to casually feed in front of me I saw a beast of a buck charging towards us about 600 yards out.

I glassed it with my binoculars and almost had a heart attack.  Our deer in Southern California are small.  Antlers and also pretty small, never really exceeding small forks over the eyes.  This guy approaching was huge…and his antlers were down right respectable!

Not a bad buck for Southern California!

I watched as he approached and started to prepare myself.  Suddenly he disappeared behind a small hill.  I raised my rifle and prepared for him to come out on the far side.  Two minutes later it stood majestically in  my scope…a perfect left shoulder presentation, 90 yards away. 

I shot, and he went down.

This deer was “perfect”.  This deer hunt was “perfect” too.  Artemis had smiled on the poor fool again…two years in a row.  While the first hunt had taught me about perseverance….this one taught me about patience and ethics. 

I had two chances to “do the wrong thing”.  One, when I encountered the bucks on the road on the drive in.  Second, when I could have ignored the mandate to “know your target” and illegally shot the doe.

When I did see the buck, I could have fired immediately..(and probably missed)…rather than waiting for the buck to close the distance.

So here he is, right before I started skinning him.  This picture gives a better shot of his antlers.

So now the freezer is full for another year…and my memories will continue to “improve” until next years adventure!