Hunting The Elusive Whitetail Buck

Deer hunting is one of those things that as a kid were THE vital step into man hood. At least where I was raised, Pendleton County West Virginia. It really all started as I watched my dad, and a couple of my uncles getting ready to go out, in frigid weather, bundled up to keep out the cold. I can remember them going almost like it was yesterday. We all met at the "old farm house", wood burning stove, fire going, the smells, the "lies" being told, some of you can relate, some of you will hate me for killing deer!

Anyway, I can vividly remember those things with great fondness. The men would go out and hunt, most of the morning, sometimes into the day, and eventually someone would come home with a deer, a buck. I am going to be honest with you, I never saw any HUGE (Muy Grande) deer killed, or maybe I can't remember them. I do however remember the stories of those "seen" and of course missed. Funny how "missed" deer were never missed because of the expert shooters it was always some outside force, gun jammed, sights being off, etc...

Now if you've ever been out hunting, you probably started much like I did. I started much like my nephew who just started last year hunting with his grand dad. He went out with grand dad hunting squirrels, never a formidable foe, yet they can be a challenge. As a young man there is nothing like the first time out and the killing of game. So as a youngster myself, I can remember those days of the "men" going out and hunting.

Then after a year or two of "proving yourself" you get to go out on your own! I can take you to the exact spot I sat on "the old flat". The flat is a "semi-flat" spot that leads to the base of the mountain. It has a "flatter" spot than the rest, of the area, therefore, "the flat". I sat in a spot that I was told was a great spot, and the "guys" have seen deer there before. Side Note: Not sure if when you are told, "this is the spot" "we have seen deer all the time", if that is true or just the spot everyone wants you in to know exactly where you are and keep tabs on you, or if it is a "great spot".

Anyway, the morning started off with breakfast, cooked by mom, my aunts, and grandma. It was, as usual a GREAT BREAKFAST! Man could grandma cook. So can mom and my aunts, but there is something about grandmas coking. It seemed as though grandma was in charge, but allowed everyone to "do their thing".

After that "the walk" to my ground stand, under an old cedar, at (basically) the base of "the flat".  Now, you've got to sit still, quite, and in FREEZING temps.  I got to my "stand" before daylight. 

Somewhere around daylight I hear a noise behind me, not a crashing noise, nothing loud, just a noise that didn't fit the "usual noises" in the woods.  I had my back against the tree and had to turn and look behind me to see what was there.  I looked to my left, slowly, and there he was!!  A HUGE buck with a very nice "rack" (antlers, for those that don't know) and the crazy thing about deer, especially male, older, bucks is that if you move and make any noise, they can pick you out (visually) almost immediately.

I then had to decide what to do, having never done this before, and having to do something quickly, I rolled to my left, onto my stomach, took my rifle off safe, drew a bead and watched as the buck prang into evasion action as fast as a buck can.  Within a second or two, GONE!  WOW, my heart was pounding as if I had run a mile or two, yet had almost not moved.  Part of the saga.  That was the beginning of a lifelong love of hunting and the outdoors. 

My son has fallen hard into the same mold.  He is one of the most, if not the most dedicated outdoorsman I have the privilege to know.  I hesitate to say that I am rather proud that he will carry on the legacy of the Great Outdoors, and the search for the Muy Grande.

One of the great things about deer season, for me and I think many others, is the gathering of family and friends before opening day and the antics that go along with them.

For several years during my hunting escapades we had a friend of my dads that was a main stay of our adventures.  On opening day, somewhere normally around 4AM, our friend Jim would be up before everyone else, and he felt it necessary to wake everyone!  However Jim had a VERY unique way of waking us.  Jim had a deer call, I think that is what is was, the kind that you blow “gently” into, yet if you blew hard into it, it made a sound similar to a crazed wounded duck (if there is such a sound).  Jim would gently creep into your room, stand in your doorway, and blow that sucker LOUDLY.

We have not had Jim hunting with us in years, and we actually miss him! 

The morning of the first day everyone talks about where they are going.  For where I hunt in West Virginia, it is an old farm (my dad and his brother, my uncle, were born and raised on this farm) and we basically hunt what we call “the flat”, or you go to the top of the mountain, but you’d better be prepared.  There is not an “easy” way to the top, and no “easy” way, back down.  Killing one on the top will test your manhood.

I killed a really great buck there several years ago.  I had been hunting a spot (a ground stand) on “the flat” on the opening day.  The morning of the first day I was in the stand about 40 minutes before day break, it was cold, around 13 degrees.  I saw several deer before day light and could not tell what they were, other than they were deer.  After day break, I saw several more, all I saw that morning went UP the mountain. 

That evening I was in the same “stand” and just after sunset, and when it became too dark to get a shot in my rifle scope, several deer came down the same way they had gone up.

The following morning I was in the same stand and at about the same time, deer went under my stand and UP the mountain.  At that point I was settled that at some point I was going to have to go UP!  One thing that is known in the “the valley” is that my granddad was known for killing HUGE bucks.  Fact is, he was in an issue of Field and Stream, and even got an award for one he killed.  My dad has the deer rack from that MONSTER, and a badge or pin from F&S to prove it.  I’ll get a photo of the rack for on here. 

So, the next morning after the deer went up, so did I.  I had actually borrowed a rifle from a friend in Georgia, a 6mm.  It had a great scope and was very accurate.  So, back to the hunt.  I climbed to the top.  Now let me tell you that it was another cold morning and I was wearing long underwear, jeans, and insulated coveralls.  I got to the top and moved to my right, onto some rocks.  I had been there about 9-10 minutes when I heard something coming from my left making a good bit of noise, a deer running noise.  I froze to see a doe (a female deer) running in my direction.  If I had spooked her she certainly would not run my direction so my first thought was, “something (a buck maybe) must be chasing her.  She ran past me and a couple seconds later, that’s right, a beautiful 8 point buck, maybe 200lbs, came at me. 

Where I was standing, he could not see me.  I was standing on top on a group of rocks and dead in front of me were two VERY large rocks, almost square, with a space between them of about 4 feet.  The buck ran behind the first rock and I raise my rifle in preparation, and…

Well that buck stopped almost exactly between the tow rocks and gave me a perfect broad side shot.  I was already up and ready, I put the scope crosshairs on him and, well the rest (for him) is history. 

Hunting is a great American past time that must be passed, out of joy and passion, down to future generations. 

I will tell you later the difficulties of getting a deer off the mountains without rope, knife, or preparations.