My First Mule Deer

This year I was the only one in our family who got a deer tag! Josh was about in tears when he found out that he didn't draw a single tag! However, he couldn't wait to take me hunting! As many of you know, my husband was gone for about 2 1/2 months, but made sure to come back right before the hunt! He was so excited to go hunting, but my hunt didn't start until Monday October 5th, so he had to work a couple of days before taking off to go hunting! We left Wednesday afternoon and were really in no hurry to get to his parents house, but then the phone call came! "Josh a rancher has had four really nice bucks coming into his pasture for the past couple of nights around 4:00pm you better hurry up and get here!" Needless to say, Josh sped the entire way to his parents! We jumped out and dropped the kids off and grandma's and got in the truck and left. I didn't have my hunting clothes or boots on and really didn't expect to get a deer! We left his parent's around 4:20pm and thank goodness we only had to go about 20 minutes up the road. We picked up my father-in-law, Kelly, and headed for the field where the bucks had been seen. Originally we were going to take the 4-wheeler, but we didn't have time to load it, so off we went a hiking. It was a nice evening and we started hiking around the mountains behind the field where the bucks had been seen. We didn't see anything, but there were tons of tracks everywhere. We hiked for a little while and then decided to sit down and glass the mountain. Josh wasn't too happy when he didn't see anything. Then 4 really nice bucks popped up and all I heard was, "Holy crap that is a monster!!" He let me look and they looked like nice bucks, but they were so far away that it was really hard to tell! Well, he drew up a game plan or should I say "hunting plan"! We waited until the bucks dropped down into the canyon and out our view and booked it up this other mountain. Josh then tells me, "From here on out we have to be super quiet!" I thought I was being quiet, but apparently I was going to fast up the mountain and he had to keep pulling on my jeans to slow me down! What can I say, I was excited and my heart was racing so fast!

We get to almost where we needed to be and Josh tells me to get my gun ready to fire because they are going to be right there when get to the top! Now I am really nervous, but excited at the same time! We get to the top and found NOTHING there! What the heck, where did they go! They weren't moving that fast, so we figured they would be there, but we were wrong. Josh tells me to stay where I am and he was going to see if they were further down the wash! Sure enough there they were and they had picked up 3 other nice size bucks! He tells me to hurry up! I am carrying my rifle and sprinting across a mountain top trying to not trip and fall and shoot my husband in the process! I am sure I looked so graceful! I got to Josh and was ready to fire, but he told me to calm down and take a deep breath! I was so afraid I was going to miss my shot! Thank goodness there was a nice big rock to rest my rifle on! Josh pointed out the buck that he wanted me to shoot, but it wasn't that cut and dry! I had a military sight on my rifle instead of a scope, so it was really hard to see the deer! They looked really small and it was getting dark, so I just hope I would hit where I needed too! I fired my first shot and hit him and really wounded him! I was shooting a 223 and ended up shooting him 6 times out of 8 total shots! We knew he was wounded really bad by the first shot, but we were worried he would get away, so I kept shooting! Needless to say, in the end we got him. I will say that I did a big boo boo and shot his antler one of those times! Lets just say it was good I was shooting a 223 and not something bigger! I can't tell you the adrenaline rush I was on! I was so excited and was so happy about my first buck!

It was getting so dark and it was a long way to drag him back to the truck, so we came back and got him the next morning! The boys loved it! The very first thing Tag did was touch his eyeball...so disgusting! Then both Ty and Tag were trying to ride on him and petting him! They were so proud of mom! I had a great time and am now excited for my next hunt! We called my dad to tell him the news and he was so excited and that made me happy! He told me that I had to get it mounted, so that is what we did! Now daddy and the boys can be jealous and have something to aim for! Josh and my brothers said they were all jealous because they have been hunting their whole lives and have never shot anything so nice! I blame it all on my hot hunting guide...I definitely needed him there with me! Let's just say it was a HUGE turn on for him!! I think it was a win-win situation!!