First Deer At Age 67... And First Drag of Same Deer For ⅓ Mile At Age 67!

Larry Eckart

Four Pointer
Guys,
Last year was my first year deer hunting. I was not successful. I used a shotgun and slugs. I was not confident in my groupings. This past summer I bought a CVA muzzle loader. Now I had confidence in my aim. Now I just needed to learn from all my deer mistakes last year!

Since the opening of muzzle loader season for Wake County I have probably hunted ten times with no success. I’ve had a blast scouting and hunting. I’ve seen deer but none that offered a good shot. I usually followed the pattern of scout, hunt morning, hunt evening, scout again.

One thing is for sure about my personality and deer hunting: sitting still for long periods is not my forte!!

Today I tried a new strategy: instead of setting up in one spot that I previously scouted and staying in that one spot, I planned to “mobile stand hunt.” I took my three legged chair, my bipod, my gun and a little hip pack. My plan was to walk in a short distance, sit for 30 minutes, then walk in a ways more as quietly as possible. Sit again. Repeat through the morning.

Around 8:30 I spotted my first deer that I evidently spooked. Be more careful Larry! I began working northwest with the wind coming from the south. The cover was good. Not thick but certainly not open in this creek bottom on game land. Lots of oaks. Grey squirrels were having a convention.

Around 10:00 I spotted a doe with an injured leg walking towards me about 125 yards away. The cover was too thick to shoot. The doe was upwind. After flirting around in one place the doe gradually moved back the way it came, tail wagging without alarm.

I walked closer and sat for a while, hoping that doe would return. It did not. I walked to where the deer was browsing and found acorn caps all over the ground from the red oak trees nearby. I realized those trees were hot for deer. I backed away, found a spot to sit and decided to remain there for an hour. 15 minutes later the following happened:

I heard a noise over my left shoulder that I assumed was a squirrel. No. It was a buck that managed to walk within 25’ of my left shoulder and downwind at that. What the heck? When I turned he was as startled as me. He took off but for some reason stopped and looked back at me about 30 yards away. I couldn’t believe it. I drew up my muzzle loader, sighted quickly , and for whatever reason, he still didn’t run. I shot. He reeled from the impact ran 30 yards and dropped. Amazing! All this at 11:00. All this in about 30 seconds!

Ah! Don’t run over and look at the deer Larry. Just sit there. I wrote this report sitting there in the woods in the moments after the shot.

15 minutes later I walked over to open eyes. Smile. Satisfaction.

I’ve cleaned many an animal before but never a deer. I would say I did OK but not great. The drag out with a jet sled, 1/3 mile, was not too bad. I just stopped whenever my bones got tired. I must say I’m not sure I would be able to drag a 200 pounder.

Thanks for the encouragement many of you gave me in the past year.

Larry

30 yard shot; 30 yard recovery.
80 grains by volume Blackhorn 209
240 grain Hornady XTP
CVA Optima

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45/70 hunter

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Congrats!! Nice write up, I saw the deer over my shoulder lol. Deer do strange things we can't explain. You just witnessed one of many. Enjoy the eats!
 

dfitzy

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Larry great to see and read of your success. Thanks for posting. I am taking a gentleman from my church out soon who is 70 and it’s his first year hunting. I will have to share your story with him.
 

Hunterreed

Twelve Pointer
Great story and glad you succeeded, I remember your posts from last year. I might think differently if it was my first but I'm 51 and no way am I shooting a deer that I would have to drag that far you are doing good. Well maybe a 150" buck would change my mind but I wouldn't do it alone. Congratulations on the first
 
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