How Old Were You When You Got Your First Deer

[Hickory]

We were poor, but we were happy.

No one is poor if they are happy.

[Drephus]

October 1st 1992.. opening day of bow season .. Was 26....

[Bigslug]

This fall, I will be 41 and still trying to lose my deerginity.

Too much real life cut down the field time in my early years, & living in an area with a 3% or less success rate doesn't help.

However, THIS IS THE YEAR! Two tags for local deer zones (the archery-only one is either sex), plus Colorado deer & elk in November. It may well be me, but SOMETHING'S gonna die this fall!

[quilbilly]

I was 15 in Southern California. A friend and I backpacked into what is now the condor refuge. He and I were on the mountain top enjoying the morning view of Ojai, Ca and the Pacific and there he was, a forkie. Carried him out on a pole between our backpacks 6 miles.

[Bullfrog]

I was in my 30's and I have not hunted since because my hunting group disbanded. I had gone alone a few times, but because of blizzards I was forced to leave early. I still enjoyed the being out in the mountains more than the actual harvest if that makes sense : )

[WRideout]

I was 15 in Southern California. A friend and I backpacked into what is now the condor refuge. He and I were on the mountain top enjoying the morning view of Ojai, Ca and the Pacific and there he was, a forkie. Carried him out on a pole between our backpacks 6 miles.

I spent my wasted youth in those same foothills. It was the best part of living in So Cal. Better than the beach.

Wayne

[veeman]

November 17th, 1988, I was 25, basket rack 6 point, with a broken Stevens 12 gauge. Never seen a deer gutted before, hung it from the rafters of an old shed, gutted it with a kitchen steak knife. What a mess. 44 deer later and still love huntn deer, and I've learned how to properly gut a deer too!

[Bored1]

29. Got my first deer this year with a muzzleloader. Didn't start hunting until this last winter. Learned alot trying to get her too! If your trying to bow hunt from a stand with metal arms, STAND UP before you see the deer!!!! had a shot at a doe less than 20yrds from me, tried to stand up like a ninja to take the shot, somehow she didn't see me stand but then I turned to take the shot and CLANG bow hit the stand seat arms! Luckily enough 2 months later I was in a stand about 30 yrds from the other and facing the other way and the same doe came within about 30 yrds. Didn't have to stand this time bc I had my muzzleloader. I will never forget that afternoon. Shot her @ 417pm and it gets dark here in NE around 5pm in decemeber which mmade for an awfully interesting time trying to track her down.... Coyotes howling the entire time while we track her down a ravine and up the other side of a creek bottom trying not to fall and break something.

[Silver Hand]

I was not old enough to drive.
I left the east to hunt and fish and to raise my family. Oh and work when I could find it, every day I could find it. There was not much of that for an outsider or a stray I was called back then. I made the woods a good part of my life and paid close attention and care in my hunting. Tags were money spent and almost never was one not filled during the legal season.
I Never did poach game myself but knew of some of the old timers that never had a use for store bought meat.

[Krfresno]

My first was at 21 in California. Generally low success rate in the areas that were available to me. Took it during a special late season either sex muzzleloader hunt on the coast. 50 caliber round ball clean though. One jump and down. Boned it out on the kitchen counter of my collage apartment.

One of my roommates was from Oakland and did not understand anything about rural or outdoor life. He new i was hunting but never thought about me being successful. He woke up from late friday night activities and came out to find me at work in the kitchen. The look on his face was priceless. I was respectful of him. My other roommates not so much.

[Silver Hand]

My first was at 21 in California. Generally low success rate in the areas that were available to me. Took it during a special late season either sex muzzleloader hunt on the coast. 50 caliber round ball clean though. One jump and down. Boned it out on the kitchen counter of my collage apartment.

One of my roommates was from Oakland and did not understand anything about rural or outdoor life. He new i was hunting but never thought about me being successful. He woke up from late friday night activities and came out to find me at work in the kitchen. The look on his face was priceless. I was respectful of him. My other roommates not so much.

Few people hung there bucks off the fire escape in NYC. I thought it a natural thing to do.

[xd4584]

No one is poor if they are happy.

Wow. That is the truth. It may take us 'males' longer to realise that, but it is the truth

[Plate plinker]

Probably 27 years with a dodge truck. Then 35 years with a 40 s&w. Both were in self defense.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Still haven't gotten one here, only been deer hunting once, over a decade ago. A friend with a farm finally invited me to come hunt this fall, yesterday! I might engage the muzzleloader to get a jump on gun season...

[eric123]

I was 12 years old. Shot it with my 1894 Winchester 25-35. The gun had a half octagon, half round barrel. It was a small doe, but was delicious.

[John in WI]

16---three days after getting my lic. and driving my mom's Dodge Caravan!

[Huntducks]

I was 10 shot it with md 99 Savage in 300 Sav.

[Wis. Tom]

I was 15 and shot an 8 pointer with a Wincester 218 bee, that my father gave me for my 14th birthday. He told me you don't need much gun, if you hit them where you are aiming. Great day, and I still have that gun 40 some years later.

[bulet shotter]

I just turned 60 on the 10th and I shot my first deer at 16 with a 20ga.single,this was in 1968, shot,missed him with the first shot ,and got him with the second. I still have the 20 ga.,my first gun,and I have the horns of the little 6 pointer that I shot that day ,hunting all buy my self. I have shot numerious deer over the years,and have forgot about a lot of them ,but I will never forget the first deer I ever shot. The horns still are on a board in my reloading room and every time I go in to reload I look at the special buck that gave his life to me that day. And I wonder what would I have done if I had missed that second shot. Jerry

[bowhunter]

mine was with a 410 single barrel, here in sc hunting deer with dogs has always been a southern tradition. i don't do it now but many people do and when i was a boy my dad did, and any other way he could hunt . well back then there was no buckshot for a 410 so my dad emptyed out bird shot and filled some shells with split lead fishing sinkers. he would not let me on a stand alone i had to be with him. the dogs ran a four point buck our way and the deer stoped where i could see him but dad could not. the deer looked at me and i could see he was a buck, i told dad he was a buck and he said are you sure, i said yes. the deer stood there looking at me the whole time! oh and one other thing he would not let me keep my gun loaded.
he said put a shell in the gun and shoot! i did the deer ran and a short chase with the dogs and they found him dead. i was around 10 years old. i think 3 shot hit him out of i think 7 in the shell. i am 55 now and after decades of deer hunting and well over 100 deer later i still remember this like yesterday. my dad died in 96 he was a great man to me and my family, he taught me to hunt, fish and be honest. before he died i got saved by the grace of GOD then i taught him about GOD and he got saved before he left us. but thank GOD it will only be a short time and i will see him again. GOD has been way good to me!