Working at the Farm - Took a few I-Phone Pics
- Thread starter Native Hunter
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
TC, I will tell the story of that buck, and I think you will see why I appreciate having a place to hunt on my own land now.
Back in those days, we had no deer in our part of the country. Before the hunt I'm telling you about, we had hunted another spot with a relative near Mammoth Cave the year before, and I had killed a doe but had never taken or even seen a buck.
There was public land 40 minutes from home around Lake Cumberland where there were a few deer. My dad and I scouted out a place to hunt there. We actually found the spot we wanted to hunt while we were fishing. We noticed this place on the lake bank where deer came down a long point to the water. We went back several times, scouted it out and hung our makeshift stands. There is a lot of public land there that is open to hunting, but it is steep and rough.
So, we not only had to make the long drive, we also had to launch our boat and cross the lake in the dark to find our spot. We tied the boat off and climbed the big hill and then walked a good distance to our stands. On the first morning of season, dad put me in my stand about 30 minutes before daylight, and he went on to his.
Just after daylight, that deer appeared about 100 yards from me on top of a ridge. I was hunting with the 243 Remington 700 that dad had given to me and put the crosshairs in the boiler room. When I pulled the trigger, the deer took off like lightning and I managed to get off one more shot before he went out of sight. I felt I had made a good shot, but my heart sank because it looked like he was gone for good.
In a few seconds, dad came running and we found a few spots of blood. My heart was pounding like a jackhammer as we went off in the direction the deer ran. Just when I had given up, dad yelled - "I see him." There he was about 85 yards from where the shot was made. We field dressed him, drug him back to the boat and made the long trip home.
The picture you see above was made on my farm after we got home, where my grandparents lived at the time. Ironically, all of the deer we have harvested on my farm (including Herman Munster) fell within 50 yards of where that picture above was taken. So, I guess the deer from 40 miles away was an omen of good things to come.
We continued to do cattle farming on the place until about 6-7 years ago. We have only been seriously hunting the place for about 4 years. This will be the 7th year since the NWSGs were installed and the tree planting a few years before that. It took quite a bit of time for these things to start making any difference.
I think of those old days and how things have changed so much. I would give up every deer in the world to have my grandparents back again, but I know they are happy looking down seeing us enjoying the old home place so much now. My grandfather died in 1981 just months before my son was born. I know he would have loved to have been there last year when my son took his first deer from our place.
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TexOk
Active Member
Well darn, sounds like they got the two shipments mixed up then!
Love the old pic, what a great trip down memory lane!
That's a great story Native...Thanks for sharing!
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Not sure how I missed that story on the "now defunct" forum but I'm glad you posted here. Interesting thing about old hunting pics, or old pics of any sort with any significance, is they take us back for an instant and we relive all that happened around the events of the pic. I am sure you can remember the taking of the pic like it was yesterday! You are a blessed man for having a father that took the time to take you hunting. And...you were a darn good looking youngun! I'm sure you still have that gun, right? If so, do you or your son hunt with it?
One of my bucket list items is to visit the grounds of Native Hunter!!! Another is to eat one of lak's mater sammiches.
One of my bucket list items is to visit the grounds of Native Hunter!!! Another is to eat one of lak's mater sammiches.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Thanks TC and Johnny,
Glad you guys enjoyed the story. We hunted at that place another year or so, and I ended up killing another 11 point that was a nice deer even by today's standards. I still have the original mount of that deer. After that I was more interested in girls and fast cars for a few years, but got back into deer hunting while dating my wife. They had some family land that was decent hunting and by that time we did start getting a few deer in the area around home, so I also hunted some on my dad's land.
I kept on using that 243 until several years after my wife and I were married and then graduated to a larger rifle. My son used that gun to take his first gun buck, but he had already taken one with a muzzle loader before that. Naturally, I still have the 243 and will pass it on to my son.
By the time he was born, we had some pretty good hunting places, but nothing like owning your own hunting land. Now, it is a big thing for the two of us to hunt our land together from the tower blind I built. We really enjoy that special time together. That's why I built it - so we could hunt together. Dad still likes to hunt coyotes, but he pretty much sits out deer season and just waits for a call from us to come with the tractor. And yes TC - I am a blessed man because of dad for sure. He is my hero!
Glad you guys enjoyed the story. We hunted at that place another year or so, and I ended up killing another 11 point that was a nice deer even by today's standards. I still have the original mount of that deer. After that I was more interested in girls and fast cars for a few years, but got back into deer hunting while dating my wife. They had some family land that was decent hunting and by that time we did start getting a few deer in the area around home, so I also hunted some on my dad's land.
I kept on using that 243 until several years after my wife and I were married and then graduated to a larger rifle. My son used that gun to take his first gun buck, but he had already taken one with a muzzle loader before that. Naturally, I still have the 243 and will pass it on to my son.
By the time he was born, we had some pretty good hunting places, but nothing like owning your own hunting land. Now, it is a big thing for the two of us to hunt our land together from the tower blind I built. We really enjoy that special time together. That's why I built it - so we could hunt together. Dad still likes to hunt coyotes, but he pretty much sits out deer season and just waits for a call from us to come with the tractor.
And yes TC - I am a blessed man because of dad for sure. He is my hero!
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Thanks Fish. I hope its a good year. I would like for my son to get one of our mature bucks. I think he has his eye on Abby....
HB_Hunter
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing the pic and the story Native! I'm guessing you were hunting the DBNF. Dad spend most of his time hunting LBL back then and would get permission to hunt farms around central KY before we had a hunt-able population on the farm in the mid 90s.
The opener is quickly approaching! Do you hunt much in September?
The opener is quickly approaching! Do you hunt much in September?
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
HB, I had to temporarily give up bow hunting a few years ago because my work (and the shooting competitions I got in to) just wouldn't allow me to do it the way I wanted to. I just didn't have the time. But that will change someday and I will get back into it Good Lord willing. Now, I have a place worth bowhunting on too, and that makes me want to get back into it even more. My old bow is a PSE Fireflight, so you know how outdated I am.
When I get started back, I guess we will need a new bow.We do smokepole and rifle right now, and I really enjoy that.
We also did some hunting years ago at LBL like you mentioned.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
It was the "wildwood flower." I know you have heard that song. I can pick it for you on the guitar....
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
That's for sure lak. The family land connection is strong for me.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Thanks Bt. Our first buck is the one I think we all remember the most vividly.
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
That pic of you is 1969 is great, nice deer!!! Great story about the boat hunt. Back in the 80's I used to hunt an island in the Mississippi river. Had some interesting and sporty rides in the dark
People who have never been in a boat at night in a dense fog won't know what you are talking about. I do.
It's amazing how easy it is to get lost on the water on a foggy night.
Fish
Well-Known Member
I had a few duck hunts like that traversing the river in pea soup fog. Theres a pucker factor there that i dont miss.People who have never been in a boat at night in a dense fog won't know what you are talking about. I do.
It's amazing how easy it is to get lost on the water on a foggy night.
Dont let them get to you about the hat. I wore a Jones cap until I was 18 or so.
