Thread: 'buck fever'

Hi guys.
Thought I'd share a quick story for the newbies to hunting and how easy it is to get over excited at the sight of the prey .
Out with my boy we found a nice spot on a raised knob overlooking what could be best described as a bowl.
Had been sat a wee while and finally noticed when it moved , what we thought was a branch sticking up on a felled tree was actually the head of a fallow bedded up behind said log at around 130 mtrs distance.
Now we were out specifically for my lad to get his first deer. He has taken many goats, possums etc over the years so was not new to the game. I have always taught him not to pull the trigger unless hundy percent confidant he can make a clean kill. Bearing in mind this teaching he didn't want to take a headshot , so I was happy he had taken on board what I had told him. I offered to take the shot but no, this one was his.
So we got him laying behind the 7mm08 we had at the time and I parked next to him with my rifle and we both watched and waited for it to stand for the broadside shot. And we waited...and waited... and waited.
Finally after over an hour it casually stood up, not a care in the world , perfect broadside.
I thought after sitting for over an hour any excitement or adrenaline would have burnt off through sheer boredom if nothing else. He was perfectly relaxed moments before and we had been whispering and joking away the whole time we had been parked there. We even had breakfast.
But no. He panicked and pulled the trigger. Boom , no tell- tale thud of impact. Deer wanders into the bush at a slow trot so couldn't have even been close. I could have taken it but decided not to and the lesson learned about the one that got away was more valuable.
He was adamant he hit it so went searching for signs of a hit I already knew hadn't happened and of course there was none.
Then it was all the rifle's fault so I made him shoot at a fist sized rock on the way out at same range to prove the gun was good , which of course he hit no problem.
So two weeks later back there again. Same situation, slightly different spot. Fallow broadside feeding at same range. set up above on another rise. Take your time Bud....relax and concentrate on your breathing...all the time in the world... you can do this...youve done it before on plenty of goats... aim at a specific point on the shoulder , not just at the deer...you can do this...Boom goes the 7.08 . No thud. Once again no idea where the round went. The deer runs off up the hill. Not going to let this one get away so as it slows and steps into a small clear patch just before disappearing over the top I drop it with a quartering shot through the engine room with my 338 at around 250 odd mtrs. Which just upset the lad even more....
So the following weekend rolls around. Exact same spot as last weekend. No deer but 3 good sized pigs wandering up the same hillside weaving in and out of the scrub.
Quickly set him up with the 338 this time as he's still blaming the 7 for the misses.
Come on bud...you can do this...dont dick around they're getting away... Right , I will bloody do it. So I bring the pressure on him...raise the 7 and pull the trigger on an empty chamber knowing full well it's unloaded...but he doesn't. Shit bud... I forgot the safety... it's up to you...take em! Boom goes 338.....
Perfect shot!! Lead his moving target at 130 plus metres absolutely perfectly! Could not have done better.
We collect his downed prize at the bottom of the slope where it finally rolled to a stop , half of what was left of its lungs dragged out the exit hole by the passing of the bullet.
To this day he still brags about how he got the pig when Dad cocked it up and panicked and forgot the safety was on and how he saved the day. I still haven't told him I hadn't loaded it...
So now he's full of confidence and although we still haven't had a chance for him to shoot his deer I don't think we'll have any problems.
I have since sold the 7 as he refused to use it after that....lol .... still blames the rifle and will only use the 338 now unless it's a goat which he has his own 30/30 he uses.
Bless him...