Share those Ol'Buck fever stories

[Darrell Davis]

BUCK FEVER STORIES -------------

This has probably been the rounds before, but should be fun again.

Hope this is in the correct place on the forum, but will leave it to the moderators to adjust as needed.

WE have all heard "buck fever" stories, so thought I might share mine and then sit back and enjoy yours.

For goodness sake, don't start throwing stones at anyone brave enough to share, we all do dumb things and that is part of what makes us interesting.

Mine happened in October of 1968, a year of firsts for me. My first year to hunt with a scope - 3X9Weaver, first year to hunt with a handload, first year with a flat shoot'in, fast step'in rifle, first year to hunt with a rifle I had put together myself.

Back in those days, Herters had a "model perfect" in about anything available in their catalog, and it was from those pages I selected a BSA barreled action in .243, one of their semi-inletted stocks, rosewood grip cap and forend  along with the white spacers with the little black zigzags.

Well when the rifle was finally together, it wasn't very pretty, but boy, it did shoot nice groups!

First day of the deer season finds me in the Snake River breaks of Washington state, and along late in the afternoon I came over a ridge and spotted two does and a buck feeding about a hundred yards down the hill.

They didn't see me, so I sat down and veeeery carefully settled the cross hairs about 10" over the bucks back before slowly squeezing the trigger.

Yep, you read it right, critter about 100yds away and holding 10" over his back!

At the shot, they continued to remain where I had first spotted them, and in fact did so while I slowly/carefully took two more shots, both of which were also held very carefully 10" over the buck's back.

After the third shot, they decided they had had enough  and took off with me still slinging those 100gr Hornadys out the end of that BSA.

Did I ever get that buck?

Yep, but only after a number of additional shots.

So ended the fun part of the day, as now I was faced with my first time to dress a critter by myself, AND then the first time trying to get a critter out of the canyon and out to the road, a task which was not completed until the next morning.

Did I learn anything that day? Yep, and I have never repeated the 10" over the back thing on a 100 yard deer since.  I also learned to carry a pack frame into those brakes for the next season.

Keep em coming!

CDOC   
 

[bobg]

   I don't get buck fever till after the deer is down. Then i have to wait a minute or two to gut it out.
     bobg

[oldfart0007]

I had a 100yd downhill shot at anice 3x3 mule deer prone position Iwas steady and ready so I pulled the triger the gun recoiled but nothing happened forgot to take the safty off

[Lon371]

 When I took my oldest daughter on her first deer hunt. Called an old 9 point buck right to her. She had her gun shouldered. He walked up to 10 yards and new somthing was wrong. I was 15 yards from her(my mistake should have been be side her) He turned at her, stomped and snorted, bobbed his head and all kinds of crazy stuff. I was watching her while he approached. She was so excited she couldn't move and didn't. Not sure how he picked her out. Anyways, he carried on for what seemed like 5 minutes. My gun was trained on him he was not going to walk any closer or walk away I am screaming in my head for her to pulll the trigger. She looked like a statue. Finally he lost interrest, turned to leave I gave her a couple seconds and no boom. I couldn't let him walk. I nailed him in the chest, only bang flop I had ever seen.

 After he lay there for a couple minutes she finally lowered her gun, and unloaded. I asked her what happen? she said the gun didn't fire! I asked if she pulled the trigger? Duh dad, I know how to shoot . After we loaded the deer, I loaded her gun. Shot it, loaded again. Functioned fine. Then she says, I couldn't squeeze the trigger. I asked her if she was scared when he walked up. Answere " well yeah, he was right in front of me" " I thought he was going to get me"

 Note to self and anyone taking a youth for the first Deer hunt. Set beside them. She had been shooting for a couple years. I  was totally confident in her saftey practices with the gun. But I didn't expect I big old buck to get in her face

Since that hunt, I set with all new kids for the first several deer hunts. Reguardless of how well they handle guns or how many times they have hunted other critters. I let them choose the shot(after the deer are close enough). I dont tell them to shoot, or which to shoot. It is cool watching their faces when the first deer stolls into the area

Lonny

[Darrell Davis]

This reminds me of another time, not nearly so long ago as the first time I related ----------

Our white tail season goes almost into December, so rut is part of the picture here.

Of course, at my age I wasn't, in rut that is, but the buck was.

I was headed down an abandoned Rail Road canyon out of Troy, Ideeeeeeeeeeeho, well into the month of November. Riding my 4wheeler, the rifle in a zippered case strapped to the gun racks.

Spotted a very shootable buck, along with his current lady friend, a short distance up the bank on the left side of the grade.

Stopped the 4wheeler, got off, removed the rifle from the case, chambered a round, aimed and-------------------------------------------------------------.

Tried and tried, repeatedly, to pull that trigger. Wonder I didn't bend it I pulled so hard!

Noth'in!!!

The two deer finally moved up the hill and out of sight giving me the time to investigate the problem.

Well, when I chambered the cartridge and closed the action, I automaticaly put the rifle on safe instead of just bringing the rifle to the shoulder and firing.

Good safety, it held.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

[drdougrx]

Hmmmm....1985....New Brunswick CN....Plaster Rock.....sit'n on the edge of a swamp near dark and this HUGE black shape comes walk'n through the woods...I can't make out what it is till is 15yrds from me in the shadows and I look through my scope and see the biggest, grayest deer I ever saw, head down and grunt'n like pig.  I looked and looked and looked and watched it walk away at 2x.  The guide came through later following his tracks and asked if I'd seen him...I came clean and said I did, but I though it was a moose...and he just shook his head....

Next day, same place, early in the morning (just before 7am) ... a doe come lope'n in, stops, looks behind her and I hear grunt, grunt....see a rack and BANG...the fever broke!  210lbs, 11 point!!  Guide felt much better ... or so he said!!

[Lon371]

near dark and this HUGE black shape comes walk'n through the woods...I can't make out what it is till is 15yrds from me in the shadows

Friend of mine had that happen one morning. Fortunately he waited until he could see it. A cow escaped the lot down the road and came for a visit He was hunting on the ground, and thought he was going to get attacked. He had the Doe sent wafer just in front of him hanging

Lonny