My buddy and I applied for quota hunts like normal, and we got drawn for our 3rd choice. West Kentucky WMA. Now, us being from Williamsburg, didn't have a foggy about West Kentucky. We found out 3 days before it was a slug hunt, not a rifle hunt, and had to round up some slug barrels for our shot guns.
Well, we left the house about 11 on the day before, and before we got out there, a weather system blew in. Snow, sleet, hail, if it froze, we got it. By the time we got there, it was midnight. Well, we awoke the next morning to 8 degrees, 6 inches of snow and a 40 mph wind. It was cold to say the least. We went to the check in place about 5:30 where we discovered you had to take the deer hunting ACT test before going in the woods. In actuality, it was just a simple 40 question form that you had to fill out and darken in the circles. By the time we got checked in and had the area system explained, it had been day light for a half hour.
Now West Kentucky is divided into something like 18 holes. In this year, holes 1 through 6 were open and 12 through 18 or so. Others were closed. We decided to start on the river end on the area. Well, when we turned off the road and started up the gravel lane, 200 deer ran in front of behind, around and over our truck. They were hammer down bound for an out of bounds farm. Before we could get parked and get out of this herd of deer, all 200 had safely made it to the out of bounds marker thus stopping the game clock. They stayed there for several hours. We know, we watched them.
About 11 am, we decided to move to another area closer to the river. When we got to the river, there were 10 pickups parked in a little wad. We decided there were too many people here already hunting and intended to back out and look for something else. Just as we were turning around, a 8 pointer ran between our truck and another parked truck with a guy in it who was warming up by the heater. Well, we stopped, and started formulating a plan. I was going to sneak down past the out of bounds area without a gun and see if I could get infront of the deer and drive it back the other way so my buddy would get a shot at it. As I started to get out of the truck, the guy who was running his heater backed up to the door of our truck, spooled his window down and asked, "Hey, Yous Guys seen any Deers?" I said none, other than the 8 pointer that ran between our 2 trucks. He said, Oh, that was a doe. Well, whatever, we could still see it standing in the clearing.
I got out and tried sneaking down past this deer and circling back. It didn't work, naturally. Anyway, I came on back to the truck. My buddy, me and the heater guy were talking just a bit when a spike ran right up to us, almost over us, bowed up and stopped, then jumped into the Ohio River.
Heater guy ran to his truck, retrieved his gun and went down to the river and fired off 5 shots at a deer that was less than 30 feet from him. He missed, all 5 times. My buddy and I were by this time ducking behind the fenders. Heater guy came up to us and asked, "Yous guys got any more Shells?" I, not really thinking he would take a box of shells from us popped off and said, "Yes, if you think you need them, they are on the seat." Well, he reloads all 5 shells and heads back down to the river bank. The deer is swimming back and forth about 20 feet from the bank trying to figure out where to come out. By this time, the occupants of the other 8 trucks showed up. These guys lined the bank like a bunch of kids fishing at the city pond. My buddy and I were leaned up against the bumper not knowing what to think except that we were afraid someone was going to get shot.
Well, the deer decided that the first goober would be the best target to come out in front of. 3 more shots were fired from goober's gun, and the deer was still coming. I told my buddy, we can't let that deer come up here, this bunch will all be shooting, and we will be caught in the cross fire. Finally, I raised my gun and shot the deer before it could climb up on the bank.
Goober came running over to us, "Will Yous Guys help me load the deer in my truck?" We just shook our head, climbed in the cab and drove off. That is the last quota hunt I have ever wanted to go on.
Skipper