The Farmer's Deer – by Maple

Thanks to our pal ‘Maple’ for sending in this awesome story of his experience during the shotgun season. Man, some guys have all the luck!!

 

The Farmer’s Deer – by Maple

Last Monday was the start of shotgun season in our neck of the woods. As I was too comfy to get up before dawn, I only got to the farm about 9AM and started stripping bark off cedar logs for a wood-client of the farmer.

The temps had dropped to -8 C overnight, up to zero during the day, and sunny. I worked at that ’till 2:30 then drove back to the wood’s edge before walking to my stand. Wouldn’t ya know it, now that turkey season is over, they’re all over the place.

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While we were trimming trees, the farmer had mentioned that he’d bought a new chest freezer and was expecting delivery next week. He quipped that it’d be filled with venison soon. Now, I didn’t know if he was joking or not, but I took it as a suggestion. He doesn’t hunt much at all and his wife doesn’t care for venison. She added that he’d be eating a lot of raw venison if that were the case ’cause she wasn’t going to cook it for him. Go figure. Guess she’s a beef and potatoes girl.  

Monday as I was walking in I saw three deer in a group with no guaranteed shot (I’m a lousy free-hand shooter), so I let them scamper into the trees hoping they would return later.
No such luck as that was all I saw for the day.


Tuesday morning I was back working with the farmer, bucking up and splitting wood; sugar maple, yellow birch and black cherry. I hate splitting yellow birch. We managed about 4 cords. Come 2:30 we quit and suited up in hunter orange. His was pretty faded. I headed into the back stand again while he went to a slight ridge he said he had not hunted on since he was a teenager. I was still, cool, and I took it all in.

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(Note the laneway from the right)

About 4:10, I closed my eyes for a few minutes. Don’t know how often I did that, but the last time I eased one eye open a slit, there was a deer!

No telling quite what, but he was slinking up the side of the lane to the right with spruce and such between he and I. Every once in a while I caught the glint of bone on his head. He was a good one! Whatever scent he was following was most certainly that of gas and bar oil from my boots while walking in.

He took forever!! I had the time to take my pounding pulse (110) and calm my breathing somewhat. What was he doing!!?? What was he smelling? Why didn’t he walk? I could have taken a 50 yard facing shot through twigs, but waited. I knew he had to turn even if he was going to leave…as long as I didn’t spook him. I didn’t want that!

Finally, he decided on something with his cervid mind, and plodded to the right to skirt some low spruce. I was ready. At the shot I saw his side ripple and he stumbled. He circled back into the bush and I saw him falter 40 yards away, carrying some serious headgear with him.

I called the farmer and he came over to put his tag on the deer. He said the deer weren’t this big when he was a teenager. Heck, my deer weren’t this big ever! Field dressed at 218.

 

I hope his freezer arrives on time.

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5 thoughts on “The Farmer's Deer – by Maple”

  1. That is a beautiful buck Maple!!! You may never see another one this big again! Congrats on the deer of a lifetime!!!

    1. Well, I heard someone else took a big old buck this week(after passing up on 4 smaller ones)

      Some years you can just do no wrong…story and pics to follow!!

      Outdoorsguy

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