A true deer story
The year was 1967 or 68 and I was 23.I lived in Ouaquaga,NY and worked for the state of NY (Harbur college) to day Binghamton University. Back then if you worked over time they would not pay over time, but compenated with time off for time worked.I love to hunt and fish and deer hunting to me was no.#one. I worked a lot of over time for my no.# 1 love and I could work all the time I wanted. By the time NY and PA seasons came around I had all the time I needed.At the time a PA non-residence, hunting $25.00 bow $2.25. I never killed a buck in PA the first day,all ways got one in the middle of the first week,even today.
Enough back ground. It was wed. first week AND i WAS UP AT 4:00AM to make my down to Herrick Center In Susquehanna, Co.
There was 6ins. of new snow on the ground and snowing.By the time I got to the game lands, there was a foot and still coming.
At the time I had a red VW BUG, a great car in the snow, you could go all most any where snow or mud. When I left my car it was a little before 7:00am. When hunting in the snow I try to find a lone track at is going on a straight line, and follow it. As I was walking in to hunt the snow stopped and I walked about 1/2 mile or a little more and never cut a track. So when I found a nice spot I sat down for a while.
The woods were dead, not a thing moving, after sitting for a 1 and 1/2 to 2 hrs. , it started snowing hard again. I decided I needed a cup of coffee, but my coffee was back in the car. I headed back to my car and thinking about heading out to another spot.It was still snowing hard and when I was almost to my car I cut a lone big track going in a straight line and it was snowing so hard I knew it was fresh. I for got about the coffee and off I went.
Back then I had on long johns and blue genes and a red hunting coat,red hat, and no groves, and oh yes my Great
Northern Boots.Never left the house with out then. I wish I could find a pair today.I carried MOD. 70 Winchester 30-06 with a Redfield 3x9 and it had to be pushing 11 pounds or better.I dressed to move in the woods.
I had gone only about 30 yards when up jumped a nice buck only 10 to 15 yards in front of me,he had to be a 8 point or better and he was gone that quick. The snow was coming down so hard his tracks looked to be a day old when I started to follow him. He went in a straight line into big woods for a while and then into a swamp. By this time it had stopped snowing and tracking became easier until he ran into some bedded deer. That is when the fun started. If you have ever tried to stay on one track and there is a foot of snow or more with 5 or 6 deer running a round then you know
what I am talking about. It took me a while to straighten things out and get back his track. This time he took me out to a big field with an old run down barn in the middle of it. From the field I could see a main road with cars moving on it, but I didn't know were I was from my car. I followed him into the woods on the far side of the field and back into big woods.He went down a steep bank into a creek bed and up the other side to more woods and I stayed right on him. He stayed in the woods for about 300 yards and turn to the creek bed, down the steep bank again and across the bed and up the other side, when I got down in the creek bed, I told myself that he was going to go up in the woods and stand to see if I was still following him.I hit the bed running straight up the bed for a 100 yards and then I crawled up the bank for alook see and there he was but all I could see was his antlers because he had 4 or 5 does around him standing under some pines. I got my gun up and ready for the shot. As I waited a life time for the does to clear (2 or 3min.)I was ready. When the does moved I put my cross hairs right were I want it and started to take the shot.I squeeze the trigger and squeeze,and squeeze some more and harder,but my gun would not fire.
What happen? Did my gun freeze up from all the snow on it.
I lower my gun to check it out and found my safety still on,
all the time I was looking I never took my safety off, but I did then. As I was bring the gun up for the shot the buck turned and walked over the hill, all I could say was (##%#%). I looked at my watch and it was after 3;00PM AND I DIDN'T KNOW WERE I was from my car. Headed back to the creek bed to follow it down to find my way back. When I got to the bottom I found some small fields and a opening going to the main road.I hadn't gone 50yards when some one be hind me blew their horn and when I turned around there sat (2) two game wardens in thier car, I never heard then in the snow, I was walking down the middle of a dirt road.
They stoped and wanted to know how I was doing and were I was headed. I told them I was headed to Herrick Center and my car, the one looked at me funny and did I drive red VW BUG and I said yes, he just looked at me an asked "how the [censored] did I get over here" I told him about tracking the buck. He told me I was 15 miles from my car and I needed to go back up the road they just came down for 7 miles to the next left up that 5 or 6 miles to the next left 3 miles to my car. They told me good luck and drove off.
As I was walking up road it started to snow hard again and the wind blowing in my face.I had to walk bend over with my face turn to the side. I was walking for maybe (3) three miles with my face turn to the right looking down through some big woods when I spotted A deer was walking my way and it was a nice buck. I jumped down over the bank off the road to get ready for a shot when he walked into a opening ahead of him.He steped into the opening and I fired, to this day I don't know how but I missed him, he turn and headed back running the way he came and I dropped him in he tracks with the next one. The easy shot I missed but the hard one I made,Thank you god.
All the time walking on the road no cars, no hunters and the tracks from the game wardens car were snowed over.
I went down to take care of my buck and was thinking I would drag him on the road and when I got tired from dragging I would hide him and walk the rest of the way and bring my car back for him.I dragged him to the bank by the road and dropped him so I could take my gun up the bank and set it by a tree so my hands were free to bring him up. As I started to pick his head up, some one behind me said nice deer, did you just get im. They got out and helped me get him to the top of the bank and asked were my car was.I said Herrick Center and they asked if it was a red VW Bug and one of then asked "how the [censored] did you get over here". They asked me if I was in the field with the old barn and I said yes and told then about tracking the other buck.They helped load the buck in their jeep and told me to jump in for the ride back to my RED VW BUG and helped load it on top to
get home.Thank you again and again dear god,with out there help I would have been dragging all night.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed remembering it.
The year was 1967 or 68 and I was 23.I lived in Ouaquaga,NY and worked for the state of NY (Harbur college) to day Binghamton University. Back then if you worked over time they would not pay over time, but compenated with time off for time worked.I love to hunt and fish and deer hunting to me was no.#one. I worked a lot of over time for my no.# 1 love and I could work all the time I wanted. By the time NY and PA seasons came around I had all the time I needed.At the time a PA non-residence, hunting $25.00 bow $2.25. I never killed a buck in PA the first day,all ways got one in the middle of the first week,even today.
Enough back ground. It was wed. first week AND i WAS UP AT 4:00AM to make my down to Herrick Center In Susquehanna, Co.
There was 6ins. of new snow on the ground and snowing.By the time I got to the game lands, there was a foot and still coming.
At the time I had a red VW BUG, a great car in the snow, you could go all most any where snow or mud. When I left my car it was a little before 7:00am. When hunting in the snow I try to find a lone track at is going on a straight line, and follow it. As I was walking in to hunt the snow stopped and I walked about 1/2 mile or a little more and never cut a track. So when I found a nice spot I sat down for a while.
The woods were dead, not a thing moving, after sitting for a 1 and 1/2 to 2 hrs. , it started snowing hard again. I decided I needed a cup of coffee, but my coffee was back in the car. I headed back to my car and thinking about heading out to another spot.It was still snowing hard and when I was almost to my car I cut a lone big track going in a straight line and it was snowing so hard I knew it was fresh. I for got about the coffee and off I went.
Back then I had on long johns and blue genes and a red hunting coat,red hat, and no groves, and oh yes my Great
Northern Boots.Never left the house with out then. I wish I could find a pair today.I carried MOD. 70 Winchester 30-06 with a Redfield 3x9 and it had to be pushing 11 pounds or better.I dressed to move in the woods.
I had gone only about 30 yards when up jumped a nice buck only 10 to 15 yards in front of me,he had to be a 8 point or better and he was gone that quick. The snow was coming down so hard his tracks looked to be a day old when I started to follow him. He went in a straight line into big woods for a while and then into a swamp. By this time it had stopped snowing and tracking became easier until he ran into some bedded deer. That is when the fun started. If you have ever tried to stay on one track and there is a foot of snow or more with 5 or 6 deer running a round then you know
what I am talking about. It took me a while to straighten things out and get back his track. This time he took me out to a big field with an old run down barn in the middle of it. From the field I could see a main road with cars moving on it, but I didn't know were I was from my car. I followed him into the woods on the far side of the field and back into big woods.He went down a steep bank into a creek bed and up the other side to more woods and I stayed right on him. He stayed in the woods for about 300 yards and turn to the creek bed, down the steep bank again and across the bed and up the other side, when I got down in the creek bed, I told myself that he was going to go up in the woods and stand to see if I was still following him.I hit the bed running straight up the bed for a 100 yards and then I crawled up the bank for alook see and there he was but all I could see was his antlers because he had 4 or 5 does around him standing under some pines. I got my gun up and ready for the shot. As I waited a life time for the does to clear (2 or 3min.)I was ready. When the does moved I put my cross hairs right were I want it and started to take the shot.I squeeze the trigger and squeeze,and squeeze some more and harder,but my gun would not fire.
What happen? Did my gun freeze up from all the snow on it.
I lower my gun to check it out and found my safety still on,
all the time I was looking I never took my safety off, but I did then. As I was bring the gun up for the shot the buck turned and walked over the hill, all I could say was (##%#%). I looked at my watch and it was after 3;00PM AND I DIDN'T KNOW WERE I was from my car. Headed back to the creek bed to follow it down to find my way back. When I got to the bottom I found some small fields and a opening going to the main road.I hadn't gone 50yards when some one be hind me blew their horn and when I turned around there sat (2) two game wardens in thier car, I never heard then in the snow, I was walking down the middle of a dirt road.
They stoped and wanted to know how I was doing and were I was headed. I told them I was headed to Herrick Center and my car, the one looked at me funny and did I drive red VW BUG and I said yes, he just looked at me an asked "how the [censored] did I get over here" I told him about tracking the buck. He told me I was 15 miles from my car and I needed to go back up the road they just came down for 7 miles to the next left up that 5 or 6 miles to the next left 3 miles to my car. They told me good luck and drove off.
As I was walking up road it started to snow hard again and the wind blowing in my face.I had to walk bend over with my face turn to the side. I was walking for maybe (3) three miles with my face turn to the right looking down through some big woods when I spotted A deer was walking my way and it was a nice buck. I jumped down over the bank off the road to get ready for a shot when he walked into a opening ahead of him.He steped into the opening and I fired, to this day I don't know how but I missed him, he turn and headed back running the way he came and I dropped him in he tracks with the next one. The easy shot I missed but the hard one I made,Thank you god.
All the time walking on the road no cars, no hunters and the tracks from the game wardens car were snowed over.
I went down to take care of my buck and was thinking I would drag him on the road and when I got tired from dragging I would hide him and walk the rest of the way and bring my car back for him.I dragged him to the bank by the road and dropped him so I could take my gun up the bank and set it by a tree so my hands were free to bring him up. As I started to pick his head up, some one behind me said nice deer, did you just get im. They got out and helped me get him to the top of the bank and asked were my car was.I said Herrick Center and they asked if it was a red VW Bug and one of then asked "how the [censored] did you get over here". They asked me if I was in the field with the old barn and I said yes and told then about tracking the other buck.They helped load the buck in their jeep and told me to jump in for the ride back to my RED VW BUG and helped load it on top to
get home.Thank you again and again dear god,with out there help I would have been dragging all night.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed remembering it.
