BEHOLD!!! The mighty Deer Slayer has returned.

Normally I don't blog, but Jennie told me to do it since it was, "my hunt."  Like all good hunts, there has to be a good story.  So here it goes.

This was my first hunt since moving down here and let's just say I was a little more than excited.  I was trying to tag and bag my first Coues Whitetail, the Ghost of the Desert.  I drew out for the first rifle hunt of the season in late October.  After countless hours and dollars sighting in my rifle, with new scope and scope rings (mainly just an excuse to get out of the house) I felt I was ready.  I was fortunate enough to be able to hunt on the McGee Ranch with the Elams.  I went out with Bishop Elam, his son Troy, Darin, and the Old Man (Great Grandpa Elam).  The first couple of days was trying to get the Old Man a buck.  Now this was a style of hunting I have never done.  The back of a pick-up with homemade seats, handles, and elevators.  It was AWESOME!!!  Now...I've never really considered myself a Hillbilly or a Redneck even with all the cowboy stuff I've done, but I could only imagine what this must have looked like from a third person perspective as we drove up the road heading up to the hills,  (for the record, I do not consider the Elams Rednecks or Hillbillies.  If they do, it's on them.)  The best part was, I didn't even feel out of place.  I just prayed the skinny little bolts holding my seat didn't break and I didn't fall over backwards.

(Me, the Old Man, and Bishop Elam)

Now the Old Man has a hard time getting around, hence the jimmy rigged elevator into the back of the truck.  Even though we had a hard time getting shots off for him for the ones that were close enough, I couldn't help, but admire the teamwork we all put in for getting him ready.  One person made his gun, "hot", while another got his desk/rest ready, while another helped line him up with the deer.  It was like a well oiled machine.  Besides all the new words and phrases I learned from the Old Man, I also learned my Bishop is a very, VERY patient man.  It paid off too, because he got one on the last day.

In the middle of all this, Bishop Elam, Darin, and Troy still gave up their own time to take me on my own private, "guided," hunt.  I think it was Monday morning the four of us took off on the four-wheelers from the Bishop's house at about 5:15 am.  We went to White Iron Hogback Canyon overlooking Sahaurita and split up into groups with binos, spotting scopes, and walkie-talkies.  Before the sun was even up, Bishop radioed and said he had a couple bucks over by him.  I packed up my gear, met with Darin, and we hiked over to Bishop and Troy.  Now this is where I wish I had a video camera because it gets funny.

As I tippy-toed to the Bishop and Troy, Troy had me sit by him while he pointed the deer out to me.  Getting comfy in the ground, I raised my rifle and realized I couldn't see the buck because of a big-A bush right in front of me in line with the deer.  Troy moved over and gave me his seat which was two rocks stacked on top of one another with a hunter's seat on top.  It was a dang weeble wobble.  Once I got settled, I could finally see my B&C buck laying down 300 yards away waiting for the sun.  This is where it gets funny. 

With the position of the deer and the position I was sitting to stay balanced, I felt all twisted up like a twisty- cone ice cream.  I could not hold my cross-hairs steady on that deer.  Troy even gave me his tri-pod to help.  He kept adjusting it up an down for me, but a just couldn't get comfortable and hold steady.  It felt like thirty minutes had gone by.  Finally...I was able to get into a more relaxed position and then......BUCK FEVER kicked in.  I haven't killed anything since my last elk in '07.  We've already seen about 20 bucks in the first four days and this one was just laying there oblivious to what was going on.  He couldn't possibly wait around much longer while I tried to get my shot off.  My heart rate was out of control, my breathing was ridiculous, and I had sweaty hands.  For one who prides himself for being calm and collected during high stress situations like bullets whizzing all around my head, fights, and vehicle chases... this was not one of my better moments.  I thought I was going to hyper-ventilate.  It felt like another 30 minutes went by.  Everybody was looking at me, at the deer, back at me, and back at the deer.  JUST PULL THE TRIGGER ALREADY!!!

I do not by any means consider myself an expert hunter.  I just like the thrill and sport of it and love meat.  If I was a dinosaur, I would be a Meat-o-saurus Rex and would live off steaks and jerky.  The Elams ARE experts.  This only added to my anxiety.  Finally after a couple tactical breathing excercises, I said, "Screw it!!!," and fired.  The steady seating position and tri-pod weren't so steady and I slipped off the gun rest from the recoil.  I was pretty sure it was a good shot, but was scared to hear the words, "HIGH...HURRY UP!!!  HE'S RUNNING AWAY!!!"  I looked up at Bishop Elam and had to ask, "Did I get him....I slipped off the rest!?!?"  Bishop looked at me with one finger in the air and said, "One and done baby!"  PHEWWWW!!!  And yes I did hear it from all them wondering if I was ever going to take the shot.

Still on an adrenaline high, I ran all the way back to my four-wheeler hoping that sucker wasn't playing possum and decided to get up and run away.  Once I got to my quad I had to take a sit down because I thought I was going to pass out.  I took it back to the spot I shot from and the Bishop and I went for a walk.



(Bishop and I headed towards the spoils from where the shot was taken.  We're in the second saddle.)



With all my worries about my deer getting up and running away while I was away, about 80 yards away from him...he did just that.  He was hurt and had the wobble knees and only had enough strength to get and take a few hops.  I felt AWFUL!  Not that I was embarrassed about not getting the job done with one shot, but because it wasn't a clean kill.  I ran to a little mesquite tree for a rest while he stood there and the wind started to blow my tree around.  ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?!?  I almost used some of the words the Old Man had taught me.  I didn't have time to get blown around all the live long day, so I just blasted him when the cross hairs came across him.  He fell to the ground and still refused to give up the ghost.  Had to stick him in the heart with a knife.  With all that being said, he was cleaned out and on my four-wheeler by 6:45 am.

(He may not look like much, but he's my 2x3 hat rack.)

I am a decent shot, but these whitetail are small.  It was like trying to as Darin puts it, hit a coffee can from 300 yards away.  He was 3/4 facing me laying down and my first shot hit him just were I wanted it to hit, but I just nicked his lung and liver which were about the size of my hand.  It was a definate kill shot, but hours later.  Yeah...I'm justifying my shot, but whatever dude...I'm eating steak and jerky!!!  STEAK AND JERKY BABY!!!

(Had to add this because I love the bloody hands.)



(Missing a good pack horse.)



(Good thing he was small.)



(Tying on hard and fast.)



(To the victor go the spoils.)



All in all, I was just glad I didn't have to go to work for a week and it was nice to be in the presence of good company.  Thanks to the Elams for babysitting me and making this the easiest hunt I've been on and helping me get my new hat rack.  Also for letting me learn a new style of hunting.  I may even put the hat rack on front of my four-wheeler like longhorns on the grill of a Cadillac.  I'm also glad for the experience I had to learn a thing or two about these beautiful species of deer.  Yes they are amazing, but as for me and my house...WE EAT MEAT!!!