Getting Help
I called my buddy Richard on the two-way radio and reported to him. He said he was on his way to help me get her out. I was grateful - the way out was mighty steep.
I got to the ground, shot some more video, and found a way across the creek. Examined her; the shot was a touch low, and had just missed the spine. Still, it was a nearly-instant kill and I wasn't complaining. The Winchester factory-loaded 150-grain bullet had done its job, and done it well. Richard came and we got her out, no problem.
She Didn't Act Her Age
Back at camp a day or so later - the deer had been kept in the large cooler at camp - I removed a jawbone to age the deer. What I found utterly amazed me. This was without a doubt the oldest deer I had ever tekan. The wear on the teeth was so advanced that I removed the other side of the lower jaw as well, just to be sure. In fact, in a space between the teeth, I found either a large hardened seed or a small pebble which had become lodged there, and the bone had given way to it.
Perhaps a Member of AARD?
As near as I can tell by looking at an aging chart, this deer was roughly seven or eight years old. The camp scale indicated the live weight as just 96 pounds, which isn't a whole lot. I fully expected that when I pulled the jawbone I would find that I'd shot a year-and-a-half-old deer, and so did everyone else in camp. Just shows how wrong you can be sometimes.
Rest Up!
I've long heard the adage, "Take a rest," indicating that to make sure you get your deer, you should prop your gun on something to steady your aim. In this case, I was caught napping when my deer showed up - but she came home with me anyhow. So next time you're having a tough time connecting with the deer you're after, you might consider trying what I did... stretch out, get safe and comfy - and take yourself a nice, refreshing rest!
- Russ Chastain
