This is my story of my first deer!
Mine was in 1974 I sat in the middle of a deer trail leaning against a tree of to the side watching a open field to one side and a railroad bed on the other.I held my 45lb recurve bow with arrow nocked and held out in front of me well until after about 20 minutes when my arm got tired.The railbed just below me had a sharp drop about 10 yards below me so I could not see the lower slope just the hillside beyond.I sat for what was hours but really only a short time when a sound across the tracks got my attention.A deer its a buck a sweet little 6 point coming right towardsme so I readied for a shot.All of sudden there is this buck standing right at the top of the hill looking right through me I drew back and the arrow flew so true deep into his chest front and deep.The buck took off and I stood to hear him run off and to get a look see of where he was running.I lost view of him because of the hill so I sat and waited.I got up heart still racing checking for sign and after an hour walked back home to talk to my dad and ask for help.My dad said let me call a good friend his name was Carl Mahoney!
It was a long wait for Carl to get here and Carl and I went out to look for my first buck.He asked me question after question on the long walk back to the site of my first deer I shot.When we arrived he said where were you when you shot what did I do after the shot did I see the arrow in the deer.I answered him with what I could remembered then he said ok lets look for sign.He found blood and hair right off yeah I know I missed it but hey it was my first deer ever.He tracked the buck for a hundred yards down the hill then back up the hill and to the edge of the open field.As we follow the sign Carl is asking and telling me things about what I did and what the deer was doing.
Then we neared a fence and he asked did I have permission to tresspass I said no!He then said well it may be to late look over there it may be the property owner.Carl said for me to stay here and he will check out the stuation.Carl walked back to the fence with the men and said this is the young man that shot a 6 point buck over here and we tracked it here.The one man said he never saw"my" deer just the one "he"shot!Thw ild thing was I could see my the top of my cedar arrow with my fletching laying right there.Carl said to the man that it would be a shame if this young man would lose his very first deer.The man just said oh well this aint his deer I shot it over here.
Carl got back over the fence and as I said Carl I swear thats my deer cuz I see my fletched arrow in it!He had me start walking away and as I did he looked back at the one man and said sir if you dont mind but if you "happen on" this young mans deer could you please save his arrow and put it by the fence here.As Carl caught up with me he said this is a lesson learned of what you never want to become.He explained more and over the years he taught me much.The 1 part of this lesson which Carl pointed out those many years ago was never let killing a buck be more important than to me than the respect!The respect for the animal or the fellow hunter never allow myself to be so pre-occupied with horns or the kill that I would lower my morals!
My friend my mentor Carl Mahoney taught me over the years until one day he said Rion I have given you this knowledge to use and pass on.The only thing I ask is you pass this on to as many as you can in doing this I shall be with you forever!
My friend has long since passed and I still try to pass his teachings to others as he did with me!
When he died his family gave me his bow that he made and hunted with and took many game animals with
