[Troponin]

I was out the first three days of rifle season. It was warm, the deer weren't moving and I was discouraged. I hadn't seen a single deer all three days. I had hunted when I was 13 and 14 years old, but after freezing my butt off and not seeing a deer, I gave up after the second season.

I am now 1 month shy of 28 years old. I decided to start deer hunting again, having spent the last several years just small game hunting. I was ready to give up again, but my buddy convinced me this week would be better. The temp went from 50-60 degrees to a nasty 20 degrees without the wind chill. I gave in and went out again. Missed a nice sized doe the first day, that broke the ice. I FINALLY saw a deer in the woods during deer season and I was able to atleast take a shot. Perhaps it was the jitters, but it was coupled with the fact that she was surrounded by sapplings and it was not an easy shot to begin with.

Today, I decided to go out for just the morning. It was cold and by 10am, I was read to pack up. I had my gloves back on, (removable finger mittons), had my pack on my back and was ready to step out of my stand when I hear a shot from 300-400 yards to the East...exactly where my buddy had said he was moving to. I almost immediately heard a stampede in the woods and I crouched quickly to be ready to take a shot, but could not see anything. I stood back up, once again discouraged, when suddenly a deer came flying by my stand at full run. He was springting across the short 30 yards that I had in front of me. I quickly tried to take off the safety, but my glove got stuck for a moment on the switch. I ripped it of, whipped my hand down so that the glove flew to the ground, pulled up, got him in my scope, aimed for the the front half of his body, and immediately pulled the trigger. He dropped like a rock about 20ft away from where I was standing. I realized that the from the time I saw the deer, until the time I pulled the trigger was only about 5 seconds total.

I stood there for a second in disbelief that I actually made a kill shot like that. He jumped around for a moment on the ground, then died. I thought it was a doe, but when I finally walked up to him, I found he was a button buck. All I knew was that it was a legal deer, but did not have time to size him up, so I shot. He was about 75lbs field dressed...not big, but still a first deer and an unbelievable kill. At this moment, I still don't know how I pulled it off.

Upon closer inspection, I realized I hit his spine. He was hit with a 180g .30-06 at about 15ft and it absolutely demolished his neck.

I am anxious to get my 2.43 now. I think I will actually make my .30-06 the main bear gun and back up deer rifle and use the .243 as the main white tail and coyote gun. I am sure after what I saw, that the .243 will be plenty.