XANDER'S FIRST DEER
Our youngest grandson,
Xander McKnight Gonzales the last couple years
wanted to go deer hunting after he obtained his hunter safety course
certificate and due to him being sick and also myself with a
severe case of RSV, we just could not get together to deer hunt
on the weekend (Saturdays) and school holidays.
However, this hunting season everything came together and we planned on
crossbow hunting on November 2, 2024 which was also the opening day of
Muzzleloading aka black powder season here in the Central part of North
Carolina.
Xander spent the night with my bride aka
Joyce and myself on Friday night,
whereas I picked him up from his home in Lilesville, NC after he got
home from school. The past few weeks, both Xander and myself were
very excited to get him in the hunting blind with the crossbow.
I have his prep time documented in my
hunting 2024 short story.
I set two (2) alarms to go off at 5:30 AM and once up, it was found that
Xander was already up and had his hunting clothes on ready to go; grin
if you must!
The first day of getting prepared for the hunt is usually a little bit
of confusion trying to remember if everything we need for the hunt is
with us. Luckily, everything was in order.
Xander and myself got into the hunting blind around 6:32 AM and sunrise
was at 7:43 AM, therefore we had plenty of wait time in the hunting
blind before daylight. The temperature was around 64 degrees F.
and the wind was somewhat variable, but mostly in our favor coming out
of the West and North. I said a silent prayer to our Lord to keep
us safe from harm and all the other hunters that are out and about and
that Xander will make a quick humane kill shot if the opportunity
presents itself.
Around 8:32, I observed deer movement to the left of our blind across
the small branch and four (4) does started toward the creek bottom
heading toward the area where I broadcast shelled corn. The third
(3rd) deer to the rear was the larger doe and I told Xander to try for
that doe.STEALTHCAM IMAGE
I need to re-set the date on the camera.
The deer crossed the small branch and came out behind a large pine tree which is twenty-three (23) yards
from our blind and slowly working their way to the broadcast corn which
is approximately twenty (20) yards from our hunting blind. Xander
already had the crossbow in position and the next thing I remember was
hearing the sound of the crossbow string released and a heavy thud/plop
sound when the crossbow bolt smacked the deer. I looked at the
time and it was 8:37 AM. I didn't see the actual flight of the
crossbow bolt, but saw the deer exiting the area.
Xander and myself exited the hunting blind and I put my back pack on
which has my field dressing knife, deer drag strap and other accessories and
proceeded to where he deer were standing. There was a good amount of
blood; bright pink with air bubbles in it indicating a lung hit.
We continued about 10 yards and found the crossbow bolt, whereas the
lighted knock was broken off and the two blades of the expandable Rage
100 grain titanium hypodermic broadhead were fully deployed which is a
very good sign.
Below is a pix of some of what we observed:
We followed the blood trail for approximately seventy-two (72) yards
(later stepped off) and the doe
crossed a very steep ditch aka wet weather branch and the blood trail was so heavy at times, a
blind man might be able to follow it (figuratively
speaking that is)
I am guesstimating that the doe went 125 yards plus before she
expired and was
located with the blood trail going right to where she was at.
I will later step off the distance from the steep ditch to the doe to get a better idea
of the total distance the doe traveled.
I saw the doe first and told Xander,
"yonder is your deer" and he had a big grin that Colgate
toothpaste would be proud of.
I estimated the live weight of the doe around eighty pounds and she
weighs more than she looks because of the position of her head being a
frontal pix. The doe was quickly field dressed
after getting a pix with the ole
Obamaphone ( I call all cell phones
Obamaphones.)
After getting the doe back to my handing tree nicknamed Tom Dooley, I
took a couple pixs to show the entry and exit hole made by the
broadhead. Afterwards, the deer harvest was registered on line
under Xander's own big game tags.
ENTRY HOLE
That is about as good as you can get, whereas the exit hole indicated
it was a slight quartering away shot. The Rage expandable
broadhead took out one lung and that is no doubt the reason the doe
traveled as far as she did!
EXIT HOLE
That exit hole looks like it was hit with a bush axe for sure!
Xander helped skin the doe and she was quartered up and placed in
several garbage bags and placed in our basement game refrigerator for
aging a few days,
however I use the frig for other things too.
AFTER THE DEER IS DOWN
I let the quartered up deer age until Monday morning and proceeded to
de-bone the neck, hind quarters, shoulders and sliced the loin aka back
strap and the tenderloins. I vacuum sealed the sliced loin and
tenderloins first. After the deer was de-boned, I placed the meat
in one of our basement chest freezers to partly freeze before grinding.
The above grinder LEM-10 made in Poland was purchased from the
Sausage Maker, Inc. on 04-21-1998 and the last couple times of usage,
sounds like it is about to die out on me. I am in the process of
getting a back-up one going from a geared reduction motor and Chop-Rite
# 22 grinder, however the feed auger was broken and had to order a
replacement.
The above grinder aka meat mincer has ground many, many deer for sure
the past twenty-six (26) years!
Getting ready to place the ground venison balls into vacuum sealing
bags.
I sealed twenty-two (22) bags that had a total weight of seventeen
(17) pounds.
Xander's doe ground venison ready for the freezer.
I have several pictorial short stories showing the processing process
from Field
Dressing Deer 101,
Deer Skinning and Quartering and
Venison Chop Shop,
of which are hyperlinked.
Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 11-05-2024.
I usually take additional pixs, but failed to do so this time,
whereas I guess being so trilled and exited for Xander.
Xander is the only East Coast grandson that has showed any interest
in hunting and so happy that he has and that he got a deer on his first
deer hunt!
I reminded Xander that deer hunting doesn't always go as it did this
morning and this was truly an exceptional hunt. For example: I
hunted fourteen (14) times last year during the month of October and
never saw a single deer.
In conclusion, this was a
great hunt and thanks to God for his many blessings in this life and the
opportunity to enjoy a small part of His creation and give Him the
Praise, Honor and Glory in all things, through Jesus Christ our Lord and
Savior. It is great to be able to spend quality time with Xander
and his family and look forward to the next time we can hunt together.
As I say so many times on this website at every opportunity,
"Two of the Greatest Ships that ever Sailed,
Friendship and Fellowship" and Xander and myself sure did
sail today!
NOTE: I picked up Xander's sister Miss
Lily around 2 PM
and stopped by McDonalds and got her a Happy Meal and later prepared
honey baked chicken
wings and rice for us.
Web page uploaded by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 11-02-2024 and updated
on 11-04-2024.
LEAVING ON A
SPIRITUAL NOTE
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take
this moment to accept him by Faith into your Life, whereby Salvation
will be attained.
Ephesians 2:8 - 2:9 8 For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of
works, lest any man should boast.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.”
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God.”
Open this
link about faith in the King James
Bible.
Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Open this
link of Bible Verses About Salvation,
King James Version Bible (KJV).
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God;”
Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what
doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and
to walk humbly with thy God?”
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me."
