# Christmas Deer



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Despite all of the concern for Santa's reindeer, I'd not be averse to shooting a deer on Christmas and indeed did that one time. It was 1983. Laid off most of that year and had only gotten a small deer during the November season. Weather was terrible then and stayed that way through December. Deep snow had deer looking for food wherever farms had any. There were even reports of deer coming into barns with cattle and eating hay. At my uncle's farm, they became daily visitors to the corn crib, always 8 doe.

During the regular season, I had loaned one of my rifles to a friend to use. It was a .30-06 while my regular rifle was a .222. He returned it a few days before Christmas and I just left it in the car. The combination of the deep snow and my not taking the rifle into the house set up what came when both came together.

Christmas Day feast was at my uncle's. It was also the coldest Christmas on record at well below 0ÂºF all day. All afternoon we could see deer moving around in the woods and waiting for everyone to leave. I lamented that I had the .30-06 but no ammo. Aunt immediately proclaimed that someone had left some bullets there in November and maybe they'd fit. They indeed were .30-06!

Next was a plan to outwit the deer. From the house, we would be able to see the deer when they approached the corn crib. I could then sneak out of the house and get off a shot. Didn't work. The packed snow on the front lawn and sub-zero temperatures had the snow screeching when stepped on. That alerted the deer and off they went into the woods. Needed a better plan.

Back lawn hadn't been walked on but over a foot deep. I tested a few steps and it was fairly quiet. That would work. Out again and slowly worked my way around the house and saw the same 8 deer not the least alarmed. Barnyard light was on so they were quite visible as black on white. Since taking a careful aim would be impossible with black on black, I would have to trust in a different method. Using a very tight sling, rifle and arms were locked together while I lined up the sights on the white background just above the deer. All I needed do was lean slightly forward until there was only black and that would mean deer.

When getting ready to shoot, I was intent on a big doe which was closest to me and had been standing on her hind legs to reach an ear of corn. After testing the leaning part twice and both times showed that the sights were lined up, I leaned forward a third time and pulled the trigger. Just at that moment, the deer pulled out an ear of corn and dropped to all fours. 

Inside the house, my uncle was recovering from a knee operation and wanted to know what was happening. I could hear a cousin giving him a minute-by-minute report of me walking around the house, getting into position, aiming, and so on. She could also see the whole herd much better than where I was. With her standing by the windows, I could hear her very clear and perhaps the deer were only concentrating on that sound.

When I pulled the trigger, deer scattered everywhere and that included the one that I had aimed at. But from the house I heard my cousin saying that I had got one and it was down. Then a whoops, it's up again but then it's down again. At the same time, a buck appeared from nowhere and just stood looking at me less than 25' away. However, he was almost in direct line with the barn where 2 cousins were milking cows. Besides, I supposedly had a deer down but all I could see was snow.

Suddenly I saw a big doe come busting out into the bright white background and then collapse in a pile. Another lunge would send her another 10' closer to the woods. When she vanished into the shadows, my immediate thought was that I was going to have to track that thing in deep snow, sub-zero temperatures, and low dress shoes. That's what I did but where she had vanished on her last leap was where she was. She had landed in a ditch and was quite dead. The bullet had passed low through both shoulders and that's why she could only lunge and crash.

Too big for me to pull her out of the hole that she'd fallen in so cousins helped drag her to the car and stuff her intact into the trunk of my '76 Ford LTD. After emptying the snow out of my shoes, headed for home which was over an hour away. In that time, the legs had almost frozen solid and I had quite a time just getting her out of the trunk. There was also no way that I could get her hung from the garage rafters but she had to be skinned at once as skin was freezing all over. 

That's a very true story of how Santa came to my uncle's farm with 8 regular deer plus Rudolph but left with one missing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Martin

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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Good Christmas story.

 Al


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Just over 8 years later, I did have reindeer on 12 April, 1992. Deer hunting the previous November filled both freezers. Sometime shortly after, a refinery explosion knocked out most of America's anti-freeze production. If you found any, it wasn't cheap. One of my Paquebot friends was master of the Finnish tanker m/t KIHU. He loaded 20,000 tons of glycol alcohol in Finland and headed for the US timed for the opening of the Great Lakes and bound for Chicago. The KIHU was ice-strengthened so no problem with the floe ice which remained. She was also the biggest ship to ever get into that harbor and was "on the putty" all the way in. I arrived shortly after the ship began unloading and had a big box of Wisconsin venison to present to the officers and crew. Lunch was typical for the ship but supper's menu was changed due to the special guest, me. Ship was now ready to sail and pilot on board and darkness closing on. I remember the agent saying that it's rough enough navigating all the turns and bridges in daylight without having to do it at night. "We sail as soon as dinner is finished." Ship's cook did a great job of preparing reindeer meat in various ways and every bite was delicious. Next letter I received from the captain was that the entire crew was hoping that they would get another charter into Chicago so that I could bring down another load of Wisconsin venison!

How is that date so easily remembered? That evening I crossed the Chicago River on my way home. Next day, that river was in the Chicago underground!

Martin


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## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

Gosh, I don't remember a night season in WI.:nana: You must have been up nort!:goodjob:


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Farmers with ag tags aren't always particular about when the problems are eliminated as long as they are gone.

Martin


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Good story Martin. Reminds me of a time when I was gonna hunt down at my sisters property. I was running a little late and it was already daylight when I drove up to her house. Immediately I noticed a whole bunch of does feeding behind her house out in the field. I knocked on the front door and my brother-n-law answered the door and I asked if it be alright to shoot one of the does. He said "Go right ahead". I loaded a shell into my rifle and snuck toward the back of the house. I got to the corner of the house and raised my rifle and realized that all the deer were so close that I'd have to shoot through a chain link fence. Now this would be tricky! I studied the situation trying to figure out if I could actually shoot through a chain link fence without hitting a wire! So I decided well lets try it and see what happens. 

Meanwhile while I was sneaking to the back and studying the situation, my brother-n-law had walked through his house to the back door and was watching the deer through a window, waiting to see one go down. Just as I raised my rifle for a second time I happen to notice movement to my right. I glanced over and their was a nice 7 pointer coming through the brush toward the deer. No fence in the way, I turned and shot the buck instead. My brother-n-law opens the back door and says "You missed". He had watched every deer in the backyard run off and nothing fell. I said to him "No I didn't, there's a nice buck laying dead right over there". 

Easiest deer hunt I ever been on!


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

my inlaws live backed up to a public hunting grounds , and grandma has an old orchard next door , my mother in law watched the kids while the wife and I were working , I would get over there with about an hour of daylight left , the wife didn't get off till 5 , I always kept my gun and orange in the truck I could sit and watch tv and the tv was position such that I could also watch out the big picture window and see when the deer came out of the swamp to the orchard , then it was quietly get my gun and orange on and sneak a little closer then get a deer , this only actually worked during season once that I got a deer but it was sure easy hunting.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

I have gotten some near-Christmas deer in the past with my bow that left me wondering. One I hit in the brain - it dropped on the spot. Another I hit in the neck on the spine - it dropped on the spot. Yet another I hit on the top of the back in the spine - it dropped on the spot. Did not aim in these spots on any of these with my bow - aiming dead center chest! And did not miss or hit any other deer in the late season after deer gun although I missed a few in cold weather in November. Since my last "miracle deer", I do not use my bow in late season and I am selling it or giving it away (or running over it with my truck) - I missed a deer in early November this year - the arrow dropped a foot with no explanation. That was it - I bought a crossbow that I can legally use next year that can hit apples at 30 yds. The old bow will not be used again!


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