“The Whitetail is the American Deer of the past, and the American Deer of the future.” – Ernest Thompson Seton

Few events are more memorable to a hunter than the taking of his or her first buck. My guess is that you would probably agree.

Here is a picture of mine, which I recently found in a box of old Ektachrome slides. It is the only physical record I have left, as the mount was lost in a fire so many years ago.

I took this Maryland buck in 1971 when I was thirteen years old, with a Pumpkin Ball slug fired off the bead of my Remington 1100 shotgun. It could not have been a more beautiful, crisp, November morning in that wonderful land of whitetails. It was a fine shot too, for it is not so easy to make a fifty yard shot with that equipment. I was more than thrilled, and I don’t think anyone could have wiped the smile off of my face for several days.

I can recall almost every detail of that scene to this day, and I don’t mind revisiting it periodically in my mind. Obviously, it is not the biggest whitetail buck ever harvested, but it may as well have been, at least to me. Why it was as big as the world.

I hope that you have a memory like this in your box of experiences, and if not, may you get one soon.

Long live the white-tailed deer!

You Can read the full story HERE

Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty

For Sale:

The Whitetail Deer Guide-A Complete, Practical Guide to Hunting America’s Number One Big Game Animal

by Heuser, Ken

Hard cover. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York (1972)

Very good in Very Good dust jacket. xii, 208 p. : illus.; 22 cm. Includes Illustrations.

Please email us at huntbook1@gmail.com if interested in details.

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