# Can fawns have horns?



## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

I have been pretty busy with work and family, so I have not got around to posting my archery hunt story. My family has not been able to hunt together in years but this year we got together and a bunch of us put in for Manti San Rafael. five of us drew and we looked forward to all hunting like the good old times. I was also told by my oldest daughter Lexy that she would like to join us. This made my hunt all the more exciting. I was planning on scouting and practicing my shooting skills but the reality of a large workload and family pulling me in several different directions got in the way. I didn't even have time to sight in my bow, despite the fact that I hadn't shot it in over three years,. I figured it should still be on from last time and I took a portable target so that I could check my pins at lunchtime.

When we got to our spot we walked out on to a terrace that skirted the bottom of a hill. We spread out and started walking into the wind. As we were going along, two hunters walked up to the terrace in front of us. When they saw us, they ran out onto the terrace and started walking in the same direction we were going. We huddled up and decided to walk to the top of the hill and work across some terraces that were up higher. When we got to the top, I split off on a trail that worked its way above the rest of our party.

I was telling my daughter, as we walked down the trail, about what to look for and explaining how we needed to keep the wind in our face. I then looked up and saw what looked like a really tall two point standing in the middle of the trail. I ducked down and turned to my daughter and asked, "should I shoot him." She gave me an enthusiastic yes and I thought "why not." I nocked an arrow, pulled back and stood up. I put my 50 yard pin on his shoulder and then hesitated and moved my 50 just above his back. The arrow flew and the deer gave a good mule kick. I was so excited that I immediately turned to Lexy and exclaimed, "I think I hit him." She smiled from ear to ear. I turned back and then realized, "where did he go?"

I was pretty sure I hit him but when we got to where I thought he was standing, we could not find any blood. My brother-in-law came by with two of my nephews and joined the search. We started doing small circles in the bushes in the immediate area, while my nephews went to find the rest of the party. After a few minutes we found the arrow and instead of being covered in blood, it was covered in, I don't know how else to explain it other than, sh**. I felt sick, I couldn't believe that I gut shot him.

I explained to Lexy that we would spend as much time as possible trying to find this deer. Since I hadn't seen where he ran we kept circling the brush in search of any signs of blood. After about an hour, my brother-in-law took my nephew to chase a two point that had ran by. dejected, I sat down and waited for my brother and dad to join us. Lexy continued her search down the main trail and then Lexy yelled, "I found some blood." I couldn't believe it but there it was, under a bush, one small drop of blood. Now that we had a direction I let my new tracker keep looking. I couldn't believe it but my daughter has a knack for following blood trails and would see even the smallest drops of blood. I couldn't find any of the blood spots before her and kept teasing her that she should let her old man have a turn. After about an hour of this, Lexy turned to me a said, "I thought we were just going to come up here and sit in the bushes but we got to go on a hike, you shot a deer and now we get to look for blood. This is fun." That one comment made the entire hunting experience well worth it.

To make a long story, not quite so long, we eventually found the deer. It took us about 3 hours to find a deer that ran only 600 yards. When we found him we were surprised that I had actually hit him square in the shoulder but he was quartered to me, so the arrow came out his stomach. Which made field dressing him a gut churning experience. The rage broad head made a four inch exit hole but the intestines had squirted out and plugged the hole. That is why he didn't bleed much.

Before we began the search I had told everyone that we were looking for a really tall two point which was probably at least a two year old buck. As you can tell from the picture below, I will not be living those comments down anytime soon. This is the smallest bodied buck I have ever seen but has decent sized antlers for a yearling. I swear that from 60 yards, this created an optical illusion that mad him look much bigger. The picture below really doesn't do it justice, he was literally a fawn with horns. Many years ago I shot a spike and that deer was at least twice his size. The meat from this deer didn't even fill my mom's old popcorn bowl.

While I did not shoot a monster and had to listen to several comments like, "what is that white stuff on his mouth," this was one of the best hunting experience of my life. Lexy was so excited and is now hooked. She and her sister are going through the online hunter's safety course so that they can go turkey hunting this spring. Hunting with your kids and sharing these type of experiences is really much better than I could have imagined.

Now I am posting this picture willing and in the hopes that I will not be ridiculed more than I already have.  My only retort is to tell people that I only shot him to save him from getting his butt kicked repeatedly every year when the rut came around. He really wouldn't have fared well.

[attachment=0:1lxohf2x]Deer Small.jpg[/attachment:1lxohf2x]


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Nice!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

congrats.Dont worry what people say. Both of my bucks I have killed have been small body deer as well and young. But they tasted great.


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Good stuff! 8)


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

interesting story...

My family hunts one mtn range usually... We hunt one canyon usually. My fmaily always seems to do well on the rifle and i do ok on the archery... well one year...

My brother shot a nice tall 3x3 and it had a pretty small body, not tiny but pretty small. We took it to get tested and the DWR officer almost died right there on the spot. My brothers deer still had yearlying teeth! This buck was a YEARLYLING! WHAT THE! He did some digging and later on that year my brother was awarded the state record yearlying buck hahahahaha no fancy case or trophey but pretty weird eh? so in short... yes fawns can be good bucks. too bad his buck couldnt grow a year or two.


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## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

Congrats! Ya get a buck like that with archery, on this forum, you're a hero. Kill it with a gun... You're a zero. Incredible story tho! I hope my daughter gets the hunting bug some day.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

That, is, awesome.


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

awesome hunting experience for you and your daughter! I shot a buck this year quartering hard towards me and out of a treestand and there was zero blood! Same thing...took out one lung with a spitfire maxx and it exited out the bottom and his guts had plugged up the exit wound. Took me a while to find him. Had to go home and get the hound to help find him.


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

That deer barely had time to enjoy life!! Those have got to be some kick @$$ genetics!


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

Bowdacious said:


> That deer barely had time to enjoy life!! Those have got to be some kick @$$ genetics!


or it could have been a deer from the shire...bilbo-buck...


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

When it comes to hunting with loved ones, size doesn't matter! No need for disclaimers. Congratulations and a great memory!!


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## Oblivion5888 (Sep 12, 2011)

elkfromabove said:


> When it comes to hunting with loved ones, size doesn't matter! No need for disclaimers. Congratulations and a great memory!!


+1

Memories are the greatest trophy of all.


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## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

duckhunter1096 said:


> Congrats! Ya get a buck like that with archery, on this forum, you're a hero. Kill it with a gun... You're a zero. Incredible story tho! I hope my daughter gets the hunting bug some day.


You do have to admit that hitting something that small with a bow and arrow from 60 yards is pretty good.


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## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

stablebuck said:


> Bowdacious said:
> 
> 
> > That deer barely had time to enjoy life!! Those have got to be some kick @$$ genetics!
> ...


 -_O- 
I haven't heard thatone yet.


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