First successful solo hunt?

Green1

FNG
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
11
Location
BC
Springs got me dreaming of fall backpacking again, so what's everyone's first successful solo backpacking hunt? I'll start, drew a tag for a mule buck in a zone I'd only hiked in before, more hikers than hunters usually. Got to the last day of the season about a half hour before dark and I snuck in on some small bucks and does. After a few misses and shaking off my nerves I finally composed myself and landed a small buck. I decided to gut it and drag it whole out to the road since it was already dark by now. It should have been all downhill to the road from where I was but there were no trails, and tons of deadfall and rock cliffs that I had to navigate with a small flashlight. It was brutal but I finally made it to the road and walked back a few miles to get my truck. Luckily it wasn't a big buck but to this day it was the finest tasting deer I ever took.20181130_171000.jpg
 

Elkhntr82

FNG
Joined
Jun 21, 2022
Messages
39
Springs got me dreaming of fall backpacking again, so what's everyone's first successful solo backpacking hunt? I'll start, drew a tag for a mule buck in a zone I'd only hiked in before, more hikers than hunters usually. Got to the last day of the season about a half hour before dark and I snuck in on some small bucks and does. After a few misses and shaking off my nerves I finally composed myself and landed a small buck. I decided to gut it and drag it whole out to the road since it was already dark by now. It should have been all downhill to the road from where I was but there were no trails, and tons of deadfall and rock cliffs that I had to navigate with a small flashlight. It was brutal but I finally made it to the road and walked back a few miles to get my truck. Luckily it wasn't a big buck but to this day it was the finest tasting deer I ever took.View attachment 389604
Congrats
 

Hoosker Doo

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 23, 2020
Messages
245
Location
Afton, WY
It's an old thread, but I'll play. My first successful solo hunt was when I was 13. I had a broken foot and a cast, so my dad and bother left me opening day of deer season to go to the honey hole. I was mad and decided I wasn't going to sit there, so I threw on my army surplus camo shirt and orange hat and grabbed the model 7 6 mm my dad let me use, hopped on the 4 wheeler and drove down to where alfalfa fields touch the foothills and started walking the edge. I walked about 200 yards, looked up on the side hill and there was a 2 point just staring at me 50 yards away. One shot through the shoulders and down he went! I had watched and helped my dad gut before, so I went to work. I didn't have a saw to split the brisket, so I went in shoulders deep up into the chest cavity cutting and tearing until I got it all pulled down and out.
I pulled into the driveway as my dad and brother were getting home. My 15 year old brother was very jealous, because they didn't even see a deer. That's still one of my favorite hunting memories.
 

S.Clancy

WKR
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
2,310
Location
Montana
The first thing I killed solo (kinda) was an antelope buck when I was 14. My mom had to drive me to the spot (couldnt drive yet), I hiked 3 miles in and crawled up on a group of goats and shot one with my 270. It was around a 14" goat, not giant, but decent. Got him gutted out and started dragging. Realized how much it sucked to drag an antelope when you only weigh 120 lbs. It took me over 4 hrs to drag that thing back to the road, well after dark. My mom was still waiting there, pretty worried. Got him loaded up and headed home.
 
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