My sister-in-law’s boyfriend has a property where he and his son hunt fallow deer every year, and this time, I got invited along! Now, I’ve been bow hunting since I was 13, but my military service has left my hips and shoulders feeling like they're made of rusty hinges.
Last year, I bought my first airgun and stumbled upon an Airbow at my local shop. I thought, “Why not?” After a quick trip to the small bore range to zero it in, I was ready for action.
We arrived around 2 PM and checked out a few reliable spots in the relatively flat back section of the property. We saw about five bucks, but they were all too far out and wouldn’t come to the rattle. Then, a big chocolate buck charged into our hide, but the bush was so thick I didn’t even get a shot.
Finally, we wandered to a promising area and spotted a couple of does about 300 meters away. Dillion, the son guiding me, gave a croak from the cover. Suddenly, a buck jumped the cattle fence and headed straight toward us. I crouched behind some dry grass as he came into 20 meters, slightly higher than I was. With barely any cover, I had to wait. He stood there, directly facing me, and I was just hoping he’d take one more step or turn a bit.
I settled the crosshairs low on his chest, slid the safety forward, and squeezed the trigger. At the shot, I watched the buck drop on the spot—he didn’t take a single step. The arrow had zipped right through his brisket and exited between his shoulder blades, just an inch left of his spine.
After some hard work, we had the meat processed, the head taken, and soon, there was a lot of delicious jerky being made! My wife and kids initially thought I was a “big meany” for taking down such a beautiful buck. But once they tasted the jerky, all that changed. Now I have orders from my daughters to shoot ALL THE DEER!
Just a side note: In Australia, we have seven species of deer, all introduced. In my state, there are no seasons on deer, and spotlighting is also legal. So, watch out, deer—I'm on a mission!
