Last day sucess! Beautiful 8-pointer on state ground., Pennsylvania, David Fravel

Last day sucess! Beautiful 8-pointer on state ground.

Listed by David Fravel

Hunter's Name: David Fravel

Large 8-point and antlerless buck.

"It aint over till its over"

(Deer on left) is a large mature Buck that the antlers fell off at least a week earlier. They were already starting to heal over. It was tagged as a doe as per Pa game law. (Deer right was a large 8-point) Both were shot thte last day in the same area.
State of Harvest: Pennsylvania Closest City: Laporte County of Harvest: Sullivan Were Deer Calls Used?: No Were Lures Used?: No	Weapon Used: Rifle Number of Points: 8 Point

Year of Harvest: 2005
Time of Harvest: 11
Story and Comments.: "It aint over till its over!"
After hunting every day of archery, bear, and rifle season, I was really dissapointed with my deer encounters. It was horrible. I hunt in Lycoming, Clinton and Sullivan counties and saw a few little does and passed them up on Friday(big snow storm) 2nd to the last day of the rifle season. 6 doe layed down 80 yards in front of me in the fresh snow. It was real hard not to take a deer after not seeing much this year but that was why I did'nt shoot a doe.
The next and last day (Saturday) I was going to hunt with my Father-in-law and brother-in-law up on top of the mountain in a rough clear-cut near Laporte in Sullivan county. We walked to the top of the hill in 14" of fresh snow.
Father-in-law (Bob) and I were driving to my brother-in-law (Bob jr.). It was rough and thick. Half way through our drive I stopped in a small opening and hear a click, snap. My brother-in-law was just ahead of me 100 yards though the thick slashings.
I dropped to my knees in the deep snow and listenend. 30 yards ahead of me I could just make out a head of a deer bobbing up and down looking right through me through the thick stuff. I thought to myself...."I could probably shoot that doe right between the eyes if I wanted to." Its head kept bobbing up and down tring to get a fix on where everyone was. It was obvious the wind changed and it could smell my brother-in-law and was trying to sneak back through us.
Just then it slowly turned its head sideways through the slashings and I saw this big white rack swing. It was well above its ears. I thought to myself..." Holly crap... thats a huge buck, and hes going to bolt!" I slowly drew my 300 win mag and clicked off my safty in one slow motion. He turned broad side and took 2 steps through the thick slashings when I put the scope on his front shoulder (what I could see of it). Boom! The deer jumped out of sight. I could'nt believe it, I hope my 180 grain made it through and hit him. I slowly worked my way up to where I shot him and found hair and blood. I tracked him out to where I could see he plowed into the snow and got up. Worried because all of the deer ever shot with my 300 win mag goes right down. I stopped and called to every one on my radio....
All of us got together and waited abit to track the deer. The snow was fresh and we had a blood trail so we tracked the deer to where it had fell. (What a relief) 12 days earlier on the first day of rifle, it was also the first day of the extended bear season, I shot my first Blackbear ever, on the edge of the same clear-cut. What a year, I did'nt see alot but managed to pull it off some how on the last day. My Taxidermist is happy and I am still on a high from the season.
(Other antlerless deer in group photo is actually a large mature Buck that lost its antlers at least a week ago, they were already healing over?)

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