How old were you when you shot your 1st deer?

[Boogieman1]

I was either 9 or 10 when I shot my first deer. My dad was right there with me. He let me use his lever action 30-30 and would only give me one bullet. I remember complaining about it and he said u better make it count. Subsequently I believe I missed the first 4 or 5 deer I ever shot at.

[Rich M]

Missed my first buck on my first solo deer hunt - archery - at age 8. He dodged every one of my arrows trying to figure out why this kid keeps shooting arrows at me. A vivid memory - 7 yrs later got my first deer - doe, 5 years later first buck at about 20 years old.

[wolverinebuckman]

42, with my bow. 9 point at 20 yards. Started hunting at around 37, aside from one season at 13.

[Buckshot20]

Started sitting in the woods with a gun at 9. Started bow hunting at 14. Killed my first doe at 22. Once the first one fell things started to come together.

[RingChaser]

The memory will never fade.

I was 10 years old with a 20 guage H & R single shot that I got for my birthday. The first time I shot that gun was with a slug and it about curred me out. My dad made me shoot it again immediately and gave me a big heavy coat to soften the recoil. He wasn't about to let me give in.

That weekend we were on the receiving end of a big drive and a little button buck almost ran right into us. It stopped just 20 yards away and I made a good shot and watched it fall. I never felt the recoil.

I've never stopped hunting.

[ZSV]

Not exactly sure, but I think I was 15. Shot a doe with the same 20 ga mossberg that I still use today, 24 years later.

[strutnrut716]

12 years old. 30-30 bolt action open sights. Spike buck was running full speed broadside at 40 yards after my grandpa "missed" it. I dropped it with one shot. My dad and grandpa came running over all excited. When we went to look where I shot it we couldn't find any bullet holes. Then my dad says "oh my gosh, look" !! I had shot it right behind the ear !

And yes, hooked for life.

[fishlips]

I was 12. It was a nubbin buck. In hindsight it was really small but I remember everything about that hunt and it was almost 25 years ago now.

[Kraftd]

12, first gun season, walking to stand with my dad. Three antlerless deer at 30 yards, pounded and shot without aiming, clean miss, dropped a button buck on a dead run through the woods once I decided to aim (still mostly luck!).

First bow deer was 21, spike. Missed a handful before that one including a couple of gooduns.

[stash59]

Missed a few, including some bucks, before I killed a doe fawn. 15 years old, with a 40 pound recurve, cedar shafts and Bear Razorheads!!! That was 45 years ago!!!! And my heart still feels like it's gonna beat out of my chest. If it looks like I'm gonna get a shot!!!!

[knightwyrm]

12... shot a 10 point (still one of my biggest bucks to date) just before close on opening day in 1983 with a 16ga side-by-side double barrel. I had been tagging along with my dad since I was 6, but that was the first year I got to use a gun.

[Ack]

13.....button buck with the bow.

[Jurist]

My answer would be different if it was SHOT and not killed.

[The Mediocre Hunter]

I was 31... AND this was about 5 days ago. Small 8 pointer. Shoot him with 270.

[Dhurtubise]

Late onset hunter here. 41.