I was just following orders
John Johnston

Unlike a lot of people who on New Year's Eve were getting ready to party, I was in the deer stand.

My wife, Bonnie "the general," is at war with the deer. They have eaten all her plants, destroyed her garden and even nibbled on the front porch potted plants. So this soldier was sent out to do battle with the deer.

Actually, I had one doe tag left, and I wanted a doe for the freezer. I already had shot a buck and a doe, but I had given that meat to friends. Bonnie and I can only use one.

I am particular about what I put in my freezer in the way of venison. I was looking for an older, large-body doe. I prefer one that is past her breeding age. These does usually are larger in body size since their nutrition is not shared with a suckling fawn. They often have a coat that is not quite as shiny as that of a younger doe.

Usually such a deer can be found traveling alone, so I had to be patient and do a lot of glassing. I was hunting a small food plot that has a fence down one side and very tall grass surrounding most of it. I had shredded a lane down the fence line where the deer traveled. If given a choice, deer take the path of least resistance.

My rifle of choice for this assignment was a 30- year-old Ruger #1 in .22-250. Mounted on it was an equally old Weaver 3x9 scope. The scope was the weak link in this setup.

It did the job but was not as clear as the new scopes on the market and definitely not as bright. This combo has been together all the time, and I just cannot seem to force myself to put a new scope on the rifle.

Over the years, I have taken probably 15 deer with the rifle. It is very accurate and, more importantly, it has never failed me.

About 5:30 p.m., a group of deer came down the path I had made. Cautiously they entered the feed plot. There were no horns in the crowd, and none of them looked to be a yearling. I concentrated on the largest one, and she seemed to fit my requirements.

I was hoping the doe would get as far away from the tall grass as possible. I wanted to take her with a low lung shot that should take out her heart also. This shot, if done properly, is a sure harvest, and meat destruction is minimal. There is one problem, however: The deer run a ways after being shot before they drop. Normally, they will drop within 100 yards.

I waited for a good broadside and with a steady aim, I touched off the Ruger. Deer went everywhere, and it was hard to tell which one was her. I thought she went back the way she came, and I was correct. She lay less than 50 yards away at the edge of the tall grass.

The doe showed no evidence of having a fawn this year and had good body size. So I had accomplished a few things.

First, I made my wife happy.

Second, I took a non-producing doe out of the area.

And third, I will have some tasty venison in the freezer.

John Johnston is a retired sergeant detective who served with the Austin Police Department for 25 years. he was also a licensed gun dealer for 25 years, and now he lives in Lampasas County.

He can be contacted via e-mail at olsigleshot@gmail.com.