First Deer!

Dressing out at 119 lbs., I finally got my first deer!  11-8-18 A buck!  Ben and I went to the same stands we had gone to the prior weekend on Thursday.  The wind wasn't the best, but I wanted redemption from missing the big buck I saw previously.  I actually took Ben's rattle bag this time to see if it would help. Around 5pm I tried rattling every 15 minutes or so.  Nothing.  I even texted Ben a frown face emoji around 5:30pm because I had not seen anything.  Sunset was at 5:30pm so we legally had til 6pm to shoot something.  I tried to blind call a doe bleat and went back to rattling.  I started watching a piney squirrel to my left and said a prayer..."just let me see SOMETHING..." I swear at that moment I heard a rustling and thought, "another dumb squirrel to my right" and I turned and saw a larger something coming out of the thicket.  I couldn't quite make out if it was a doe or buck but did see the body was large enough and I had made the determination right there I was gonna go for it.  He rounded a tree so I could see he was a buck...smaller than the one I had missed but large enough to take.  I stood up and grabbed my bow.  Drew back as he was walking not paying attention.  I made a noise to make him stop and look and for a moment thought I was busted.  I aimed lower this time (after figuring out my mistake from last time) and took the shot.  It still was high and I spine shot him.  He dropped there and lost ability in his hind legs.  He wasn't making any sort of noise to make me uncomfortable knowing he was in pain, but I called Ben right away. Ben made his way to me to finish the deer off.  I wish it would have been a cleaner shot, but in hindsight, at least we didn't have to track it and take the risk of not being able to find it.  All in all, a good experience and I am learning new things every time I hunt.  Loving it even more...
Thankful for this experience and thankful for this animal that I was able to take.  More meat in the freezer for the family.