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A Young Deer Hunter’s Story

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Tuesday November 14, 2006

Here is what we at The Valley Voice feel is a terrific example of why we continue to encourage safe and ethical youth deer hunting in our area. Patrick Fifield’s story is a “must-share” experience and wish to thank Butch Bragg for bringing it to our attention.

    It was the day after Thanksgiving in 2005, my father placed me in a hedge row. My cousin, Billy Orvis, was sitting in a meadow nearby. My father, Uncle Bruce and my brothers, Daniel and Eric were driving in the woods. My brother Eric radioed to everyone and said that he had just seen a big track. Right after that, a buck and a doe walked out into the meadow near the hedge row where I was sitting. First, the buck stared right at me. I couldn’t move because he would have ran off. I just sat there looking back at him and waiting for a chance to shoot. The deer proceeded to walk towards the hedge row a little further up from where I was sitting. He looked away from me. I was finally able to bring my gun to my shoulder and prepare to get a better shot at the deer. I looked through the scope and aimed for him. I pulled the trigger slowly and “BANG” my first shot hit him in the back and broke his back. The buck fell to the ground. I immediately called my dad on the radio and told him to get over here. I told my father that I thought it was a big 6-pointer, maybe a 8-pointer. I looked up at the deer and he was trying to crawl back to the woods. I walked over to him and shot him a second time. When I tried to tag him he started to snort and moved his head. I was scared, I’ve never seen a deer do that. I was afraid he would get away. So, I shot him again.

Billy came running up to me, and said “Don’t shoot anymore.” I then counted the points and there was 10 points. Billy was so excited. He called on the radio to Uncle Bruce. Uncle Bruce came out of the woods and hollered to my father on the radio, “Get over here right now. Your son just shot a 10-pointer.” Uncle Bruce started shaking my hand and congratulating me on a fine shot. Then my father and my brothers all came over and congratulated me. We called my grandfather on the cell phone to tell him that I had shot a big 10-pointer, and he didn’t believe us. We came home and picked up Grandpa to take him to Field & Sports to report my deer. Mr. Phillips recommended that we have it mounted by Butch Bragg.

    We took the Head to Mr. Bragg. He did a wonderful job on my deer. He placed it on an oak plaque and put a name plate on it with my name, the weight of the deer, the points and the year I shot it. It is now hanging in our living room.
Thanks Mr. Bragg for making my deer head so extraordinary. It was better than we could have imagined.

    Patrick Fifield, Middlebury, Vermont.

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