Megan's First Rifle Deer Hunt in Oklahoma

Megan Harten, Savage Arms Senior Communications Specialist, has been an avid hunter for years and recounts her experiences during her first rifle deer hunt.

Traveling through a new airport, trying to coordinate a spot in baggage claim to meet complete strangers, all planning to travel to a hunting lodge for a week, can be either exciting or make you uneasy. Having bow hunted countless times for turkey and deer, and waterfowl being an obsession in my household, this would be a new experience for me. As I landed in Oklahoma City, I found myself to be more excited than anything. This trip would be my first ever rifle deer hunt. 

Our group finally gathered in baggage claim, piled all our gear and ourselves into one suburban, and away we went. We had a couple hour drive to our destination, so it was tight quarters and quickly made us get to know each other very well – and very quickly. We discovered a GREAT way to do this is to pass a phone around and everyone pick out a song to play on Spotify. Music is a great conversation starter. We learned a lot about each other as each song would play. We would chat and ask questions about the persons upbringing, or past concerts they had attended. We would laugh and sometimes sing along. Like I said, we got comfortable with each other very quickly. 

We finally arrived at Canadian River Hilton and started to unload our gear and got situated in our rooms. We laid out our gear, put our rifles on the racks at the ends of our bunks, and sat down for dinner. At the dinner table we received instructions for the morning, met the guides we would be sitting with the following day and created a plan for what the early morning hours would look like, and then it was off to bed. 

The next morning was early! Rise and shine at 3:30am, breakfast – SNACK TABLE, and coffee. We would be leaving for our hunting locations around 4:30am to be there, situated and quiet before sunrise. I met with my guide, loaded up in the truck and we drove out to our spot. We had a few hundred yards to walk with headlamps on and gear in hand. 

We reached our spot and planned to sit in low chairs on the ground. We set up our panel with a tree at our backs and began to wait. We couldn’t hear the deer very well – they’re so quiet, but we could see dark shadows moving around as the sun was coming up. I love to watch deer, they’re so graceful and peaceful. All we saw that morning were does. With multiple days out here, I was not discouraged that no bucks crossed our path. We would sit again and see what would come in later that day. We packed up our blind and headed back to the truck. We were off to the tent camp to meet up with the rest of the crew for a field lunch before heading back out for the afternoon sit. 

A few of the others had tagged out that morning. This added to the – “oh man, what if…” going through my head. But again, I still had a few more days. We ate our lunch, relaxed a bit, and split up again. My guide and I headed back to the same field, grabbed a quick snack of jalapenos and peanut butter - for good luck at the truck - and walked out to our spot. He decided to set up along a fence line to get a little bit different view. We had a few hours before deer would start moving again, but I was just as happy to be outside and watching life around me. There were ducks flying over our heads, we spotted a badger on a hillside and I watched him through my binos for a while. On another hillside, farther away, I watched through my binos as a coyote chased a doe around – almost teasing her, but then a buck came and put a stop to that. There is just something about sitting in nature and watching animals in their natural habitats that I just love. 

It was finally about time. Time for deer to start moving through this spot. My guide knew this from the trail cams he had set up. We waited as a few does moved in, then a few smaller bucks. I could feel my heart start to beat feaster and my breathing change. All the adrenalin was pumping. My guide whispered, “those are all nice deer, you would be happy with any of those, but you also have a few more days to wait if you want to.” I took that as… wait it out, you have time. I said, “okay, I’ll keep waiting.” We watched the deer walk around and eat, interacting a bit with each other, but for the most part staying out of each other’s way. 

The day was nearing the end. I had a great day of just being outside; I was happy. We sat there watching, ready if I needed to be, and around the back hillside appeared this deer. He was going to come in. My guide said, “Now that is a nice buck! You’re going to shoot him.” I thought adrenaline was pumping before ---- NO! Nothing compared to the buck fever I was feeling right now. I got into position and kept him in my scope. We were going to wait for him to come within range. I was on my gun and ready for that moment. 

He finally was in and stopped at about 125 yards. Now for him to just turn so I had a good shot. A couple minutes went by that felt more like hours! He finally turned and I pulled the trigger. I can’t remember the sound of the shot, I don’t remember if my ears were ringing, or that last exhale before I slowly squeezed the trigger. I just remember reloading my gun and waiting, watching. The shakes came on heavy, and the excitement of my first buck were all I felt now. Walking up to buck, I was just in amazement – he was beautiful and bigger than I ever imagined my first buck would be. It all ended so fast. We loaded him up and headed back to the lodge. 

When we got back, I just kept thinking - that’s my first buck. That. is. My. First. Buck… This incredible animal, my gratitude for the warmer November hunt and even more for the meat I would be able to bring home for the winter. My guide and I high fived again, and I the biggest smile on my face. It was an experience that I’ll never forget. I learned a lot on this hunt being that it was much different weather than what I was used to sitting in back home during the same time of year. The warmer weather made the day easy to sit in mid layers with a slight breeze and warm sun beating down – just waiting for the deer to start moving in the late afternoon. It wasn’t the rut, so we just had to be patient and wait. The guide had faith in the spot we were sitting and told me to wait. Wait I did, and by golly it was worth it!

Thankful is the main theme to this hunt. I was thankful that I got the opportunity to try something new. I was thankful that I had previous shooting knowledge that would ease some of the nerves I had. Thankful that I had a guide that knew how to read my personality and how to encourage me without being overbearing. Thankful that it wasn’t FREEZING cold and snowing when tracking this buck. Thankful for the many meals that are to come. And lastly, most thankful for passion of the outdoors that keeps growing with each hunt and new experience. So, until the next hunt I’ll continue to relish in the memories I have of my first rifle deer hunt.