Many hunters are notable conservationists, and one recently found an unexpected way to conserve bullets.Prairie du Sac, Wis., resident TJ Hauge was hunting on opening day of the state's nine-day gun deer season. Settled into his tree stand when a buck came into his sights, TJ took careful aim and squeezed off a shot. Bull's-eye -- the buck dropped in its tracks -- and so did the unseen one standing directly behind it.
"Between the adrenaline and the rather strange outcome, my mind had a little trouble grasping what had just transpired," TJ told Outposts. "I spent the next 25 minutes with a big, uncontrollable smile and occasionally laughing to myself in disbelief of what had happened."
TJ immediately text-messaged the other members of his hunting party, "two bucks, one bullet."
"I proudly headed out of the woods into the field where my cousin Kent and his 11-year-old son, Ethan, were, where we sat until my father came down off a ridge," said TJ "After reliving the story, Dad and I headed on the four-wheeler to recover the deer."
His father, Tom, who just happens to be the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife management director, said this was "an experience of a lifetime" for his son.
"Thank goodness I had two buck tags," continued TJ, as he was able to tag and legally take both deer.
"In addition to Ethan, we were fortunate to have two other opening-weekend rookies -- Brett and 11-year-old JP -- join us in camp," he added. "The excitement of having those three having great experiences and hopefully lighting a fire that keeps them coming back each year far outweighs the excitement of pulling off one hell of a lucky shot. But the shot was still pretty cool."
Word is his hunting party is wrangling over whether the 24-year-old will be allowed to add the scores from both bucks for his entry into the "buck pool." Either way, TJ has a winning tale to tell for years to come.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/11/two-deer-one-bullet.html
