Over the past three years since he began deer hunting, Ethan Mitchell of Sherman has made a habit of getting together with his “hunting buddy,” grandfather Wally Mitchell.
Ethan said he had a great time on those trips, even though he never shot a deer and filled his tag.
“I like being outside and not knowing if I’m going to get one or not, not knowing if I’m going to see anything or not,” he said.
On Thursday, the 12-year-old seventh-grader not only saw a deer, but he also shot a monster northern Maine buck.
Ethan and his grandfather did not have much time to hunt and headed out after Ethan finished his school day.
“We were just riding around, checking fields [in Stacyville],” Ethan said. “It was getting dark. There was about 10 minutes [of legal shooting time] left and [the deer] ran out across the road and into the field beside us. I got out and got a bullet in my gun and I shot him.”
Ethan said he was able to keep his cool pretty well during the whole episode but got excited when he got closer to the deer.
“When I shot it I was calm,” he said. “Then I ran over to him and saw how big he was and I was jumping up and down.”
Ethan guessed the deer weighed 213 pounds but came up short in his estimate. The 10-point buck weighed 230 pounds, field-dressed.
Nicole Mitchell, Ethan’s mom, had shot a 5-point buck of her own just a day earlier, but Ethan’s deer was much bigger.
“He’s quite happy about that, too,” Nicole Mitchell said. “He hasn’t talked about one other thing than that deer since he shot it. Not one other thing.”
And though many would consider a 230-pound 10-pointer the deer of a lifetime, Ethan figures he might be able to top this adventure in the future.
“Next year I’m going to get a 12-pointer,” he said with a laugh.
Get your deer yet? Have a story to share? Send your tale (along with some photos) to jholyoke@bangordailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on www.bangordailynews.com.
