Howard Simmerman did something he’d never done before — get a buck on the opening day of Pennsylvania’s rifle deer season.

“It was a herd of monsters,” Simmerman said describing the four bucks he spied around 9:30 a.m. Monday near Penn Line in western Craw-ford County.

Simmerman, 31, of Linesville, has been deer hunting since he was 12. He raised his rifle, fired — and missed the nine-point buck with his first shot.

“He was about 110 yards away and then ran toward me (after the shot),” said Simmer-man. “He stopped and turned broadside at 60 yards.”

Simmerman then was able to drop him with a second shot.

“It was still and quiet — that’s when I realized I got a nice one,” Simmerman said. “I was shock-ed. To have one run toward me, that was unusual.”

Getting a buck on the opening day also is unusual — the earliest Simmerman has ever gotten a deer is the third day of the season.

He’s hoping the nine-point may win him a prize in one of the local buck contests during the two-week rifle deer season that runs through Dec. 13.

Simmerman was one of more than a dozen hunters who showed up the first hour of the contest at Community Chevrolet in Vernon Township.

First day totals weren’t too shabby in area deer bagging contests. Bob’s Taxidermy, which is handling the buck contest for Meadville’s Safari Bar, reported 34 deer tagged on opening day, while John Burger of Street Track ‘N Trail said they had 42 deer entries, only one buck down from Mark Hockenberry at Ridge Road Taxidermy who stated his group had weighed in 43.

“We were down just a few from last year,” Hockenberry said, but overall said the numbers were “pretty normal.”

Jordan Weed, 14, of Saegertown, was able to fell an eight-point at Saegertown near SMC Corp. Monday morning.

It’s the biggest deer he’s bagged in his three years of deer hunting.

“I could think of nothing except pull the trigger,” Weed said with a smile who had been hunting with his father, Randy. The elder Weed was shut out on Monday.

“I saw one when I was helping him with his deer and I couldn’t get my rifle up in time,” Randy Weed said.