It was 5 am on Friday morning and I was laying on the ground, bundled up with multiple layers of the warmest clothes I own. It was still very dark and the stars were shining bright. I was too cold to look at them though, it was colder than a well-diggers @$$! I have never been so freezing cold. To top it off, I was laying on a well used horse trail overlooking a big crick valley. I dont think I really need to say the next line, especially to those of you who have ever been on a horse trail; but I found out once it got light out that a few horses or one really big horse had done his daily duty right in my exact location! At least frozen patties dont stink.
Anyhow, on with the story. After miserably laying there for an hour, it finally starts to get light enough outside for me to start scoping the valley for any brown movement! I tried sitting in a little sportsmans stool perched behind a little evergreen tree for a few minutes, but my frame just isnt meant to sit in a stool that would be undersized already for the regular sized sportsman, so I decided to just lay on my belly overlooking the ridge.
I was only laying for about 10 minutes when I heard something shake the electrical horse fence behind me. First thought was that I was going to get ran over by a horse, but I didnt hear any other sounds? After listening intently for about a minute, I decided to slowly roll my head to peak behind me. When I looked back I could not believe what was happening! A huge buck was 15 feet behind me just staring right at me. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and I was frozen in place (literally).
After about a minute the buck just started to walk away. He was following a trail that went behind a small hill and I quickly popped up to my feet when he was out of view. I didnt know where the trail led to, but I was ready for him if his path ever popped into view again! I do have to confess, for those of you who havent caught on yet, that I am not an avid deer hunter. I got too much fish stuff going on to actively pursue another time consuming hobby. My cousin and brothers are the diehard hunters, they put on all that scent crap and scout out everything and such. I always go with them for a day or two of shotgun hunting, basically to help drag the deer out of the woods.
Anyhow, I knew instantly that this was a shooter buck! Their buck shooting rule is this: if you shoot a buck, you put him on the wall no matter how big he is. Needless to say, I have never pulled the trigger on a buck yet, until today!
After he was out of eyesite for about a minute, he showed back up about 60 yards down the trail heading away from me. All of a sudden he turned broadside and just stood there overlooking the valley below. I hate to admit, but my heart was pumping pretty fast and hard. I couldnt believe this buck was basically begging me to shoot him? I aimed right at his heart and basically closed my eyes (not on purpose) and pulled the trigger. My biggest fear was having to spend the rest of the day chasing a blood trail, but somehow I hit him about a foot higher than I was supposed to and he dropped down dead instantly!!! He died about 30 feet from the road and my truck was conviently parked only about 150 yards away.
6:45 am and I was done!
At 9 am my uncle Mike shot a buck on the back side of the property, you know how regular deer hunters hunt, in the woods and from a tree stand. The boys were looking for his deer in the tall grass while I was just chilling by the 4-wheeler. As I was sitting there I caught some movement down in the woods out of the corner of my eye. About 30 yards down the 4-wheeler trail, a doe is just non-chalantly walking by. I conveniently pick up my brothers gun that was laying right there and shot the deer right in her heart! She didnt go far. It doesnt get much better than that!
Here are a couple more pics!
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