Opening Day Success

Due to being lucky enough to find a new job, I had far less time to hunt then usual. So feeling a little rushed, I still hunted my way to my favorite spot and luckily and literally almost ran smack dab into a deer!

I noticed a few other deer moving in a small draw, so I moved to a position where I had a better vantage point. After seeing 3-4 deer that I could not identify as buck or doe I heard running coming straight for me. So I patiently waited and prepared to take the shot if it turned out to be a buck.

I immediately saw two bucks running towards me, they came up a small knoll towards me and the first one - a small spike- ran by at about 7 FEET from me. He was being chased by a fatter larger racked buck-a fork horn- who also ran by at the same 7 FEET!

Instinctually I brought up my tried and true Model 94 and let one rip and knocked the fork horn over within feet of impact.

No sooner had this 4 pointer expired at the foot of the knoll then a larger buck, much much larger, emerged from the undergrowth at the bottom of the draw. I thought I'd have some fun and grunted to this new buck which did not immediately respond, but 5 minutes later it walked up to the now dead deer and acted like he was going to attack it.

It was the deer so affectionately known as "The big 10" that I had planned on hunting for. I could have cried. The hunting instinct, the pressure to get the hunt done and over and the closeness of the deer had overwhelmed me.

After a few minutes this large buck melted back into the brush. I went down the hill and started field dressing my buck. The fresh bear crap all around me made me a bit nervous, but dragged the deer out to the road and waited for my friend Chris to come get me to take it to be checked in.

Although dissapointed that I did not get "The big 10"; I AM eating venison and I can look forward to finding "the big 10"'s antlers in the woods this year since there was only 1 buck taken off the farm and it was mine.