I leave work at 4:00 pm and head to the woods. When I get to the area I am planning to hunt I find the farmer has a guy cutting the saplings along the field edges. I only have about 15 minutes until sunset and then 30 minutes of legal time on top of that. I decide to go ahead and hunt the spot. The tractor and the cutting are loud. Man, I’m wasting my time here today I tell myself.
I’m hunting a new cutover logged just this spring. It has a harvested cotton field on one side and woods surrounding the other sides. Finally, just before sunset, the guy on the tractor leaves. He is headed to the barn. I’ve always heard deer are not frightened by noises made during normal farm operations so my optimistic side says “stick it out”. It’s time to put some meat in the freezer. Early December is usually too late for a big buck.
About 15 minutes before legal shooting time ends I spot a large bodied deer coming out of the woods. I put the binoculars up and immediately determine he is legal to shoot. We have minimum size on bucks on our property. I am looking down along the woods line and I have problems finding the buck in the scope, then I see that he has backed back into the woods. Darkness is quickly closing in and is my worst enemy. I lose site of the deer and I’m no longer holding my rifle steady so I drop it in my lap and put the binoculars back up.
This looked to be a really nice sized buck. Now I cannot find him. I get into a bit of a panic. It was a really nice looking rack and I have no time to waste. I desperately search the edge of the woods.
Nothing, nada, zilch, zero. Gone is the gray ghost. The disappointment edges into my mind. I keep looking, searching.
Beyond desperation, I search out away from the edge. Broadside. Big body. Big rack. I quickly pick up to the rifle, as I drop the binoculars into my lap.
Crank up the scope’s power a little. Still sitting, I rest the elbow of my left arm on my knee.
Deep breath, exhale, hold on the shoulder, and squeeze the trigger.
As the gun recoils up I reach up and quickly crank the scope back down to the lowest power and bring the gun down. I need to find this deer.
He is running into the woods. I clearly see him, head down, no antlers visible. He runs without bounding, straight into the woods. I see no white flag standing up. I am confident. I hit him. Still, I question myself. Did I make the shot I needed to?
I have one major task. Find some kind of landmark in the area. It is like looking across the ocean, except it is an ocean of knee-high bamboo. Everything looks the same. I don’t have a good depth of field on the woods line. I don’t feel good about a starting point on the tracking job I have ahead of me.
I move down and began the search. Starting away from the edge and working back and forth, inching closer to the edge of the woods. After an hour the phone rings, “You need some help?” one of my friends asks. He heard the shot and knows it was me. I tell him I’m headed to the clubhouse.
First thing I hear after telling the guys I didn’t find the buck.
“How big?” “He is Nice.”
“How many points?” “Don’t know, could not see that well, but he is shooter, he is wide and tall.”
My shirt-tail quickly becomes the topic of conversation. I tell them, “You can cut it off tomorrow if I don’t find the buck”. I’ll be back in the morning at first light.
I get only fitful sleep, like the night before you are going offshore. When the bite has been hot, you finally have a great forecast, the baits are rigged, and sleep won’t come. Visions of what tomorrow can bring. Anticipation keeps me from any really deep sleep.
It is before sunrise Saturday and I’ve already started searching the area for some sign. Please, find some blood, I’m thinking to myself. I start a careful search back and forth. Two hours later as I’ve worked my way to the woods line my son calls. He and a friend have been down at a beaver dam trying to shoot some ducks. I tell them to come and give me some help looking. The three of us look for another 45 minutes and Nate finds blood, good blood.
Carefully we work our way down the trail. We get some more help as a couple of guys have come out of their stands and come over.
Finally we find him! He is really tall, nice wide eight. Great buck for eastern NC. High fives and fist pumps.
Then, a question from my son, who has the uncanny ability to bring perspective on the harvest of such a nice trophy. “Dad, what would you rather do, release a 500 pound blue marlin or shoot this buck?” Without too much thought I reply, “Right now, I think I’d rather have this buck on the ground”. Hunting a trophy buck and a big lady in a blue suit are so much alike. Years of trying often precede success. The memories will last forever.
We measured the shot at 293 yards. Harvested with a 280. Now I have a taxidermist bill to pay. And a future date with a big lady in a blue suit!
great buck and an awesome read, thanks for taking us along. I have had those same sleepless nights and know exactly what that's like. GREAT job all around!
Great story, A few years back I was hunting some property in Orange county and I had a stand about 300-400 yards from the mans house. It was a beautiful Sat and I got in the stand an hour early on a perfect afternoon. I sat like a church mouse for 2 hours and noticed the time was getting about right for the deer to move. Suddenly, the man cranks up a 2 stroke leaf blower. I mean, it's his property, he has every right, but man! come on! I sit for an hour listening to this thing, it must have had a 125 cc engine with the baffles out of the muffler because it was loud! Finally, I could take it no longer, I knew he was going to work till dark and my hunt was over so I head towards the house. As I get close to his house I can see him working the f..k..g leaf blower back and forth, BUT! I also see 2 large does and their offspring standing between he and I with their backs to me watching him blow leaves! I can't shoot because he is behind them. I think about going back to my stand when one of the does turns and sees me and they take off. I learned that day that even though that noise was driving me crazy, it had little effect on the deer. In fact, I think they were curious about it. Congrats on your buck.
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We have minimum size on bucks on our property. I am looking down along the woods line and I have problems finding the buck in the scope, then I see that he has backed back into the woods. Darkness is quickly closing in and is my worst enemy. I lose site of the deer and I’m no longer holding my rifle steady so I drop it in my lap and put the binoculars back up.
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