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Deer Hunting 2010

Deer season started out with a lot of optimism this year as we had seen some nice bucks around and even had a dandy 10+ pointer on the trail camera. The weather was clear and cool and we were hearing reports of bucks chasing does in broad daylight in the days leading up to the season.

The first weekend came and went and was frankly, a disappointment. There were 10 guys hunting and only a small sized 9 pointer was shot. Only 1 or 2 big bucks were even seen.

On Wednesday, I promised to take Lauren out hunting. The problem was, it was raining and about 45 degrees. But Lauren wanted to go, so we went. We sat in Dad�s box stand with the cover on, huddled down trying to keep dry. We did see 13 does and a buck, but none were very close. Not a great sit for her first time ever deer hunting.

On Friday night, I took Lauren again and this time used my ground blind and sat by a field that I knew there would be does in. We saw 9 does, but no bucks.

















Saturday morning was cloudy and it was going to snow. I was back in my stand (by myself). Didn�t see much of anything until a little after 8 am. Then I had 3 does sneak across in front of me and they spent the next half hour in some thick brush off to my right. I heard them move a little towards a clearer area and looked back and sure enough there was a buck with them now. But he was a little shaver, so I just watched.

Right then, I heard another buck grunt, but I couldn�t tell where it was coming from. It was snowing now and I was trying to find this other buck. He grunted again and I knew he was out in front of me somewhere. Another couple grunts and I knew he was in the field to the east. Then 2 deer zipped into the woods in front of me and I knew one of them was the buck and he was chasing the doe! Almost immediately the doe trotted across the very end of my shooting lane about 90 yards away and I got ready, with the gun up and waited. All of a sudden the buck ran across the lane and I didn�t have time to even move! I sure hoped I was going to get a better chance than that. As lady luck was on my side, the doe came right towards me until she was about 40 yards away and then re-crossed the same shooting lane. The buck, which I could tell was a nice one, was right behind her. He stopped in my shooting lane at about 40 yards. I had the scope on him and the safety off and as I looked at him I realized he was probably a 3 � year old, but his 8 point rack was just not quite what I was hoping for. Then, as if they said �you had your chance�, they spun and took off running through the woods. I sat there with my heart drumming and realized I had just passed up the biggest buck I ever had. It was a dang nice buck and I had second thoughts for a minute. But then I realized, I sure enjoyed the show they gave me and hopefully he will be back next year.

I kept my eyes on that general area and was in deep thought when all of a sudden there was another buck that was just going to cross the same lane. But he was smaller yet, a 1 � year old 7 pointer. Wow, what a fun time!

I was still pumped after watching all this take place when there, in that same lane, came a big buck, walking right at me sniffing for that hot doe! This buck was considerably taller, wider, and had more mass to his rack. I didn�t have much time as he closed the distance to about 35 yards pretty fast and then turned to go into the brush leaving me with a broadside shot. At the shot, he lurched forward about 10 yards and then spun back the way he came. I had a possible shot through the brush, but realized he was not looking very good. A second or two later, he dropped and lay still. Now the adrenaline was REALLY pumping.



































I got Brian and Dad over there and we took pictures and hauled him out.


















We got it back and Wyatt (my 2 � year old boy) made a comment that will be remembered a long time with the deer hunting crew up there. As he stood admiring the buck, he said, �I�m gonna eat that buck!�.

























Technical details: Shot with a Beretta 12 gauge shotgun with 2 � inch Federal Barnes Expander slugs at 35 yards. Complete pass through, damaged the heart and went through the off-side shoulder.