After all the near misses with that buck I actually had to work a couple days. Our early firearm season is always a melancholy time for me. It is only 3 days but I don't enjoy seeing all the road hunting. Knowing the buck I was after crossed a gravel road more than a mature buck should, I was nervous. I decided to work and pray.
It turned out ok. He must have that 6th sense because no one shot him. I knew he was breeding and vulnerable. He just was a wary old dude though. I hunted him hard until our next gun season, a 4 day affair. I was off then however and spent the mornings glassing for him. The guns were going off all around and I nearly fainted when he trotted over a distant ridge with a doe. They slipped into the bedding cover on my farm and I knew exactly where I might kill him.
I told my wife my plan to set up on the ambush tree, a spruce with finger like branches where a bowhunter could tuck into. I had used this same set up to kill a giant 12 point 4 years ago. If they used that same trail coming out, I had a chance.
Like clockwork at 4 pm the doe walked right past me at 12 yds. He was so close to her rear end I thought I'd miss my chance. Luckily she got nervous like old mature does do and sped up. I used her acceleration to my advantage, drawing and pivoting on my stool. The aim and release felt perfect and the mad dash ended at 100 yards. I was overcome with emotion as I always am and texted my wife "Got him". She asked "him, him?" THE Hombre...the man. It was not long before I had dragging help by way of my son home from college. We had a heck of a celebration but not before I had some quiet time with my buck and with God above.
Topic: A November to Remember (Read 3553 times)
