Finally a good hour later here he comes!! One of those bucks that you don't even have to look closely at. It is painfully obvious that he is a very mature buck. He has a big muscular body with a deep chest and a bit of a pot belly. His neck is swollen so much it makes him look like he has a glandular problem. This big boy carries only 8 points but they are all long with good mass. Not a lot of spread but so what. Here he comes!! Just as he starts to get into range he picks up the pace to a pretty good trot. As he came into a good opening I grunted at him to try to get him to stop or slow down. Anything except that ground eating trot!
The opening he was going through was about 20 yards wide with thick cover on both sides. With him trotting through the crisp frosty leaves there must have been enough noise to cover my feeble attempts to stop him. The farther he trotted the louder I grunted. Finally he heard me. after he cleared my nice 20 yard wide shooting lane that is.
There he stands in the thick cover quartering away slightly and me trying to find an opening. I hunkered over slightly and there it was a soccer ball sized hole to his vitals. Right in the middle of that hole stood one lone hackberry sapling. Here is my chance. All I have to do is get past that sapling and its a slam dunk shot. Nothing but vitals on the other side of that little tree. Heck it isent but about 4" across. Plus archery is my living! No possible way I can mess this up now!! I have my spot picked just to the left of that tree. NOW!!It all goes to auto pilot. I never remember the shot when things are right. It just happens.
Suddenly I'm rudely awakened from my moment of bliss by the sound of a Grizzly Kodiak burying deep in that sapling that I could not possible have hit!
The buck takes a few steps then stops to look around. He did not have a clue what had just happened. All I could do is sit back down in my stand and smile. There was not anger, no regret, just the feeling of having my one chance at a mature buck for the year. So be it. Looks like tag soup again this year.
That is when I remember that this is an either sex tag and the does WILL pay for this big boy's good fortune. :D Oh yes they will!! In fact they already have.