My dad and I first saw this buck in the fall of 2021. After seeing him on camera and in the field multiple times, we approached the neighboring landowner, received permission to hunt the property, and began our pursuit of this buck. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t right yet and we had to move on. In 2022, we didn’t see him again, assuming he had moved on to the many continuous timber-filled properties nearby.
Unannounced, within the first days of the youth season, this buck made an appearance. The first day, we had some west/ northwest winds that were working against us, and we were unable to see anything besides some small does. That evening, we decided to go back to the same location. My dad and I were nestled along some large limestone rocks in the valley, surrounded by open bean fields being harvested. Minutes before the last shooting light, there he was. The buck stepped out, but I was unable to get a shot. He didn’t move in close enough before last light. I went home very disappointed but determined. We decided we would try it again tomorrow. However, with the wind switching around, we didn’t have the same wind conditions for the morning, so we opted to stay home and hunt again later that evening.
We had Mom drop us off at the upper edge of the field. In the field drive, the weather was warmer and we had a nice breeze. I was very anxious for many reasons. One being the size of this deer that I had seen last night and the other being the excitement we both felt knowing the possibility of seeing this buck again. Although I was nervous, I was confident in the knowledge that I had learned from my dad in moments like this.
I became confident once we entered the field as the wind was working in our favor. We got out there early to get in our spot. It was around 4 p.m. We had a couple of does walk by, but other than that, it was a pretty slow night. As the sun began to set and crest along the ridge of the valley, I was feeling disappointed thinking that he was not going to show up. It was my last youth season with Dad, and I was thinking about how different things would be on my own next year.
Suddenly, in the distance to my north, I saw him. I could feel my heart start to race. I could feel the adrenaline kicking in. I began going through everything in my head. I had to keep myself calm. Don’t move too fast. Don’t make any noise. I pulled out my 350 Legend and looked through my scope, took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger. My heart was going a million miles an hour. He ran about 150 yards and collapsed.
The feeling I had in my chest was unforgettable, and knowing my dad was there with me and just as excited was even better. After Dad and I celebrated, we went to look. Seeing my deer and how familiar its features looked, my heart dropped again. We knew this was the deer that we had footage of from three years ago. We now had him on the ground in front of us. It was a very big victory for me.
As the sun was setting, I had my dad and my deer in front of me. I thought back to all my previous hunts and how thankful I was for everything my dad had taught me. I can’t wait to use the knowledge he taught me as I continue my hunting adventures as a young adult doing it all by myself.
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