Ok friends, I will try to make this a short version. But I'm long winded.
My dad and I headed to the ranch after he got off work Thursday night. I have had trail cameras out since September and we have a few pictures of some nice deer but only 1 made it to a hit list, and he hasn't shown himself since we have started hunting. On the way out Thursday night I asked my dad If he wanted to stop and crab the camera cards just to see what has come in the last week, but we decided not to so as not to disturb anything. That morning we got to the stand a little earlier than usual and I had about an hour and a half wait till shooting light. I am one that has never been able to sleep or take a little siesta while in the stand so of course I start reading the Green Screen. I even posted on my Facebook page that I had a good feeling that this was going to be the weekend for my dad and I. Never in my dreams did I expect what happened to take place. The morning started off very slow for me with only one doe showing herself. As for my dad he was texting that he was seeing a few does and small bucks. I overlook a small wheat field with a creek running the length of it on the far side of it. To my left at 250 yards away is my property line, a road, and then my best friends place is next door to mine. My friend who is hunting next door texted me saying there was a buck chasing a doe down his fence line coming my way. At first sight he was a shooter. The doe jumped the fence and come to my place but the buck, I'm guessing about a 150, wouldn't cross the fence and turned around and headed back to where he came from. I texted my friend and told him the buck was headed back his way. We never saw that buck again.
About 30 minutes later a lone doe busted out in the wheat field about 800 yards on my friends place and was on a dead run straight to my stand. She had one of those runs like you just knew a buck was chasing her. Then nothing! She stayed on a dead run and passed behind my stand about 20 yards and just kept going. After she passed I never took my eyes off of where she came out. 5 minutes later here he come. At first sight I knew he was it. He was running the exact same trail the doe had just made. I knew it was about to happen. I got to watch him run all the way to my property. Even though I knew he was coming straight to me, as soon as I could I shot. He did not drop, he didn't even act like he was hit at all. He did turn and started running to his left. My heart dropped. I fired again. He's still running. I fired again. He's still running. I fired again, and "click", I pulled the bolt back and racked my last shell in. At this point I'm saying out loud no, no, no, no because In another 10 yards he will be out of sight. I fired again, and all I saw in my scope was a white belly and his hind legs flipping over the top of his head. Now this is where it gets funny. I did a hunter no no. I did not give the 30-45 minute wait. Nope I just jumped out of the stand and started running! Halfway there is when I realized I didn't even bring my rifle. I didn't care. He was down, I could see him, and like the guys on the TV shows, there was no ground shrinkage going on. In fact, the closer I got, the bigger he got. After a short prayer and giving of thanks, I texted my dad and friend and told them I just shot the biggest deer we have ever seen. When they finally showed up, I think they agreed. It still hasn't sunk in what I have done here, be the one thing I do know is I am a very very blessed man right now. I know people will go their whole life without even seeing a deer of this magnitude, I've hunted for 35 years and only in my dreams could I have thought I could be this lucky and blessed at the same time.
I'm still trying to get hold of a BC score but,
The official score from Texas Big Game Awards is:
Gross 204 5/8
Net 199 1/8
My dad and I headed to the ranch after he got off work Thursday night. I have had trail cameras out since September and we have a few pictures of some nice deer but only 1 made it to a hit list, and he hasn't shown himself since we have started hunting. On the way out Thursday night I asked my dad If he wanted to stop and crab the camera cards just to see what has come in the last week, but we decided not to so as not to disturb anything. That morning we got to the stand a little earlier than usual and I had about an hour and a half wait till shooting light. I am one that has never been able to sleep or take a little siesta while in the stand so of course I start reading the Green Screen. I even posted on my Facebook page that I had a good feeling that this was going to be the weekend for my dad and I. Never in my dreams did I expect what happened to take place. The morning started off very slow for me with only one doe showing herself. As for my dad he was texting that he was seeing a few does and small bucks. I overlook a small wheat field with a creek running the length of it on the far side of it. To my left at 250 yards away is my property line, a road, and then my best friends place is next door to mine. My friend who is hunting next door texted me saying there was a buck chasing a doe down his fence line coming my way. At first sight he was a shooter. The doe jumped the fence and come to my place but the buck, I'm guessing about a 150, wouldn't cross the fence and turned around and headed back to where he came from. I texted my friend and told him the buck was headed back his way. We never saw that buck again.
About 30 minutes later a lone doe busted out in the wheat field about 800 yards on my friends place and was on a dead run straight to my stand. She had one of those runs like you just knew a buck was chasing her. Then nothing! She stayed on a dead run and passed behind my stand about 20 yards and just kept going. After she passed I never took my eyes off of where she came out. 5 minutes later here he come. At first sight I knew he was it. He was running the exact same trail the doe had just made. I knew it was about to happen. I got to watch him run all the way to my property. Even though I knew he was coming straight to me, as soon as I could I shot. He did not drop, he didn't even act like he was hit at all. He did turn and started running to his left. My heart dropped. I fired again. He's still running. I fired again. He's still running. I fired again, and "click", I pulled the bolt back and racked my last shell in. At this point I'm saying out loud no, no, no, no because In another 10 yards he will be out of sight. I fired again, and all I saw in my scope was a white belly and his hind legs flipping over the top of his head. Now this is where it gets funny. I did a hunter no no. I did not give the 30-45 minute wait. Nope I just jumped out of the stand and started running! Halfway there is when I realized I didn't even bring my rifle. I didn't care. He was down, I could see him, and like the guys on the TV shows, there was no ground shrinkage going on. In fact, the closer I got, the bigger he got. After a short prayer and giving of thanks, I texted my dad and friend and told them I just shot the biggest deer we have ever seen. When they finally showed up, I think they agreed. It still hasn't sunk in what I have done here, be the one thing I do know is I am a very very blessed man right now. I know people will go their whole life without even seeing a deer of this magnitude, I've hunted for 35 years and only in my dreams could I have thought I could be this lucky and blessed at the same time.
I'm still trying to get hold of a BC score but,
The official score from Texas Big Game Awards is:
Gross 204 5/8
Net 199 1/8
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