My First 8-Point Cull Buck

[Hillary]

This buck really has hit the top of the list in my favorite hunts. It wasn't overly exciting, not a huge buck by any means, and took no real exhausted effort... everything just went "right"
I never understood that phrase, "my hunt just went right" or "had such a perfect hunt". I always thought I had good hunts, enjoyed being outside, loved to watch all the movement, and just be in the moment of nature. Always was a natural when it comes to placement, always made decent kill shots, never had to track very far.
All-in-all, I have always enjoyed bow hunting.

But I learned, that I have never had everything, "just go right"

[Killem all]

I wish I could have a hunt go right. Congrats

[Hillary]

I have always been blessed with a wonderful outdoorsy family, and family land that I have hunted on, since I shot my first deer with a .22 hornet when I was 5 years old.
Everyone in my family, distant cousins, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and close family friends have enjoyed our ranch from time to time. When hunting season is over, it is time to sit in the river. I'm sure a few of you have seen the live pictures from the "in the water crawfish boils we have had every May....
But when hunting season is here, we get into hunting mode.....

The Ranch, as we like to call it, is situated in a valley in the Texas Hill Country, my great-grandparents bought it when my dad was 17 years old, after they had leased the neighboring property for a number of years prior. Although we have had good deer, we have never seen the quality we had liked.

10 years ago, after many years of horrible-quality bucks, we started a cull-only buck program and began to feed protein. It was not until the last few years when we have really seen a difference.

[Hillary]

After a poor drought season and the millions of acorns, 2009 wasn't a great year for bucks. My natural cull-trash instincts took over, harvested "meat" for the freezer, but the big bucks stay hid.

I think it really hit me that we have made a difference my first hunt this year. I have sat in the stand 8 times this year, have seen 15 does, and 19 babies. We have estimated our fawn crop to be almot 100%, and have seen numerout twin fawns. We are finally where we want to be.

As a family, we decided it was time to start culling ACTUAL 8-points, not just trash and bad genetics..

(may not sound like a big deal, but you stare at the for 5 years not being able to shoot )

(ok I promise the hunt is next....)

[Hillary]

So it was last Sautrday afternoon, after a disappointing morning hunt I settled into my Dad's stand towards the back of The Ranch.

This blind is building into an old, massive tree, similiar to (I would think) primal blinds, no tripod, but one massive metal ladder and nailed in 2x4's to the trunk of the tree, a metal grate and a swivel seat.

(we are a crafty family)

I had a small, yound button buck come in early and spook just as fast and he walked in.. About 150 yards from me was another hunter, when I noticed a spike and yound 8 point head his way, I texted him to stay on alert, I looked back at my feeder and saw tines heading my way.

[Hillary]

The 4.5 year old gracefully walked towards me without a care in the world, settled into his surroundings and began to eat corn, while directly facing me giving me no shot.
This is when the internal debate reared it's ugly face... Was I ready to shoot my first non-trash 8 point cull buck? Was he too small? Too young? Does he have potential? Circles of questions, flooding my mind, I decided, yes, he is small for his age, lacking brow tines, and needs to be in my freezer rather than be making babies

This is when I realized, my hunt was going perfect.

[Booger74]

Great Hunt

[Hillary]

He had been under my feeder for about 15 minutes when fate made him turn broadside, his right side facing me.
I realized at that moment, the coolest thing that I have never felt before when I have been hunting...

This amazing animal is 15 yards away from me, and have NO idea that I am there.

It may sound stupid, but that is the first time I have truly felt completely camoflauged, and I felt like a REAL hunter.

Inch by inch I moved, carefully taking my bow from my lap and placing it into a comfortable position, I drew back slow and smooth, the deer did not flinch.
Heart beat is completely in my throat now, my one pin and 20 yards sat just where it needed to (I guess I could refer to it as my Brezina pin )
And I let her rip, perfect shot, double lunged.

The Hot pick arrow sat directly under where the deer was standing, and 100 yards later I heard the dude take a crash.

[Hill1970]

waiting

[krausejmk]

this is a great way to pass the last hr of work!!! great story so far!

[Hill1970]

refresh-refresh-refresh

[Hillary]

It didn't take me long to find him, since he ended up about 50 yards from the truck.

He may not be the biggest 8, it may not have been the coolest hunt, but it was one of my favorite.

Which reminds me I need to pick him up from the processor


Sorry if you don't like it, but I love me a tail gate pic. All I had close was a mini-coke, no beer real close, so the coke will have to do...

[DBHIII]

Awesome, Congrats

[Hill1970]

Congrats, good buck and good write up.

[Hillary]

The only thing I am kicking myself about:
I settled in the blind and decided to do a live hunt, then talked myself out of it because my phone was being too slow.

Bummer cuz it would have been a good one!