Well, this season started out like most, with our inaugural trip to Kansas in May, quick and dirty, straight, and to the point. Except this year, we were packing 11 game cameras instead of our usual 4 or 5. We arrived to a rain forest that left us working our rears in the dirt, shredding, grappling trees out of the roads, putting out corn, putting up cameras, and killin' some soljas, you know, the liquid chicken needed to sustain us through the tedious chores of getting ready for this deer season. And we loved every minute of it. The conversation on the way back to Texas was not out of our norm. Visions and tales of what monsters may be lurking on our farm and walking in front of our cameras was thrown around at least once every hour on the hour on our ride home. Skip forward a few months to our return trip, and low and behold we got a few pictures of what seemed to be a true giant. The pictures that we had were from the first part of June and it looked like he had coke can sized bases. We were excited to say the least. More corn, card swapping, and solja killin'. We make a late September/early October trip every year just to do maintenance, swap cards, put out corn, kill soljas (I think you guys are getting the idea). Well, we always sneak in a few hunts on this trip, looking mainly for a doe to bring home, BUT, this trip would prove to be a horse of a different color all together. With a 27 degree morning on Sunday the 7th, it felt like November. We had hit it just right, perfect if you will. Now know that I am writing this tale on behalf of my “brother,” as he is slinging manure on his winter pasture as I type, so the hunts that unfold are his and his alone. There was an electricity in the air, along with plumes of steam with every breath, leaves were already changing to their familiar reds, oranges and golds. The tree rats were in their normal routines, hustling up nuts and doing their dangdest to sound like approaching monster bucks. He saw first a deer that we have named “Narly” due to his unusual character and stickers, a low 130s typical 8 point with an additional 6 more sticker points, the occasional doe and fawn that sauntered through, and ended with a small spike that was delaying breakfast by over 45 minutes. All-in-all, not a bad first morning. Lunch at Subway instead of our usual Sonic, and back in the stand, except this time, he goes to the stand that is an afternoon stand and in the area where the “Wizard” hangs out. To say that we were excited about this hunt would have been an understatement. By the way, we have to rename this spot, the Booner Zoo. I am hanging on to my phone as text after text starts rolling in. “14 does and fawns, a spike, and a nice young 9 point with a 7 or 8 inch G4.” Not a bad start to the afternoon hunt. I am sitting in my stand when the thought pops in my head that I am about to receive a text that says that he just shot the Wizard. 5 seconds pass by and low and behold my new 5 vibrates. I pull it out of my pocket and it reads, “I just shot Wizard.” I about fell out of the tree, trying to hold on to composure, when the thought hits me, “if I am this excited, how is he dealing with it?” I get the next text, “watched him fall.” That’s it, my hunt is over and I am to the truck in 3 steps. He had shot him in a slow walk at 25 yards while he was going out to fight the 9 point. He placed the 2 blade rage right through the heart. The beast ran out about 40 yards, stopped, and forgot how to live. What had unfolded in front of my buddy happened in just under two minutes, but in those two minutes, his life had changed, for he had just shot his first Boone and Crockett buck. We hugged like kids, celebrated like men, and felt like gods that night. The buck weighed in at 290 pounds, had 6inch bases, and a G4 that measured 8.5 inches. He had two kickers that measured around 4.5 inches, putting his typical gross score right at 175 inches. He topped out at 179 1/8. He had already broke some tips on his 2's and 3's so he should have busted the 180 mark fo sho. Now, it’s my turn, and I can’t get back fast enough.
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