This monster was shot the second morning of the gun deer hunting season. He is by far the largest buck that I have ever shot. He has 12 points, a 16 inch inside spread, and weighed 160 pounds field dressed. And the story is one to remember. As the twilight was fading into daylight, I spotted what I thought was a deer in a tree line 75 yards away. However, this was not the first time that I have done just that. As most who hunt early morning know, a clump of tree braches and grasses can easily look like a deer. I knew that my eyes could simply be playing a trick on me. So I did what any one else would have done, I waited and watched. And to my amazement, this clump of braches suddenly moved. I immediately put my scope on it and saw that it was indeed a buck. But because it was about 75 yards away and on the other side of a sizable treeline, I couldn't make out much detail. I could only see that it was a monster. So I watched and watched and watched. He just wouldn't move. You could tell by watching that way that he moved his head and the way he was trepedatious about all that he did that he was no rookie. He laid down on the other side of the tree line for an hour and a half. This entire time I was eyeing him with the scope, but only as long as my hands could take the cold. As the time went on, I became more and more cold and nervous. At one time I was literally shaking. Around 8:45am, he finally moved. As I put him in the scope I saw for the first time doe that was lying by him the entire time. And not surprizingly he was following after her. I knew that this would be my only chance. So frozen and nervous, I put him in the cross hairs and shot, and pumped the shotgun and shot again and again. And after the third shot he stopped dead in his tracks and quartered towards the stand. And so I took the absolute last chance I had, and put him in the cross hairs one more time. I shot, and he jumped in the air and fell to the ground. He never moved again. It was finally over.
I have to thank Jim Valentine and his daughter Amber for helping me with the hunt, dresssing, and registering. Also, I need to thank my Father-in-law Steve for this and many other hunting oportunities.
Shortly after my hunt, with a walk in the park and a couple of shots, Jim shot two giants just like mine. He only used two shots, but that is what experience affords you.
