For opening day of gun season this year my son and friend Justin told me I should hunt our Red Roof Inn stand in the morning. The three of us are the only ones hunting on our lease in Hancock County. They said the last camera check showed I should hunt the other end of the property in the afternoon as that was where the bucks were on camera. So I expected a relaxing morning in the stand. I got in the stand about 6:45 a.m. and was all set up drinking a large coffee and enjoying the sunrise. About 7:30 a large doe came walking out of a trail from the pines into the food plot in front of me at about 50 yards. She walked about 10 yards then stopped and turned and watched behind her where she came out with her tail a wagging. I got my gun ready just in case. Then out stepped a nice buck. He came just into the food plot and stopped. I checked with my binoculars that he indeed was a shooter and then dropped him in his tracks with a neck shot. Actually I was trying to aim for a high shoulder shot but guess between the excitement and the bushy tree in the food plot partially hiding his head I misjudged my shot. Didn’t matter though he was on the ground. My son came up from where he was hunting and we celebrated with a bunch of photos and just sitting on the ground enjoying the moment. I am now 80 years old and this was my first hunt this season being 80. Needless to say this was a special buck for me. My son reminded me that the buck was my second personal best one. The buck was an 8 point that weighed in at 196.2 lbs live weight. With my son’s persuasion I am getting the buck mounted. Great way to continue hunting at 80.
