Hunter: Leslie Hobbs
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Macon
Season: 2024-2025
Hunt Story
The stand was perched just inside a thick cluster of oaks. It was my first time in this stand, and immediately I wasn't a fan. My husband had picked it out, insisting it was a prime spot. He sat beside me, fidgety and talkative as usual. I much prefer a still and quiet approach to hunting. I was supposed to hunt a different stand that morning with my son, but when he backed out, I decided to hunt with my husband. There was virtually no wind, so that was promising. The oaks around us were bare enough to let us see clearly, but dense enough to offer good cover. Beyond the oaks, the clear cut to our left offered a little better view, but I much prefer a more unobstructed view such as a food plot. I scanned the edges of the clearing and through the oak thicket, watching for any sign of movement. There was none! No sound in any direction. About an hour and a half after getting on stand, I finally spotted legs through a small opening in the trees. I alerted my husband who was scanning the clear cut. After a few moments, he was able to pick up the deer in the binoculars. He followed him around and was able to identify that it was a mature buck. As he made his way around behind us, I was attempting to adjust in the stand in case we identified him as a shooter and I was offered an opportunity at a shot. After much maneuvering, I was able to get in position to get a shot in the clear cut if the opportunity presented itself. At this point, my husband was standing in the stand and continuing to follow the deer up to the edge of the clear cut. It is important to note that this deer took approximately 10 minutes to travel around to the opening of the clear cut. This allowed time for buck fever to set in. I began to shake just as he reached the clear cut and was unsure if I would be able to steady enough to get a shot off. Fortunately, upon exiting the woods, he turned right to walk the edge, which led him right in front of me. He paused at approximately 50 yards and I was able to make the shot. And even though my husband emphasized the importance of not shooting a tree and I assured him that I would not, I did in fact shoot through a branch that was apparently too close to the scope for me to see. He ran about 100 yards and at first showed no indication of being hit. Fortunately, 100 yards was all he had in him and he dropped behind some brush. After a few minutes, I sent my husband to check to make sure I got him because that's what I take him for. Lol
