Hunter: Dylan Peppers
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Morgan
Season: 2015-2016
Hunt Story
It was a brisk opening morning of rifle season in Morgan County, Georgia. I woke to a screaming alarm and jumped out of bed. The night had been a restless one as anticipation set in. What would I see? Where would I sit? Is the wind right? As I discussed in my head where to sit I grabbed a bite to eat and wished my parents luck in hoping they could get a chance at a monster. I climb into my truck and headed out to my best friend's farm to hunt. We met up at the barn and discussed where we would be going, and headed to the woods. As I pulled into the land, I opened the gate and parked about 150 yards inside the property line. It was about 6:15 a.m. as I began my long walk down the road to the stand I had chosen. I tied a drag rag to my boot while I walked periodically replenishing doe scent as I went. Fifteen minutes later I climbed up into a 20-foot box stand and started to get settled in waiting for morning light to appear. Twenty minutes later I began to be able to see the food plot I was hunting and the road in which I walked in on. I heard a few loud clucks and what sounded as limbs falling out of a tree. A few seconds later one turkey landed, then two, then three and so on until I had a total six toms in the roadway heading to the food plot. So I reached into my bag and retrieved my video camera and began to tape. I don't claim to be the best cameraman, but I think I did an OK job. I sat the camera on the 2x4 in the stand and just watched the turkeys as they scratched and mingled with one another. Soon after that I looked a hundred yards past the turkeys and saw legs of a deer. With no hurry in mind I grab my binoculars and took a peek to see what it was. In my mind it was a doe but as I worked my way up the body of the deer I realized it was a buck. I began to study the horns and age of the buck after some quick decision-making I decided he was indeed a shooter. I grabbed my rifle and took aim and realizing I had the camera there I adjusted it accordingly to the buck. I re-focused on the task at hand which was making an ethical shot on this trophy buck. I took aim and calmed my breathing; slowly I began to pull the trigger until BOOM the gun let loose a rumbling sound which echoed through the woods. Still looking through the scope of my gun I saw this trophy drop in his tracks. I was overwhelmed. I immediately texted my best friend James saying I killed a monster. As I fumbled to get my things together I began to get out of the stand and make the trek up to the deer. There was no ground shrinkage here. Each step I made, the bigger the deer seemed to become, and when I got there, I realized the trophy I had just taken. As my eyes gazed with amazement I thanked the Lord for the opportunity to take such a nice buck after 5 years of allowing me to be patient waiting for the right one. Then I thanked my buddy James for allowing me to hunt with him and his family for allowing me to become part of their family.
