Hunter: Tori Smith
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Oglethorpe
Season: 2015-2016
Hunt Story
This was Tori's third season carrying a gun without having taken a deer. She and her dad got showered up and dressed at their camp and then entered the woods at 2 pm. For the past 1.5 weeks, other members of our club (Big Tracks Hunting Club) had seen many bucks on the chase and a 150-class, 130-class and 170-class had already been taken from our property since rifle season had opened. Just that morning, a smaller 8-pointer that was perfect for Tori's fist buck was seen chasing in the same area, so we set out to see if he would show up again. From 2 pm to 5 pm we had still not seen the first deer, and dad was starting to get a little disappointed saying that because it was a no doe weekend and we were on the edge of a clearcut, he was afraid they weren't going to see/shoot anything, but Tori said to stay positive. Not 15 minutes later this 10-pointer stepped out into the food plot at 100 yards and started to graze. Tori calmly picked up her rifle (as dad has his scope on it for backup) put the crosshairs on him and pulled the trigger. The next 3 seconds were the longest 3 seconds of their lives because the deer just froze as dad watched through his scope. Then, in the blink of an eye the deer collapsed where he stood, and the hugs and high-fives began. Tori's first deer is bigger than anything her dad has on the wall, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
