Hunter: Rocky Mountain
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Clay
Season: 2015-2016
Hunt Story
You read those back page, campfire stories in various magazines, and you think, "WOW that's such an amazing event in that person's life." I would like to now tell of my "SPECIAL DEER." My daughter, Katie, passed away tragically on September 23, 2015. She was 28 and our only child. She loved the outdoors and deer hunting especially. We decided this was to be the year she was going to get her wall mount. Her passing devastated us, and I didn't have any desire to go to the woods. My wife and friends said Katie would have wanted me to continue to hunt. Reluctantly I did go a month into the Georgia gun season. I vowed to use only her rifle and not mine. It is a Remington Model 6 youth model (she was of small stature) in .243 calibur topped with a Redfield 3 X 9 variable. I went out Sunday morning....no I did not skip church service......we only meet twice a month.......to the stand she was supposed to use this year. At 8:00 am I saw horns coming up the trail into her food plot. They belonged to the deer I saw on cameras the week before. He was a real good 8-point and mature. I did not even realize I was squeezing the trigger until the gun went off. I saw him arch his back, but he ran off down the hill through the woods. I waited the obligatory 30 minutes.......RIGHT......it was one minute. There was no blood or hair. I backed away and decided to get my wife's German Shorthair Pointer "Daisy." Katie always loved Daisy and called her "Crazy Daisy." Daisy is gun shy to put mildly...she hides when I get a gun out of the safe let alone if she hears a shot.....but we love her. I digress. I hooked her to her hot pink lead and off we go. I put her nose to the buck's hoof print for her to scent. Off she went never wavering or lifting her nose from the ground. She went the opposite way I looked for blood, and a hour later, the thermals dissipated the scent. While I let her sample the air, I looked over to my right and saw the deer laid out. I let Daisy get back on the trail and she went to the buck. I praised her and she licked and smelled him. I hugged her and sat down next to the ten (10) point and later found out to be 193 pounds live (est), 5 1/2 year old buck. My biggest point wise and weight wise buck. I was extremely emotional and sobbed......no BAWLED......my eyes out to my ANGEL Katie....."WE DID IT." I called her mom and she brought the 4-wheeler down to me. She joined me as we cried out both joy and sadness. We will always have Katie with us. Now we have a "Special Deer Hunting" memory too. To every parent out there, give your son or daughter a hug every chance you can and cherish the times you all shared. God Bless.
