Hunter: Kaitlyn Collier
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Newton
Season: 2017-2018
Hunt Story
So, it's 4:00 pm on opening day of gun season. Me and dad were deciding where to go. He chose that we go to our land in Newton County but downside of going to Newton is that we can only bow hunt over there. In the stand it started to get dark and I was thinking to myself saying, "Won't it be cool if I kill my biggest bow buck here." At the time I was also hunting down another big buck I wanted to kill with my bow. I really wanted to hunt at home, but dad insisted we hunt over at the other property in Newton County. At 6:50 to 7 o clock, all of the sudden I had a really strong urge to check my phone in my bag on the right side of the tree. I look in my bag and was about to turn back around, then I saw my buck. He was walking down a trail behind me on the right side of the tree. My heart started racing and my hands started to shake. I grabbed my bow on my left side of the tree. I sneak a peak at the deer, and he was about 5 to 10 yards away, but I couldn't get a shot on him. He comes almost completely under my stand on the right side of the tree. I had the chance to shoot him between the shoulder blades, but I had a strong feeling not to. So, I didn't. He comes around behind my stand to my left side, about 1 yard away, I draw back, then he spooks. He runs back to my left side on top of a hill about 15 yards away. Still couldn't get a shot on him. We have a face off for about 10 minutes, then he finally starts to walk up the hills some. Now it's so dark, I finally get a shot on him about 20 to 25 yards away. I drew back and inhaled a deep breath; one beat, two beat, three beat... I released the arrow. He took off up the hill and into another food plot. My hands were just a shaking. I called dad to let him know that I just shot a really big buck. About forever later, he finally arrives at my stand. I get down and lead him to where I shot him. I was about 90% sure I shot him. We found my arrow in the ground, my heart sunk to my feet, I thought I missed. Dad grabbed the arrow, and we saw that it was actually broken. I remember saying in my head, "Lord, just tell me know if i shot this deer or not." A few minutes later we found the other piece of my arrow, covered in blood. I then knew I shot him. We walk up the hill following the blood trail. At first we thought I shot him in the lungs. We followed the blood trail, the puddles got really big then they stopped. That's when we knew we should call our buddy Pat Cleveland and 30 minutes later he arrives with his dog Speck. Speck immediately got on the trail then took off. Mr. Pat has a GPS collar on him. Speck started tracking the deer but somehow the buck was still alive! So Speck chased him through barbwire fences, thick and thin bushes and all the way into a lake. We got to the lake and there was my buck. Dad said "Well, its your deer." I said back "Yes sir it is!" I walked out waist deep and drug my deer to the bank. Turns out the shot wasn't as good as I thought it was. We thanked Mr. Pat then we went on our own way. A little story about Ol' Speck, last year he chased 50 deer. Now I'm telling you, he will only track wounded deer. The next morning we got pictures, then it was off to the processor!
