Hunter: Deanna Davis
Points: 12 (5L, 7R)
County: Taylor
Season: 2022-2023
Hunt Story
My husband and I drove 4 hours to our hunting lease Saturday, November 19th. Sunday we saw deer but let many walk. Monday, we saw many as well but not what we wanted. Our goal is to shoot bigger antler deer than we previously have shot. My husband and son have always tried to get me to let notice the ages of deer by the body shape, but I struggle with that. So Tuesday morning I sent my husband a text telling him I saw “heart-racing” deer! They jokingly say all I do is take pictures and send it to them. I tell them when I see one to shoot, they won’t get a picture. I couldn’t get this one to come across property line. I continued all morning with my bleat can, grunt calling, and rattling. Deer would come to check it out. At one time, I had a 4-pointer, 6-pointer, two does, and a fawn I didn’t know was there until The bucks came around and the mama doe went to protect it. Still nothing quality wise I wanted to shoot. Finally was able to eat lunch and get back to camp. My husband went to see friends, and I went back to the woods at 2:45 and messaged him to pick me up at dark. I grunted in a small 8-pointer but chose to let it walk. My back started to hurt so I stood up and played around with my grunt call. Just as I turned around to sit back down my heart started racing again! There stood this buck! I pulled the trigger and waited! They always ask me did I hear it fall! So I listened and within minutes I heard it crash. My husband messaged me and asked if I had shot! I called him and said pick me up. The whole time all I could think of was “I hope this isn’t the one he let walk in front of him most of the morning”. This story ends with the deer falling 25 yards from where I shot it. This story ends with this being the biggest deer shot by any of us in my family. This story ends with my husband texting more people than me to share the news! My son has sent us pictures from cameras from previous years. And I am forever grateful for the times they tried to make sure I let young deer live until such a time as this.
