Hunter: Paul Osterholt
Points: 12 (5L, 7R)
County: Chattahoochee
Season: 2019-2020
Hunt Story
I’ve been getting a big 8-pointer on multiple cameras set up on the property. The 8 has been the best deer for the last two seasons but I have yet to see him. He is the deer I have been hunting. My son and grandson helped me set up a lock on stand with climbing sticks in a new area at 2:30. We used a chain saw, drove a Jeep in the area to set up the stand, but I thought “What the heck, I’ll hunt here tonight.” I didn’t see anything until just before dark when a nice buck crossed a cut road. Soon I hear a buck grunting and deer running. A group of three or four does rush in and start feeding on acorns just 30 yards away. Right away, the buck comes in and sends them scattering. I only want to take a nice trophy, so I let my one chance at a shot slip by as I confirm it is a good buck. And just like that he and the does run out of sight. I’m sick! I’ve probably sat for 100 individual hunts over the last two seasons waiting for a good buck, and I just let my one chance get away. But luckily in five minutes the does bring him back to the acorns. I had one clear shot, took it, he kicked, ran and fell within sight. So happy and surprised to walk up and find a much nicer buck than the big 8 I have been hunting. This deer was never on any of the cameras that I run year round. Just goes to show, anything can show up during the rut.
