Hunter: Claire Fox
Points: 9 (4L, 5R)
County: Gordon
Season: 2020-2021
Hunt Story
My dad woke me up this morning when he got up to get ready for his shift at the fire department. I really wasn't feeling like getting up, but he encouraged me to go because we've been seeing bucks chasing on our property, and our target buck was bound to slip up and show himself in daylight so I got up and got ready. I decided to hunt in the back field since it's close to the house and deer move through from bedding to feeding areas, plus I usually see does back there. I got settled in the stand and it had just got light enough to see when I heard a deer walking and step out in the field. I didn't think it was a buck because it was alone and it didn't look all that big to me, but when I looked through my binoculars I thought I saw antlers. I kept watching as it fed and got lighter and lighter then I realized it was definitely a buck and looked like our target buck, so I eased my rifle up and got it in my scope. Once I confirmed it was the buck my heart rate shot up drastically but I kept my cool, settled the crosshairs tight behind his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. When I looked up from the scope I could see his white belly laying right where I shot him, then I couldn't control the shaking. I called my dad and told him I got the big 9 and he thought I was joking, but then he could tell in my voice that I wasn't so he told me to stay in the stand and he would be there as fast as he could. We recovered the deer together and it was an emotional experience. To harvest a buck like this in N. Georgia isn't a common thing, it has taken patience on my part not to shoot good young bucks but it was definitely worth waiting for one like this. Now I'm hoping I can follow in my dad's footsteps and win that truck at the GON Truck Buck Shootout!
