Hunter: Adam Kirk
Points: 12 (6L, 6R)
County: Rabun
Season: 2023-2024
Hunt Story
I decided to scout an area of the Chattahoochee National Forest during the 2022 season and found a scrape along a saddle. I placed a camera on it and came back home. The location was 1.4 miles and a 1,000ft climb. It was really tough for me to get to. I had every intention of going back and checking that camera but ultimately never went back up that mountain until September of 2023. I pulled the camera and came home. When I checked the SD card I was shocked to see this buck. He made 4 daylight appearances during the 2022 season each time was at mid-day. I returned the following weekend and placed some cell cameras in traditional scrape spots. During October I finally got a picture confirming the deer was still in the area. I made several trips up that mountain and never laid eyes on the buck. On November 4th he made his first daylight appearance at 1:53 on a scrape. I had hunted the day before. On November 29th he came through at 11:53. I had taken time off to hunt this deer today (Nov. 30th). Throughout this year hunting this deer I didn't have much confidence that I would harvest him. This is my first year hunting in the mountains and it's very different from what I am accustomed to. For some reason I just had a feeling the night before the hunt that I would have an opportunity at this deer. I took that feeling and made sure my skinning knife was sharp and prepared my pack as if I knew I was going to kill this deer. On the morning of the hunt the wind was forecasted out of the WNW and was going to swap around 10 am to a south wind. I knew my climber was not set up for a South wind so I slipped up the mountain and removed my climber from my original spot and hiked deeper going higher up the mountain in anticipation for the swapping wind direction. At lunch I had not seen a deer but for some reason I still had a feeling it was going to happen. At 12:48 I heard a deer approaching from behind me. I managed to turn around and look and confirmed it was the buck I was after. He walked directly to the base of my tree and I shot him. He fell right there. Then the hard work started, I climbed down and field dressed him and began my 1.5 mile drag back to the truck.
