Hunter: Austen Taylor
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Upson
Season: 2020-2021
Hunt Story
THE BIRTHDAY BUCK!! With everything going on in the world today, there was no place I’d rather be than in the woods on my 25th birthday which this year fell on Georgia’s opening day (9/12). This makes the 3rd year I’ve watched this deer and felt he was finally at a mature age to kill. For the past 3 months he has been steady at my BUCK MUSCLE feeder every evening between 6:30-7:00. Not wanting to chance busting them in the morning, i went with the gut feeling of sleeping in opening morning. I got dressed and got in my stand shortly after 12. Hopes got high as I started seeing several does and young ones as well as a decent 9 pointer I let walk. As it got later I began to think, “this is how it goes, deer season starts and they all disappear”. But still after being in for 7.5 hours, standing at the ready for 3 hours, and sweating in the 85 degree temps, I was determined to be prepared. Finally at 7:45 he walks in at 15 yards which was too close to even shoot from this stand! He slowly slipped through the pines to circle the feeder and come in on the downwind side but never made it. As he began walking away from me I drew back and when he stopped at 35 yards let the arrow fly. We found him about 85 yards from where he was shot. This was my first bow buck, killed from the same stand as my first deer was 19 years ago. And you best believe my dad and lifetime hunting partner was there to help me trail and recover both of them. Regardless of him not bowhunting because he hates the heat he knew how much it meant to me. This was the best birthday present ever and one I’ll cherish forever.
